Chapter 9
Hayden pulled into the drive of Prairie Sky and made his way to the barn. It was late afternoon on a Saturday, and Ben needed help to prepare the barn for the winter months. The late November cold had fully set in, along with copious amounts of snow, so they needed to prepare space for the animals.
“Hey, Bro.” Hayden greeted his brother, who was getting some feed into a pail to help them wrangle up the livestock.
“Hayden, glad you’re here,” he responded, handing him a pail of feed. “Ever would have helped me with this, but I want her to take it easy over the next while.”
“You realize, Ever, Whitney and Bea are out shopping right now in St. Augustine, right?” Hayden asked.
“Yeah, I know, but I just don’t want her hurting herself in the barn or with the livestock.”
Hayden nodded and gave his brother a grin, knowing how protective he was with Ever. Now, with two babies on the way, his protective instincts were tenfold.
As they bedded the box stalls with straw, Hayden glanced at his big brother and asked. “Are you ready to be a dad?”
Ben met his gaze with a broad, happy smile covering his face. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Hayden looked at his brother, imagining this larger-than-life man holding two little bundles in his arms. His heart swelled with joy at the thought as he commented. “You are going to be an awesome dad!”
Ben, a man of few words, grinned his simple way of thanking him for the compliment. “So, how are things going with you and Whitney?” he asked, turning the tables.
“Great! After dinner here last weekend, I brought her out to Baker’s field.”
Ben stopped what he was doing, his eyes darting over to Hayden, a smile tugging at his lips. “Did you bring her there to show her the stars?” Ben asked, that spot well known as a sort of lover’s lane in Primrose.
“I did, and to tell her I love her,” he replied, bracing himself for Ben’s reaction.
“What did she say?” Ben asked, squinting his eyes.
“She said she loves me, too.”
Ben flashed him an approving smile. “Hayden, I’m truly happy for you.”
Hayden felt emotion rise in his chest at his brother’s approval. Having looked up to big brother his entire life, his support meant the world to him. Simply knowing that his brother acknowledged his happiness and approved of his relationship with Whitney was all he needed.
* * *
Whitney,Ever and Bea settled into a table in the corner of a gourmet coffee shop in St. Augustine.
“I miss coffee already.” Ever lamented, staring sadly at her cup of rooibos tea.
“Poor babies.” Bea remarked, reaching over to touch Ever’s belly.
Whitney laughed at Bea’s response and took a sip of her black coffee, savoring the warm, bitter liquid.
“So, the Primrose rumour mill is going crazy,” mentioned Bea with a look of inquiry on her face. “Lots of buzz about a certain handsome hardware store owner and his fancy city girlfriend.”
“Really!” Whitney laughed.
“You know you”re part of the community when you’re being gossiped about,” Bea said with a wink as she stirred her latte. “So, catch me up!” Bea exclaimed, sitting back and crossing her arms over her chest. “I feel a little out of the loop.”
“Do you want the nutshell version?” Whitney asked, her eyebrows raised in question.
“Sure!” Ever replied, leaning towards her, curiosity in her eyes.
“After our first date, Hayden and I revisited our initial connection.” She shared, wiggling her eyebrows and making both Bea and Ever giggle. “After that, we officially started dating and last weekend I told him I loved him.” She confessed as she quickly took another sip of her coffee and waited for her friends’ reactions.
“You what?” Ever asked, eyes widening. “You love him?”
Whitney nodded and grinned brightly at her friends, knowing how significant it was that she had just dropped the “L” bomb. “I love Hayden very much.” She confirmed with deep sincerity as she looked at her friends. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this strong about anyone before.”
Bea sat back, let out a huge huff of breath and laughed. “Well, gosh darn it! I have missed a lot! And this all happened in the past two weeks?”
Whitney nodded, a radiant smile on her face.
“Wow!” Bea exclaimed. “I’m so glad your feelings finally caught up with him.”
“What do you mean?” Whitney asked, confused, and leaning in closer with curiosity.
“She means Hayden has been in love with you since you met,” Ever added, taking a sip of her tea. “I’m pretty sure for Hayden; it was love at first sight.”
Whitney sat back and blinked; not sure she believed what they were telling her.
Bea nodded her head in agreement with Ever. “You must understand something about Hayden. The guy is a hopeless romantic. He has never been afraid of love or sharing his life with someone. And he has been wanting a committed relationship for a long time.” Bea added. “The problem was he was meeting all the wrong kinds of girls. Women who are superficial and not worthy of his kindness or selflessness. He’s been taken advantage of so many times. Just women seeing what’s on the surface, but no one really taking the time to get to know the truly amazing guy he is in here.” Bea pointed to her heart.
“Ben has told me stories.” Ever commented, shaking her head.
Bea went on, “Seriously, Hayden has wanted someone to share his life with for a long time. Even with all his attempts at something more meaningful, he never gave up and was always optimistic, even when he got hurt in the process. And Whitney, he got hurt a lot.”
Whitney stared at Bea unblinking, her words about Hayden going straight to her heart. She had let her first impression of him shadow her judgement in the beginning and now, having gotten to know more about Hayden; he had met and surpassed her expectations. He wanted something meaningful and true, and he wanted it with her. Whitney smiled thoughtfully into her coffee cup.
“I assume he told you he loves you too?” Ever asked.
“He did.” Whitney replied. “Honestly, meeting Hayden took me completely by surprise. You know, Ever, I wasn’t really looking for anyone.”
“I know.” Ever nodded. “Does he know your history, with your past relationship?”
“He knows everything.”
Ever and Bea gave her approving nods, knowing how significant it was for Whitney to share her entire past with Hayden. Whitney reached out and took the hands of her friends, giving them a squeeze, overwhelmed by the support her friends were giving her new relationship. Never had she ever thought that she would be head over heels in love with a small-town boy from Manitoba and want more than anything to build a life with him.
* * *
December cameto Primrose bringing more snow and turning the small town into a Winter Wonderland. Hayden, determined to give Whitney the full country Christmas experience, brought her to a local tree farm so they could pick out a tree together.
“How do you know which tree to pick?” Whitney asked as they made their way through the rows of trees.
“No real method to it.” Hayden laughed, holding an axe in his hand. “Just pick one you think looks good.”
Whitney stopped and inspected a few trees, touching the needles and smelling them. Taking her in, he smiled at how impossibly cute she was travelling from tree to tree, this experience something new and exciting for her.
The past five weeks with Whitney had been wonderful and she fully emersed herself in small town life. Although there was so much more to discover about her, each day as they grew closer, the illusive sense of completeness he had desired for so long was becoming a reality. The completeness his mother talked about when she shared about his father. That feeling that you are with the person made just for you and the more time he spent with Whitney he was sure she was the one.
“This tree looks nice!” Whitney exclaimed, looking up at a huge Douglas Fir.
“Nice pick,” he complimented as he knelt and positioned himself to cut down the tree.
Whitney stood back and watched with curiosity as he swung the axe at the trunk of the tree. With only a handful of swings, the tree was down, and Hayden stood up straight, a look of accomplishment on his face.
Whitney’s eyes flashed at him. “Is it weird that I found that very sexy?” She confessed with a coquettish grin.
“Lumberjack porn,” he elaborated, flexing his muscles with the axe in hand.
Whitney laughed, reached down, and scooped up some snow, forming it into a ball. A snowball smashed into Hayden’s chest. Surprised, he glanced at Whitney, and she let out a playful giggle.
Cocking an eyebrow at her, Hayden dropped his ax next to the fallen tree. Reaching down, he grabbed a handful of snow and stalked over to her. Not knowing exactly what he was going to do, she turned, ready to bolt down the path. He caught her by the waist, and she squealed, her giggle echoing in the crisp, open air. Holding out the fist full of snow in front of her face, ready to wash her with it, but he paused, unsure of how she may react if he did it.
“Don’t you dare!” she chided in warning.
Listening, he released her and dropped the snow in his hand, then turned back to their fallen tree. With his back turned, Whitney quickly scooped another handful and reached around him, giving him a face full of snow. Hayden sputtered and wiped his face with his gloved hands, then turned to her, his eyes twinkling as he let out a wicked laugh. She flashed him a teasing, “come and get me” look in return.
“Now you’ve asked for it!” he said as he grabbed another handful of snow and before she could get away, he hooked her around the waist, this time rubbing the snow into her face. She turned to face him, her face red and wet from the cold ambush. His eyebrows knit together as he surveyed her, waiting for her reaction to his retaliating snow wash. Whitney wiped at her face as her lips curved into a smile. Letting out a relieved breath, he put out his arms to hug her, but she ran at him, knocking him down into the snow. Startled, he started to laugh as she straddled his hips and smiled down at him with another handful of snow poised over his face.
“Surrender!” she commanded, a determined and mischievous look on her face.
“I surrender,” he replied, putting his hands up in the air.
She laughed, dropping the snow and taunted with a giggle. “I win.”
“You win,” he echoed, gripping the back of her neck to pull her closer for a passionate kiss. Pulling back from his embrace, Whitney fell to the side next to him in the snow. Hayden turned his head to face the woman he loved, pure joy twinkling in her eyes. Everything about her radiated beauty, and he was in awe. Her face flushed with the cold, ice kissing her long lashes and rosy lips curved into a sweet smile. How did I get so lucky?
* * *
Hayden and Whitneysat on the couch, admiring their handiwork. The fully decorated tree stood before them, beautiful lights twinkling, garland strung, and ornaments hung.
“I love all your handmade ornaments.” she commented, nestling into his warm chest.
“My Mom made most of them,” he commented. “She always loved to do crafts and always had DIY projects going.”
“Can you tell me about her?” Whitney asked, meeting his gaze.
Hayden smiled, nostalgia washing over his face as he reflected on his mother. “My mom was kind and always helping others when they needed help. She always put her family first and was very selfless. She had the best laugh, one of those laughs that made you turn your head, like you wanted to know where it came from. She was the best cook; she could literally make anything. She always gave the best advice and encouraged us to be whatever we wanted to be. I adored her.”
“She sounds amazing.” Whitney commented, her eyes trained on Hayden.
“She was. She and I were super close.”
“You must miss her.”
“I do, every day,” he answered. “I wish she could have met you. You two would have been thick as thieves.”
“I would have loved to have met her, too.” Whitney confessed. “What was the best advice she ever gave you?”
“To love big,” he said. “She would always say, Hayden, when you find the one for you, love big. Hold on and never let go.”
Silence fell over them both as they reflected on those words and watched the lights sparkle on the tree. Breaking their reverie, Hayden spoke. “Whitney, I know you had no intention of staying here with me forever in this house. But I can’t imagine not having you here every day,” he confessed. “Will you move in with me, officially that is?” Whitney turned her head, meeting his gaze. “I know we haven’t been dating long, but I know I love you and want to see where this goes. Plus, you need a place to live. I want you to live here with me.”
Whitney peeled herself from him, rose from the couch and climbed onto his lap, straddling his hips. She cupped his cheek and ran her thumb over his bottom lip affectionately, meeting his eyes as she answered, “Hayden, yes, I will move in here, officially.” She smiled and brushed her lips over his.
“But there is one more very important thing we need to do, to seal this living arrangement agreement,” he said, a serious look on his face.
“What’s that?”
He waggled his eyebrows playfully, his eyes darting towards the hallway leading to their bedroom. Whitney gave him a seductive smile, climbed off him and put out her hand to help him up. He smiled up at her and took her hand rising from the couch. Leaning in, he kissed her softly, then in one big swoop, hoisted her over his shoulder, making her squeal.
“Big man has big love to give his woman!” he exclaimed in an attempted caveman voice as he carried down the hall to their bedroom.
* * *
Whitney dialedher parent’s number in Arizona, waiting for the video to connect. “Hi Mom! Hi Dad!”
“Whitney, sweetheart!” her mother cooed. “We haven’t seen you in so long!”
“I know. Sorry about that. I’ve been going through some big changes recently.”
Both of her parents leaned closer to the screen, a mix of concern and curiosity on their faces.
Obliging their curiosity, Whitney continued. “Rosenburg Agencies closed, as Ned decided to retire and passed all his Manitoba artists to me.”
“Is that where you are now, then?” her mother questioned.
“Yes, I’ve actually decided to move here.”
“Oh, my goodness, that is a big change,” her mother pointed out. “You’ve always lived in Toronto.”
“It’s definitely different, but I love it here.” Whitney smiled, reflecting on her new small-town life. “I am living near Primrose, so I’m close to Ever and Ben.”
“Oh, how is that sweet girl doing?” her mother asked.
Ever, not having family in Toronto, had spent many a holiday with the Faris family, Whitney’s parents treating her like another daughter.
“She’s wonderful! She’s expecting twins in spring!”
Both of her parents beamed, and her mother clapped her hands with excitement.
“Please give her our well wishes.” her father replied.
“I will, Dad.”
“Now, Whitney, I can see you have something to share with us,” her mother coaxed. “A mother can tell these things.”
Whitney laughed and nervously cleared her throat, hearing Hayden shuffle beside her and take a seat on the stool. “I’ve met someone, and he’s become really special to me.”
Her mother’s eyes widened, and a huge smile enveloped her face. “You have? That’s wonderful! Tell me about him.”
“His name is Hayden Hastings. He’s Ben’s brother, and he’s here with me, right now, if you want to meet him.” she replied nervously, turning to Hayden and adjusting her laptop to bring Hayden onto the screen.
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Faris, it’s a pleasure to meet you!” Hayden greeted, with a smile and a little wave.
Whitney’s mother grinned with approval, and Whitney’s father squinted, giving Hayden a scrutinizing look.
“Oh, please call us Dan and Betty!” her mother insisted.
“Okay, then.” Hayden agreed, moving himself closer to Whitney.
Whitney’s father folded his arms, obviously sizing Hayden up. “What is it you do, Hayden?”
“I own a local hardware store, and, on the side, I do custom woodworking.” Whitney’s father nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. “The hardware store was my parents” store until they passed away, so I took over the family business about four years ago.”
Betty gave him a sympathetic look. “You must miss them this time of year.”
“I do very much, but I have my brother, Ever and now Whitney.” he smiled, putting his arm around her affectionately.
Whitney looked at him, meeting his gaze. His ease brought her comfort. “I wanted to call, Mom and Dad, as I won’t be able to come to Arizona for Christmas this year. With all the changes, I need to stay here.” Whitney shared.
“And you want to spend Christmas with Hayden?” Her mother added with a wink. Whitney nodded. “Oh, honey, enjoy your Christmas together. The first Christmas is an exciting time. And don’t worry about us, your brother and his family are coming out and I’m honestly just happy you’re not alone for the holidays.”
“Thank you for understanding.” Whitney replied, taking Hayden’s hand in hers. “I’m looking forward to my first Christmas in the country.”
They continued their video chat and Whitney could see her parent’s shoulders ease as they talked openly with Hayden. He was a natural charmer, and before the call ended it was obvious her mother was already smitten. Her father was a harder sell, but once they started talking about his love of hockey and how their first date was to an NHL game, her father warmed up to Hayden, too.
With every moment and every first step they took as a couple, Hayden always met and surpassed every expectation. He just kept the surprises coming.