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“Because sometimes people need more time than others to heal, to adjust, and to trust,” Kimi interrupted. “Trust the Lord. You always have, my sweet girl.”
Kimi leaned in and embraced Evie. She returned the embrace and squeezed hard. Spence joined in.
When they finished their embrace, Kimi touched Evie’s cheek. “You have always been one to do the right thing. I feel you are so worried about what others are thinking because you are on this show, that you have forgotten to rely on the Lord. He will guide you. He will direct you to do what is right for you. Don’t worry about what others will think. Being on a show like this isn’t bad or evil.”
“But it encourages inappropriate behaviors,” Evie reminded.
“Yet that is not who you are. Plus, you’ll never know who you’ll influence because you choose not to drink, swear, etc.”
Evie wasn’t sure she wanted that sort of responsibility on her shoulders, but she understood what her mother was saying.
“Just be yourself today!” Kimi added.
“You’re home,” Spence reminded her. “This is your safe haven, so show us a little of the fun-loving, who cares what the world thinks, girl! That is your true self and if that guy over there does in fact love you, he’ll love you even more as you let your guard down and be yourself.”
Evie reached up to grab her nonexistent hair and moaned.
“He’s obviously not here for your long luxurious hair!” Wyatt butted in. “You all left him alone. Cody had to go do something in the orange orchard and I’m done entertaining!”
Wyatt winked at Evie and then turned and left out the side door.
During the rest of their visit at the CTR ranch, Matt and Evie rode horses around the property with a promise to not leave the cameramen behind. They climbed the rock wall on the side of the barn, and then they cooled off in the pool.
When the time came for Matt to leave, he embraced Evie in his arms and asked if he could kiss her.
Evie took courage in her heart and instead of replying, kissed him. She was pleased he accepted her courage and he was rewarded with an unstable Evie afterwards.
“See you at my place in two days.”
“Your place?” Evie choked.
Matt laughed. “Yes, my love. My place… to be more precise… my parents’ home. I’m sure many of your questions will be answered the minute you walk in the door.”
“I get to see the horse ranch you grew up on?” Evie said excitedly.
“You do…”
Matt looked like he wanted to say something else, but he refrained. Soon this whole thing would be over and then they would truly see, without cameras and fine dining… without the super-hyped-up emotions on steroid dates… whether or not they created a foundation worth building upon.
“Until then,” Evie sighed.
Matt kissed her one more time and then exited her front door.
Chapter 18
Matt closed the door behind Neveah and leaned against it as she left his parent's home. He was sure the audible sigh that left his chest could have been heard in China. Never had he done something so taxing in his life. It was actually worse than sitting through church services as a teenager or trying to survive his mother’s funeral without maiming the next person who asked him if he was okay.
Neveah’s perfection still oohed and awed everyone in her wake, but that was only limited to her physical perfection. Her conceit, judgmental comments, and self-centered ideations quickly took an emotional toll and left an even deeper rift in the wake.
Even the cameramen wiped their brows and mumbled amongst themselves as they waited for Evie to arrive.
Matt returned to the family room and plopped down on the couch with the gathered family members. Two of his stepsiblings, Josh and Lizzy, couldn’t come as they were both married, living in different states, working, and raising children.
Matt smiled at his stepmom, Emma, ignored his father as he was sure he didn’t want to try to decipher the level of disappointment that was most certainly etched on his dad’s face, and looked at his two younger sisters. Leah was the older of the two, but just by a month. Even though Leah was his stepsister, he truly felt as though she was a sister.
Even after he left home, left the ways of the church, and ventured out into the world to find happiness his own way, Leah was the one who made a conscience effort to stay in contact with him. His connection with his other two stepsiblings wasn’t as strong, but they had their own paths to follow, just as he felt he had his.
Up until recently.
