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“You’d be surprised,” I replied. “Our baby animals eat a ton.”
As we entered the house, the smell of fried chicken filled the air.
Liv looked at me with surprise. “Is your mom frying chicken?”
“Smells like it,” I answered, glancing at the Andrews. “Y’all are in for a treat. Mom makes a mean fried chicken.”
“I’m going to see if she needs any help,” Liv said as she walked toward the kitchen.
“Dinner will be ready shortly,” my mom called out from the kitchen.
I smiled at Tim and Emily. “Let me show you to the table.”
I led them to the dining room, which was set for the seven of us. A pitcher of sweet tea was already on the table with glasses full of ice.
“Please have a seat. Make yourselves at home.”
I poured everyone a glass of tea as my dad walked in and took his seat at the head of the table. We made small talk as we waited for dinner to be ready.
About fifteen minutes later, Liv walked in with bowls of mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese, then set them down on the table. Our eyes met, and she smiled before turning back to the kitchen.
My mom and Liv came out with the chicken and biscuits, and soon, we were all seated at the table, and the food was served.
“This looks and smells delicious,” Emily commented. “Thank you again for having us.”
My mom smiled. She loved cooking, especially for family. “We’re happy to have you. I hope you enjoy.”
“So Piper, how are you doing in school?” my father asked.
“Good,” she answered before taking a bite of chicken. “I’m on the A honor roll.”
I smiled proudly, glancing at Liv. She was always the one with the good grades. I struggled to maintain a B average, and that was only because I had to if I wanted to play sports.
Liv grabbed my hand and brought her gaze up to mine, smiling brightly. She looked just like she used to when we’d first fallen in love, and I couldn’t deny that it gave me hope. The thought passed through my mind that maybe, just maybe, everything would work out for us the second time around.
As everyone laughed and chatted around the table, I couldn’t help but smile. All the important people in my life were in this room, and I couldn’t be happier.
LIV
The Friday after Tim and Emily brought Piper to the farm, we met up with our new second family for dinner at a quaint Italian restaurant in Morehead City.
They were already seated when Lincoln and I arrived. Tim stood and waved us over to a booth toward the back of the restaurant.
Lincoln guided me with his hand on the small of my back, which did funny things to my insides for some reason. Lately, almost every touch turned me on, and I couldn’t get enough of him. He kept me up most nights making sure we made up for the time we’d lost, and I was enjoying every sleepless minute of it.
Piper greeted us with a hug when we reached the booth, and I couldn’t help but smile. The fact that she was so sweet and accepting even though we’d given her up for adoption made me feel all kinds of emotions. I wished I could forgive myself as easily as she had forgiven me.
Once we were seated, the waiter came over and took our drink order. Lincoln ordered a bottle of wine for the table, and the waiter promptly left to retrieve our drinks.
“So how’s everything on the farm?” Tim asked as he grabbed a piece of bread, then dipped it into the olive oil and herb mixture on the table.
“Great,” Lincoln answered. “This time of year is busy, to say the least.”
“From what I remember, from spring until the beginning of winter is busy,” I commented.
Lincoln chuckled. “You’re right about that.”
I picked up a menu and perused the options. “Anything that you suggest? We’ve never been here before.”
