Chapter 31
Nash
“I always thought you were a pretty bright guy. But last night, I realized you weren’t,” Max declares as we each throw another haybale in the loft.
It’s a small loafing shed with a loft that can hold only a couple tons of hay, but it’s nice to be able to feed some late fall pairs here over the winter.
“And what made you think I wasn’t smart?” I ask as I toss another bale up to him from the back of the pickup.
“You hurt Magnolia’s feelings.”
“Oh, so now I’m going to get relationship advice from you?” I snort as I toss the next bale extra hard. It hits him in the legs, nearly knocking him over.
“I see I hit a sore spot,” Max crows.
“I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I just…” I trail off, not sure what to say.
We work in silence for a few minutes.
“I really like her,” I confess.
“Oh, wow. It’s gotten that serious?” Max says dryly. “I really like Magnolia. Surely, you can do better than that.”
It’s the worst, working with your best friend.
“Fine. It’s even worse than that. I love her.”
“Oh, that sounds terrible. How could you do something so horrible?” Max pauses to wipe the sweat from his brow.
“I haven’t even known her an entire month, and I love her. Don’t you understand? What if I’m making a mistake?”
“So you got engaged to someone who liked money more than you. Everybody has to have one big relationship fail.”
“Not everybody.”
“Well, not me, obviously.” Max laughs.
“Just wait. Now you will.”
“Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have opened my big mouth on that one. But my point is, do you have hesitations about Magnolia? Or is it just the fact that your last relationship ended abruptly?”
I pushed her away last night because I was scared. Because I didn’t want to be hurt. And all I managed to do was hurt both of us. Magnolia is not Jane. And what I feel for Magnolia is real.
“I don’t know. If you’re not that into her, maybe I’ll ask her out.”
“I’ll kill you.”
Max grins. “Hmm, well, I guess that answers that.”
He’s right. I’ll never admit it to him, but he’s completely right. I’ve been falling for Magnolia ever since she started cracking jokes in that stairwell.
I’ve been trying to do everything I can to pump the brakes on my heart, but it’s no use. I’m head over heels for her. And now I have to figure out how to love her and protect her.
The lodge is empty when we finish with the hay, and now that I’m back in service range, I see that I missed a call from my mom and have a text from her, saying that she made it here and is in town with Magnolia.
I probably shouldn’t be nervous about that…but I am. My mom and Magnolia together. I can just imagine all the things they could be saying to each other.
I take a quick shower and get cleaned up, wanting the sweat and smell of alfalfa off of me before I go find my fiancée.
I reach town and only have to drive a couple of streets before I spot my mom’s SUV parked in front of Darlene’s.
Darlene runs a feed shop out of her garage in town and will order the ranchers anything they need.
I park the truck on the street and walk up the sidewalk to the house and knock.
The door opens, and Darlene stands there, smiling at me. “Nash! I heard you were in town. It’s good to see you. What can I help you with?”
“Actually, I’m not here to order anything. I was wondering if you’ve seen Magnolia. And my mom?”
Darlene’s smile takes on a funny tilt. “Yes, I have. They just left. I think they were walking to the park.”
“Thanks, Darlene,” I say as I hurry down the porch. Realizing I was being rude, I say, “I’ll be back for a longer visit later!”
“I’ll hold you to it!” she calls after me.
Five minutes later, I see my mom and Magnolia standing across from what we call the town square.
A fountain that doubles as a splash pad for the kids in the summer, several picnic tables, and a grassy area with a small swing set.
But neither of them is looking at the park.
They’re studying an old Sears-kit-style home across the way. It has a For Sale sign in the yard.
“Do you think it would look okay with a low fence around the front?” I hear Mom ask Magnolia as I approach.
I can’t believe they met when I wasn’t there.
I was so flustered after last night that I didn’t even realize what day it was and that Mom would be here today.
I left Magnolia alone to meet my mom on her own.
Hopefully, she doesn’t hold that against me, or this conversation is going to get even more awkward.
“You could add an adorable picket fence. It would be so picturesque!” Magnolia plants both hands on her hips as she stares at the yard.
I walk as quietly as I can until I stop a couple of feet behind them. “What are the two of you up to?”
Magnolia jumps at the sound of my voice, but Mom just turns and smiles at me.
“Nash.” She pulls me into a big hug and presses a kiss against my cheek. “It’s so good to see you, honey.”
“Mom, do you mind if I steal Magnolia for a minute?”
“Of course! I’ll be in the house. The realtor gave me the key code.”
Without asking Magnolia, I grab her hand and pull her after me.
“What are you doing? Your mom and I were house shopping together.”
“I need to talk to you.” I stop next to the fountain and turn to face her.
She’s still moving forward though and slams against my chest.
“Sheesh. Have you ever considered not working out? The number of times I’ve been bruised by your chest—” She stops abruptly when her eyes meet mine.
“You were right,” I say.
“I usually am, but if you could wait a second, I’ll grab my phone to record that.” She reaches around as though she’s going to pull her phone from her pocket.
I plant my hands on either side of her face and lean in. “I do feel something for you. It’s not fake.”
Her jaw drops a little. “What’s not fake?”
“How I act toward you.”
She visibly swallows. “You tried to get rid of me.”
“For you. I didn’t want to be the one getting in the way of what you wanted. I felt like asking you to keep faking it with me was selfish. I wanted to keep you for me, not for Grandpa anymore.”
Her eyebrows slowly rise with my words. “You know, even knowing the entire situation, it still sounds strange, coming out of your mouth.”
“I’m falling for you, Magnolia. I love that you live life to the fullest. I love that you don’t follow other people’s rules.
You manage to make even the worst situations bearable, and I know I don’t deserve you, especially after everything I’ve put you through in the short time I’ve known you…
but if there’s even a smidgen of interest from you… I’d like a shot.”
A myriad of emotions flits across her face, and then she slowly nods. “Okay.”
I have the overwhelming urge to laugh. A simple okay has never sounded so good.
“I know you’re scared to get involved in another relationship. But I promise you this: If I’m ever with you just for the money, I’ll tell you.” A cheeky grin spreads across her face, and she reaches for me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Does this mean we’re official?”
“Oh, I hope so,” my mom interjects. She’s standing next to a picnic table, looking on with a big grin.
“Mom, I thought you were going to go look at the house,” I grind out.
“This was way more interesting,” Mom replies as Magnolia fights to hold in a laugh.
“Mom, go away. I want to kiss Miss Magnolia,” I say, using her nickname.
Magnolia’s smile deepens, and she steps closer, tilting her lips up to meet mine.
Kissing her is as good as I imagined, and I have an excellent imagination.
Everything I feel for Magnolia outshines any past relationship.
It’s not even a close competition. She fills a part of me that I didn’t even realize was empty.
Loving her is like coming home and going on an adventure at the same time.
Because that’s what it is. I love this woman. I’m not a romantic, but with her in my arms, I think all the world’s problems have melted away.
She sighs and tips her head so that I can deepen the kiss.
The attraction I’ve felt for her has been impossible to ignore.
I’ve tried to hide it every time I look at her.
I was sure she would call me out on it sometime.
Instead, it seems as though she feels as strongly for me too.
Thank goodness people can communicate with more than just words, because I know if I told her the truth, she would run for the hills.
If I told her I fell in love with her at first sight, she’d smack me on the side of the head and never speak to me again. So I do my best to show her how much I love her with a kiss.