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But if there was a chance for us to have anything special like that, I needed him to understand where I was coming from. He needed to know why I’d behaved the way that I had during our first few encounters.
That’s why we were here now.
The second he knocked on my door this morning, I flung it open and saw him smiling brightly at me. I wanted to kiss him again, but I wasn’t quite sure it was a smart idea, especially if I planned to share all that I wanted to share with him.
So, I stepped outside, closed the door behind me, and led him away from my house. Wyatt followed, not questioning what was happening or where we were going.
I was leading him to the part of the land his family had expressed their interest in, and I thought now was the time to start shedding some light on the situation.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
Wyatt was staring at me, looking horrified.
“They tried to take a massive portion of our land under eminent domain, and we fought with them for nearly two and a half years,” I explained. “I handled most of it, since my parents were busy running the farm so we could pay our attorney. It was the most exhausting and infuriating experience of my life, but it was worth it, because we got to keep our land.”
“I had no idea,” Wyatt replied.
I nodded. “I know. But I want you to understand why you experienced so much animosity from me in the beginning. I was tired, Wyatt. So tired of feeling like I had to fight to keep what was ours.”
Something that looked a lot like regret washed over his face. “I’m so sorry, Rhea. If I had known, I would have… I don’t know what I would have done. But I’m confident I wouldn’t have wanted to put you through something like that all over again.”
I turned and started walking again. Wyatt fell into step beside me. “I know that now.”
“I understand now why you were so against wanting to part with your land.”
I could have let it go there. My explanation was sufficient enough for Wyatt to understand why my family and I had declined his family’s request to present an offer. But there was more to it than that, and I believed it was necessary to share.
“If I’m completely honest with you, it’s not just the legal battle that led me to this place,” I confessed.
“There’s something else?” he questioned me.
We walked together in silence for a few minutes as I considered how I wanted to share this with him. Ultimately, I decided it was best to just go for it. Wyatt was a family man, so I believed he’d understand.
“I was born and raised here on this farm, much like I believe you were born and raised at Westwood’s, right?”
“Westwood’s played such an integral part in my life for as long as I can remember,” he confirmed. “It still does.”
“That’s what this farm is to me,” I explained. “It’s all I’ve ever known. And while it might not seem like much in comparison to all that Westwood’s is, it means everything to my family and me.”
I paused a moment, giving myself time to work up the courage to share the full truth. Wyatt remained silent, likely taking in all that I’d already shared and preparing himself for what was coming next.
We finally came to a stop at the spot I’d wanted to show him. Only after we did, I looked up at him and asked, “I can imagine the memories you must have of growing up a Westwood, surrounded by the business your family built.”
Remaining silent, Wyatt only offered a nod of acknowledgement in return.
“Maybe you don’t believe it’s possible at a place like this, maybe it never crossed your mind, or perhaps it just doesn’t hold the same importance in your life that it does in mine, but the memories this farm holds are something I’ll cherish for my entire life,” I shared.
“Rhea, please know the intention behind the offer my family made was never about tarnishing memories or taking away things you held dear,” Wyatt said in an attempt to defend his family’s position.
“I know.”
“Do you?”
I nodded. “I won’t lie and say I felt that way from the start, because I didn’t. I looked at you the same as I would any other shrewd businessman. But now that I’ve had the time to get to know you, I understand there was never any ill intention. While I don’t think anyone genuinely likes being wrong, I’m glad I was in this case.”
The silence stretched between us again, this pause the longest yet. I was grateful to Wyatt for recognizing I wasn’t quite finished sharing all that I needed to share.
Finally, after some time passed and with my gaze focused straight ahead on the land, I revealed, “It wasn’t that long ago when my grandfather was diagnosed with dementia.”
