Chapter 21
Lee
I loved having Farrah around the cabin. She hadn’t changed a thing, but the cabin felt more like home than it had ever before. I liked walking into my bathroom and seeing two toothbrushes in the holder above the sink, two towels on the railing and her slippers next to her side of the bed.
Her side.
I loved waking up next to her. Farrah and I still had a long road to walk together as a couple. Even though our relationship was serious and we did it all—from talking to sex—we still knew very little about each other and we were still figuring out our life together. When the baby arrived, everything would change again and that would happen in less than a year, assuming all went well.
But I wanted to go through that journey with her. I wanted to make it work and try everything I could to make it happen.
I had the weekend off and on Saturday, when it was time to head out to the bar for work, Farrah said she wanted to come with me.
“I’d love to help out at the bar,” Farrah said. “I can’t sit in the cabin alone all night, and if Hannah needed extra help, I could sure use every little bit of cash I could make. Either way, I’d love to come.”
I thought about saying no. She was pregnant, after all. But she wasn’t very far along, she wouldn’t show for quite a while, and I understood her need to work and save money. Besides, I wanted to have her at my side. My job at The Pint would be a hundred times more fun if she was with me. So, I agreed.
Farrah and I headed down the mountain in my truck and we parked outside the pub in my usual parking space. I had popped Hannah a text letting her know Farrah was coming with me. My sister hadn’t seen Farrah since she had arrived back in Packwood and I knew she would be eager to see her. Hannah would be more than curious about our relationship now.
When we walked into the pub, Hannah came to Farrah with open arms. She pulled her into a hug and held onto her for longer than was necessary. She had to stand on her toes to reach Farrah for a proper hug, but it was cute to see the two together like that. Sisters, in a way.
“Welcome to the family,” she said with a smile. “How are you feeling?”
She glanced down at Farrah’s stomach to show what she was referring to without singling her out in front of everyone who was already present.
“I’m fine,” Farrah said, blushing. I had told her that I’d spoken to Hannah so she knew what to expect.
“Well, then this is yours,” Hannah said, giving Farrah an apron. Farrah laughed and wrapped it around her waist. She walked with Hannah who explained to her what she needed to do. I watched them to, as Farrah had a determined look on her face, trying to remember everything Hannah told her.
After I was sure Farrah was taken care of, I took my place behind the bar with Dustin and started serving customers. The night was busy, as usual, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off Farrah who moved back and forth between the bar, the kitchen and the tables. She moved with elegance and grace. Hannah flirted as always and Holly had her childlike manner, but everything about Farrah was classy. She stuck out like a sore thumb, making the pub look like a hole in the ground, while she was a queen that belonged somewhere distant and exotic.
“You’re staring,” Hannah said, suddenly standing next to me, and I jumped. I hadn’t seen her come around the bar or stand next to me for however long she had been there. She laughed. “You’re half in love with her already, aren’t you?”
I shook my head, ready to start defending myself, but her question pulled me up short. Was I? I couldn’t say that I was in love with her for sure, but I couldn’t exactly say that I wasn’t, either.
When I didn’t answer Hannah or argue about it, she laughed and nudged me. “Looks like I’m not far from the truth, huh?”
I wasn’t the type to blush, but if I was, Hanna’s words would have gotten to me. When I looked at Farrah again her eyes slid to me and she smiled. It was a smile that tugged at something inside of me. I couldn’t say for sure that I wasn’t in love with her, not at all.
Was it possible for someone to fall in love this fast? I had been drawn to Farrah since the moment I’d met her, but I’d had experience with attraction before. Usually, the initial attraction was very short lived. With Farrah, it seemed different. At this point, I didn’t know if it was because of the baby and deciding to make it work, or if it was all about mind over matter.
Or maybe love at first sight and destiny and all that shit really did exist. I had never come across a fairytale before, but it looked a lot like I was living one right now.
I shook off the thoughts. I could waste my entire night standing here trying to analyze it. I could pull it apart until I didn’t recognize it anymore. It would be better if I got back to pouring beers, watching Farrah, and enjoying myself. I had been right about the kind of night I would have tonight if I brought her with me to work. I enjoyed my time here a hell of a lot more.
Of course, that was true in so many aspects of my life.
We worked until later and finally, Hannah kicked the last drunken group out of the door before closing up for the night. Farrah looked exhausted, but she held out. She didn’t complain or take any more breaks than the rest of us and I admired her for it.
She helped Holly clean the tables, wiping them down one by one and putting up the chairs afterwards. Holly wasn’t very talkative toward Farrah, but it was late and we were all quiet. Hannah had turned down the music enough for us to hear each other, but it was still loud enough that the silence wasn’t awkward.
Dustin left after Hannah paid him as she always did. He kept to himself most of the time. I had worked with him for years and I still knew nothing about him. But he seemed happy to do it this way and we were all happy for him to do what he needed to do as long as he was here to take care of his duties.
When we had taken care of it all, Hannah brought out burgers and fries that had been prepared for us and we picked at our food, laughing about the night. Hannah divided up the tips we had made. I was sure we had made more than usual because of Farrah being with us. Everyone liked her.
“So, how was your first night here?” I asked Farrah.
“It was hard work. I take my hat off to you, Hannah.”
Hannah shrugged. “You get used to being on your feet for a while. Besides, I’m more than willing to socialize and get paid at the same time.”
Farrah chuckled. She had noticed how Hannah flirted with everyone. I had wondered if she would think badly of my sister for it, but she seemed to think Hannah was endearing. There was something about Hannah that was sweet, though. It was why no one seemed to mind that she flirted with every man that came through her doors.
“Well, my night was a lot more fun with you here,” I said to Farrah. She blushed, knowing exactly what I was saying.
“I am not staying here for this. God,” Holly exclaimed. She grabbed her bag and walked toward the door. Before she left, she shot me a dirty look and slammed the door behind her.
“Temper tantrums,” Hannah sniffed.
“What was that all about?” Farrah asked, looking at me.
I laughed. “Holly has had a thing for me since she started working here. I keep fending her off but she can’t take a hint.”
“But she’s so young,” Farrah said. “She looks barely legal.”
“That would be accurate,” Hannah said. “But the heart wants what it wants.”
Farrah looked at me. “Really? I mean, I can see why she likes you. She happens to have good taste.”
I grinned. “You know just how to stroke my ego.”
Farrah nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “That you’re not with her shows that you have good taste, too.”
Hannah and I looked at each other and Hannah burst out laughing.
“The claws are coming out,” Hannah said.
Farrah only pulled her shoulders up without responding. It was the first time I had seen anything possessive in her and I had to admit, I really liked it. It was cute that she was serious about me. I wouldn’t go as far as calling it jealousy—for that I would have had to show some kind of interest and Holly was nothing more than a colleague to me. But I liked that Farrah cared about me and cared what other women felt for me. I felt the same about her.
When I glanced at Hannah, she was smiling at the two of us. She winked at me when we made eye contact. She had seen what I had seen and she seemed to like it, too.
We stayed for a while longer, chatting. Now that it was only the three of us, Hannah could ask her questions about the pregnancy. At first, I was worried that Farrah would be uncomfortable. My sister didn’t hold back with the questions, asking them all when I had thought it might be insensitive. But Farrah didn’t look like she felt uncomfortable and after a while, I relaxed.
“What about before?” Hannah asked. “Were you dating?”
Farrah’s face fell. It was the first time she looked like she didn’t like the topic.
“I was in a relationship,” she said softly. “It ended about a year and a half ago. It wasn’t a very healthy one.”
I wanted Hannah to stop but she had noticed Farrah’s reaction, too. She changed the topic and I saw Farrah relax. I wanted to know about her past. I wanted to know who this person was and what he had done to her. But I wanted Farrah to tell me when she was ready. I knew that she would when she was ready, and until then I didn’t want to know.
If there was something Farrah wanted to tell me, I would listen. If it was important for me to know, I trusted that she would tell me. Other than that, Farrah’s past was at her discretion and she could keep it to herself for as long as she needed to.
From what I could tell and from what I saw now and then, Farrah’s ex hadn’t been very good to her. The best I could do was to be a good man to her, to look after her and to make sure she had everything she needed emotionally. I could be the man she deserved. That was what I was going to focus on.
Finally, Farrah and I said goodnight to Hannah and headed out into the night. I opened the door to the truck for her and closed it behind her. On the way to the cabin, she closed her eyes and dozed off. When we arrived, I helped her inside. She changed into her pajamas and I tucked her into bed, sliding in beside her.
It had been such a short while, but already I didn’t know how I had spent all these years sleeping alone.