14. Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Finnley
I have no excuse for why I’m pulling into the ranch three days later. Well, other than the fact that I overheard Hudson on the phone this morning, making plans with Erin to bring the girls riding this afternoon.
It’s pathetic, I know, but when I talked to Wren earlier, she said she’d be here helping Hank. So, I thought, why the hell not? Duke and Emily love me, and Wren is my other best friend. So, if I try hard, I can justify it.
I hated the thought of going home to an empty house and wallowing like the lonely, single loser I feel like. Instead, after I’d finished up at Timber Haven for the day, I turned my car in the opposite direction from home. Within a couple of minutes, I pulled down the long drive to the ranch.
When I put my car into park next to Wren’s Chevy, I promise myself I’ll keep my distance from the little playdate. I don’t want to seem like a complete stalker keeping tabs on my best friend.
In a perfect world, where he isn’t my only person, we’d make sense. Obviously, he’s attractive. Even though it’s a nice thought, I can’t let myself go there. Still, knowing that doesn’t keep my eyes from scanning the field next to the house just to see if I can catch a glimpse of him. It’s stupid, really. I mean, I literally see him every day. My eyes have always sought him out over everyone else in a room, but ever since Christmas, it’s been for an entirely different reason.
I made the mistake of letting my imagination run wild after our movie in the park, and I laid awake for three hours last night, wondering what Hudson truly thought about Erin. She’s pretty and blond—two things Hudson seems to look for in a woman, given who he’s married and dated. And she’s smart. He said today isn’t a date, but Erin is totally his type, and that rubs me the wrong way.
For so long, Hudson has been mine. My best friend. I haven’t had to share him with his cold, heartless ex-wife in two years, or worry about him splitting his time between me and someone else. But it hurts that he’s only been back just over a week, and he’s already hanging out with someone else. I try not to think about the fact that I wouldn’t give one shit if she was one of his siblings, or even one of the guys from the softball team.
I drag my mopey ass up the stairs to the giant wraparound porch. Before I can pull open the screen, I hear laughter spilling out through the open door. Just like all of her children, Emily Hayes’s laugh carries.
The Hayes bunch has always been rowdy, fun-loving, and tight-knit. Knowing that Hudson is here with another woman, and that Wren will soon be a permanent part of the family when she marries Hank, makes me feel like an outsider on this ranch for the first time in my life. The sudden thought of Hudson potentially marrying Erin, sharing a bed with him or watching her take care of Paige when she’s sick makes me nauseous. I’m being completely ridiculous, and logically, I know that, but I can’t help it.
With my hand on the screen door handle, I hesitate, wondering if I should knock instead of walking in like I normally would. Thankfully, I don’t have time to dwell on it because Duke’s boom of a voice greets me as he comes into the entryway from the short hallway. A grin splits his face when he sees me standing on the porch .
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite honorary daughter!” He throws open the screen door and pulls me into a giant bear hug.
At just over seventy, Duke Hayes—or Pop, as we all call him—is a mountain of a man. He’s about Hudson’s height, with broad shoulders and graying hair. Even though he’s got a small paunch—which he blames on Emily’s love of baking and his even bigger love of indulging—he’s still pretty spry. Admittedly, he has slowed down since his back injury a handful of years ago, but he still rides his horse, Blackjack, several times a week and fishes all summer long with a group of his buddies.
“Hey, Pop,” I say with a big grin. My nerves melt away as I wrap my arms around his middle. The man has been like a father to me since I started hanging out with Hudson as a teenager.
“How’re you doing, kiddo?” he asks, stepping back to take both of my hands in his. He gives them an affectionate squeeze.
“I’m great.”
“Glad to hear it.” He nods toward the yard, the barn, and fields beyond it. “Hudson’s out in the ring if you’re looking for him.”
I glance that way, and I’m glad the barn blocks any view I’d have from here. “I’m actually here to see Wren.”
He nods and smiles. “Well, as I’m sure you can hear, she’s in the kitchen with Emily. Head on back,” he says, releasing my hands.
“Thanks.”
With that, Pop grabs his hat from the hook just inside the door and plops it on his head. With a wink, he’s gone, the screen door slapping closed behind him.
I head down the hallway, and when I step into the kitchen, Wren is rinsing something in a colander at the sink, and Emily has just finished wiping the table down. A roll of butcher paper, white tape, and a Sharpie sit on the counter, as well as ten or so tightly wrapped packages, most likely some kind of meat.
“Finnley!” Emily says when she sees me. With a smile, she comes to pull me into a hug.
“Hey, Finn,” Wren calls over her shoulder, before shutting off the tap and giving the colander a couple of good shakes.
“I’ve got some laundry to switch out, but you get yourself something to drink and sit,” Emily says, brightly, ever the perfect hostess.
I watch her go and then turn back to Wren, crossing over to the sink. I wrap my arm around her back, resting my head against her shoulder to give her a squeeze. She presses a kiss to the side of my head, her hands clearly occupied.
My gaze drops and I scrunch up my nose at the sight of the gigantic bowl of bull testicles occupying half the large farmhouse sink.
“God, your job is weird,” I say with thinly veiled disgust.
She chuckles. “Not a fan of bull nuts?” Laughter sparkles in her eyes.
I shudder and scrunch up my face. “I’m surprised the girl who doesn’t like slimy noodles isn’t squeamish about handling all those little suckers. Especially while pregnant.”
She shrugs, completely unbothered. “You get used to it.”
I pour myself a cup of coffee, even though it’s nearing dinner time, then take a seat at the counter. Wren’s been helping out at the ranch since she moved back, and though she doesn’t do as much manual labor since getting pregnant with the twins, she does not shy away from even the dirtiest of jobs. In this case, washing bull testicles.
She’s talked about going back to work part-time helping Doc Callahan, the town vet, after the girls are born. Even though I don’t know how, she’ll probably manage it. She’s one of the hardest working women I know. And that’s coming from someone who works her ass off.
Wren washes her hands, then dries them on a tea towel before turning to face me across the island.
“So, how are things?” Her chocolate eyes are warm .
“Good,” I say, taking a sip of my coffee. Wren’s always been good at reading me, though.
She raises a skeptical eyebrow. “Ok, wanna cut the crap and tell me what’s going on?” She tosses the towel down and runs a hand over her belly. “You’ve got that sad, puppy dog look on your face.”
“You mean, besides the fact that I’m a thirty-five-year-old, grown ass woman with nothing better to do but follow my best friend around like a pathetic loser?” I pout.
“Oh, honey,” Wren quips with an empathetic tilt to her head. “We’re thirty-six.”
I blow out a laugh, dropping my hand to the counter with a slap. “Of course, I can’t even remember how old I am,” I say sardonically. “Add early onset dementia to pathetic loser.”
Her features soften and I’m grateful she’s here. I don’t have anyone else I can talk to about how I’m feeling. I definitely can’t tell Hudson. God, how embarrassing would that be?
“What’s really the matter?”
I groan. “Erin Parker.”
“Ah.” She nods with a knowing look, coming around the counter and pulling up the stool next to me. “I wondered if that’s why you suddenly showed up out of the blue.”
My spine straightens, a little affronted, but it’s fleeting. “It’s not out of the blue. I…miss you,” I lamely finish. The look she gives me is patronizing and she laughs lightly. I’m completely full of shit.
“Well, I miss you, too, but you’ve always been a shit liar.”
I let out a long sigh.
She glances behind her in the direction Emily retreated and then brings her gaze back to me. “Did something happen between the two of you? ”
I shake my head. “No, but I thought when he came back, we’d fall back into our old routine. And I guess we kind of have, but it’s still different. I’m different.”
“Different, how? After the kiss, you mean?”
I shrug. I can’t admit it. I can’t admit how I feel without it becoming real. It’s stupid, because it’s real either way, but I can’t go there. I won’t lose him.
Her eyes search mine. “Is it seeing them together?”
I nod, then take a deep breath. “How do I watch him be with her , or anyone, knowing things with us won’t be the same? He says they’re just friends, and I know he won’t stay single forever, but I thought I’d have more time with him before he just started dating again.” I really do sound like a whiny ten-year-old.
She chews on her lip for a minute while she studies me. “He’s been single almost three years, Finn.”
I nod, dropping my eyes to my cup. “I know, but he wasn’t here. And ever since he kissed me, God, it’s like all I can think about. And living with him isn’t helping either.” My belly tightens with my admission, but it’s too late to backpedal.
“So, tell him. Tell him how you feel. I think you’ll be surprised by what he says.”
I shake my head, meeting her gaze. I don’t know. Sometimes, I think there’s more there for him. He wouldn’t have kissed me otherwise. But it doesn’t matter, anyway. It’s a line we can’t cross. Our friendship means too much to me.
She seems to understand my hesitation. “How did you cope when he was with Tristen?”
I shrug, thinking about it. “Things were different then.” He hadn’t kissed me, and I had Jeff. When Tristen and Hudson got married, I was happy for him. I don’t elaborate, and she doesn’t ask me to .
She’s quiet for a minute and I can see her mind working. “What about that Brad guy you told me about, are you still talking to him?”
I shrug. “Yeah. He’s nice.”
The look she gives makes me cringe internally. I know she’s trying to help, but the thought of going out with Brad doesn’t do much to excite me anymore. Still, I can’t sit and whine over Hudson having other friends for the rest of my life. Even as I think it, it sounds childish and ridiculous.
“Well, maybe give him a call.” Then, she cracks a big smile. “You could always take Ginger’s advice.”
I glance at her, an amused smirk on my lips. “What’s that?”
“Best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.”
That makes me laugh. “Yeah. Except, I don’t need to get over Hudson. I’m not in love with him.”
“Would it really be so bad to just ask Hudson how he feels?”
My brows knit together. “I don’t know.”
“At the very least, you’ll know you’ll fit into his life if he does start dating her. Or someone else, for that matter.”
I shake my head. “That’d be weird.”
“But it’s already weird, right?” she says. “And you’ve said yourself that you guys talk about everything. Even sex.”
“I’d die if he talked to me about having sex with her.” I shiver.
She lifts her shoulder. “I think maybe you should be asking yourself why Hudson having sex with Erin Parker makes you so salty.”
“Because he’s mine and she can’t have him,” I blurt.
She cocks a knowing brow at me with a smirk.
“Oh, shut up,” I grumble, but its halfhearted. I can’t entertain thoughts about having sex with Hudson. But just because I can’t go there doesn’t mean I want to think about him having it with anyone else, either.
The front screen squeaks open and slams before the patter of little feet reaches our ears .
“Auntie Wren, we need water!” Paige calls as she comes running in, dark hair flying. When she sees me at the counter, she runs straight for me. “Finnley!”
“Hey, sweetie,” I say and hug her. She smells like dirt, fresh air, and green apple shampoo when I press my lips to the top of her head.
I stiffen slightly when I hear the screen open and close. The last thing I need is to be caught wallowing over my best friend spending time with someone else. I relax when Jennie comes into the kitchen.
“Daddy sent us in to get a drink while he takes Jennie’s mama for a ride,” she says brightly.
Suddenly, this kitchen feels really fucking small as my mind flashes with images of Erin mother-effing Parker riding my best friend. My stomach rolls.
Wren sends a tentative glance my way and then stands. “I’ll get you some bottled waters.”
She rounds the island and pulls out four bottles of water, but not before Paige spots her grammy’s homemade lemonade on the shelf in the fridge.
“Can we have lemonade, instead?”
“Sure.” She replaces two of the bottles and then gets out two small, plastic cups for the girls, filling them each with lemonade. “Why don’t you girls take this out onto the back deck and color for a bit until your parents are finished?”
There’s that image again; Hudson and Erin tangled in the sheets of my guest bed. Fuck. I grit my teeth against the thought.
Wren’s gaze snaps to mine and she grimaces. Sorry, she mouths.
“Ok. Can you take some water out to my daddy and Erin?” Paige asks me, catching me off guard.
That is the literal last thing I want to do, but I nod and watch the girls head out to the back deck .
“Well, I guess I’ll head out,” I say and stand, swiping the waters off the counter where Wren sat them. “I’ve got a mountain of laundry to catch up on.”
Wren sympathetically nods to the bottles in my hand. “You want me to take those?”
“No, it’s ok.” I lean in to hug her neck, before pressing my lips to her belly. “Bye, babies,” I whisper.
“Call me later,” she calls as I leave the kitchen.
It doesn’t take long for me to spot Hudson and Erin. He’s just swinging himself down from his horse, all long legs wrapped in denim, and the light blue of his T-shirt no doubt bringing out the little bit of blue in his hazel eyes. My gaze slides from his broad back to Erin, who waits in the saddle of another horse next to him in the open door of the barn.
I can’t see his face, but I can picture his easy smile when she tips her head back and laughs at something he says. When she tries to dismount, her heel gets caught on the stirrup. Hudson immediately moves to steady her. Once she’s safely on the ground, she looks up at him with a smile. Even from here, I can see it’s flirtatious. He grabs the reins of both horses in one hand and settles his hand on her low back, guiding her farther into the barn.
“Perfect,” I mutter under my breath. It could be a completely innocent touch, but my overactive brain can’t be convinced.
I shift back and forth on my feet for a couple more seconds, glancing between them and my car. I consider leaving the water on the porch, but my pride refuses to let this woman make me feel like I don’t belong here. He’s my best friend, and if she’s going to be around, I want to make damn sure she knows it .
With my head held high, I flip my hair over my shoulder and walk toward the barn. It’s probably ten degrees cooler here than outside and the light is dim. Six stalls run the length of each side, with a tack room at the end. Both sets of doors are open at each end of the barn, letting the light through from one end to the other. Hudson and Erin stand at the far end in silhouette, talking.
Just as I’m about to make my presence known, Erin reaches out and lays a hand on his arm. He doesn’t immediately pull away like I expect him to. My heart squeezes and my feet falter. I quickly take two steps to the left, pressing my back against the wall behind a cabinet, my heart pounding, ears ringing.
One simple gesture and my confidence flies right out the window. And now, I’m fucking hiding. What the hell is wrong with me? This is Hudson. It’s not like he’ll think I’m intruding. I’m just about to step away from the wall when Erin’s words stop me.
“I had a lot of fun today,” she says, her voice all wispy and dreamy.
“Yeah, me too. I’m glad Paige is making friends.” Hudson’s voice is low. He sounds different from he is with me. Gone is teasing Hudson, and there’s a seriousness to his tone. He clears his throat, and he sounds a little hesitant. “Actually, Paige and I are staying for dinner tonight. Would you and Jennie like to stay?”
My throat restricts with his words and my heart pounds harder. Oh, God. He likes her .
An invitation to dinner with his family is big. Really big. He’s never invited anyone to family dinner but me. His ex-wife has never even set foot on this ranch, though not for lack of trying on his part. Tears prick my eyes. God, I hate this. I hate my reaction to him moving on without me. I mentally kick myself for not just getting in my car and leaving undetected while I had the chance .
“Are you sure it wouldn’t be too much? I’d hate to put your mother out.” The eagerness in her voice outshines the hesitation of her words.
“It was actually her idea,” Hudson says, and my ears perk up. Ok, maybe he’s just being polite. “That is, if you don’t mind a rowdy crowd. The whole family can be a little intense when we’re all together.” He chuckles.
And he’s not wrong. The whole family is a lot. But they’re also amazing, and sweet, and funny and…not my family. I have to remember that. Yes, the Hayes clan has always welcomed me with open arms, but Hudson and I are not a couple, and it makes perfect sense for Emily to invite Erin and her daughter to stay for dinner. Especially if Hudson likes her or sees a future with her.
But it still hurts that I wasn’t invited. Emily would have said something if she wanted me here. Maybe it’s a misunderstanding? But Wren didn’t say anything about it, either. Maybe she forgot? Or maybe she knew it was happening and she just didn’t want to hurt my feelings? Wren wouldn’t do that, would she? Would Hudson?
I roll my eyes up to fight the tears threatening to spill over my lower lash line and take a deep breath. I have to get out of here. Pushing off the wall, I steel my spine and stride toward them, hoping my face and neck are not as red as they feel. I have to force my voice to work over the lump in my throat.
“Hey,” I call out, and they both turn in my direction. “Sorry to interrupt.”
Hudson takes a step back from Erin when he sees me. I can’t tell if that’s a good sign or not. But I do notice the fact that as soon as he does, Erin steps closer to him—a telling pursuit—when she spots me. She’s now so close to him that her shoulder brushes his. It makes me want to claw her eyes out, but I force my gaze to meet his.
“Jameson, hey. What are you doing here?” he asks, scratching the back of his head with two fingers. It’s a fair question, as far as questions go, and his tone isn’t accusatory, but I take it that way. He looks a bit uncomfortable. Join the club.
“I came to see Wren, and then Paige asked me to bring you guys some water,” I say, holding out the bottles.
“Thanks.” Hudson moves to take them. “You all right?” He tips up his chin. “You’re all splotchy.”
Ugh, of course I am.
“Oh, yeah, I’m good,” I say, forcing a big smile. Too big. “I’m great.”
Ok, tone it down, Finn. Seriously.
Hudson opens his mouth to say something, and then closes it. Dread coils itself around my insides. This is awkward as fuck. I have to get away from them before my body betrays me again and I burst into tears.
“I’ll see you at home later?” I ask.
He nods, handing a bottle of water to Erin. She takes it with a smirk in my direction. “Paige and I are staying for dinner. We might be late.”
The way he says it is almost like an afterthought. I stare at him and then swallow hard with a nod when he doesn’t mention Erin and Jennie will be joining them. I don’t expect him to invite me, but it still stings because it’s something he never fails to do.
“Ok.” Then, I flick a glance at Erin with a small, tight smile, turn on my heel, and leave.
It feels like an eternity before I reach the exit. When I’m a safe distance from the stables, my chest heaves once with a shuddering breath, and I swallow back the desperate cry that wants to escape. The back of my neck prickles and my throat stings. Why am I reacting like this? Hudson is going to date, and I want him to be happy. So, why is watching him potentially move on so hard?
I’m speed walking like a madwoman, the soles of my black Chucks slipping over loose rocks. When I’m halfway across the gravel drive and my car is in sight, I hear the crunch of boots behind me .
“Hey,” Hudson calls out.
I stop walking to turn and face him, but not before I force my face into what I hope is a mask of casual indifference. I can tell by the look on his face that I failed.
He crosses the last few feet and stops in front of me, searching my face. “What’s the matter, babe? You looked upset back there. You still do.”
A little spark of heat ignites and licks through my belly at the word ‘babe’ rolling off his tongue. The nickname isn’t new, but these feelings I’m having at hearing it are. It burrows deep in my chest, making it ache. Against my will, my chin quivers and my eyes tear up again. I look away, blinking rapidly.
He waits, and I can feel his eyes on me. Blowing out a breath, I chance a glance at him but the look on his face is too much, like he can see everything I’m feeling just by looking at me. My heart twists in my chest and I look away again. Why is it so hard to just say the words?
“It’s stupid,” I say, my voice cracking a little on the last syllable.
He reaches up and puts a hand on my face. Hudson’s always gentle with me, but this is almost romantic. My pulse skyrockets at the contact and our eyes meet. My insides heat and my cheeks flush even more than they did in the stables. What I wouldn’t give to feel his hands all over my body.
Woah. Where did that come from?
“Nothing you can say to me is stupid.” His voice is low, and it stirs something low in my belly. His words give me a little courage. I don’t want to keep things from him. That’s not what we do; not who we are.
“I hate that you like her,” I say, barely above a whisper, my voice tight in my throat. “I hate that she’s here with you. I know I have no right to dictate who you choose to spend time with but…I hate that it changes things…with us.”
He looks genuinely confused when I finally dare to meet his gaze, but I need to see how my words affect him. For whatever reason, I need him to know how much it bothers me.
I audibly swallow when he says nothing. “See? It’s stupid.”
The corners of his lips twitch like he might be amused, but it never morphs into so much as a smile. Instead, his eyes turn tender.
“I don’t like her, Jameson. Mom asked me to invite them as a favor to her parents. They’ve decided to extend their vacation a few more days, and she’s been alone a lot, working long hours at the clinic. And Jennie missed a visit with her dad. Mom thought it would be good for her to spend some extra time with Paige,” he explains. “Me asking her, it doesn’t mean anything. It’s not a date.”
“You guys looked awfully cozy in there,” I say before I can stop myself. I almost cringe. I sound like a jealous girlfriend. God . I have got to get a fucking grip.
He chuckles, shaking his head. “I don’t see her that way. You know I never have.”
Embarrassment creeps up my neck. Still, I can’t help but wonder if I’ll feel this way when he inevitably does find someone else. “So, you aren’t interested in her?”
“Not even a little bit.” He pauses and something flits across his features, but I don’t have time to decipher what it might mean before it’s gone. “Is that why you were upset, because you thought I was into her? That bothers you?”
Feeling about three feet tall, I drop my eyes and nod. “It’s always been me and you, you know? Here, at the ranch, I mean. It surprised me to hear you invite her. I shouldn’t have just assumed.”
I twist my hands in front of me and look up at him, but his gaze is so intent that I can’t hold eye contact. I toe the ground with my shoe, looking back down. “I feel like I just got you back and, I don't know, I just… I shared you with Tristen for ten years. I want you all to myself. I don’t want to share you with someone else…yet.”
I tack on that last word as a second thought and immediately wish I hadn’t because it hits me all at once. I already have my answer as to why this bothers me so much. I will never want to see him with anyone else. Especially if it means I won’t be his number one anymore.
I peek up at him, gauging his reaction. This time, his lips do tip up in a grin that would be cocky as fuck on anyone else, but on Hudson, it sets my heart racing. He reaches out, running a hand down my arm, then links our fingers, tugging me into a hug. I drop my forehead on his chest. These little touches, although friendly enough, would absolutely have to stop once he’s in a relationship with someone. Although, this one feels different after everything I confessed.
A small laugh bordering on hysterics bubbles up and out of me.
“What’s so funny?” he asks, nudging me with his body.
“I can’t believe I was jealous of Erin fucking Parker.”
He laughs, too. “Yeah, it only took almost twenty years, and she didn’t even bring me a cookie this time. Well, unless you count her puss—”
“Shut the fuck up.” I laugh, jabbing him with a finger in his ribs before he can finish the crude joke. My pride is severely wounded at how ridiculous this whole situation is.
He squeezes me, and his voice sobers when he speaks. “You’ll always have me,” he says, and his thumb makes circles on my lower back. “You’re my girl.” The way he says it is meant to be friendly, I’m sure, but it sets off a flutter of butterflies in my stomach, nonetheless. “And you have to know I’d rather have you here than her. You never need an invitation.”
My traitorous eye lets one fat tear leak out and I swipe it away quickly, grateful he can’t see my face. But he doesn’t have to. He knows me well enough to know when my emotions get the best of me .
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. I want to stay, but not with her here. I’m too stingy, and seeing someone else here with him would be too much. Even if he’s assured me nothing is going on between them. Plus, she’ll likely do everything in her power to make it seem otherwise, and I’d rather shove toothpicks under my fingernails than watch that shit.
“I’ll make something up,” he says, suddenly. “I’ll just tell Mom and Pop we have to leave—”
Something dislodges in my chest at his words and relief sweeps through every fiber of my body. I immediately relax, my limbs feeling heavy from holding them so tightly the last thirty minutes. I didn’t realize just how anxious this whole situation made me, and I feel like I’ve just run a mile or something. I only know I want to go home and crash. I feel so exhausted all of a sudden.
“Thank you for the invitation, but I think I’ll just go home, take a bath, and maybe read for a bit. But you and Paige stay.” I pull back to look up at him with a small smile.
He looks so concerned and so sweet. I have a sudden urge to press my lips to his. The realization stuns me, and the skin on the back of my neck prickles at the thought of being so bold. What would it feel like to be able to do that right here, right now, without fear of the consequences?
He nods. “If you’re sure? Mom’s making cornbread,” he says, wagging his eyebrows at me. He knows I’m a sucker for Emily’s cornbread.
I’m not sure, but I nod, anyway. “I’m sure.”
He huffs out a little laugh and nods, before pulling me back in for another hug.
“But I wouldn’t be opposed to you bringing me home some cornbread,” I say, looking up at him with a sheepish smile.
“You got it.”
I push up onto my toes to rest my chin on his shoulder, savoring being in his arms, even if it’s just as friends. I catch sight of Erin watching us across the drive. Normally, I’d keep my arms wrapped around his middle, but I’m feeling a little catty and more than a little triumphant. So, I slide my arms around his neck and lean in to press a kiss on his neck, just slow enough, letting my lips linger there as she looks on. He shivers a little and it makes me smile when he presses a kiss to my temple.
I try to tell myself it’s all a show for her on my part, but my body lights up at the contact and I hold on for seconds longer than I normally would. I have the urge to launch myself into his arms and wrap my legs fully around his waist, but I figure that might be a little over the top.
He pulls back a few seconds later and walks me to my car, where he opens the door and then shuts it for me after I climb inside. I crank the engine, and he steps back.
“See you at home,” he says over the sound of the Volvo cranking to life.
I nod, throwing the car into reverse. “Don’t forget my cornbread,” I say, and he smirks. When I swing the car out onto the road and drive away, he’s standing in the rearview, watching me leave.