“Pride. Along with being scared of what would happen if we did let everybody know we were dating. We could have kept it a secret, only ones who would have known would be us, our family, and friends. But I am not sure that would have worked.”
He took her hand in his. She watched his long fingers gently touch hers. “There would be no way in hell I would have kept our love a secret, Amie. I would want everybody to know how proud I am to be with you.” He smiled sweetly and kissed her hand. “Man, I have never felt such a big ass weight lift off my shoulders as I did when I heard you feel the same way about me as I do you.”
“Well, you are a dumb ass, Roy, an absent-minded dumb ass,” Amie smirked.
“Well you have to admit that I am the handsomest absent-minded dumb ass you’ve ever met.”
Amie laughed long and hard, tears of joy and sadness welled up in her eyes.
It was time for her to go through security. Going into her purse, she took out her ticket. He took her hand once more. “Will you write me while you’re away?”
“Every day as long as you write me back,” Amie told him.
“I promise I’ll write you as soon as I get a letter from you.” He smiled.
He held her in his arms once more, before letting her get in line. “You smell so good, Amie, like sweet vanilla and flowers. What is that you’re wearing?”
“Vanilla Fields.”
“Will you do me a favor?”
“Of course, what would you like for me to do?”
“When you send me a letter, spray some of it on the letter, that way I can always think of your smell while I’m reading it.”
Amie started to tear up, nodding yes. He softly nuzzled her cheek, then captured her lips to sweetly kiss them. Their first kiss, she thought as his teeth lightly nibbled on her lower then upper lip. God, she so loved this moment with him. But once the kissing got intense, he quickly stopped groaning with pain. “Fucking, damn Steven; I swear I am going to kill him for giving me this sore face. But damn, you have some luscious lips.” She flushed.
They both began walking over towards the other passengers going through security. “Well, this is it, I guess,” Amie said, tapping the plane ticket along her fingers.
“Yeah, I guess so.” Roy grabbed her, hugging her in his arms for the last time. She sighed.
“Take care, Amie, I’ll miss you.” He stopped hugging her. His thumbs pressed against her cheeks as he kissed her lips, her cheeks, every part of her face. Once he let her go, Amie went through security then to her gate. She was going to treasure this moment forever.
* * * *
“You know she told me what happened that day,” Sandy said getting up, turning off the computer.
“Yeah, you two are like peas and carrots,” he said imitating Forrest Gump.
“I wish you would have told her sooner though instead of later. Did she write you?”
“Oh yeah, every time she could but after the second year of school, she stopped. I don’t know why but she just stopped. I figured that maybe she had just moved on with her life.”
“I think she did because she was too busy with school and I guess other things. She wouldn’t tell me what the other things were, but Amie had her reasons for moving on…that is her. You know you could still have a chance with her, Roy. Make up for lost time while she’s here for the reunion.”
He had hoped they could have a second chance, but of course that would be up to Amie.
Chapter Three
When Amie got off the plane, all she wanted was to see her parents. She hadn’t been home in over a year, too busy with the café to go home for Thanksgiving, much less Christmas. It hurt her that she missed those special days from her family. But she was planning to make up for lost time while here. She saw her dad standing in the back near the baggage claim. She smiled making her way through the crowd shouting, “Daddy!”
“Amie, darling, I’m over here!” Richard shouted waving his cowboy hat. She had never been so happy to hear her father’s voice. It was one thing hearing his voice over the phone, but actually being able to hear him in person was soothing for Amie.
Amie pushed her way through the crowd and ran into his arms. She hugged him so tight, almost knocking the poor man off his feet. “My baby girl is home at last. It’s so good to see ya, lemme get a good look at you, hon. Turn around.”
“Oh, Daddy, you really want me to do that in the airport?” Her dad always knew how to embarrass her completely.
“Nah, I’m just picking on you, let me get another hug from you, baby girl.” Richard laughed grabbing hold of her tight. “Now come on, let’s get your bags and head on home.”
Once they got her bags, they start making their way home. “How’s the feed store going?”
“Been doing pretty good as always, honey, I’ve had to hire four more guys to help out. Added some more space for other things I’ve wanted to add, new types of equipment and such. Your mom has planted that garden she’s been bugging me about for years. I think you’ll like it just as much as she does.”
“She told me all about it I can’t wait to see it. I’ve wanted to have my own garden, but living in the city there’s no place to have one. That is, unless I do it up on top of our building. I just don’t want it like that. So I have some herbs in pots on my kitchen windowsill.”
“Well, you know you can move back here,” Richard hinted.
Amie laughed. She knew her parents wanted her to move back for years now. Even though she loved her parents, she still had a hard time dealing with her past in Herington.
“Maybe one day when I’m older and settled down with a family I’ll come back home. But for now, my place is my café in Atlanta.”
“I understand, sweetheart, but you know it would be nice if you could take time to stay with us here for a little while longer.”
“I’ll see how things go this week. I just might take you up on that offer, Daddy.” Amie smiled. She couldn’t wait to get home to see her mom and her friends. The ride was a long one, longer than she remembered, but once she saw the Welcome to Herington sign Amie smiled. They passed all the familiar places of her childhood along with new places. Either way it was still home to her.
“Lord, I need to stop by the feed store to pick up some paperwork that I forgot. Plus, I know everybody will be happy to see you,” Richard said as they made a left turn onto Gale Avenue.
Brown’s Feed Store and Supplies was a staple of the community not only for feed and other farming supplies, but also a gathering place for the old timers. They would come in the morning and sit with their cups of coffee, telling old stories of days back when.
When they pulled into the parking lot, they got out and walked inside. Her father said, “Look who I got here with me, boys!”
It was a welcoming sight to see their smiles.
“Land sakes, it’s Amie! Come on over here, young lady. My stars, look at you,” Mr. Allen said. She bent down to give the old man a hug.
“Mr. Allen, oh it’s wonderful to see you. How have you all been?” Soon she was hugging Mr. McPherson and Mr. Sturgeonson.
“Oh, we’ve been doing just fine, hon. Been hearing so much about your restaurant over in Atlanta and how great you’ve been doing. We haven’t been so proud of anybody since Alice Waters went off and ended up marrying that millionaire.”
Amie laughed right along with the men as Richard went to get his papers. “Oh yeah, Mr. Sturgeonson, that recipe you had Daddy sent me was amazing. I loved it so much that I put it on my appetizer menu. It’s been selling really good. I plan on sending you a royalty check.” Amie winked. Mr. Sturgeonson’s cheeks slightly colored.
“I’m so glad you liked it so much, it’s an old Scandinavian recipe handed down from my grandmother. I’m just glad that I was able to share it with someone who would appreciate it and put it to good use,” he said patting her hand. She smiled gratefully.
* * * *
“Will you come on, brother?” Steven said hurriedly wal
king through the open doorway. He bumped into something that made a loud oomph and fell to the floor with a thud.
One of the men said, “Are you okay?”
He looked down. “Oh my God! Is that you, Amie?”
Amie didn’t know what in the world hit her, but her ass was sure bearing the pain of hitting the wooden floor. When she looked up she saw Steven, staring back at her with his big blue eyes, tanned skin, and a worn out brown cowboy hat. His smile was big and bright when he held out his hand to help her up. She laughed as she took it.
As quickly as she was on the floor, she was again standing. “Steven, oh my God, Steven, it can’t be you!”
They hugged so tightly he ended up twirling her around the store. They started talking so quickly she never saw Roy and his dad come through the door.
“Sandy is going to have a fit when she finds out I got to see you first. You look good, girl. Haven’t aged a day since we were teenagers. When did you get in?”
“Just a while ago, we were headed home, but Daddy had to get some paperwork.”
She looked over at Roy standing alongside his father. My God, had it been ten years since she saw him last? He still looked handsome, wearing a blue long sleeved shirt, dark blue worn Wrangler jeans, a pair of cowboy boots, and hat. He appeared surprised to see her, but damn, he still looked good.
“Amie Brown, as I live and breathe, look at you. Welcome home, darling,” Bob said giving her a big hug.
“Mr. Fulton, my goodness you are just getting more handsome. How’s Mrs. Fulton doing?”
“Doing fine, you need to go and see her while you’re home, you know,” Bob reminded her.
She walked over to Roy. They hesitated at first, but then started hugging each other. “It’s good to see you, Amie,” he said.
Amie looked up at him with a warm smile. “Good seeing you too, Roy, still the same old Roy. How are you doing?”
“I moved back home yesterday. Got my farm all ready, just getting some more supplies. I just found out that you have a restaurant in Atlanta. Congrats on that.”
“Why thanks, I’m surprised you’re just finding this out. I would have thought Steven would have told you, Steven, why didn’t you let him know about the restaurant?” Amie wondered.
“I could have sworn I told you, Roy. Hell, it’s not like the whole town hasn’t found out about our very own Julia Child.”
Amie shook her head. “Yeah right, well, it’s been doing really good, and I’m very happy with it. Heck, I even had the mayor come to my place, took a picture with him and everything.”
“Wow, the mayor, I’m very impressed and proud of you, Amie.” Roy smiled.
Richard came from out the back office. “My boy, how are you, son?” He gave Roy a hearty handshake.
“Doing just fine, Mr. Brown. I came over to get some supplies. Moved back home yesterday.”
“Glad to hear that, son, glad to hear. Well, Charlie will help you out with what you might need. Are you ready to go, Amie?”
“Yeah, Daddy, I am. It was nice seeing all of you. Talk with you guys later.”
“Brother,” Steven said, snapping his fingers in his face. “Let’s move it!”
As Amie and Richard walked out the door, she snuck a peek at Roy to see he was still watching her. It was a gaze she longed for, yet she kept walking.
* * * *
Once back in the car, Amie tried to collect her senses. Why did he have to look so good after all this time? Did he have to make her heart feel like she was going to have a heart attack? Roy Fulton still had a way of making her feel just like she did when she was that hapless teenager, constantly wishing he would be hers and only hers. What the hell was it about him that made her feel this way?
It was those eyes of his, girl. You know you could never look into his eyes.
It didn’t take them long to pull onto the dirt road, leading to her childhood home. Her anticipation grew. When they pulled up to the house, she quickly got out running to the porch shouting, “Mom, Mom, I’m home!”
She threw opened up the screen door and ran inside. Her mom came running from the kitchen. Both ladies screamed with joy falling into each other’s arms, crying and hugging.
“Look at you…wait a minute, turn around.” Amie turned around. “You know I want that dress.”
Amie giggled. “You know you can’t fit in this dress, but I did get you one in your size because I knew you were going to want mine. Oh my goodness, I forgot about my bags. Dad! I ran in here to see you and forgot my things.”
They walked out the door watching her father do his best to bring her two bags up the stairs.
“Sweetheart, what do you have in these bags of yours? Feels like you have two ton weights in here.” Both ladies laughed as they helped him bring the bags inside.
Once she got settled, she talked with her mom about getting lunch ready for Sandy and the girls. She wanted everything to be perfect. “Do you think they’ll like the sandwiches I’ve made? I know that the girls like PB and J. Sandy will eat anything, so I thought cucumber sandwiches would be nice.”
“Everything will be set up in the back just fine. I know Sandy and the girls will be happy to see you. She’s been on pins and needles since yesterday,” Abby said.
“Speaking of seeing someone, I saw Roy over at the feed store today.”
“Oh really? What did he say?
“He was pretty shocked to see me, just as I was to see him. Hell, he looked good.” Amie giggled as her mom bumped her on her side. “Well, he did.”
“If you two have a chance, one of you is going to have to take the first step. While you’re here, why not you?”
“Why is it the woman has to initiate the first move? Why can’t it be the man who does it? At least it takes the pressure off the woman. I waited too long for Roy to make the move but it came a little too late,” Amie said finishing the sandwiches.
Abby changed the subject. “Have you talked with Kiyoko lately?”
A smile came across Amie’s face when her mother mentioned her birth mother Kiyoko. When she turned twenty-one, she had asked her parents about her birth parents. Something she feared would be hard for them since they had given her the love that only true parents could. Surprisingly, her parents were very helpful getting her the information she needed to track down her birth parents. Her biological father was black and, surprisingly, from the Bahamas. He served in the Army. Sadly, however, he had already passed away. Thankfully, she found her birth mother living in the same small village she was born in.
“I talked with her…I think it was two weeks ago. She sent me a couple of recipes she wanted me to try. She’s been trying to get me to add a sushi bar to my place. I told her I would think about it, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“Isn’t that raw fish?”
“Mostly, but I know what you’re thinking―ick, but damn, is it good once you try it, Mom.”
“Nah, I rather have my fish either broiled or fried.”
Amie laughed and continued getting things ready for her lunch with the girls.
* * * *
When Roy finally made it to his place, he couldn’t have been happier with what his brother and dad had done with it. Everything was exactly as he wanted his farm to be. He walked around the homestead checking on the cattle and the horses. Everything looked just like he wanted. He went to the barn.
“Want to come and help us out over here, bro!” asked Steven.
Roy ran over to the truck and started helping unload the rest of the supplies. It took a couple of hours to haul the feed into the barn and to make sure things were in their place. Then it was time for Roy to go into his house and see what damage his mother and Sandy had done.
Opening the door to his new home, Roy immediately gave a deep sigh of relief. Everything was just how he had hoped it would be. It was just what a bachelor pad should look like. The living room held an oversize couch and love seat combo. A 46-inch flat screen television with surround sound was mounte
d opposite the seating area.
“Thank God they didn’t do anything crazy in here,” Roy said to himself.
Next he went to check out the bedroom. A king size bed with a royal blue comforter set was the focal point. But to Roy, the main feature was sitting in the corner―an old rocking chair with a quilt draped over the back. His grandma made Roy the patchwork quilt when he was a little baby. He sat on the side of the bed burying his face in the quilt. Even after all these years, it still had the faint smell of Grandma’s rose petal perfume, peppermint, and mothballs. It was a strange combo of scents, but it flooded his mind with memories of her. He was touched his mom left it with him.
“Well, son, is everything okay in here?” Bob said, watching his son.
“Yeah, Dad, everything is fine.”
“We are going to leave my truck for you. Of course, if you want to come over later on for dinner you can.”
“Thanks, Dad, I’ll probably just have something here tonight since this is my first night home,” Roy said walking him out.
“Like I said, if you need anything, let us know.”
He walked out to Steven’s truck. Roy saw his brother wave as they drove off, leaving him alone in his home at last.
* * * *
When Amie saw the Land Rover pulling up into the driveway, she could see strands of Sandy’s red hair flying out the driver’s side window. Sandy parked and got out, laughing as Mandy and Mona ran to Amie. “Look at you both! My goodness, you’ve grown up so much.” Amie smiled hugging them tight. Then both women hugged each other, not wanting to let go.
“Did you bring us something, Auntie Amie?” asked Mona.
“Mona, that’s not a nice thing to be asking your Auntie Amie,” Sandy said. Mona pouted.
“Sweetheart, of course I got both my girls something wonderful. If you go behind the house to the garden, you’ll find your presents there.” The girls ran off squealing with the women walking slowly in their wake, each with an arm draped around the other’s waist.
Constant Surprises (Wrong Numbers Series) Page 4
