Chapter 30 Jovie
Friday evening arrived, and Wylie and I were finishing up cleaning the chicken coops and checking on the new baby calves.
“They are so stinking cute,” I said, watching one of the little babies, born just this week, suckling on its mother.
“They are,” Wylie grinned. “But it won’t last. They get big fast.”
“It’s a good thing human babies don’t grow that fast. Do you ever think about having kids someday?” I asked, recalling a conversation with Stevie before I left about men wanting to settle down once they hit 35. Wylie was only 33, but that day was approaching quickly, and I wondered if it was something he thought about under the tough exterior he tried to maintain.
He looked over the horizon at the setting sun, deep in thought. “I’ve thought about it. A little Wylie running around would be fun. Just haven’t found the right woman. When I do, I’ll know.”
My eyebrows raised. I guess Wylie knew Lana wasn’t around for the long haul.
“What are you doing with my brother anyhow? I know Nash can’t be that good in bed,” he said, teasingly.
And there’s the Wylie we all know and love.
“Just having fun, Wylie,” I said as I tossed the empty bottles for the baby calves into the back of the gator. “We've always been clear that we have an expiration date and it’s nice to have the companionship while I’m here.”
He nodded. “Is that what you want, though? Nothing more than fun and for things to end in nine months?”
I swallowed. Though I was only in my third month, I knew that my heart had fallen for Nash. I also knew in my head we had an expiration date, but I couldn’t seem to reconcile the two. Verbalizing how much I really felt for Nash was terrifying, and I wasn’t willing to do that yet, especially when I could tell he wasn’t either.
“I don’t know, Wylie. We can’t have a future. I’m selling the ranch and leaving, but I’ll admit, my heart has definitely fallen for Nash.”
He nodded again. “I know it has. Just be careful, Jovie. Nash’s ex Brooke...” he sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “She did a number on him. And I haven’t seen him this into a woman since. Just make sure you’re both on the same page about what your expectations are out of all of this.”
“Is Wylie Cameron showing a sensitive, caring side of him?”
He grinned. “Just don’t want to see you, or my brother, getting hurt, that’s all, and the way I see things headed between you, seems like it’s headed for a major heartbreak."
He grabbed the side of the gator and hopped back on, "But hey, let’s get back to the house. Gloria told me she was making my favorite, spaghetti. I always knew I was her favorite Cameron,” he said, winking.
We rode the rest of the gator ride back in silence as the sun disappeared along the horizon. The night sky came alive with fireflies, crickets, and toads. The familiar sounds were the soundtrack of my life now and a comfortable playlist.
Wylie’s words rang in my ears; were Nash and I really headed towards a major heartbreak? I didn’t want to think about it, but I could tell that if we were, it was going to be my heart breaking and not Nash’s because I was already in too deep.
As we approached my grandfather’s ranch, a car I didn’t recognize was parked in the driveway.
“You got a visitor?” Wylie asked as we pulled up next to it and hopped out.
“Not that I’m aware of?” I questioned, walking to the front door. It was still locked, so I opened it and headed inside, calling out into the space, “Hello?”
No response. I walked out to the back deck with Wylie close behind me. There I found our visitor perched on a pool chair – Patrick.
“Patrick?” I asked, confusion registering in my voice.
Patrick stood up with a wide grin on his face. His brown hair was meticulously combed back and to the side in a sophisticated style, and he was wearing a pair of jeans with a white cotton t-shirt and aviator shades pushed up on his head.
“Hi Jovie. It’s good to see you.”
I hesitated, feeling Wylie hot on my back as I walked towards Patrick’s open arms, and he hugged me tightly. Things were about to get uncomfortable fast.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as our hug broke.
“You haven’t been answering my texts or calls for the past three months, so I thought I’d drive down and surprise you. I figured you might be lonely without seeing any of your friends or family, and I had a 3-day weekend off.” I nodded my head, taking in his words as Patrick’s eyes cast behind me to Wylie inquisitively.
“Maybe you aren’t as lonely as I thought you’d be?” he stated.
“Oh, Patrick, this is Wylie. Wylie is my neighbor; his dad is Rig Cameron, who owns the neighboring Cameron ranch. He and his brothers have been helping me get up to speed on things at my grandfathers over the past three months.”
Patrick nodded, “pleased to meet you, Wylie. I’m Jovie’s boyfriend from Houston,” he said as he stretched out his hand.
Wylie’s eyes widened as a wicked grin spread across his face. “Her boyfriend, eh?” he said, shaking Patrick’s hand.
“Well, no, I guess not technically. Sorry, still getting used to saying that. She did break up with me before she left, but I told her I’d be waiting.”
Wylie chuckled. “She sure is hard to get rid of, isn’t she?”
Patrick didn’t catch his tone and just smiled in response.
“How about you join us for dinner, Patrick?” Wylie asked, as I cringed, shooting Wylie a deathly look but of course, he avoided my gaze.
“I’d love that; I’m starving. You mind showing me where we’ll be sleeping tonight?” Patrick asked as Wylie raised his eyebrows at me.
“Yea Jovie, why don’t you go on and show Patrick where y'all will be sleeping, and I’ll heat up the dinner.”
I wanted to kick Wylie as I gritted my teeth watching him disappear inside.
“What was that about?” Patrick asked.
“Look, Patrick…”
I couldn’t believe I was having to explain this to a 35-year-old man. I sure as hell thought I’d been clear when I left three months ago, and though if there had been any lingering doubts regarding returning to Houston and reconnecting with Patrick, the past three months with Nash had devoured those. Things with Patrick had been good yet never this passionate, even at the beginning.
“I thought I’d been clear when I left that I wasn’t looking to continue our relationship.”
Patrick’s eyes narrowed as he assessed me. “Is it because of that guy Wylie?”
I let out a breath. Why did men always assume you were ending things with them because you’d found someone else? Sometimes, two people just didn't fit. I ended things with Patrick before I met Nash, and I’d do it again. We might have been compatible on paper, but wanting to be with someone required a lot more than an arbitrary checkbox of similarities and interests on a dating app.
“No, me and Wylie are just neighbors and friends.”
He nodded his head, still watching me. “Ok, well shit, this is awkward for me then. I thought you’d just been ending things because you were moving away, but I can see it in your eyes now, you don’t feel the same way for me as you used to.”
I sighed, remaining silent but in my heart, I knew, I had changed a lot these past three months.
He raked a hand through his hair again, “I'm disappointed. But I respect your decision. I can head back to Houston then; sorry to bother you.”
“Look, it’s already late, and that’s a long drive. Why don’t you just come have dinner with Wylie and me, and then sleep in the pool house outside? No one has slept in there in a while, and it’ll at least make sure you’re rested before making the trek back to the city.”
I could tell he wasn’t sure, but when I reassured him again that Wylie wouldn’t mind, he agreed.
Returning inside, Wylie had already heated up our dinner. We ate together with animated retellings by Wylie of the adventures I’d gotten into over the past three months while he tactfully avoided any details that would give away my situation with Nash.
As the night wound down, Patrick stood up from his chair while Wylie cleared the plates and rinsed them in the sink. “Well, thanks for not kicking me out on my ass to make the drive back tonight, Jovie; this was fun. Wylie seems like a good guy and I’m glad you have a neighbor who will be looking out for you. And though I’m disappointed things ended between us, I’m glad you’re doing well and will be safe here over the next nine months.” He bent low to give me a kiss on my cheek.
“And maybe if things change in the future when you come back, and we’re both still single, we can give this thing a shot again.” He grinned sadly and then retreated out to the pool house.
I took a few minutes to compose myself before finishing clearing the table and joining Wylie in the kitchen.
I could see the smirk on his face, but he didn’t say any words as he continued to rinse while I leaned against the counter.
“Just so we’re clear, Patrick is not my boyfriend.”
“I figured as much,” Wylie spoke as he continued rinsing with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“I broke up with him before I left for Houston, just as he said. I thought that I’d been clear, but he’d texted and called me a few times since I arrived. I guess he didn't realize how serious I was that things were over.”
“Whatever you say, Jovie.”
I rolled my eyes. “Please don’t mention it to Nash. I didn’t want Patrick driving back in the dark this late to Houston, so he’s staying in the pool house.”
Wylie finished rinsing and towel-dried his hands. “It’s a little late for that.”
Fuck .
“Wylie, what did you do?” I groaned.
He shrugged and headed back to the room he was sleeping in. “Got a date with Lana; I’m going to go wash up, but I’d bet,” he glanced down at his watch, “your real boyfriend who you both refuse to acknowledge as such is probably pulling up right about now.”
Fuck .
Not ten seconds after Wylie disappeared into the bedroom, Nash burst through the front door, his eyes heated and full of anger.