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“You do.” He kissed her, leaning into her, breathing her in. “You fit perfectly.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
What a place to grow up.” Lyric watched out the window, taking in the rolling kelly-green hills that were sectioned into fields growing various types of crops in neat rows. Red and white barns dotted the landscape with contrasting colors, their silos bookending the squared structures. Huge oaks, white ash, and sugar maples filled in the spaces between the farms, tire swings hanging from their branches.
“It was an incredible place to grow up.” Thatch slowed the truck and turned off onto a dirt road between two cornfields growing taller than them. “I pretty much lived outside from sunup to sundown, working on the farm but also swimming in the pond, fishing in the creek, climbing trees, and getting lost in the cornfields.”
“I could see how that would happen.” She took his hand and gazed out the window, fascinated with the tall stalks.
“I’m so glad you’re here with me.” He slowed thetruck again and turned onto another road where the fields ended, and trees encircled a sprawling brick ranch-style house. “Mom may be even more thrilled than me that you’re coming.”
“I’m thrilled too.” For reasons she couldn’t disclose to him quite yet. The four months they’d spent together after their initial fake relationship had flown past. In some ways, though, it seemed she’d known him her whole life. “I wouldn’t have missed spending your birthday with your family. It’s going to be so fun to see where you grew up. And to meet your grandma and all your aunts and uncles and cousins.”
“You may want to wait to say that until you’ve actually met them,” he teased. “Don’t forget, my mom and dad each have five siblings, and most of them will be here with their kids and even a few grandkids. Thankfully, we have a couple of hours before the big bash. That way we can ease you into the Hearst crowd in small doses.”
“I’m ready,” she assured him. The Hearst crowd could throw anything at her, and she’d still be standing by his side. After a whole summer of dates and hikes, weekend camping trips and lazy evenings at her house or his on the couch together, she was ready for so much more.
“Okay.” He drew the word out as he parked the truck.
His parents must’ve heard them coming because they both appeared on the home’s wraparound porch, waving.
“You’re here!” His mom got to them first. “Welcome to the farm!”
“I’m so happy to be here.” Lyric had grown to love her hugs, warm and encompassing. She hugged Carl next before Thatch’s dad insisted on getting both of their suitcases by himself.
“How was the drive?” Nancy ushered her up the porch steps, where there was a real porch swing overlooking the yard. Lyric hoped she’d get to sit there when the fireflies came out later tonight.
“The drive was fun.” She’d never thought she would say that after sixteen hours in a car, but everything was fun when she and Thatch were together.
“Good, good. You must be starving.” Nancy opened the creaky screen door and gestured for her and Thatch to go inside.
Everything about the great room Lyric stepped into screamedfarmhouse chic. From weathered oak floors to the white country-style cabinets in the kitchen across the room to the fieldstone fireplace between two large picture windows. “I love your home.” It was warm and cozy and a place she’d want to come back to again and again.
“It belonged to my grandparents,” Carl said proudly. “We’ve renovated it, of course. But these are the original floors.”
“I remember refinishing the floors,” Thatch said with a wince.
“No one gets out of any work at the farm.” His dad lumbered down a hallway, dragging the two suitcases behind him.
“I have snacks.” Nancy waved her into the kitchen, where a spread of yummy-looking dips, chips, cheeses, and crackers sat. “And sun tea.” She poured four glasses from a pitcher.
While they snacked, his parents told her embarrassing stories about Thatch, and he pretended to be annoyed but never stopped smiling.
Her darling boyfriend took her hand and promptedher off the stool. “How about a little walking tour of the property?”
“Sure. I could go for that.” She started to help bring dishes to the sink, but Nancy shooed her away. “You two go off and have some time alone together while you still can.”
“The whole circus will be here in about an hour,” his dad added. “Which reminds me, I’d better check on the smoker.”
Lyric thanked them—for probably the tenth time already—and then let Thatch lead her out the back door. The deck, which already had multiple tables set up for the party, overlooked a large pond with a small dock and a canoe. To the left of the pond was an elaborate tree house with a rope ladder perched about ten feet off the ground in a weeping willow tree.
“Wow. You really did have the perfect childhood.” Not that hers had been bad—growing up five minutes from the beach in Florida before moving to the mountains. But this farm had a feeling of longevity, perseverance, and resilience. That was why this would be the perfect place for her to propose. They could come back here often, and their kids could swim in that pond and play in the tree house.
“No childhood is perfect.” Thatch took her hand and led her down the steps and into the thick green grass. “But it was probably as close as you could get.” He pointed at the tree house. “We helped Dad build that when I was six and Liam was four. My first construction project.”
“Very impressive.” It wasn’t your typical shack of a tree house. It had real windows and an upper lookout deck.
“I used to skinny-dip in this pond sometimes too.” He peeked over his shoulder toward the house as though making sure they were alone, and then he pulled her close. “A memory I’d like to re-create with you. Maybe later tonight?”
