Chapter 18
Celine
It was barely seven, yet we were up and dressed and ready for a pumpkin acquisition road trip. The morning had gone far smoother than any this week. The kids had been up since six, completely overwhelmed with excitement about securing a giant gourd.
Julian had been so excited last night that he’d struggled to sleep. All week he’d talked about nothing else. It filled me with warmth seeing him lit up like this, excited and using his special talents to figure out a problem.
And while I doubted my daughters had much interest in the buoyancy of pumpkins, they had thrown themselves into the process, encouraging him and helping him draw pictures. I’d never been more proud.
When Josh pulled up and hopped out of his truck, his hair was still damp from his shower.
I nearly staggered back as he sauntered closer.
Damn, he was good-looking. All jeans and work boots and flannel, a gruff smile beneath that beard.
He’d been like a little kid the other night, brainstorming with Julian.
Initially, I assumed he’d offered to do this to be kind to Julian, but after the way his eyes lit up any time they talked about the project, I was beginning to wonder if it was Julian doing him the favor.
“I’ve got to get Julian’s booster.” I turned toward the van, sticking a hand in my purse and rummaging for my keys.
“No need. I got one.”
Lips pursed, I turned back to him.
“Here.” He opened the back door, and sure enough there was a booster.
I strode to the door and examined it. “That’s the same.”
“Yes. The same one you have. I saw it while I was at Costmart and grabbed it, figured it would be easier.”
Blinking, I turned to him, my brain not quite understanding.
“Got snacks too.”
Julian wandered to Josh’s side. “Is Wayne coming?”
Ducking, he shook his head. “He’s keeping Jasper and Vincent company while we’re gone. Since we need my truck to haul the pumpkin back, there isn’t enough room.”
Julian’s whole body sagged with disappointment.
“But he’ll help us build our boat. Don’t worry.”
The truck was equipped with snacks, water, blankets, and a few extra hoodies. Well-worn hoodies that looked so cozy I wished I could slip one on now, then take it home with me.
“Why do you have so many snacks?” Maggie asked.
“Cause kids eat a lot,” he replied, eyeing her in the mirror.
Ellie shrugged. “Accurate.”
We hadn’t even driven outside town limits before they were digging in.
“Mom,” Julian shouted far louder than necessary. “He has cucumbers. Cut in circles, not sticks.”
I turned in my seat, and sure enough, Josh had procured cucumbers, Julian’s favorite, and had cut them with precision.
“He got my crackers too.”
Heart thudding, I eyed the man beside me. “How did you know which foods were Julian’s safe foods?”
His focus was on the road, his fingers tapping the steering wheel. “I noticed and took a photo of the box with my phone. Didn’t want to mess it up for him.”
I ducked, lacing my fingers in my lap, hiding my shock, then pulled my sunglasses down over my eyes, determined to enjoy the ride.
“What should we listen to?” Josh asked, interrupting the girls, who were fighting over granola he’d brought from Jenn’s shop.
“K-Pop!” Maggie shouted.
“No, put on Lake Paige!” Ellie countered.
“Queen,” Julian declared, crossing his arms in his booster.
“Okay. I can get behind Queen,” Josh said, handing me his phone. “Will you pull up Spotify?”
His phone was unlocked and protected in a black case. One of those super tough unbreakable kinds. And unlike mine, the screen had no cracks.
“You each get a turn to choose songs,” I said, opening Spotify. “But I also vote Queen first.”
Julian giggled. “Mama, put on ‘Don’t Stop Me Now.’”
The kid was only six, but he had an encyclopedia worth of knowledge of Freddie Mercury’s discography in his brain, and I wasn’t mad about it.
We sang along, mixing in some K-pop and other hits, the kids being silly and loud.
Every couple of minutes, I’d steal a look at Josh, checking for signs of discomfort or anger. But his expression remained easy, and he didn’t even flinch or say a word when Julian kicked the back of his seat to the beat of “We are the Champions.”
Once we’d exited the highway, we turned onto a dusty country road and crested a large hill. On the other side sat a massive farm surrounded by mountains and painted with the foliage. The view was stunning.
Josh pulled up next to a big red barn with peeling paint, and a woman wearing denim overalls strode out.
The kids scrambled out of the truck, but I couldn’t help but be struck by the woman walking toward us.
She was tall, easily six foot. She was willowy, with her waist-length blond hair in a braid. She looked like she was here for a farm core photoshoot.
“Josh.” She broke into a jog, running into his arms, giving him a huge hug.
The warmth and familiarity in her smile made my stomach clench.
Were they lovers? It made sense. They probably had a lot in common.
Stepping back, she patted his bearded cheeks. “It’s been way too long.”
He turned and waved us over.
“Annie, this is Celine, Maggie, Ellie, and Julian.”
I had to crane my neck to meet her eye as I shook her hand. She was so pretty and wholesome, with skin tanned from outdoor work.
“Excuse me,” Julian said, looking away. “We would like your largest pumpkin, please.”
Annie smiled and kneeled down to his level.
Jeez, did she have to be good with kids too?
“I have some really big ones. How big do you want?”
Julian hummed, still avoiding eye contact. “The race rules say that in order for Josh and me to do it together, it has to be at least 1000 pounds.”
She tapped her chin and stood. “Then I’ve got some ideas. Did you bring a forklift?”
Josh shook his head.
She waved easily. “No worries. I’ve got you covered.”
We hiked around Annie’s farm, which was just as charming as it had looked from afar.
When Maggie got sidetracked by the herd of goats, Annie sidled up next to her. “I’ll send you home with some of our cheese.”
How was it possible to be simultaneously annoyed by the unnervingly friendly woman and impressed by the respect and kindness she was showing my kids?
The field she led us to was full of what looked like orange and green boulders but were actually gourds. I’d never seen anything like it.
The kids went wild, running around and yelling, assessing and climbing on top of them. They ranged in size, but some were the size of small cars.
“These,” Annie said, gesturing to a few of the biggest pumpkins I’d ever seen, “are Atlantic Giants. They’re big and have thick walls. They’re great for racing on a river.”
Julian’s eyes lit up.
“Remember,” Josh cautioned, “shape doesn’t matter. We’re looking for size and character.”
One by one, the kids considered them.
“This one looks like a giant potato,” Ellie observed of the eighth or ninth they’d inspected.
Josh stroked his beard. “Potatoes have great buoyancy.”
Eyes rolling, she scoffed. “You made that up.”
“Oh, I absolutely did.”
She dissolved into a fit of giggles while Maggie used her arms to measure the width of one just ahead.
Julian was careful and serious, assessing every one. “This one looks brave.” He declared after at least three rounds of inspections.
Josh wandered up to him, standing close but not touching. Always respectful of Julian’s boundaries.
“I think you’re right,” Josh said, his tone deferential. “You’ve got a great eye.”
“It’s wide,” Julian observed, “but not too tall. I think we can win with this one.”
Eyes flashing with what might have been affection, Josh slowly held out his fist.
Still examining the pumpkin, Julian reached out and bumped it.
Getting the gourd into the bed of the truck took twice as long as it took the kids to choose it.
When Annie rolled up with her forklift, I couldn’t help but sigh. Of course this woman could confidently operate heavy machinery. Jesus. She probably knew the Karma Sutra and did particle physics in her spare time.
Once it was loaded in the bed of the truck, padded with moving blankets and straw bales, then secured with about a dozen rachet straps, we were ready to head back.
If the ride there was rowdy, it had nothing on the ride home.
“We can’t hollow it out today,” Josh told them halfway home. “I’ve got to get it out and up on a platform in the barn. If I put it on the ground, it will rot. I’m going to spray it with a sealant tonight, but we can start scooping it out tomorrow.”
“How much will we scoop out?” Maggie asked.
“Not sure, but I’m bringing a dumpster over. You’d be shocked by how much we’ll end up with.”
“Do we get to use power tools?”
Smirking, Josh slid his arm across the console and gently brushed my arm.
I froze, keeping my gaze forward, not wanting to move but also a bit frightened by how much I enjoyed the contact.
Had I spent more than a normal amount of time thinking about last week’s hug? Yes, I had.
I was hardly touch starved; I had three kids hanging off me most days, and Wayne was quite needy as well.
But being held like that? In his strong arms. I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt so safe. So secure. It felt like, for once, someone else was carrying the load with me.
It only lasted for a moment, but the sensation was one I’d known a long time ago. One I hadn’t felt since I was a kid and I’d wake up to my mom gently stroking my hair.
For a few moments, Josh had helped me feel like I could do this. Helped me believe that I’d be okay.
And as a result, I was barreling at top speed towards a full-blown crush on the man.
He was kind and decent, which shouldn’t have been out of the ordinary but was novel in my experience. Each time I thought about him, I felt like a teenage girl. Even Ellie would be disgusted by me.