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“Yes. In about four hours. Which gives you plenty of time to have a drink with us,” she said.
Another man entered and said, “Rhonda, your brother is trying to be nice, but what he’s trying to tell you is that he wants to leave and enjoy this brief time alone with this young lady.” He turned to me and introduced himself. “Hello, I’m Phil, Rhonda’s other half.”
I wasn’t sure what he’d told any of them, but they seemed to all believe I was his girlfriend. I could easily correct that, but Colton could as well. Why didn’t he?
“Is that right, Colton?” Rhonda asked.
Colton nodded. “I’m sorry, but I had already made plans with Annabella. Maybe you two can have tea another time.”
Heiscoming back.And is planning on seeing me.
I felt rude doing it, but I handed Rhonda my untouched glass of tea and said, “Thank you, but I guess we will have to do this another day.”
I wasn’t sure, but I swore that I heard Colton choke back laughter. He hugged his sister and shook Phil’s hand. “I’ll see you guys next weekend.”
Rhonda seemed like she was on the verge of tears. It was nice that they were so close. It made me wish I had a sibling.
When we were in the car, I asked, “Where would you like to go?”
“Someplace we can talk and not be interrupted all the time,” he said.
“Did you want to get something to eat before your flight, or just coffee?”
“How about…ice cream?” he suggested.
“Ice cream?” I looked at him, surprised.
“Don’t judge. I might like steak and eggs for breakfast, but I have a sweet tooth. At least when it comes to ice cream and cookies. You would think that with four kids, there would be loads of snacks in the house, but I guess if you’re not quick enough, they disappear fast,” he chuckled.
“Then I know the perfect place. They make their own ice cream. I love their toasted coconut. It’s the creamiest you’ll ever have,” I said, my mouth watering.
“Tell me they have strawberry cheesecake and I’m sold,” he said.
“Guess we’ll have to find out when we get there.”
I took the back roads all the way there, and I noticed the wrinkle of his nose as we approached. “I smell cows.”
“Really? We are not even that close. I don’t know how you’re going to handle the odor when we get there.” I might have failed to inform him the ice cream shop was at the dairy farm.
“I don’t mind the smell of a farm. I’m actually very familiar with it.”
“Do you live near a farm?” I asked.
“I manage one of the largest dairy farms in the state,” he said.
I wasn’t prepared for that. I had pictured him a bodybuilder, maybe a fireman or a bouncer, but not a dairy farmer.
“You…milk cows?”
He laughed. “I have in the past, but I manage the distribution of milk from the farm.”
“Wow, then I guess this isn’t going to be such a treat after all,” I said, feeling a tad disappointed in my choice of locations.
“This is perfect. I was missing home and now I have the best of both.” He reached over and placed his hand on top of mine. “You and ice cream.”
I wish I didn’t have to move my hand to downshift, but we were pulling into the entrance of the farm. It wasn’t much of a touch, but that simple connection was one I didn’t want to end. But he didn’t reach for me again, and I wasn’t going to reach for him.
When we got out of the car, I thought we’d head right for the shop. Instead, he started walking down to the barn. I’d come here for years for the ice cream, and never once had I been inclined to go see the cows from closer than the parking lot. I wasn’t going to stand there alone, so I followed him.
