Chapter 4
LUCY
Ifeel like I’m floating as I lead Drake out of the bar, before he directs me in the direction of his truck.
Sure, I had my share of hookups in college, but it’s been over five years since I graduated.
Between the stress of the farm and the lack of options in Mills Corner, I’ll be the first to admit that my love life has been a bit…
slow. But now? I’ve never felt this wild and free in my life.
“Come here,” Drake whispers, pulling me beside a large gray Ford truck.
I expect him to open the door for me to climb in, but instead, he pushes me against the side of his truck and kisses me hard.
The fear of knowing that anyone could find us here shoots through me as his lips graze down the skin of my neck.
I groan as he pulls my shirt to the side, feeling like he’s lit me on fire as his mustache trails closer to my exposed chest.
“God, yes,” I groan, throwing my head back to give him better access.
“So. Fucking. Sexy,” he mutters, continuing his path. After a moment, I can’t take it any longer, and I pull his face back to mine, rolling my hips against his obviously hard length through his jeans.
“Need—you—now,” I pant, desperate to feel him everywhere.
“Slow down, baby, we’ve got all night,” he mumbles before adding, “And I intend to take my sweet time learning every inch of this sexy-as-sin body.”
My cheeks flame, and I lose track of time as we continue to kiss in the darkness of the parking lot.
“Please, Lulu, can I touch you? I can’t wait any longer to feel your hot cunt wrapped around my finger,” he begs.
I have the sudden thought that I wish it was my full name coming from his lips. I never thought I’d be into dirty talk, but holy shit, that’s hot.
I nod before teasing, “God, I thought you’d never ask.”
Drake chuckles, and I resist the urge to cry out as his finger reaches under my skirt and grazes my clit through my panties. Just as he tugs them to the side, the ringer of my phone cuts through the night, and I nearly jump out of my skin.
Pulling back, Drake looks at me in concern. “Need to get that?”
“Hell no,” I mumble, pulling him back to me. “They’ll leave a voicemail if it’s that important.”
Drake nods, and our mouths clash frantically again, before my phone rings again.
“You sure you don’t need to answer that?” he asks, and I pause.
Amelia was more than preoccupied when I left her in the bar a while ago, and the only other person who would be calling at this time is my Mama. She knew I was out with Amelia, so if she’s calling, it’s because something’s really wrong.
By the time I’ve decided to at least see who it is, the ringing’s stopped and started again.
“I think you should probably get that,” Drake says, and I nod, feeling my concern rise when I see my mom’s name on the phone.
“Hello? Mom, what’s wrong?” I ask.
Through the line, my mom groans before saying, “Listen, I told your Aunt Martha not to call you, but I’m on the way to the hospital.”
“That sounds like a pretty fucking good reason to call me,” I say, already looking around for my things.
“Language, baby,” she scolds, and I roll my eyes at her usual antics. “I’m pretty sure your Aunt Martha is overreacting,” Mama says with a groan. “But I fell trying to get Daryl and Denise back in their pen, and my hip is giving me more trouble than I’d like.”
“I’m on my way,” I tell her. “How did the pigs get loose?”
“Oh, you know those silly things are always looking for a new adventure. And I’m not quite the spring chicken I used to be.”
“God, okay. I’ll be there in a few minutes. See you soon,” I tell her, hanging up before turning back to Drake.
“Everything okay?” he asks, and the obvious concern on his face makes me smile.
“Yeah, but there’s been a family emergency and I have to go…
My mom hurt herself trying to get the pigs back in their pen.
I’m so sorry,” I whine, running my hand over my face and grabbing his hat to set it back on his head.
“But if you’re in town for a bit, I wouldn’t mind staying in touch,” I say, before I can stop myself.
“I’d love that,” he mumbles. “Because I’m nowhere close to being through with you.”
A thrill runs through me at his words as I nod. Grabbing his phone, I type my number in before giving him a quick kiss on the lips. “Perfect. Text me, Cowboy,” I say over my shoulder, already calling an Uber to take me to the hospital.
“Yes, ma’am,” he says from behind me, and I can’t help but smile before turning my focus back to making sure my mama is okay.
“Hey, Lucy. She’s down the hall to your left. Room 102,” Kasey, one of the nurses at Mills Corner Hospital, who I went to high school with, tells me, gesturing down the long hallway of our small hospital.
“Great, thank you, Kasey. Are your boys doing okay?” I ask over my shoulder, already heading down the hall to my mom’s room.”
“Oh, you know, just growing like weeds,” she yells with a laugh. “You’ll see when I bring them to the pumpkin patch next month.”
“Sounds good. Tell them and Mike I say hello,” I tell her, inwardly cringing at the reminder that our season at Cedar Creek Farms is less than a month from starting.
There’s so much Amelia and I have to take care of before the pumpkin patch and other activities are ready to go, but I can’t think about that right now.
Pushing the stress from my mind, I knock quickly before pushing open the door to Mom’s hospital room.
“Listen, Mama, if you wanted me to stay home with you tonight, you could have just asked,” I tease, wincing as I see the cast they’re wrapping around her foot.
“Oh, you hush, baby girl. You know you didn’t have to come check on this old clumsy woman,” she says, reaching up her arms from her place on the bed for me to lean down and give her a hug.
“So, what’s the damage?” I ask, sitting down next to her bed and grabbing her hand.
“Well, I don’t know that we could call it damage. Just a bruised hip and a broken ankle. Nothing an old woman like me can’t handle,” she says, waving me off like she doesn’t have a care in the world.
“God, Mama, I’m so sorry. I should have double checked on the pigs before I left,” I tell her, feeling the guilt settle in at her current predicament.
“Baby, it could’ve happened to anyone. It’s fine. Luckily, I don’t need surgery, and I’ll be good to go in a bit.”
As soon as she finishes her sentence, my Aunt Martha bursts through the door, waving frantically.
“Hey, baby girl, I’m so glad you’re here,” she says, running over and wrapping me in a hug. “This sister of mine just insists on keeping things interesting around here, huh?”
“I’ll say,” I mumble, rubbing my eyes as the events of the night catch up with me.
“But wait, Mama, how are you gonna get around the house on crutches? Your room is on the third floor,” I remind her, thinking about the renovations to the house my mom had done after my dad died several years ago.
She couldn’t stand to stay in the room they’d shared for most of her life, so she turned the attic into a huge master suite.
It’s been a great change for her, but now?
The idea of getting her up and down is a bit daunting.
“Oh, your aunt and I were just talking about that. I’m gonna plan to stay with her for the next ten weeks. She just finished her downstairs renovations, and that’ll make all of our lives easier,” Mom explains, and Aunt Martha nods.
“Yep, I’m kinda excited. Your Uncle Bryce has a few business trips coming up this month, so it’ll be like old times,” she says with a laugh.
“Mama, are you sure? If you want to stay at home, we can figure something out,” I tell her, worried she’ll feel like she’s being kicked out of her own house.
“I'm sure, baby. Plus, I’ll still be around during the day if you need help getting ready for the season. Oh, and while I’m thinking about it, do you have plans tomorrow night?”
“No, I don’t think so,” I answer, feeling my phone ping in my pocket.
“Good. Don’t make any. I’m coming back to the house and we’re having dinner. Your brother will be home, and his friend Colton just moved to town, so we invited him over too,” she explains.
“Mama, I love you, but you’re the only person I know who would be worried about hosting dinner for someone while you’re sitting in a hospital bed,” I tell her, shaking my head in her direction.
“A little hospitality never killed anyone, Lucy,” my mom says with a laugh as they finish her cast. She and my aunt launch into a conversation about the state of my aunt’s garden, and I pull out my phone to see if Amelia finally realized I was gone.
Instead, I’m momentarily surprised to see a message from an unknown number until I remember that I gave Drake my number.
Scrambling, I hurry to see what he said.
Unknown: Hey Lulu. It’s Drake. I had a great time with you tonight. Hope your mom is okay.
Smiling, I stare at my phone for a second, trying not to fidget with how giddy I feel. On the ride to the hospital, I overthought every moment of our interaction tonight, and I managed to convince myself I’d probably never hear from him again.
Lulu: Hey Drake. I had a great time too. And she’s doing all right. Just some bumps and bruises for the most part.
Drake: Glad to hear it. Listen, I’ve got plans tomorrow, but I’d love to see you Sunday if you’re free.
Lulu: Hmm… I don’t know… I’ll have to think about it ;)
Drake: :(
Drake: Don’t think I won’t beg.
Lulu: Well, I do love a man who begs…
I laugh as the bubbles indicating that Drake is typing pop up, then disappear. Deciding to put him out of his misery, I add.
Lulu: I’m just kidding. Sunday sounds great :)
“Lucy Lu, what’s got you grinning like a little schoolgirl over there?
” my mom asks, bringing me back to the moment.
Shoving my phone back in my pocket, I turn to her, knowing that if I even hint about having a little crush on a new man I met at the bar, she’ll have the gossip chains and the group texts going in under an hour.
Honestly, she and her friends could probably have his social security number and his full dating history by the end of the night if they really wanted to.
And while I know if things keep going with Drake and me, I’ll have to tell her eventually.
For now, I want to enjoy keeping him to myself for a little longer.
“Oh, just checking in on Amelia. It looks like she and Mitch are back together again,” I say, knowing that’ll distract my mom.
“Ugh, again? I love that girl with all my heart, but when is she going to realize that boy is nothing but trouble? Every time I turn around, he’s finding a new way to break her heart before swooping back in to save the day again,” my mom complains, and Aunt Martha nods in agreement.
“Yes, and my girl is way too pretty and smart to be crying all those tears the way she is,” my aunt adds.
“I know, I know. But y’all know as well as I do that nothing we can say is gonna change her mind. Maybe he’ll finally get his shit together, and if not, we’ll be here to help her pick up the pieces again,” I tell them with a sigh. “I just want her to be happy.”
“Me too, my sweet girl,” my mom says, pulling me in for another hug. “Now, what do you say we go see if we can’t get out of here?”