Chapter 19
COLTON
Taking a long sip of water, I step back to admire my handiwork. I’ve spent all day working on the house to replace all the rotten boards on the one side of the exterior, and I’m pretty impressed with how much better the farmhouse looks already.
My arm aches with the strain I’ve put it under today, but the satisfaction of seeing this place come together is more than worth it. Plus, it’s nothing some ibuprofen and a hot shower won’t fix.
“All right, now to get these old boards to the burn pile, and I’m done for the day,” I mutter to myself, picking up the first rotten board by my foot.
It takes me almost two hours and six trips to the back of the property, where I’ve started a small burn pile, and once it’s done, I collapse into the chair on the front porch in exhaustion.
Pulling out my phone, I type out a quick text to Lucy.
She’s been on my mind all day as I worked, and all I’ve been able to think about is getting home to her this evening.
The rational part of my brain knows that I shouldn’t be this obsessed with her, but what can I say?
This girl has gotten under my skin, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
Colton: Do you have plans tonight?
Lucy: I’ve got to draw up the plans for the obstacle course this weekend.
Colton: Do you need any help?
Colton: Or I can cook dinner for you while you work.
Lucy: Oh you don’t have to do that.
Lucy: I wouldn’t mind the company, but I’m warning you now that it’s pretty boring.
Colton: Sounds like a plan.
I set my phone down on the arm of the chair and lean back, looking out at the pasture.
The smaller calves continue to chase each other around, and next to them, Diesel grazes on a patch of grass.
With the addition of the white picket fence I added around the perimeter of my yard last week, this view is exactly what I always dreamed of in a house.
But it still feels like something is missing. My mind immediately flashes to Lucy, and I imagine how much more perfect this moment would be if she were sitting beside me.
I never expected to fall this hard and this fast for a woman, but the more time I spend with her, the more I’m convinced that she’s everything I’ve been missing.
I know she’s worried this attraction between us is only because we’re living together, but the truth is, I’ve been obsessed with her since the moment I laid eyes on her.
She’s everything I wasn’t expecting, but now that she’s here, I don’t know what my life in Mills Corner would look like without her.
I’ve always been independent and sure that I don’t need anyone but myself. But the days that we spend apart seem empty, and every moment I steal with her seems more fun and full of life.
My phone buzzes, and I grab it immediately, expecting to see a text from Lucy. But instead, Hayes’s name appears on my phone, and I sigh.
Hayes: Hey, man. Just checking in on everything. Is Lucy okay?
I freeze, wondering how I’m supposed to reply to that. I hesitate before typing a response.
Colton: Hey. Everything here is good. The opening weekend last weekend went great. And Lucy is fine as far as I know. Why?
Hayes: I talked to Mama last night and she said Amelia’s gone MIA for the most part.
Hayes: Do me a favor and just check on her please. I know I can trust you to take care of her when I’m not there.
I cringe as I read the words, trying to squash the guilt I feel.
I meant it when I told Lucy I cared about her too much to let my friendship with Hayes stand in the way of pursuing her, but it doesn’t make me feel like less of an asshole.
At the same time, if I’ve learned anything about Lucy since I met her, it’s that she doesn’t need anyone to take care of her.
She’s one of the most incredibly independent women I’ve ever met, and I can understand why she gets frustrated with the way her family treats her like a child at times, despite the fact that she’s almost thirty.
Sighing, I just send Hayes a thumbs-up emoji and stand from my chair. I can sit here all night and worry about how he’s going to react when we tell him, or I can go spend time with my woman. Easiest fucking decision I’ve made all day.
“Dinner’s ready!” I call as I take the chicken out of the oven.
Lucy pads out of her bedroom, her hair wet from the shower she just took. Her scent fills the room, and I can’t resist pulling her into my arms and dropping a kiss on her lips.
She kisses me back, threading her fingers through my hair at the base of my neck. I deepen the kiss, pulling her bottom lip into my mouth and sucking it lightly, causing her to moan beneath me.
Pulling back, I drop a kiss on her forehead and grab her hand, pulling her to the counter.
“I’m sorry, Darlin’, but if I let that go any further, we’d be eating cold chicken. And I’m starving,”
“Okay, fine. You’re right,” Lucy says with a laugh, leaning over the counter to grab plates from the top cabinet. “I told you that you didn’t have to cook for me, but this looks incredible.”
I look down at the grilled chicken, salad, and baked potatoes I’d pulled together.
“Well, it’s not anything special, but I hope it tastes okay.”
“I’m sure it’s perfect. Thank you,” she says, leaning up and dropping a kiss to my cheek.
We sit down at the table together with our plates, and Knox immediately jumps from his spot on the couch, running over and dropping to sit at our feet, looking at Lucy expectantly.
“Gosh, you’re a spoiled little pup, aren’t you?” she asks with a laugh, pinching off a small piece of her roll and feeding it to him.
The dog lies down at her feet, content, as Lucy and I start eating.
“So, this obstacle course. What do you need help with?”
“Ugh,” Lucy says with a sigh. “I’ve been trying to revamp the plans for it this year, and I just can’t figure out what I want to do. This is usually the part I let Hayes and Amelia help with, but apparently I’m on my own this year.”
“No, you’re not. I’m happy to help. And where’s Amelia?”
“She’s not responding to my text,” Lucy admits, and I don’t miss the sadness in her voice.
I reach over to grab her hand across the table and squeeze it reassuringly.
“It’s her loss,” I tell her honestly. “So, back to this maze. What are you working on?”
“I need to draw up some rough plans so that who volunteers that are coming to help set up tomorrow night know where everything goes. But I don’t know how to change up the course.”
“Okay, wait, this sounds like fun. What do you have so far?” I ask, pausing to take a bite of my chicken.
“Well, I thought we would set up the big round bales at the beginning and have them leap from one to the other. And then a sack race through some smaller square bales set up in a zigzag pattern. And then we always have them climb over a wall of the big round bales we stack up so that it’s about fifteen feet tall. But I’m stuck with how to end it.”
I nod, thinking about it for a moment before suggesting, “What if you made the end a maze? You could create one with all the hay bales you have left that they had to race through to get to the finish line.”
Lucy looks at me, nodding in excitement. “Wait, that’s actually a great idea. We have more than enough hay bales to make that work. Do you have a pen?”
I hand her the black ballpoint pen I always keep tucked into my shirt pocket, and she draws out a quick sketch on the napkin and holds it up. “You think something like that would work?”
“Yeah, I do. You could even let the contestants look at the plans for a minute before the race starts so they have an idea of how to get out.”
“Oh, that’s smart,” Lucy says, still sketching on the napkin in front of her, her food completely forgotten. She continues to draw for several moments, and I watch her as I finish eating.
After a few more minutes, she looks up and glances from me to my empty plate and blushes.
“Sorry. My family hates it when I zone out like that. I just wanted to get everything out while it was fresh in my mind. Sometimes when I have an idea, everything goes out the window. But I know it can be super annoying to everyone else.”
“You don’t have to apologize for being who you are, Lucy. Your beautiful brain is part of what I like about you,” I tell her. “I’ll heat your food up and then after you eat, we’ll finish up these plans.”