by Alexa Davis
“You might be tired, but after a few bumps along the road, we managed to get there. The fence is done.”
“By bumps do you mean me knocking down five of the fence posts you’d already put up?” I laughed. It was safe to say that tractor driving didn’t come easy to me, but we had managed to get the fence finished, so at least I wouldn’t have to do it again anytime soon. “I’m glad I could help you, though; that was fun. Maybe in my next job, I should be a farm girl.”
“Now, let’s not get ahead ourselves,” he said as he sat beside me, wrapping his arm around me and handing me a beer. “One day doesn’t make you good enough to be a farm girl. Maybe you should come and work at my company.”
I considered that for a second, thinking that maybe I could go and work for Roy’s company; it would give me something to focus on, it would earn me money…but then my boyfriend would be my boss, and that would be too weird for words. “No, I will figure something out,” I told him honestly. “But thank you for the offer. How are things with the company?”
“Getting there slowly but surely. I mean, we have had some people walking out, but that doesn’t matter because I think the place could use some fresh blood, anyway. Some new ideas can’t hurt.”
“Yeah, I think you’ll be fine. Actually, I know you will. I have total faith in you making things much better again. If anyone can do it, it’s you.”
The television flickered in front of me, but I wasn’t really watching. My eyes were growing heavier with every passing second, and I knew that I would be asleep soon enough. I really was exhausted after my day of hard labor, and I didn’t think that I would last much longer.
“Thank you for your help,” Roy continued, oblivious to my exhaustion. “I do appreciate it. I know you really didn’t have to do that.”
“You’re welcome,” I said quietly, almost to myself. “You know that I’ll do anything for you.”
“I love you,” he replied, kissing the top of my forehead.. He truly did adore me, and that felt amazing. And, the fact that Roy had really let me in and showed me some of his world was even better. This was a man who found it really hard to be open with anyone, yet he was making that change for me, after all those years. If that didn’t make me important to him, then I didn’t know what would.
“I love you, too,” I whispered…or at least, I hoped that I did. I wasn’t quite sure if I was dreaming or not by that point.
After a few moments, I felt Roy lift my body up off the couch, as if I weighed nothing, which allowed me to drift off much more peacefully.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Roy – Sunday
“Morning,” June smiled at me as she turned to face my resting body. As always, I’d been up early, but once I’d sorted Tank out, I climbed back in next to her, just watching her sleep. I loved watching her slowly breathing in and out, whilst looking so serene. It made my heart flutter excitedly. “I can’t believe you’re still in bed; that isn’t like you at all.”
“Well, I have a plan for today,” I admitted to her, kissing her lightly on the forehead. “So, I thought it would be better to let you sleep in before I told you.” I knew that she wasn’t the morning person I was, and I didn’t want her to turn down my idea before I could even tell her what it was.
“I don’t think that 8 a.m. is sleeping in, but I’ll hear you out,” she teased, causing me to grin. “I can’t wait to hear what you have in mind.”
“I want you to come to church with me,” I stunned her by replying. It was something that I’d been considering for a while, but I hadn't felt ready to discuss it until now.
“But…but I’m not necessarily religious…” she trailed off, looking really uncomfortable, which wasn’t what I wanted at all. I knew she didn’t necessarily share the depth of faith that I had, but I wanted her to see another side of me. I wanted her to understand everything. I just wanted to share church with her.
“I’m not asking you to go every week; just come with me once.” I stood up and held my hand out to her, but she still seemed reluctant to take it. I understood her reservations, but they were unnecessary.
“It’s not that I don’t want to go with you, I want to see every side of your life…but what if everyone stares at me.”
I recalled that worry well. When Shelley died, I hated being anywhere for fear of everyone staring at me, but now I could see that I was wrong to be so afraid. People were only looking because they were concerned for me, because they wanted to help me they just didn’t know how. People might glance at June, but they wouldn’t be judging her, of that I could be certain.
“Don’t worry about it; people aren’t there to gossip.” With that, I grabbed her and pulled her from the bed. “Come on, get dressed. Trust me, will you?”
“It seems like I’ve been doing a lot of trusting you,” she grumbled playfully, clearly referring to yesterday and everything I’d gotten her involved in. It had worked out for the best then, and it would do so again now, I was sure of it.
“Yeah? And look where it’s gotten you – who would have thought that you’d ever drive a tractor?”
She shot me a look, but didn’t reply, which I could only assume meant that I was right. If June Powell was silent, it was because she had literally nothing left to say. She would see that I was right in the end, anyway, she would soon lose her reservations, and that would make her trust me even more.
***
“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
I watched June’s intense face as she listened to the preacher read out a Bible passage, taking in every word carefully. She’d been undeniably nervous when we’d arrived, scared of what was going to happen, but as we took the pew in the back and let everyone wander past us, none of them giving us even a second glance, she started to become more herself.
As she listened, I found myself wanting to reach out and hold her hand. The only reason that I resisted was because I didn’t want to break her concentration, not when she was actually looking positive. This would always be a place that I shared with Shelley, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t share it with June, too. I could open up my heart and have both of them in there – I could finally see that now.
I will always love you, Shelley, I thought in my mind, hoping that she could hear me, wherever she was. But I believe you have sent June to me to help me move on with my life, and that is exactly what I shall do. I felt positive about it, happy that I could finally do what she wanted for me, however hard it had been to get there. It was worth it now, all that heartache and suffering, just to be where I was today.
As the sermon came to an end and June stood up to go, I noticed a peaceful expression crossing her face, one that I’d never seen there before. I wasn’t trying to convert her or affect her beliefs or anything. I just knew how relaxing and uplifting church could be, no matter what you believed, and that was what I wanted for her. I wanted her to understand why church was important to me, and I thought that she might get it now.
“Shall we…” I started, but before I got a chance, the preacher was by my side, gripping onto my shoulder, grabbing my attention.
“Hello again, Roy; how are you today?” he asked, only sideways looking at June once.
“I’m good, thank you,” I grinned at him, grateful for his discretion. “That was a wonderful sermon, as always. Thank you for that. I would love to introduce you to my new friend, June Powell.”
“It’s lovely to meet you.” He shook her hand happily, and she smiled right back at him. “Now, I’m holding a luncheon in the church cottage, if you two would like to come along?”
I was just about to turn him down, not wanting to put June in an awkward situation that made her uncomfortable, but before I could come up with any excuses, June was happily
signing us up to go. “That sounds great; we would love to.”
“Erm, yeah, sure…” How could I disagree now? Plus, it was likely to be very fun with June by my side, anyway. I never went to the luncheons with Shelley because she always had something else planned, so maybe it was time to try something else new. “Now?”
“Yes, I’ll see you over there.”
As we headed over to the preacher’s cottage, I noticed a few other people there, too, wanting to extend their Sunday church time. They were all people that I vaguely recognized, but not anyone I knew directly, which left me in the same boat as June. Only this time she seemed totally at ease with herself… I was the one experiencing nerves! It was an unexpected turnaround, that was for sure.
“Hi there,” a friendly-looking couple came up to us almost right away. “I’m Tom,” the man told us. “And, this is my wife, Kate.”
“Hi, we’re Roy and June.”
We both shook their hands, and made a little small talk with them before the subject of their wedding anniversary came up. As they told us that they’d been married for six years, I got a funny feeling deep inside. Almost as if I knew what Tom was going to ask before he even asked it. “So, how long have you two been married?”
“Oh no, we aren’t…” June started, looking really embarrassed. She looked so cute when she blushed, but I knew that she must be dying inside so I took the lead and took over the conversation for her. She was probably too afraid to admit that we weren’t married in case we were judged.
“We aren’t married. Actually, we have only been dating for a short while.” I pulled her close and grinned at her. “But we’re really very happy.” I was certain that we probably would end up married one day, but I didn’t want to freak June out by admitting that revelation aloud. She gave me a grateful grin and held me nearer to her, showing me her gratitude. Not only had I dealt with the question well, but I’d let her know how happy she made me.
“Well, isn’t that just lovely,” Kate grinned. “You know what? We should exchange numbers and go out on a double date sometime.”
That sounded wonderful; it was such a normal thing to hang out with other couples, but something that we hadn't done just yet. As we exchanged numbers with Kate and Tom, I was even more grateful that we’d followed my plan today and come to the church. It had led to things I hadn't even slightly expected.
***
“I had a lot more fun than I expected today,” June told me as she climbed into bed besides me. “And, Kate and Tom were really nice. I wasn’t expecting to meet such an awesome couple. I hope we end up friends with them.”
“Yeah, it should be good to have dinner with them sometime; they were good people.”
She snuggled in next to me, pressing her warm body up against mine, and I felt a familiar stirring. This woman was incredible, taking me all the way from zero to one hundred in just a few moments. Already, my mind was filled with all the crazy things that I wanted to do to her body and it became difficult for me to control myself.
“Well, I think I’ve proven that I trust you,” she announced, ignoring the clear signs from my body as she turned to face me. “So tomorrow, I want to take you somewhere.”
“You do, do you,” I smiled, before lightly brushing my lips against hers. As I ran my fingers through her hair and down her soft cheek, I felt my heart beat faster. I loved this woman with everything that I had, and I knew that I would do absolutely anything for her.
Of course, I had to tease her for a bit first though. “Well I think you’re going to have to tell me what you have planned, or I might not agree to do it.”
“No way,” she insisted, whilst pushing me away playfully. “You didn’t tell me anything. I’m not telling you. It’s a surprise.”
“Hmmm…okay,” I wiggled my eyebrows at her. “I suppose. I might not be happy about it, though.”
“You’ll just have to suck it up and like it,” she replied, before kissing me a little more passionately, giving me what I so desperately needed. I pulled her in closer, wrapping my arms around her, and the kiss deepened. As she swung her body over mine and she took total control of the situation, I felt so happy that I could scream. A lot of people didn’t get one shot at love in their lives, yet somehow, I’d been lucky enough to have two. Somehow, I must have done something right, even if it didn’t always feel like it.
“Oh my God, I love you,” I said as June moved her mouth down to my neck. “You really are amazing.”
“I love you too,” she muttered, making my heart swell with happiness. I didn’t think that I would ever tire of hearing those words, however long I lived.
June was the one, the one that I needed to spend the rest of my life with. I just needed to wait until the time was right to tell her as much.
Chapter Thirty-Six
June – Monday
This had to be a first. I was up and wide awake before Roy. I’d never thought that I would see the day. Yet the thought of what I had planned was far too exciting for me to rest any longer.
“Come on, Tank,” I whispered to the gorgeous dog who had well and truly worked his way into my heart. “I’ll get you something to eat.”
As we snuck into the kitchen, not wanting to disturb Roy who was having the first decent sleep that I’d ever seen him have, I felt my heart fluttering with excitement. I’d been taken out of my comfort zone yesterday, and the day before, too. I’d really enjoyed myself, much more than I expected to, and I assumed that today would go the same way.
I set about cooking breakfast with the radio playing on low, and soon the excitement gripped me tightly and I felt my body starting to sway to the music. Gently and slowly at first, but before long I was jumping around and acting like a fool…just because I could.
A few short weeks ago, losing my career would have been the worst possible thing that could happen to me, yet here I was having experienced just that, and I was dancing like a crazy person.
“Come on, Tank, come and dance with me.” I grabbed onto his paws and twirled him around, all the while giggling like a crazy schoolgirl.
“What’s going on here,” Roy announced in mock annoyance, as he appeared at the door. “I’m trying to sleep and you two are making a racket in here.” As I grabbed hold of him and I tried to pull him in to join us, he rolled his eyes and moved straight over to the coffee pot. “You two are very excitable, aren’t you?”
“Well, you would be, too, if you knew what I had planned for you both.” I couldn’t even begin to keep the bright beaming smile off my face.
“Both?” he turned to stare at me. “So Tank can come, too? Okay, now you’re going to have to tell me where you’re taking us. The suspension is killing me!”
“Get dressed, get in the car, and I will tell you on the way.” I wanted to keep the anticipation going for as long as possible, just to keep him interested. I knew he’d love it when we got there, but just like I was, he might have been anxious at first hearing it. “But first, I’ve made you some breakfast.”
***
“The Hangout?” Roy asked curiously as we pulled up outside. “What’s that?”
I was practically bouncing up and down on the seat in excitement, so excited for him to get inside and to have his life transformed like mine was. I’d already communicated with Hailey, she was glad for me to bring Roy, to give her the chance to vet him in whatever way she felt appropriate. She was also happy for Tank to come, to give the kids someone new to play with. I hoped he enjoyed the intense fuss that he was going to get.
“This place belongs to my best friend, Hailey,” I told him with a smile. “She had a difficult childhood, so this became a dream of hers – to have a place where kids could not only just hang out, but where they could get help and stuff too. There are trained counselors and all sorts in there, people to help them with problems, with getting qualifications and jobs… That sort of thing.”
“It sounds like an amazing place,” he gasped in surprise. “And, she did this all by h
erself?”
“She certainly did. I couldn’t be prouder of her. Come on, let’s go inside.”
As we walked through the door, Hailey swooped on Roy like an eagle, practically stealing him from me. While she gave him the third degree, I introduced Tank to some of the older kids who wanted to take him outside to the courtyard to play fetch with him.
Of course, I worried during the time that we were outside. I was scared about how intensely Hailey might interrogate Roy, but at the same time, I knew that she didn’t want to do anything that might ruin my happiness, so I was sure she’d be kind enough.
“He looks like he’s enjoying himself,” Roy said into my ear, as soon as he joined my side. “And he’s wearing the kids out, too.”
I turned to face him and placed a small kiss on his lips. “Where have you been? Has Hailey destroyed you yet?” I asked, with a little bit of fear coursing through my veins.
“She asked me the appropriate questions, and I think that I managed to satisfy her with the answers,” he replied, before kissing me back. “She knows that I’m not a serial killer or anything, so I think that’s good. She’s making a cup of coffee for us all, so she mustn’t hate me.”
“Ooh, that’s good,” I teased. “At least she isn’t dragging you out by your ear.”
As we waited for Hailey to join us again, I introduced Roy to the kids, but of course, they were all too preoccupied to pay him too much attention. Tank had their focus and that was the end of that…
Well, all of them except for one. Despite everything that was happening, Ali was still sitting alone, coloring in the corner. She was observing everyone through the window, but mostly, she was lost in her own little world.
“I might go for a wander inside,” I told Roy, slipping my hand from his. “You stay out here with Tank if you like…”
