I turn, and he tugs my back to his chest, arms locking around my chest, his scent and presence comforting, and I want to bury myself in the security he gives me.
“Did you buy this place?” I ask, and he laughs.
“No. I would. To see that look on your face, I’d buy a thousand farms, but no, this place…” He turns and stares up at the windows, his features a mask of mixed emotions as his eyes trail up to the wooden peaks and down to the overgrown bushes. The windows are hazy, and the yellow paint is chipping off the trim, but the farmhouse is beautiful. “This is where I grew up.”
“Really?”
He nods. “This belonged to my mom and dad. The couple who adopted me, I mean. The Martins. They passed away six years ago, a car accident. Both killed instantly.”
“King, I’m so sorry.” I pull myself in closer to him, wondering why we’ve not really talked about what happened to his parents before, and he wraps his arms tighter, lowering his hands to my ass and snugging me against the hard length under his jeans.
“They were good people. They loved me, even when I was a handful. You might find that hard to believe.” He laughs, and Ipunch his chest. “They were good people, Emee,” he continues. “I have a lot of happy memories here. And I think we will be making some new ones of our own.”
“I’d like that,” I tell him, and it’s true.
It’s all so perfect.
I lost the farmhouse in Metamora and figured it just wasn’t the right time, but it’s funny how the world works.
Somehow the universe gave me this, and this is so much better.
“It needs work,” King says, his voice thoughtful. “But you want to see inside?”
He dangles the keys in front of my face, and I grab them, grinning, stomping my feet like an excited toddler. “I want to see it all.”
Chapter 17
Emee
Yesterday the farmhouse.
Today, my first hockey game. VIP no less.
Life is so strange. I have a new appreciation for this sport.
I’ve been in the VIP booth since before the game started, and when I watched King glide out on the ice, raising his stick in the air pointing towards me?
Everyone an the crowd turned to look up. They even put my face on the Jumbotron screen and the whole thing felt surreal.
I felt like a celebrity or a queen.
As well, that whole warm-up routine he did? Down on the ice, knees wide,stretching?
Oooooh, holler. And this time, I am not, not talking about the dating app.
The past couple days have been a whirlwind of highs, with no lows.
First, taking me to River Valley Farm and understanding my dreams were on the cusp of coming true? I’ve been walking on clouds and I never want to come back to earth.
The inside of the farmhouse smelled musty, which is to be expected since King’s left it empty all these years, but it was solid and it had everything.
There were a lot of reminders of his parents: family photographs, his mom’s wardrobe filled with clothes, his dad’s boots by the back door. I felt it was a bit of an unhealed wound for King. But I’ll help him. Together, we’ll make it into our home, and we’ll never forget them.
Like he says about me, I want him to tell me everything about him, and his parents. Memories. Good and bad. I want it all with this crazy man that has oiled up the stiffest parts of me and made me realize a little chaos can be good for the soul.
I can’t wait to tell our children all about the house and the memories their wild father had there.
God, I can’t believe I’m thinking about children.
