“Congratulations,” Daisy said with a small smile.
Jackson beamed. “Thanks. It’s not for like, two months, but girls like to prepare I guess.”
Nicolas grinned. “Girls like a lot of things you don’t know about.”
Aaron threw his napkin at Nicolas. Might as well let Daisy see how they really communicated. “Girls like a lot of things you’d better not know about, or I’m having a long talk with Emily’s dad.”
“It’s her mom you have to worry about.” Nicolas lobbed it back. “Who’s gonna be on your arm, Jackson?”
“Delaney Smythe.”
Nicolas barked a laugh. “You think you can get Del in a dress? Good luck with that.”
“I don’t care what she wears. It’s her prom.” Jackson shoved another load of pasta into his mouth.
Mom pushed her plate aside, her mouth tight. “A wedding and the prom, all within the next few months?” She turned to him, her gaze flickering to a quiet Daisy, no life in her eyes. “Have you two started planning?”
What was Mom’s problem? Any of his aunts would be ecstatic. His cousins had told him that they’re being bugged constantly for updates on him and Daisy. When he’d gone to prom, Mom had beamed and gone to help him pick out a tux. She hadn’t broken a smile when Jackson made his news. His brother hadn’t gone last year, and Nicolas would probably go with his girlfriend.
Dad was nodding and chewing, as if he liked being part of the conversation and was happy if they were happy.
Aaron stared down at the remains of his meal. Guess he’d plan on tux shopping, or whatever the hell guys wore to prom nowadays. Knowing Jackson, he’d wear jeans if his date said it was fine. A nice sport coat then?
Dammit, his parents should be doing that. He had a wedding to plan. While a simple justice of the peace would have to do, he wanted a celebration with his family and friends. He’d been through all of theirs.
He stretched his arm across the back of Daisy’s chair. “We have three months to plan. We don’t need to reserve a church, so it’s just the reception and dance.”
Mom’s brows crinkled. “No church wedding? I know you mentioned it, but you two couldn’t come up with a compromise?”
He curled his fingers around Daisy’s tight shoulder. She didn’t speak up, so he filled in their decision for Mom. “We’re on a deadline for the marriage. She doesn’t need to change her address, her home, and her religion all at the same time. Once we’re married, she can check out our church, check out the Catholic ones in town, and make her decision.” He shrugged. “I’ll go where she goes.”
“Better get used to that line of thinking.” Dad snickered and pushed back from the table. It must’ve been some signal to the others. They all picked up their plates and left.
Clangs of dishes getting set on the counter sounded from the kitchen. Aaron rolled his eyes to the ceiling. He’d emptied the dishwasher earlier.
Aaron rose and lent a hand to Daisy. “Jackson cooked, so he’s immune from cleanup. I’ll take care of this if you want to watch TV or something.”
“I’ll help.”
“No, you don’t—”
She grasped his elbow and rose to her tiptoes. He wasn’t passing up a kiss. Their first real one since she’d returned.
Her warm lips landed on his, and he snaked his arms around her. What had he been going to say?
She was back in his arms. Heat flooded his body. God, he could take her on the table. The counter. He didn’t care where.
But he couldn’t, and wasn’t that his curse?
He didn’t push it further. Left it at tasting her, holding her, then leaned back. Her eyelids lifted, and they stared at each other. Yeah, doing dishes was going to be a whole lot more fun from now on.
***
The proximity to Aaron was killing her. Dalisay had been in town for five days. It was Saturday, date night, and she was in Aaron’s room—her room—their room—getting ready.
Except for a lingering kiss here and there, they hadn’t done more than lay together. How could they with everyone home? She couldn’t cry out too loudly during an orgasm and face them the next morning. Waiting until they were wed might be for the best. It’d feel less incriminating.
They had yet to talk about when they’d get married. He wanted to plan a celebration, and she desired that for him. Loss tugged at her heart. Ina would miss both the wedding and the celebration.
They’d talked about that before Ina moved to her new job. Pictures, stories, more pictures was all Ina had asked for. And a promise to fly back after the first grandbaby arrived. Ina had teared up before she’d finished the request. Then Dalisay had started crying and they weren’t able to continue the conversation.
She held up a new sweater she hadn’t worn yet. Aaron had bought her five. He’d said they had a month, maybe two, of typical winter weather. After that, she might still think it was terribly cold until June compared to what she’d grown up with.
The varying pale blues in the horizontal stripes on the garment didn’t scream hot date, but paired with jeggings and the fuzzy top boots she’d gotten, it’d be cute and keep her warm. She chewed on her lower lip. One of her belts might make it more stylish.
Just in case that old not-really girlfriend of Aaron’s was there. Nip any potential problems before they had a chance to flourish. There were no tender feelings toward her ex, but his betrayal had left a crater of an impression and it was fueling her drive to see the woman who dared hit on Aaron.
And console herself that nothing had happened while she’d been cooped up in that lonely hotel room.
Shrugging into her clothing, she swiveled to check herself in the mirror. She hated the thought of going outside without a hat, but hat head was real and tonight wasn’t the night to sport it. Her hair was combed to hang straight down her back.
She was meeting all of his cousins. Not just the ones he farmed with. No, Aaron had turned the night into her unveiling. The cousins he worked with and their spouses, the other cousins that lived in town, and any friends other than Lucas.
The night had almost been canceled. Snow had fallen all night long. Daisy stared out the window until her breath fogged it over watching the guys push snow back and forth out of his massive driving lane, the courtyard-like area that the house and shops and barn were set around. The tractor he drove was as tall as the house, with a big bucket on the front that scooped and pounded the snow into large piles.
Nicolas, Jackson, and Aaron’s dad ran the smaller snow blower and shoveled the walkways that the tractor couldn’t reach. Lori hadn’t breached the top of the stairs. How did she stand it down there all day?
A tap on the door broke into her thoughts.
Aaron called from the other side. “I pulled the truck to the front of the house so it’s ready when you are. No rush.”
“I’m ready.” She opened the door and her heart thumped to a stop.
He wore a nicer hat than normal, one from his company, and it complemented his eyes. So did the crisp navy shirt he wore. His lanky but muscular frame was more obvious in the fresh pair of jeans.
Purely delectable. Had he looked different in Manila or was he growing more handsome the longer she was around him?
He whistled, and an appreciative eyebrow cocked. “You look nice.” Nice sounded so plain, but not tonight. The way he said it made her feel like she was killing the runway.
“I was just thinking the same.”
He grinned, and her stomach flopped. “I clean up okay. It just doesn’t happen too often.” He snaked an arm out and pulled her close. “But now that you’re here, I’ll make more of an effort.”
Their kiss was hot, and she poured all of her need into it. Being with him was consuming, so potent, that she’d get married tomorrow just to do it again—if that was what he was waiting for. Because if he was waiting for her to feel ready then they were just wasting time.
Maybe he needed time?
The thought sobered her.
He
stroked a fingertip along her jaw. “I lost you for a second.”
She wetted her lower lip and his gaze hooked on her tongue, desire glimmering in their blue depths. “I’ve been wondering why we haven’t…you know…since I’ve been here.”
His arm that embraced her waist tightened. “I didn’t want to rush you. You might’ve wanted time to get comfortable with the house first.”
“You’re so considerate.” She’d suspected as much, but this man putting her before his needs was humbling, and more comforting that any house could be.
That was Aaron. He put everyone before his own needs. She’d lined up his boots earlier so he’d quit grabbing the wrong pair. They were already out of order, but when four guys were coming in and kicking off their footwear, jumbled was a permanent state.
Then she’d hung all the jackets and organized the hats and caps. It wasn’t that she was compelled to clean up after everyone. She was bored silly.
Aaron had spent as much time with her as possible, but his work constantly called him away. A girl could only watch so much TV. Except for his mom. She watched a lot of TV.
“We’d better get going.” He kissed her forehead and steered her toward the door. They grabbed their coats and boots and went out to the pickup.
Voices emanated from downstairs, but it was the TV and not his parents talking. Sometimes they argued, but it wasn’t fury behind their words. They reminded her of her aunts and uncles when they all got together. They’d bug each other about tiny details until tempers rose.
Aaron’s parents were kind to her, especially his dad. She might just have a soft spot for him because she missed her own terribly. Aaron had told him about Peejong’s operation, and Dalisay supplemented as much information as she could.
Lori was pleasant enough. Dalisay didn’t sense hostility, but she’d lose focus on the conversation or…not care if the discussion continued.
Dalisay hadn’t broached the subject of asking if anything was wrong with Lori. Had his mom been that way his whole life, or had her demeanor recently changed? It was worrisome either way.
As they drove out of the yard, the snowbanks sparkled under the headlights. Only the drifts were across their path.
“The wind picked up in the last hour. It’ll be fun coming home.” He picked up speed on the main road. The snow hadn’t piled high, but it’d puff into a cloud of flakes as he plowed through each one.
“How does a car get through this stuff?” she asked.
Aaron snorted. “It doesn’t. Depends on how hard-packed it is, too, but it’s either stay home until the roads are cleared or take a four-wheel drive—if you think that won’t get stuck. It won’t be bad enough that we can’t get home. We’d probably be okay if we used Mom’s car, too.”
Stay home until the roads were cleared. Dalisay wouldn’t be driving Aaron’s truck while she was here. How was she going to get to town and back? Would she be able to drive in the summer? But Aaron said winter could be six months long. Would she be housebound all that time, or dependent on him or his brothers?
Was that why Lori had relegated herself to the basement?
Dalisay stared out the window until they reached town. Aaron cast a questioning glance her way, but probably thought she was worried about the driving conditions. And she was, but in the way of what they meant for her future.
By the time he parked in front of a plain square building surrounded by a wide parking lot, she had failed to identify how different that situation was from living on Peejong’s isolated farmland. The whole reason for not moving in with him was to retain their freedom.
She didn’t feel stifled in Moore. Not yet. But it appeared to be in her future. So did dependency on Aaron to get her around.
Aaron interrupted her thoughts, which was good. She couldn’t go into the evening doubting her life here.
“Ready to meet everyone?”
She smiled and hopped out. No, she wasn’t ready to meet everyone.
Aaron opened the door to the bar for her. Warm air laced with greasy food and salt wafted over her. Laughter and thumping music got louder, and she stalled. Aaron rested a hand on the small of her back. A small measure of reassurance, but it was enough to propel her forward.
They turned heads as they passed. Aaron nodded and murmured his greeting.
She whispered loud enough for him to hear, but he had to cant his head. No whisper could cover the height distance between them. “Do you know all these people?”
“Not all of them. The ones I do are more acquaintances, people I see around.”
He knew someone every place they went. He might not know their name, or he might know their first name only, or just have “seen them around,” but there were very few strangers to him. It was a lot like roaming her old neighborhood with her dad.
A crowd was gathered in the corner. They weren’t late, but the Walkers were very punctual.
“There he is,” a man yelled. A bunch of cheers erupted.
Her cheeks heated fast and hard. The pounding of her heart was planted between her ears. They were all watching her.
The hand on her back slid around to her side. She was back in her safe zone, next to him.
The next couple of hours were a whirlwind of meeting men and women with huge smiles and speculative stares. They mingled and eventually ended up at a table with Lucas and one of the cousins that Aaron worked with but wasn’t part owner in the business, named Justin.
“You’re Travis’s brother?” she asked. She knew the answer after months of talking with Aaron and scrolling through his pictures. But Aaron and Lucas were engrossed in a conversation about the upcoming planting season and that left her and Justin looking around at all the others in their little groups.
“Yes. Aaron says you’re interested in going back to school?”
She nodded. The fire she used to have for that career crept back in.
“Where would you go for the program? Are there colleges around here you can commute to?”
“I haven’t checked into it much.” She smiled. “Afraid to get my hopes up.”
A man approached Justin, a huge grin on his face. He was striking in appearance—in a good way, but so unlike the men that she was surrounded by. And women for that matter. The top of his hair was several inches long, but the rest of his head was shaved. Thick plugs an inch wide hung in his earlobes and tattoos snaked up his muscular arms.
He patted Justin on the back. “What’s up, bro? I don’t see you out much.” The man nodded to Aaron and Lucas. Another friend?
Justin laughed and kicked the seat out next to him. “Look who’s talking. You’re always on duty. Hey, maybe you can answer a question. Caleb, this is Aaron’s fiancée Dalisay.”
“Ah yes. News travels fast. I’ve heard of you.” His laid-back manner made it easy to see why he fit into the Walker crowd. They were all relaxed and good-natured, giving her a case of nostalgia for her own family. She missed their get-togethers.
“You know,” Caleb said to Justin, “I’m not often wanted for my brains.”
“It’s overrated. Dalisay was in school for nursing in the Philippines and she wants to get back into it. Where’s the nearest program?”
“Dude, you know I’m a firefighter, right?”
“But you work with nurses and stuff.”
Caleb cocked his head. “I date them. I don’t work with them.” He looked at Dalisay. “I really don’t know what our local college offers, but it’s a two-year school. At the most, it’d have an LPN program if it has anything, but not a four-year degree.”
She refused to let her hopes crash. There had to be other places around.
Caleb continued. “They have a paramedic training program, a peace officer program, and a fire academy, but I didn’t hear of nursing while I was there. Check it out, though. It’s been years since I’ve gone through the academy.”
“Where are the closest universities?” She tried recalling all the research she’d done, but it’d been a long night—
good, but long. Her brain was full of new information on people’s names and faces. And after her moment of doubt earlier, this wasn’t helping.
“Universities?” Justin answered. “Sioux Falls is a two-hour drive. Moorhead with Fargo across the river is a healthy hour drive. The other towns around us are too small, they’d have community colleges.”
Oh. She forced a smile. “Thanks. I’ll check on it.”
Caleb scanned the bar like he was looking for someone. “You can always commute. The drive in the winter sucks. I’ve been called to enough accidents to know it’s not something I’d do.” He looked at Justin. “I’m gonna go to the bar to order. Your brother’s table is hogging Trina.”
Justin winced. “It’s probably my sister’s pretentious new boyfriend, asking for the wine list or some shit.”
“Then I’m out. I have a hard enough time with her.” He slid off his chair. “Want something?”
Justin stood, too. “I’ll come with. I need a refill or two. Talk to you later, Dalisay.”
Aaron and Lucas were engrossed in a who’s planting what this year discussion. She tapped Aaron’s arm. “I’m going to the comfort room, uh, restroom.”
She left them there. In the bathroom, she did her business and soaked in the calmer atmosphere of the comfort room. Bathroom. She had to get used to calling it a bathroom or no one would know what she was talking about. The door opened and closed a few times, but Dalisay had to gather herself a few more minutes.
In university when she’d gone out to party, she’d never been this overwhelmed before. Neither had she been when she met her ex’s parents and siblings. His aunts and uncles had outnumbered the Walkers, but this was different. She couldn’t explain how.
She blew out a slow breath and exited the stall. One of the women she’d seen running around taking orders and delivering drinks was adjusting her ponytail at the counter. She met Dalisay’s gaze in the mirror.
“So you’re the one Aaron got to marry into the crazy.”
The crazy what? Nothing about Aaron’s life was wild. The basset hound that ignored her and everyone else certainly wasn’t. Half-tamed barn cats could claim the title.
Mail Order Farmer Page 14
