I wish I’d made it to the funeral.
In the back of my mind, I was starting to form a plan. I’d stay there for a while, get to know the place and make sure that everything that was his was taken care of, and then I could sell off the land to someone who could actually use it. Sure, I didn’t have a plan for my life before this, but spending out my days cleaning up after cows and growing corn wasn’t exactly my idea of a fun life.
The landing was smooth, and by the time we were finally off the plane, I was exhausted, sleepy, and ready to just curl up somewhere and nap it off.
The air was sweet, breezy, and a little refreshing as I headed into the terminal to the luggage drop off. The entire airport had just two terminals, it was so empty it was surprising that the airport was able to stay open.
Waiting at the luggage carousel, I checked my phone.
My mom said one of the farmhands was going to pick me up, I couldn’t remember much about him except that his name was Curtis and my great grandfather had left a large sum of money in an account to pay him for his work. Would Curtis be mad if he knew I was selling the land? He’d still get the money left for him, so he could be happy about that much.
Looking up from my phone, I realized there was a man looking at me.
I didn’t recognize him from the flight, I would have definitely known if I’d seen him before. He was at least ten years older than me, muscled from what I could see. His jawline was sharp, thick, and his cheekbones were like angular beacons to pull my gaze up to his dark brown eyes.
The look he was giving me gave me chills, leaving me wondering what he was thinking about.
Pulling my eyes away, I realized my luggage was passing me.
I rushed up, grabbing my two oversized floral suitcases, and pulled them off the conveyor belt.
“Miss Dewy,” a deep voice said, surprising me. Looking up, I realized it was the man who was giving me that look earlier. “I’m Curtis, let me help you with that,” he offered, leaning down to pick up my bags.
“Oh- you don’t have to!” I said, surprised by him. Taking one of the bags from him, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t being rude. “And call me Kate, nice to meet you,” I said, realizing our hands were too full for me to shake his.
“Nice to meet you Kate,” he nodded as he lead me out of the airport. It was hard to drag my eyes away from him as we walked. He definitely looked like he did farmwork for living. He was fit, muscular, and had a certain air about him that made me nervous in a pleasant way.
Hoisting the bag he carried up into the back of his pickup truck, he took the other and set it in as well.
“Have you ever been on a farm before?” he asked as we started out onto the road.
“I visited a lot when I was younger, but it’s not really a lifestyle I’ve had,” I reply. His voice was so deep and rumbly, even with the windows of his truck down, that it eased me down from the stress of the day.
“How long have you worked for him?” I asked. Talking to him was a nice excuse to look at him while he drove.
“Only around five years, but I did cattle ranching for about fifteen years before that,” he answered. I was doing the math in my head to figure out how old he was. It wasn’t like me to be interested in a man so much older than me, I was only eighteen myself.
“Do you like the work?” I asked, unsure what else to say.
“I’ve always loved working with my hands,” he answered, glancing over at me.
It felt like there was a hidden meaning in those words, like he was implying something I wasn’t brave enough to recognize. My face warmed as I felt a tinge of blush spill over it. No, no that’s not right- there’s no way he’d be flirting with me.
“Do you think you’ll sell the farm?” he asked, catching me off guard.
How did he know?
I guess it wouldn’t be hard for him to figure out, I obviously didn’t belong out in the country. My plan had been to keep it a secret though, to hold back and not let him know so that he wouldn’t retaliate.
That didn’t seem to have worked.
“I don’t know,” I said honestly, leaning against the passenger side door I looked out the window.
“Thanks for being honest,” his voice was drier now, not as flirty.
He probably hated me, but I wasn’t going to lie to the man. My heart sank to my stomach in guilt, and I tried to push the feeling aside. Farm life wasn’t the place for me. I’d been air conditioned and within range of wifi since the day I was old enough to pick up my mom’s cell phone.
Going from all of that straight to dial-up internet and no big city within a few hundred miles felt like a death sentence.
Curtis might not completely understand my life, but god I wished he could try. I imagined he’d be just as miserable moving into the city and becoming a data processor, or something like that. We road in this uncomfortable silence for what felt like years.
“Here’s the farm,” he said, pulling me out of my selfish thoughts.
“Oh my god,” I gasped, amazed by it.
We turned off of a wilder road, onto one that was mostly dirt, and the land seemed to stretch on like a painting. A sign hung up over the entrance, intricate and beautiful twisted iron that read out ‘Dewey Ranch’. Beyond the sign, the land was lush and huge. Corn was growing high, and I could just barely see some of the lake I remembered sneaking out to skinny dip in as a kid.
It felt like there was enough room for an entire town, instead there was just the crops and the two story farmhouse. It looked homey, comfortable. Memories started flooding back into me, pulling my mind away to a time when I didn’t have so much to worry about.
As we parked, I couldn’t fight the feeling that I was home.
Chapter Two
“Your room is down the hall, but you can honestly have any room you want. We’ll change them up if you like,” Curtis said, helping me carry my bags in.
“Was it my Grandpa’s?” I asked, unsure if I wanted to live in his room now that he was gone.
“No, but if you want that one you can use it of course- this is your home,” he followed me down the hall with my luggage.
“That’s fine, thank you,” I said.
“I’m going to go start dinner, it should be ready within the next hour,” he explained, before heading away. There was a lingering look on his face as our eyes met, something I couldn’t completely read.
My heart beat a little quicker than usual, and I tried to convince myself it was because we were carrying in luggage.
The room was actually the one I stayed in for my visits. It was small, now that I wasn’t a kid anymore, but it looked like it had gone largely untouched since the last time I was there. Walking over to the dresser, I pulled open one of the drawers and spotted that book I’d shoved there.
I’d been too young to read when I started doing this, and by the time I could read hardly any of the pages were legible anymore.
Pulling it open, I was happy to see it was still filled the flowered I pressed in it.
They weren’t as vibrant as they were when I first picked them, they had shriveled a little for the most part, but just looking through the collection made me feel like I was glowing. There was a magic about that, something staying exactly how you left it even years later.
I could hear Curtis chopping something in the kitchen as I unpacked.
It’s just for a couple weeks.
That’s what I told myself.
Maybe a month or two at the longest, but i couldn’t go letting myself get too attached.
Things really hadn’t changed in ten years, there was no wifi, my cell service was terrible, I didn’t see a store within ten miles of the place so I’d have to buy a car or ask for rides constantly. It was for the best if I just got out of there and let the money go towards a college education in whatever field I settled on.
Shoving everything I had into drawers, I tucked my suitcases away into the closet and pulled out my phone.
Nothing.
Great.
The circle on my screen kept turning around and around, letting me know it was searching for any data possible but the signal was so weak it couldn’t do much more than tease me. A post started to load, and then quickly went blank.
Ugh.
Moving off the bed, dropping my phone onto my pillow, I decided it was good enough of a reason to socialize.
The house was starting to fill with the smell of caramelized onions, and I felt my stomach growl in appreciation. Pulling my long hair up into a loose bun, I headed down the hall.
The house really hadn’t changed since I was a kid.
Everything of it was haunted by memories of summers in the sun. I could feel my mind slowly beginning calculations of things I could do to fix the place up. A fresh coat of paint, refinish the wood floors, get central air put in, it would be expensive in the end but it could make this place really comfortable.
If I was staying it would be worth it.
Selling it though… I’m not sure many people who lived out in the area cared much about internet or air conditioning. It wouldn’t bring that much of an improvement to how much I’d make off the place.
Curtis was in the kitchen, the lights were off but the tall windows flooded the room with sunlight. His back was to me, rippling muscle beneath his tee-shirt, as he chopped some meat and added to the pan. It sizzled, searing against the heat, and filled the room with an incredible smell that mingled with the carrots.
“Smells good,” I said, an understatement.
“Oh, hey,” his voice was warm and comfortable as he glanced at me over his shoulder.
“Hey,” I leaned against the counter beside him. “What are you making?” I asked, watching him as the meat started browning.
“A quick chili,” he answered, pulling a skillet out he set it on an eye on the stove and turned that eye on. “And cornbread,” he added, motioning to a bowl of batter.
“Anything I could help with?” I asked, feeling like I had to at least offer.
“No, you’re great,” he said, a chuckle was low in his throat and I couldn’t fight the blush that blotched my cheeks.
Before I could think of anything to say, before I could bring myself to break the exquisite silence between us, the porch door swung open.
“I think the cattle will be fine, it’s supposed to cool off tomorrow,” a younger voice said as another man stepped into the kitchen. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, just a pair of jeans and some shoes that he was currently toeing off at the door. He was glistening with sweat and a glow from the summer sun and I couldn’t take my eyes off him even as I realized he was looking back at me.
“Kate?”
My head was spinning, recognizing that voice, his face, realizing who he was.
Growing up, spending my summers on the farm, there was a neighbor boy who would always come over and play. His family worked on my great grandfather’s farm, but he and I were just friends. Spending all of our time swimming, getting lost in the fields, acting like we were on adventures.
He was my best friend every summer.
I’d almost forgotten about him.
“Eddy,” I said softly, his name came to my mind like a balm, something to make sense of everything that was happening. It pulled me back to where I was, and why my great grandfather thought I’d want the land.
This land was as much my home was my mom’s house was.
“You look,” he paused, his eyes traveled over me with a heat in them. “You look great, it’s been years,” he said, stepping towards me.
I hoped he wasn’t disappointed in how I looked.
I’ve always been a thicker gal, but I’d really filled out in high school. I loved my curves, don’t get me wrong, but they were definitely a more recent development. Gone was the little girl he used to play with.
He didn’t seem to mind.
“How was your flight?” he asked, catching himself as he checked me out. His gaze flit away from me and over to Curtis. I could hear him pour the batter into the sizzling hot skillet, and then put it in the oven to bake.
“It was alright, I’ll never get used to flying,” I laughed, he walked closer, until he was just a couple feet away from us.
“Welcome to the ranch,” Eddy smiled, before passing me to fill a glass with water.
It was a fight to tear my eyes away from him, but when I did my gaze was immediately caught by a knowing look on Curtis’s face.
“Are you two the only hands hired?” I asked, wanting to be sure a parade of more hot men wasn’t just going to burst through the back door at any minute.
“The only two he needed,” Eddy answered. He gulped down his water quickly, and I couldn’t keep my eyes from stealing another good look at his chest. At his body. He was built like very muscle was pain stakenly carved from marble, like he’d been designed for my eyes.
“You keep watching me like that and I might start thinking you have a crush on me,” Eddy teased, winking at me as he set down his glass.
“What! I just-” I tried to explain, but the words wouldn’t make it to my mouth, there was no lying about how attractive he was.
“It’s okay, I had a major crush on you growing up,” Eddy walked towards me again, until there were just inches between us. “When I heard you were back, I was really excited,” he said. His breath was sweet, his face just a handful of inches from my face.
If I wanted to kiss him, I wouldn’t have to go far to do it.
I could have him.
“Stop teasing the girl,” Curtis said, interrupting whatever was happening. “She probably has a boyfriend back home, she’s not even sure if she’s keeping the ranch,” he said, putting a lid on the chili. He wiped his hands on the dishcloth on the counter, and then leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms.
“Wait, really?” Eddy asked, his voice sounded hurt and it killed me.
“I’m not really cut out for being a landowner, I’m not sure yet,” I explained, unable to stand the guilt. I couldn’t believe Curtis would tell on me like that.
“You don’t have to work the land, you don’t have to lift a finger, we do all of that- hell you could even outsource someone to buy seed and equipment every year, you wouldn’t have to do anything but sell the excess like he did,” Eddy said, trying to make his case.
“I’ll figure it out, that’s why I’m here,” I tried to calm him down. “I don’t know for sure either way,” I tried to explain.
“Damn,” he said, shaking his head, he turned from me.
“I’m sorry,” I tried to say, but he wouldn’t make eye contact with me.
“I’m going to go shower, I’ll be back out for dinner,” he said to Curtis as he stepped away. I watched him go, my heart aching a little, unable to handle that kind of disappointment on his face.
“He’ll be alright,” Curtis said, pulling out a few bowls and plates. “This farm is the only work he’s ever known, he’s just scared. Don’t let him influence your decision,” he explained. I grabbed silverware and helped him set the table and pour lemonade to drink.
“Do you think you’d be okay?” I asked, glancing over at him.
“I’ll be fine either way, I used to work as a mechanic before I found farming,” he shrugged.
“How did you end up a farm hand, then?” I asked, only realizing how rude that sounded after the words left my mouth.
“I came out here for a vacation with a girl I was engaged to. I fell in love with the land, she fell in love with a stranger we met at a restaurant on the way back. There wasn’t anything left waiting for me in the city,” he explained.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I meant it.
“It’s no trouble,” he said, pulling the oven door, he checked the cornbread.
I didn’t want to hurt either of these two.
***
“That was delicious,” I complimented Curtis.
We were all on the back porch, enjoying the dwindling summer air and eating a melon that Eddy had sl
iced. The juice was dripping down my fingers and face, and although it was embarrassing it felt a little freeing to be able to be a little messy. They didn’t seem to mind.
“Wait until you have his stew once fall comes around, it’ll put you right to sleep,” Eddy smiled, his lips were shiny juice.
“Do both of you stay here year round?” I asked, not meaning anything by it.
“I do,” Eddy nodded. “He does sometimes, but every once in a while he goes south for the winter to avoid the frost,” he said.
“Does it get terribly cold?”
“I don’t think so, but if you get too chilly you can alway curl up with me for warmth,” Eddy teased me, Curtis nudged him to make him cut it out, but Eddy didn’t pay attention to that. “Have you ever had an Iowa winter?” he asked, eyeing me.
“No,” I admitted. Southern Georgia never got that cold.
“Well, it’s a lot of snow, a lot of ice. It becomes a winter wonderland,” he laughed.
“You’re going to scare her off,” Curtis admonished him.
“Keeps the soil nice and wet, it’s why this is the best land to grow on,” Eddy amended. “The offer stands if you get chilly though,” he winked at me as Curtis carried the dishes inside.
“You’re such a tease,” I huffed, laughing at him as I looked away to the lake.
“I mean it, though,” he said. His tone changed and my eyes were pulled back to him. “I’m sorry if this is forward, but I always had a thing for you, even when we were kids. You’re one of a kind,” he explained, shrugging. “You’re beautiful, you know that, right?” he added, making my heart beat like crazy.
I’d never had anyone say that with such conviction.
I wasn’t sure what feeling was in my chest, but it was strong and sudden.
He must have taken it as permission, because before I knew what was happening, Eddy was leaning in and kissing me. It was sweet, like the watermelon, and warm like the summer that stretched out around us. His hand cupped my face, deepening the kiss, and I felt lost in it.
Those Kinds of Adult Stories Your Mother Warned You About Page 26
