Chapter Four
Colton
It’s nearly six thirty before I finish up with the tractor and head into the house. I needed to change out the alternator but found a leaky hose and a clogged filter, so the job took twice as long to finish… as with most things out here.
What I didn’t expect to see is Britney’s car still parked in the driveway. I knew she was dropping Ellie off, but she should’ve left hours ago.
“Colty!”
she announces in a high-pitched squeal the second I step into the house. “I was getting worried about you.”
I hate it when she calls me Colty. I have no fucking clue where she picked that up from, but it’s annoying as hell.
She’s walking toward me, arms outstretched for a hug, but my eyes are on Nora, who’s sat on the living room floor putting together a puzzle with Ellie.
“I brought my famous lasagna and some garlic bread. It’s your favorite.”
I lean down to fumble with my boots, avoiding the hug she offers. The woman is trying to be nice, but lately it’s gone too far. “Thanks, but I’m really tired tonight. I think I might skip dinner and head up to bed.”
This is a lie to get her out of the house. I’d flat out tell her to leave if I didn’t think I’d have every church bitty flaming me on Sunday for being rude. It’s a small town. People’s judgments spread fast.
“Skip dinner? You can’t skip dinner. A big, hardworking man like you?”
Her hand lands on my bicep. “You need to keep your body fueled. Come on and sit down.” She sets the plate of food on the table, and Nora stands from the ground, Ellie’s hand in hers.
“She’s right. You should eat.”
Her tone is softer than earlier. I hope Britney hasn’t messed with her. I would’ve come up to the house had I seen her car still parked in the driveway.
“Daddy!”
Ellie jumps up and wraps her short little arms around my neck. “Nora and I put together the kitten puzzle, she braided my hair, and we talked about my unicorns, and I showed her my favorite stuffies!”
“Wow,”
I glance toward Nora, who’s distracted by glasses being filled at the dining room table.
I know I hired her to do these things, but for some reason, I don’t want her worrying about it.
I want her sitting next to me, telling me about her day while someone else waits on the both of us.
“That’s a good day you’ve had, bug. Did you have fun playing with Becca? Where is Becca?”
“Oh, she had ballet tonight. I had my sister take her so I could stay here and visit with you two.”
Britney sets the final plate onto the table and takes the seat beside me. “And don’t tell me it wasn’t necessary,”
she lands her hand on top of mine, but I pull it back a moment later, “I wanted to do it. It’s important I’m here to let the new nanny know all the details of the house.”
“She’s more than a nanny.”
I clear my throat and glare toward Nora, who’s sat on the far end of the table next to Ellie.
“She’s a… close friend of the family.”
She’s also all I thought about all day long, and the fact that Britney is here ruining the second half of my day is pissing me off.
I’d been looking forward to alone time with Nora since this morning. “Besides, I have to cook for my two favorite farmers. I know what you like after a long day.”
Ellie leans into her plate and sniffs her fork. “It smells funny.”
“Ellie,”
Nora leans into her ear and whispers low, but I hear her just fine, “that’s not polite. Britney made us a nice meal.”
“Yeah,”
Ellie glances toward Britney, “but it smells bad.”
“What are you talking about, Ellie? You and your dad love my lasagna.”
“No, we don’t. Dad says it smells like cow poop.”
I bite back a grin. Did I say that out loud? “Ellie, that’s enough.”
Britney turns toward me, her brows narrowed harshly. “Do you not like my lasagna, Colty?”
“It’s good. Thank you for making it for us. Ellie, apologize to Britney, please.”
“But Dad, you said it—”
“Ellie, apologize.”
Ellie’s big brown eyes roll sideways. “Sorry, Britney.”
“That’s okay, Ellie. Why don’t you tell me what your favorite meal is, and I’ll make that for you next time.”
“Actually,”
I interrupt, “we appreciate your help, but that’s what Nora is here for. I’d like her to cook our meals and take care of things around the house.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure why you needed to pay someone. I—”
Her phone rings, and she glances down at the screen, reading over the text while trying to finish her thought.
“Shoot, that’s my sister. Becca fell at dance class and she’s asking to go home. No damage, but she’s begging for me. I should go.”
She stands from the table, scrapes her plate of food into the trash, and turns back toward me. “I can bring her back here if you want to sit out on the porch tonight and have a few drinks.”
We’ve never sat on the porch for drinks, so I don’t know what this is about. “No, thank you. Like I said, I’m pretty tired. Keep us in the loop about Becca, though. I hope everything is okay.”
She leans down for a hug which I didn’t request, and I move back in time to avoid an incoming kiss on the cheek.
She’s never done that before either, but I see now what she’s doing. “I’ll call you. Great to meet you, Nora. Good night, Ellie.”
Ellie is too busy talking to Nora to say goodbye, so I say it for her. “Thank you again. Have a good night.”
Britney nods and heads out the door, slamming the screen shut behind her.
“Can we order pizza?”
Ellie pushes away her plate. “I know you said this tastes bad, Dad. I heard you say it.” I’m going to have to be more careful about what I say in front of Ellie. She’s getting older now.
“Yes, we can order pizza.”
I grab my phone out of my back pocket and glance toward Nora as I place the text order. “What do you like?”
“What? Britney made this nice meal. We should eat it.”
“She tries,”
I sigh, “but it’s pretty awful. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Nora hesitates on her answer, pushing back a strand of hair before saying, “I like anything but onions.”
“Okay, all set. Ellie, why don’t you go get your shower started. By the time it’s done, dinner will be here.”
I expect her to fight me back given the whole drain situation we’ve been dealing with.
“Okay!”
She bounces up from the table and runs up the stairs. “Nora sprinkled unicorn dust in the shower so I’m not afraid of the drain anymore. Unicorn dust scares monsters away from drains.”
“Damn,”
I stand from the dining room table and grab two beers from the fridge, popping the caps before handing one to Nora, “you’ve solved something I’ve been working on for months, and you’ve only been here a few hours. Care to sit out on the porch with me?”
“Are you sure? It’s been a long day. I don’t want to—”
“I’m positive. I need some adult conversation.”
Nodding, she stands from the table, taking the beer from my hand, our fingertips grazing one another. A shot of electricity I haven’t felt in ages goes rushing up the back of my neck and down again.
“Sorry about Britney.”
I hold the screen door open and pass by the first rocker to settle in the second. “She’s a lot.”
The crickets are loud tonight, and the air is heavy like it’s about to rain.
“Oh, yeah… it’s no big deal. She seems nice.”
I have a feeling Nora would be polite to anyone.
“She’s… I think she wants something more than friendship.”
“Yeah?”
Nora clears her throat. “She’s gorgeous. You two would be cute together. Plus, she’s got a kid near Ellie’s age which would be good, right?”
I laugh. “Britney is not gorgeous. She’s fake and over the top. I’ve told her to stop with the meals and the visits multiple times, but Becca is Ellie’s best friend, so it’s an awkward situation.”
Nora stares toward me for a long moment, her mouth open slightly as though something is on her mind, but she doesn’t say any of it.
“What’s up? Did she do something weird?”
“No. She just told me about Ellie’s schedule and how she made meals sometimes for you guys, that you all played with the girls together, and oh… she mentioned how she slept over a few times.”
I wet my lips and rock the chair back. “She tell you I wasn’t here for that?”
“What do you mean?”
“She stayed over with Ellie when I went out of town to get some horses that were needing rescue. It was a last-minute thing,”
I laugh, “but she made it sound like she’d stayed with me, didn’t she?”
Nora wets her big red lips and nods. “Yeah, which is fine. I don’t need an explanation. It’s your life, and I mean…”
I drag in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I know. I just wanted you to know where I stand.”
“What is your favorite meal?”
“Lasagna, but not like that,”
I laugh. “My grandma used to make this one version. I don’t know what was in it. I’ve tried recreating it dozens of times, but it never turns out like hers.”
Nora nods slowly before taking a sip of beer. The wind blows her hair back and the song of crickets begins to quiet around us.
“When I was little, my sister used to take me to this baking class with her. We learned all about different spices, but I never do much cooking. Damn it. I probably shouldn’t have told that story given you brought me here to cook.”
“Ha, well, anything is better than that lasagna Britney makes. It’s dry, and she uses some kind of seasoning that’s just awful.”
We sit silently rocking back and forth in the breeze, watching the fern leaves blow and the horses graze in the early evening light.
I shouldn’t be thinking about how to get my hand brushing against hers again, or how to sit closer to her, or how to breathe her in, but the thoughts are running through my head like an obsession.
I need to shift my focus.
“Did Ellie ask you anything weird today?”
“Weird? Weird how?”
“About her mother? She’s been asking more questions lately, and I thought maybe she’d have tried you out.”
“No, nothing. Is there something I should know?”
As I think about what to say next, headlights beam up the driveway. There aren’t many places that deliver up here, but this pizza place promises to go anywhere on the mountain. I believe that advertising has gotten them into trouble a time or two.
I glance toward Nora. “Maybe we can talk again after dinner. That is if you’re interested.”
Her round face lights, and she smiles sweetly. “I’d love that.”
“Perfect. It’s a date.”
Write that under things I never should’ve said.