Chapter 48
Scarlett
I wasn’t sick much longer. Matt asked me to take off one more day of work to make sure I was fully recovered.
Maybe asked isn’t the way he put it—more of a demand, but it was a good idea.
No one wants to be in close contact with someone who’s sick.
The week has flown by. I’ve been jam-packed with work from when I called off, along with my normal tasks and the renovations.
Now, we’re in his plane on the way to Texas. I’m meeting his parents. No pressure.
I don’t need them to like me; sometimes you just don’t get along with people. It’s more like I’d be a disappointment to Matt if I’m not what his mom pictured. I want to be his number one, but it could be hard if his family doesn’t like me. He might value their opinion more than us as a couple.
I see a lot of alcohol in my foreseeable future.
I’m fidgeting and quiet in the cockpit next to the pilot’s seat. Matt is staring at me from the corner of his eye.
“Sweetheart, it’s going to be fine.” He puts his hand over my thigh.
I humph as a response, but my stoic guy doesn’t push it.
I find it very inconvenient how everything is cleaned already.
I would be up dusting or vacuuming, but this plane is spotless.
The workout I did this morning and the moving all day at work have had no effect in helping my anxiousness.
We sit the rest of the plane ride in silence with me fidgeting my foot at a suspicious pace.
A couple hours later, we arrive in Texas. It’s the end of summer now, so I was thinking it wouldn’t be hot. Then we step off the plane to a sauna. It’s almost ten at night and I’m sweating through my shirt.
Why do people live here? I’m not sure how everyone hasn’t melted by now.
Matt takes us to a lifted diesel truck. My lips turn up at the sides, excited to see him drive this thing. Some people might say he has to make up for what’s in his pants, but I know he’s fine in that department.
“This one’s yours?” I point to the truck in question.
“Yeah, Grant did me a solid so I could take you home in it.”
Home? Does he see us living in his home? Otherwise, he would’ve said his house or his place. He said home. Like I’m living there. Do I like that idea?
“That was nice of him. You didn’t want to call for a car service?”
“I have to make sure my girl gets what she wants. She told me a guy in a truck is sexy, as I recall.”
He listens to everything. When he’s not listening, he’s observing everything. That’s new in my life and I love it.
After he loads our things into the bed of the truck, he opens my door and then comes around to the driver’s side. I bite my lower lip, looking at him with one arm on the steering wheel. We should drive back to Washington in this. The things we would do in here.
Since it’s dark out, I can’t see much except flags. There are Texas flags everywhere.
Almost an hour later, he pulls up to a black iron gate about twelve feet tall with a lone star in the center.
He types in a code and the gates swing open.
While he’s waiting on the doors, he does something on his phone.
A moment later, the driveway is lit up revealing a white fence and oak trees along a gravel road.
After what seems like a ten-minute drive, he pulls into one of four garages. How many garages do you need? He must have a lot of toys.
We exit the truck, he holds out his hand, and then leads me to the house. It’s a white modern farmhouse complete with those black lights with exposed light bulbs, black framing, and window boxes filled with colorful flowers.
“This was my most recent renovation project,” he explains.
“Beautiful. Very Texas.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” He squints.
“No, it’s very cool. Texas seems nice so far. It feels like I’m missing my cowboy boots.”
He grins. “I have some for you.”
Of course he does.
We walk inside. “This is so different from your home in Washington.” Sunflowers greet us on a round wooden table in the center of the foyer, brightening up the space.
We walk along wooden floors and past an entry closet hiding under the black staircase.
It’s apparent he was thinking of a family with this house.
“The house in Washington was an impulse buy; I liked the modern feel. But Texas is home. I wanted the house to feel that way.”
“Sure, sure. You live here all alone?” I look around at the bountiful space.
“Who do you think I would be living with?”
“I don’t know. It’s big. ”
“I find it cozy.”
My head snaps to look at him. “You think this is cozy?”
“Yes. You’re going to love the fireplace.”
He pulls me further into the home. We pass a dining room with a big table decorated with more sunflowers and then walk into the living room and kitchen.
There’s a fireplace taking up an entire wall, with stone from floor to ceiling.
In front of the fireplace are inviting white couches with rugs placed around the space.
Heavy-looking wooden beams frame the ceiling.
The window coverings are pulled, so I don’t know what the view looks like or what’s out there. Hopefully not a man with a chainsaw.
I walk into the kitchen, touching the apron sink I’ve always wanted, for whatever reason. Gray cabinets and white countertops surround me. I love it.
“Do you want to take a shower before we go to sleep?” he asks.
“Yes, sounds nice. I’m glad we have some more time before we meet your parents. I can try to pull myself together.”
He just gives me that sideways grin without saying a thing.
Gee, Matt, way to make a girl feel comfortable.
I follow him again up the stairs to his bedroom. It’s spacious, like everything else he owns. A bed is in the center with a black canopy frame and earth-toned bedding. He plops my bag onto a small sofa at the foot of the bed.
Then he leads me to the ensuite, where a standing tub sits in the middle of the bathroom. There’s a double sink and a standing shower as well. No sauna in this one, I guess because going outside is its own version of sauna.
“I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be downstairs,” he tells me.
“You don’t want to join me?” I furrow my eyebrows .
“Not right now, sweetheart.” He gives me a kiss on the forehead and then I’m left alone in his bathroom.
I don’t move from where I’m standing, staring at the door in disbelief. I go to the bath and begin to fill it up. There are a variety of Epsom salts and body washes. My leg bounces as I wait for the tub to fill. All that’s running through my head is what I’ll say tomorrow.
This bath isn’t going to be relaxing. I go to the shower instead and rinse off. Once I’m clean, I go to the bedroom to put on some yoga pants and an oversized shirt. I venture downstairs to see what happened to Matt. Normally we’d be having sex by now.
The television blares as I walk down. He’s sprawled out on the couch with one hand on his stomach and the other behind his head, watching a baseball game. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Matt relax; he’s always up to something with work, or working out, or cooking.
He’s really at home here. It’s like I’m seeing a whole new person—like a dad on Sunday watching football in his jersey, not listening to his wife nag at him. It’s so different from the take-charge businessman I’m used to.
Hmmm.
I head back upstairs to the bathroom and brush my teeth.
Matt never acts this way in Washington, and now I understand why he wants to stay in Texas.
Washington is a lot of stress for him and he can be himself in Texas.
I could never ask him to move to Washington for me.
He would have to make the decision on his own, and I don’t think he’d ever choose Washington.
Is he going to ask me to move here? We haven’t been together long. Moving to another state where I don’t know anyone or have the gym sounds intimidating.
I look over my options for my outfit tomorrow, still contemplating how the hell Matt and I are going to stay together if neither of us wants to move.
I focus on the outfits in front of me instead of the turning in my stomach.
I brought a dress Paige helped me pick out, but I’m thinking it’s going to look like I’m trying too hard if I wear it.
We’re having a barbeque at his parents’ place, so being casual feels better.
I want to feel comfortable and confident, so I decide on some black shorts and a white button-down shirt.
I slide into bed and read for a little. I fall asleep, until Matt’s side of the bed dips down and he snuggles in behind me soon after, smelling like a fresh shower. He puts his arm over my waist, giving me comfort.
I hope I can hold on to the feeling tomorrow.