Chapter 18 #2
“Yeah, I know. That’s the problem!” God, the words sounded so stupid, even to my own ears.
“It’s like we’ve had this real issue with the property line, right?
And this real issue with his death trap of a house.
And now those things are gone, and all we have left is…
” An accidental handfasting. A pretend betrothal.
“You know, maybe Amanda’s not the only one who grew and changed,” Jack said thoughtfully. “Maybe it’s time you, you know… reconsider your stance on relationships.”
He said this with the same enthusiasm with which he’d discuss recreational root canals.
“Not you, though, huh?” I asked, amused.
“No.” He looked uncharacteristically serious, and maybe even a little sad. “No, I can’t see that changing for me.”
Before I could ask him what his problem was, though, he forced a smile and tapped the edge of my plate. “Are you gonna eat this or play with it?”
Oh, right.
I took a large bite and savored it. “Holy shit. This is phenomenal.” I swallowed and immediately took another. “Is that biscuits on top of chicken? The herbs are fucking delicious.”
He beamed. “Excellent. Chicken biscuit pot pie is going on the menu for next week.”
I coughed on my mouthful of chicken. “This is pie?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Ye-es? Why?”
“No reason.” I pushed my plate away and stood. “Put me down for an entire pie for next week, okay? And you and I are gonna eat it and drink some beer, and you’ll tell me whatever the fuck you’re angsting over.”
Jack’s eyes widened in horror. “Ohhhh, no. Hold the phone, buddy. Go have deep convos with your betrothed. And don’t you have four billion brothers to meddle with? What’s Reed up to down in DC, huh? He never calls, he never writes. And Porter. He’s at such a crucial age. You should check in—”
“I do have concerns about Hawk,” I admitted.
“H-hawk? What’s, um… what’s wrong with Hawk?” Jack wiped an imaginary speck off the counter.
“Oh, just this whole business with Fogg Peak.” I waved a hand. “You know how he is. Ninety percent of the time, he’s the most easygoing guy in the world, but once he gets an idea in his head…”
“Yeah. Tell me about it,” he said faintly.
“Anyway. I’m really glad he’s got you looking out for him.” I patted him on the shoulder. “As a boss and as an honorary big brother. Just knowing he’s got you to hike with and talk to… You’re the best friend I could ask for.”
The smile Jack gave me could only be described as… pained.
“Dude, seriously. Take the compliment.” I rolled my eyes. The man was way worse at discussing his emotions than I was. “Look, I gotta go. I’m going to tell Luke about the land. I just… I need to make sure he understands.”
It wasn’t at all that I was absolutely dying to see him, to talk to him, to reassure myself that I hadn’t fucked things up too badly.
I jogged out of the restaurant and drove straight to Luke’s place.
The more I thought about it, the more desperate I was to let him know about the land situation, to tell him I would never want to take advantage of him under any circumstances.
I was starting to believe I’d give him any amount of Sunday land, if that’s what it took to make him happy.
And that scared the crap out of me.
But when I knocked on the front door, it wasn’t Luke who answered. It was his mom.
“Hi, Ms. Williams,” I said, a little out of breath from jogging across the yard and up the front steps. “Is Luke around?”
“Oh, no, honey. I’m afraid he’s not. He said he was going to a dance recital this afternoon that a couple of his students are performing in. He took his aunt with him since she used to teach dance classes a million years ago. Is there something I can help you with?”
She must have seen the disappointment on my face because she ushered me inside. “Come, come. I’m just making some tea, and I’d love the company if you don’t mind.”
I followed her into the newly renovated kitchen. It was Luke’s dream kitchen, so it made me smile every time I saw it. Today, I noticed he’d put some of his students’ drawings on the big side-by-side fridge.
“Those are pretty flowers,” I said, nodding toward the overflowing vase.
Ms. Williams moved over to the kettle already steaming on the stove. “Aren’t they? Some man sent those to him. I can’t remember his name now for the life of me.”
“A man sent him those?” I asked. My voice sounded harsher than I’d intended. What man was sending Luke, my Luke, flowers? We were practically married, for fuck’s sake.
Ms. Williams let out a laugh. “Pretty sure it was an older man thanking him for taking an ewe and her lamb off his hands. My new grandlammy is the cutest thing you ever saw. She’s out in the nearest enclosure if you want to see her.”
I let out a breath and a huff of laughter. “I’m an idiot. He got a lamb? How? He must be over the moon.” Why hadn’t he told me? This was a big deal.
“Someone rescued them and couldn’t keep them. Knew Lukey was set up for taking them in. I’m just grateful he was able to give them such a good home.” She eyed me for a moment. “Since the farm wasn’t in such great shape until recently.”
I opened my mouth to respond but realized I was walking into dangerous territory. Ms. Williams hadn’t known about the sad state of the farm, so when did she get this information? And how?
She poured water into two mugs and continued. “It seems like we owe you and your family a heapload of thanks.”
I swallowed. “Luke’s been working hard.”
“Mm. He has. I can see that. I would imagine that taking a… how did she describe it? Hovel and making it into this…” She waved a hand around, indicating the sparkling new kitchen. “Had to have taken quite a bit of effort.”
“Who called it a hovel?”
She bobbed the tea bags up and down in the water.
“A lady from the knitting group stopped by to pick up some yarn Luke wanted her to have. She said she couldn’t believe he’d had time to even think of her considering he’d been working on the house from sunup to sundown every day in preparation for my visit.
She told me the last time she’d been out to the place, Ben Pond had run it into the ground.
Even the roof had a hole in it that, quote, a vee-dubya hippie bus, unquote, could fit through. ”
Her eyes never left mine.
“It wasn’t that big,” I muttered. “Valerie Tippington is a busybody known for exaggeration.”
“What I want to know, Webb Sunday, is why Lukey didn’t feel like he could tell me the truth.” She picked up the mugs and nodded toward the farmhouse table. Once we took our seats, I bought myself a little time by blowing on my tea. “Stop stalling,” she said with a soft chuckle.
“Ms. Williams,” I began.
“Laura, please,” she corrected. “Since I’m practically your mother-in-law, I believe we can dispense with the formalities.”
My face burned, and I stared at my tea again. “Laura. Yes, ma’am.”
What was I supposed to say? And would Luke get mad at me if I corroborated Valerie’s story? I took a sip of tea even though it was still too hot.
“Is this thing between you and my son real?”
I choked on the tea, nearly snorting it all over myself in an effort not to drown. Laura calmly handed me a napkin but continued to look at me with a knowing smirk.
Once I got control of myself, I met her eyes. “I have real feelings for him, yes. But…”
“But.”
I ran a hand through my hair and thought about the but. What exactly was the hesitation here?
“He’s upset with me. Justifiably so. And I received some information today that might make him even more upset. So I came over here to talk to him about it.”
She sipped her tea carefully and pondered my words. It seemed like the more agitated I got, the calmer and slower she got.
“I see.”
“Has he said anything?” I blurted. “About me? About us? About the handfasting thing?”
Fuck it. I needed to know, and this was my best chance at gathering intel.
Even if I sounded like a fourteen-year-old lovesick loser.
There was something about Laura’s kind face that made me feel like she’d accept me, loser and all, the same way her son accepted everyone he’d ever met.
She smiled. “He said you have a lot going on right now. Aiden and his mom, the orchard, your other family members. It sounds like you carry a lot of responsibilities on your shoulders.”
I nodded. “He does, too, though.”
She dipped her chin. “True. He takes his job very seriously. Always has.”
“He loves those kids,” I said. “More than anything. He’s the most dedicated teacher I’ve ever seen.
And the Hollow is lucky to have him. Hell, he ramped up this whole Pick-a-Book thing in the middle of the big house renovations because he didn’t want to miss out on a chance to publicize it during the Spring Fling.
He’s been working day and night to make sure the children’s book charity gets plenty of support at the festival. ”
I stopped to take a breath. “He’s one of the best humans I’ve ever met,” I added softly.
“You’re falling in love with him, aren’t you?”
I blinked up at her. Was she nuts? Love? Pfft. But how did I tell Luke’s mother, of all people, that…
I stopped when my brain—and heart—caught up with her words.
“I…” My throat felt lumpy and weird. “I… he…”
Laura reached across to pat my hand. “Kinda makes you feel like puking, doesn’t it?”
“Oh God. I love him. I want this to be real. Not a town joke.”
Was it suffocating in here, or was it just me?
“Good. But be sure, Webb. Because if you’re not ready for this, you need to tell him. Luke is sensitive, and he needs someone who’s going to be there for him. Someone who won’t run when the going gets tough. A man who won’t flake out on him. He deserves someone reliable.”
Her words made my head swim. I felt like fate was playing a cruel trick on me. Since when was I the unreliable one in any situation?
But she was right. I wasn’t being consistent with Luke.
I’d let my fear get the better of me.