Page 43 of Changing Lanes

The next few days go by in a blur. I run by the site as the building starts going up to check on things. One promised to figure out a way to help me with the reference for the job. The building is going to be great, the rest will work out. I care but then again, I don’t. The pull and tug from Torrie is killing me.

I know she’s hurt, but by God, I am too. She doesn’t see that or refuses to. There have been a few times I could have taken her over my knee or shake some sense into her. In the next minute, I want to take her in my arms and kiss her senseless, make her forget the pain her father marred both of us with.

My phone vibrates beside me, and I pick it up, seeing Hardy’s name on the screen. “Hey, what’s up, man.”

“One asked me to give you a call.” Hardy pauses for an instant before finishing. “We’ve figured out the payroll issue and need to run it by you.”

Shaking my head, that’s the best news I’ve gotten in weeks. “Good deal. I appreciate it.”

“Is there any way you can swing by tomorrow afternoon?” Hardy sounds distracted.

“Sure. Around one?” I ask as I fill the tractor with oil.

“Yeah, no. We’re thinking eleven.” Whispering in the background draws both our attentions, and I hear a muffling sound over the phone.

I wait until the sound comes back. “I can do eleven.”

“See you then. Thanks.” Hardy hangs up quickly, Thayer must have been in the room. They’re crazy about each other, it’s sickening.

Working on the farm the rest of the day gives me more time to think of Torrie. The middle twenty-five is home to our soy fields. I try to keep the back twenty-five in good shape, it helps with the crops. Working longer than usual, I decide it may help me sleep.

Since Torrie showed up, sleep is not a friend of mine. Some would say it’s guilt, and they would be right, but today it’s not just about what I did. It’s also about what I didn’t do. I didn’t stay. All these years and it’s the one thing that haunts me.

Have I thought about asking her what happened after I left? Yes. Damn, it’s all I’ve thought about. How I should have gone back for her. Tell her everything. Details she still has no clue about, things she deserves to know.

So many things I want to know, I deserve to know. She’s so damn angry, she can’t see past the fact that her taking his offer broke me. How do you find closure when you know in your gut it ain’t over? Fuck this, I want her.

As I lay in bed, I can’t help but think of her. She’s in my every thought, waking or sleep. Slowly, I drift off, dreaming of her.

I wake up early to make sure I’m on time to the office this morning. I’m not positive but I think Torrie may be coming in for this meeting with One about adding me to the payroll. I decide to not take any chances, I dress to impress.

Entering the office, Torrie’s here. She does a double take as I pass by, her eyes burning through me. Stopping by the door, I allow her to take in the full view. Her eyes tear a path down my body, pausing in all the right places.

As her gaze locks on mine, my smirk goes to full on smile, and I wink. Torrie goes from burning to flaming, as her face turns red from the neck up. I adore her when she’s embarrassed. Her pale skin holds the pink in her cheeks a little longer than most.

“Mornin’,” I offer to her as a greeting. She turns her head, fanning herself.

Thayer smiles as she speaks to me. “Good morning, Brannon. How are you?”

“Good morning, Thayer. I’m good. How are you and the baby?” I ask with complete sincerity.

She gives me a gut check as she walks by me. “We’re good, thank you. You look nice today. Any special reason?” My black dress pants with gray dress shirt are accompanied with my southern charm, reminding Torrie, it wasn’t my portfolio that got her attention.

Narrowing my eyes at her, I can’t help but smile. “Nope, not that I can think of.”

We gather in the conference room, sitting opposite of one another. “Alright, kids, here’s where we’re at. Brannon will go on my payroll as a sub-contracting engineer. I’m hoping you’ll consider working with me from here out. Lea and I discussed it, and with the new baby, she’ll need me more. I want to be home more. With you on my payroll, I can do that without fear of problems arising on a site. It also makes it possible for me to cover your working with Torrie,” One finishes, leaving me speechless. I wasn’t expecting a full-time job.

“I guess I’m okay with it, I mean, I don’t want you to give me a job you don’t need to be filled.” I’m gob-smacked. Also, thrilled for the opportunity.

“Brannon, I wouldn’t offer you the job if I didn’t need you and couldn’t afford you. Everyone good?” One scans the table to see if everyone is in agreeance.

Just then, my phone buzzes again, Ava. She’s flipping shit because she knows Torrie’s here like we’re on a date. It doesn’t matter if we were, it’s not her business. But Torrie’s the one who doesn’t take it so well. She leers at me as another text comes in.

“It sounds good, thank you. I suppose we need to let Brannon answer his texts. Apparently, he’s needed.” Rolling her eyes at the end.

Leaning toward her from across the table, I try to tone down my reaction. “I apologize. It’s family.”

One smiles nervously as he talks to us. “Okay, kids. That’s it, you can leave.” We push our seats back at the same time but, One isn’t finished. “But you both need to clearing the air.Soon.”