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The tension in her shoulders finally eased. “That would be nice. I don’t want to argue about it or worry about what he wants. Thanks for listening.”
I wanted to help her, but at the end of the day, she was the one dealing with him. I hoped she set some boundaries soon because I didn’t like him upsetting her. I didn’t want to step in. It was her situation to deal with. But if he kept making her feel bad, I might. She was mine to worry about.
We finished our sandwiches. Mom had taken Addy to eat earlier, and they were back in the barn, working.
“You want to keep going, or do you need to get home?”
She stood and brushed off her jeans. “I’m having fun.”
I moved to throw out the wrappers in the kitchen, and she followed me inside. With a palm on my chest, she went up on tiptoes to kiss me. Her lips pressed against mine were slightly desperate.
I lowered my head and deepened the kiss. I was happy to oblige. I wanted her to feel good and to forget her asshole of an ex.
When she broke away, I followed with a soft kiss to her lips. “I wish we had more time.” And we weren’t standing in my mother’s kitchen. My brothers could stop in for lunch at any time.
“I needed that,” Sarah said with a smile as she stepped away.
I grabbed her wrist, tugging her against my body. “I’m not nearly done with you.”
“You’ll have to wait until Addy goes to bed,” Sarah said.
I’d offered to go home with them, and I hoped I could stay overnight, or at least long enough to try and sate this desire for her. I didn’t think it would be enough time, but I’d have to make do with whatever I could get. “I’m a patient man.”
She kissed me again, and I wanted to break all the rules and take her on this counter. Only the threat of my family members walking in kept me moving outside with her.
Chapter 17
Sarah
I’d felt tense all morning with Gary calling and texting. I didn’t want to stop doing what I was doing to deal with him, but my responding texts advising him that we were busy weren’t stopping him. I didn’t feel relief until Knox mentioned setting boundaries.
I felt like I had to accommodate Gary. That it was important for me to make it easy for Addy to see him. But for the first time, I wondered if the way he dealt with visitation was unhealthy for us. He called and expected me to drop everything. It wasn’t right, and it would be easier if we adhered to the agreement. I’d always hated the idea of giving Addy to him on holidays, and I had a feeling Gary used that against me.
He knew I wouldn’t want to give up Christmas Day, so he’d make all sorts of other demands, knowing I’d do anything to keep her that day. What would happen if I called his bluff, if I told him it was the agreement or nothing? The idea was so out of character for me, yet I felt better the more I thought about it.
We spent the afternoon helping Knox in the lot. Eventually, Lori brought Addy out to us, saying she needed to run around outside. I had a feeling she wanted Addy to see more aspects of the farm. No matter what we did, we fell more in love with the farm.
Knox was patient, explaining the differences in the types of trees and how to direct customers to the best option for their homes. He even let Addy secure a tree to a van. He mainly held her on a ladder while she clipped one side to the railing.
It was a little nerve-wracking for me, but I knew Knox would never do anything to hurt her. I trusted Knox with Addy. If he wanted to watch her so I could go out, I was okay with that. It felt like a big step because no one besides my family had ever watched her for me. Being a sole parent increased the pressure to make the right decisions all the time. I didn’t have anyone to share the burden with.
At the end of the day, Knox said, “I’m ready to get out of here. How about you?”
“I think you promised us you’d help with laundry.”
He winced. “I’m regretting that right about now.”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“No. You helped me, and I promised I’d do the same for you. Right, Addy?” He ruffled her hair.
“You promised.”
My heart pinched. Promises were important to Addy because Gary broke them so often. It didn’t matter to him, but every missed visitation was a strike on her heart.
Knox met my gaze over her head. “And I always keep my promises.”
“Mommy said that means you’re responsible.” She stumbled a little over the word responsible, but my heart squeezed at her meaning. She liked and respected Knox. He was becoming a bigger part of her life. I hoped nothing would happen to upend her trust in him.
