Chapter Six
I woke up in a darkened room. I blinked and stretched my arms. I felt around and came to the conclusion that I was on a bed. I looked around slowly and saw that I was in the room near Logan’s. I wondered if Lance carried me in here when he arrived home. If so, why?
I was covered with a soft blanket. I rolled over and saw on the alarm clock that it was coming up on four in the morning. I must’ve been tired. I certainly had no recollection of being brought in here. I turned onto my side, closed my eyes again and listened to the sounds of the house for a moment.
I realized that I was thirsty. I pushed the blanket back to stand up. My clothes were the same except I couldn’t find my shoes. I padded into the hallway and listened at Logan’s closed door for a moment before walking to the kitchen. The light was on. I looked around and ran a hand through my hair. Nobody needed to see me like this–especially Lance.
I grabbed some water and walked into the living room to see the television still on and some beer cans were lined up on the coffee table. Lance was stretched out, sleeping in his worn jeans and a fitted t-shirt.
It would be best if Logan didn’t walk in on this so I cleaned up the cans, draining them in the sink before they went into the recycling bin in the garage. Lance slept the entire time, a frown on his face. I covered him with the blanket I had used earlier and turned the television off. I grabbed the monitor from the table and carried it back to the bed, setting it on the nightstand beside the bed.
Had something happened? I didn’t know Lance well enough to know if drinking was normal for him, but it didn’t seem like it would be to me. He looked troubled in his sleep, and I pushed the image away as I curled up under the covers and closed my eyes. I needed to be fit when Logan woke up tomorrow.
It seemed like only moments had passed before I heard noises from the handheld unit a few feet away from me. I grabbed it and blinked at the image on the screen, seeing Logan sitting up in his bed calling for his daddy. Jesus, it was six in the morning. I slipped out of bed and made my way to his room. There was a look of confusion on Logan’s face as he walked over for a hug. “Hey, little man. Your dad has an upset tummy, and he’s sleeping on the couch. Want to get dressed and go make breakfast with me? We have to be super quiet.”
We ate some cereal and toast before I took Logan to his playroom. There, we built Lego castles and filled them with a variety of figures. He declared war on my castle, making me laugh. We played like this for a few hours before he asked to go outside. I straightened my appearance as best as I could before we ventured outside.
There was still heat in the air from the previous day. Logan went tearing through the grass towards the pond. I had learned early on that the pond was his favorite spot, but I needed to be careful with him here. Logan had taken some swimming classes on and off, but he was not good enough to save himself from drowning. I watched him as I used my dying phone to take some pictures of the beautiful area.
It chimed a little while later, and I glanced down to see a text from Lance.
Lance: Where are you guys?
Me: We’re by the pond. He wanted to burn off some energy.
Lance: Sorry for dropping him on you. I didn’t think I’d sleep this long.
Me: Are you alright?
Lance: Mostly. I’ll jump in the shower and come give you a break.
I put the phone into the pocket of my cotton pants. Logan was running towards the fruit trees, and I laughingly called out to him as I followed and tried to fix my hair into a presentable messy bun. It was there that Lance found us, dressed in some jeans and a long sleeved shirt that brought out his eyes. The only bad thing was that they looked troubled.
Logan jumped up and hugged his dad before going back to playing. Lance looked at me. “I’m sorry, Brie,” he told me, his voice contrite.
“What are you sorry for, Lance? You work so hard. It’s okay to take a break. I got plenty of sleep, and he’s a blast to hang out with.” He blinked at me. “Are you okay?”
“It was something of a bad night,” he admitted. He looked over at his son playing with a branch on the ground with a smile. “I still feel bad. Do you have plans for today?”
“No, I don’t think so.” I waited for him to speak, beyond curious.
“I’m starving, and I’d like to take you both to lunch. There’s a diner nearby that cures hangovers with their cheeseburgers like nothing else. Care to join me?”
“Do I look acceptable enough to go out in public?” I asked him.
He narrowed his eyes for a moment. “You’re gorgeous, Brie. Don’t you know that?” I shivered as he spoke and he shook his head. “Nobody has told you that?”
“Just friends and family, but they’re obligated to say that,” I replied. I felt my cheeks blush.
“That’s hard to believe.” He looked me over. “You look beautiful. But if you want to change or anything, we can wait here for you.”
I thought that over before I shook my head. “I think I’m good.”
“So you’ll come?” Lance verified and I nodded. “Good. Hey, buddy! Want to go see Mabel and have a grilled cheese sandwich?”
“Yes, Daddy! I’m so hungry!” Logan came running over to hug Lance and grabbed my hand. “Come with, Miss Tenley?”
“I already invited her, buddy. She’s coming along.” Logan smiled, and we made our way to Lance’s green truck. He let me get in before easing himself in to buckle Logan into his car seat. Once he was in his seat and starting the engine, I felt a smile crossing my face. “What is it?” Lance asked.
“I haven’t been driven to town by another person until now,” I said quickly, not wanting to say that I was happy to be going with him. “Just a few times with Logan to do a little shopping for groceries and such.”
“How does a girl from New York get excited about going to a small town diner?” Lance asked as he pulled forward and headed down the long driveway.
“They say it’s the little things in life that you should appreciate,” I responded. We smiled at each other.
I loved driving in this powerful truck. Even if I did go on dates in New York, we more than likely would’ve taken a cab. There was something manly and sexy about this. I rolled the window down some and let my hand rest on it. I asked if he minded.
“No, I work outside so fresh air is essential for me. I only run the air conditioning when it’s sweltering out and almost always leave the windows open,” Lance replied, and I silently agreed. It was brutal sometimes in New York, but I always preferred the fresh air when I could get it. “So, you haven’t met Irene before this? That surprised me.”
“That’s something I’d ask my mother if I could. They’re great, and I am going to make up for lost time as best I can,” I replied, shrugging.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Lance said.
“It happens, right? You lost your parents as well,” I said.
“Yeah, I did, but the farm got me through that. I’d always thought that I would take over some time. It just happened faster than anticipated and a lot was going on.” Lance glanced at Logan in the rear view mirror. “I’m just sorry they didn’t get a chance to know him.” He looked over at me. “What about your dad?”
“I never knew him. He left when I was young, and that’s all I know,” I explained with a small smile.
“That’s tragic, Brie. He missed out on so much,” Lance said as we pulled into town. I looked at the small businesses that made this town tick. There were the usual chain stores scattered about, but they were mixed with mom-and-pop places that had clearly been there for ages. There was a great mix of contemporary and small town architecture, something I appreciated. Some people think that New York is all big buildings. While Manhattan is mainly composed of those, Brooklyn had a feel that reminded me of this town in some muted manner. I smiled as I looked around. New York was missing Lance in that worn cowboy hat, though.