I FOLLOWED HER LIKE white on rice all the way from Chicago, afraid she’d get cold feet and veer off and go back to the airport. She parked her car at her house, only because it’s the first opportunity I could get to get her in my truck.
I haven’t let go of her hand since she got in my truck. She’s tried to pull away a few times, but I just clamp down harder.
“Get used to it,” I say, bringing our interlaced fingers to my mouth and planting a kiss on our knuckles. Pulling into my driveway, I pilot the truck all the way to the end near the barn. She gives me a confused look when I turn off the key. “I want you to feel free to ask me anything. I’ll answer whatever questions you have.”
“Do you love her?” she asks.
“No.”
“Do you love me?”
“Yes.”
She nods, biting her bottom lip. “I do have questions I want to ask you later. Just so I understand what happened. I think it’s important.”
“Whatever you want.”
Her phone rings and I let her hand go so she can find it in her purse. She pulls it out and smiles wide. “Hey, Graham.” She laughs, nods, and then winces. “Yeah, I think I’ve decided to stay here. Can you get my checked baggage in Atlanta?” She nods again. “Yeah. Have Barrett send Troy. Just tell him not to go through it,” she laughs. “No. Absolutely not.” Her eyes close before she hands the phone to me.
“What?” I ask.
“My brother wants to talk to you.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“This should be fun,” I grumble, taking the phone. “Hello?”
“Hello. This is Graham Landry. Who is this?”
“Walker Gibson. How are ya?” I make a face at Sienna. She buries hers in her hands.
“I’m going to cut to the chase because we both don’t care about the weather or how the other person is, correct?”
I like him already. “Correct.”
“What we both care about is my sister. We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, but I would like you to know one thing: if you do anything stupid, I have people who are capable of just about anything you can imagine. Okay?”
“Let me put it to you this way,” I say, looking at the beautiful girl beside me. “I’ve been to jail one time in my life and that was for doing something similar to what you’ve insinuated to a guy who thought he could get away with a few things with my sister. If anyone ever touched Sienna, I’d never get out. So I hear you loud and clear.”
“Oh.” He pauses, letting that sink in. “Maybe we’re going to be all right.”
“Maybe so. Nice talking to you.” I hand the phone back to Sienna and then get out of the truck.
There’s a gentleness to the air as I fill my lungs with it, blowing it out into the freshly-mowed field. The pile of lumber Peck and I got last night sets at the edge of the woods. I wonder how long it will take me to finish the project and hope I can get it done before fall comes and it gets cool and muddy back here.
Sienna joins me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “I told Graham I’m not coming back. Not for good, anyway.”
“Not for good?”
“I have to go back and visit them,” she laughs. “And they’d like to meet you.” The toe of her shoe kicks at a clod of dirt, breaking it apart. “Graham is going to free up some of my money so I can try to grow my business. I know a few people who have fashion lines coming out next year and I’ve been offered to submit some designs for them. There’s more to it than just sketching pretty dresses and I need money for that. Graham seems to think I can do it, which is nice.”
“That’s great,” I say, kissing her forehead. “And of course you can do it.”
“It’s exciting. There’s just one problem.”
Looking down at her, I take in her pinched nose. “What?”
“I don’t have anywhere to live. My lease is up next week and I’m kind of homeless.”
“Well,” I say, untangling her arms and taking her hand, “I might have an extra part of a bed.”
I guide her across the field, butterflies scattering as we pass.
“Part of a bed?” she asks.
“Yeah, you’ll have to sleep with me,” I tease. “Hope you can handle that.”
“What’s all this?” She points to the wood freshly bundled and marked with red flags so other driver’s didn’t run into it last night when Peck hauled it home for me.
“Wood.”
“No shit,” she laughs. “What’s it for?”
“Come on.” I tug her towards the trees. We step inside the little forest and follow a little path a few yards in. Then we stop.
I turn to watch her expression change as she realizes just what it is.
“Walker?”
“I just started on it this morning,” I tell her, my chest tightening. This was a risky idea, one I wasn’t sure she’d love, but I find myself rambling away while she decides what she thinks. “There will be a trap door like the one at Nana’s, but only two windows so you can hang stuff up and have some privacy on the other two sid—”
She silences me with a kiss. It’s her in control this time as she moves her mouth against mine, backing me up to the tree that will house her new treehouse.
“And I got you purple curtains,” I mutter against her lips.
She giggles, pulling away. “Walker Gibson, I love you.”
“It’s a good thing. Because I’m so fucking in love with you.”