8. Kent #2
"I’ve done repairs like this a hundred times before and my sisters have made it clear they’re too busy with harvest preparations anyway.
I don't help," Teddy shot back, her chin tilting as she met his gaze.
"I've handled my own projects in the city for years, and I can handle three weeks of farm repairs without someone supervising me. "
"You don’t need to prove anything to me, Teddy," Kent murmured. "And you don’t need to keep up the repairs alone just to keep your sisters from seeing that you're tired."
Teddy’s lips parted slightly, her sharp reply dying in her throat when his words hit their mark.
The defensive fire in her expression flickered, exposing a raw exhaustion that made his pulse quicken.
She stood perfectly motionless, her chest rising and falling as she observed him, the atmosphere between them suddenly heavy with an intense current that'd been building since his honest declaration at the clinic.
Kent made no delay. He extended his hand, his fingers gently brushing against the side of her jaw, his palm resting against the warm skin of her cheek. The subtle tremble that rippled through her frame ignited a spark of hope in Kent.
"Please," Teddy whispered, her voice barely audible within the peaceful barn, but she didn't pull away.
He leaned in, closing the remaining gap between them, and pressed his lips to hers.
The kiss began with a gentle sweetness, a soft answer to years of silent devotion.
Teddy released a soft exhale against his mouth, her hands rising instinctively to grip his jacket tightly.
Her sudden responsiveness sent a surge of heat through his chest. Her grip tightened, her fingers curling into the fabric as she leaned into him.
Kent wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her closer against his chest as the kiss deepened.
The lingering taste of autumn air, the sweet aroma of cedar, and the honest warmth of her mouth consumed every thought, erasing any distance and doubt.
In the shadows beneath the rafters, where her mother had once recorded physical sanctuaries for strangers, Kent gave her a sanctuary of his own, a steady embrace that demanded no perfection, no compliance, and no performance.
A sudden bleat and scuffle at the table made them pull apart as the goat attempted to get to its feet. Kent laughed softly as he eased back, keeping his forehead resting gently against hers. Teddy remained in his hold, her breath uneven and her dark gaze wide with a profound, unvarnished truth.
"I've spent more years than I care to admit wanting to hold you," Kent murmured, his voice low against her temple as his thumb stroked her cheekbone. "And before you say anything, I refuse to pretend this was just a mistake brought on by exhaustion."
Teddy rested her cheek against his shoulder, her fingers remaining tangled in his jacket. "I don't know how to do this," she admitted softly, her words bearing a rare, unshielded honesty. "I don't know how to let someone in without fearing I'm surrendering control."
"You aren't required to give up anything," Kent promised, his arm holding her steady as the golden dusk light deepened outside the barn. "You just have to stop running from the one person who isn't asking you to change."
The hum of the afternoon festival outside seemed miles away in the cool shadows of the oak barn.
Kent remained near the heavy oak workbench, his heart rate elevated as Teddy drew back and put a hand on the goat who was still struggling to stand on its sore leg.
Her dark eyes expanded, luminous with an unexpected, turbulent energy as her breathing came fast and shallow.
She turned away from him, her gaze fixed on the goat who let out another bleat.
Kent didn't reach for her again, giving her space while keeping his eyes locked on her profile.
He noted the slight quivering in her chin, the way her chin rose as her high walls seemed to slam back into place.
It always seemed like one step forward and two steps back with Teddy.
"This can't happen," Teddy said, her statement clipped and muted as her shoulders locked.
She refused to meet his eyes, her eyes anchored on the goat who she gathered into her arms gently.
"I'm leaving at the end of autumn. As soon as the harvest is over and the season ends, I'll be returning to Maine. I’m not staying in Harvest Hollow so starting something now would be unfair to both of us. "
Kent took an unhurried, measured breath, his fingers resting against the flat workbench.
He offered no immediate rebuttal, nor did he brush aside the reality of her declaration.
He'd known all along that she was only here for the season.
The whole town knew, but hearing the deadline spoken aloud in the wake of their shared kiss created an intense, sudden tightness in his chest. When he had heard about the divorce, he had hoped that it might be enough to convince her to stay.
But her words carried the unyielding weight of protective armor, a barrier she'd erected to prevent anyone from touching her hidden emotions.
"I understand your plans," Kent answered, his voice staying calm and unhurried while observing her. "You've gone back home after every autumn season."
Teddy turned around to face him, her face pale beneath the glow of the beams. "Then you see why this cannot work. Starting something now is unfair to both of us. I dedicated so much time and effort in Maine, attempting to assemble my world after my marriage ended. I have a restoration business there. I don’t want to leave a second trail of debris behind when I load my vehicle at the end of autumn.
I can't afford to get attached to a place or a person I have to leave. "
Kent looked at the goat resting in her arms and closed part of the space separating them, maintaining a relaxed posture while holding her eyes.
He saw the unfiltered apprehension behind her precise arguments, the profound fear of a person who'd spent her youth assuming that extending a hand only led to rejection.
She'd been protecting herself the only way she knew how, using her planned departure as a barrier to prevent further disappointment, convincing herself that isolation was safer than vulnerability.
"You're using Maine as a crutch. A barrier," Kent noted. "You're withdrawing because remaining in this moment forces you to acknowledge a desire beyond mere coping."
Teddy took a deep breath. "It isn't a shield. It's a fact. My life is in Maine. My professional work in structural carpentry is in Portland. I came back here to fulfill the terms of the will, not to look for love."
"I'm not expecting you to sacrifice your profession," Kent maintained, keeping his tone firm but gentle as he gazed down at her. "And right now, I'm not asking for any solid commitments regarding the future. But I won’t pretend that what just happened between us was a mistake."
He paused, letting the silence settle between them until the faint sound of fiddle music from the market tent filled the gap. Teddy stood motionless, her hands stroking the goat as she absorbed his words.
"I've watched you for years from afar," Kent continued, his statement bearing an unyielding truth that made her eyes go wide.
"I watched you carry every load alone when we were growing up, and I observed you return this autumn with your heart encased in iron.
I've been patient because I knew you needed time to realize that you aren't alone anymore.
But I won't be a convenience for when you need a momentary anchor, and I won't engage in a charade when we can both feel the spark between us. "
Teddy released a shaky exhale. "I'm not playing a game."
"Then stop running," Kent murmured. "If you want to leave in November, that's your decision. But while you’re here in this room with me, stop claiming that this connection doesn't exist. Stop pretending."
For a change, she offered no witty defenses, no sarcastic comments to shield her.
Kent didn’t demand an instant reply. He picked up his clinical tote from the workbench, placing the strap across his shoulder. He gave her a sad smile.
"I already took my hayride shift this morning and everything at the pet adoption station is set up and running smoothly.
I'll be at the clinic if you require any assistance with the goats," Kent expressed, his words clipped as he shifted toward the sunlit doorway.
"Enjoy the rest of the festival activities. "
Teddy nodded, and moved with him to the wide threshold, leaving the peaceful barn behind.
Outside in the sunshine, he gave the goat’s head a gentle scratch before giving Teddy a brief nod.
He watched as she walked toward the animal enclosure, carefully checking the bolts once she’d put the goat on a straw bed inside.
His heart ached. Not for himself, but for the fact that Teddy only seemed to know how to push people away, and that was a very lonely existence.