Chapter Thirty-Four
June – Saturday
I had spent the rest of the week tidying up my home, wanting to get all of the household chores that I’d been putting off while I was working finally done. This all really felt like a fresh start to me, and I was enjoying that side of things. I knew that I had a lot to worry about, and that I really needed to start trying to find a new career to work on, but that would come. I felt confident about that. I had to keep up hope, that was really all I had by this point.
To be honest, I was far too happy with Roy to be worrying about anything else at the moment, anyway. We were in love, finally happy, and that was keeping me going.
He’d done his press conference, succeeded at that, been to see Lewis, which admittedly had been less successful, but cathartic all the same, and he was finally looking forward. He was looking to the future, and that felt wonderful. We were both in the same place, both looking towards what was to come, and that made me so damn happy.
It seemed strange to me that when I’d met him he was all up for giving up his business and moving on, whereas now, he was all fired up about it, but it was good too. I felt like I was finally getting to see that really passionate, enthusiastic side of him, the one that had gotten him to where he was in the first place.
It was incredible. He was so dedicated, so enthused, so full of desire, that it made me want that for myself. Even when I started along the path to become a journalist, I hadn't felt that much passion for it; it had been more of an escape from Florence than anything else. It had been a way out, I could see that now, and I’d gripped tightly onto it with both hands. It had been my only driving force, which was why I ran with it.
What I really loved was to write, but I wasn’t sure how that could make me a career anymore. Maybe it was time to find something else; maybe it was time to accept that writing just wasn’t for me. Maybe it was time to start thinking outside the box.
At least I had Roy to distract me today. He was at his ranch, finishing off the fence, which was a job that had taken on a higher priority considering what had happened recently, but once he was done, we were going to just hang out and relax, take the day to just be us.
Ring, ring…
Ring, ring….
Ring, ring…
When Roy didn’t answer his phone, I knew that he had to still be busy, but I wasn’t about to let that put me off. It was unlikely that he’d eaten all day, so we could start with lunch. As I scrabbled through the fridge, fixing us up a picnic, I made sure to grab enough food for Tank, too. That gorgeous mutt wasn’t used to eating dog food, and I wasn’t about to change that. Whatever Roy had been doing for all these years had clearly worked because he was such a wonderful dog, and I was more than happy to help him with that.
As I drove along the road that had become almost like home to me, I couldn’t help but smile, recalling the first time that I’d driven along here in that ridiculous dress and high heels, trying my best to impress him. Back then, I had thought he was going to be a rich, arrogant asshole, one who wouldn’t speak to me. I assumed that I was going to struggle to get an interview, and that after it, I would be ready to move on to another phase of my life.
I guess that with that prediction, I was right – it just hadn't gone as I’d been expecting it to. If only I’d known…
As I grew nearer, I laughed to myself, remembering the car crash and the first words he’d spoken to me…or more like mouthed to me. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?” I was so bewildered in that moment, completely taken aback and humiliated by the crash, but I was still able to see how damn good looking he was and how nervous he made me. Who would have known then that we would end up in love? It was such a crazy world.
Then I saw him, standing at the fence line with Tank, and my heart skipped a beat all over again. I didn’t think that there would ever be a time when he wouldn’t have such an effect on me. He would always give me butterflies and a chest filled with love. I didn’t think that our chemistry, my emotions, would ever grow stale.
“Hey there,” I called out, as Tank raced towards me for some love. “How is it going?” I bent down and patted Tank, allowing him to lick me all over.
“Almost done!” he replied, sounding happier than I’d heard him for a very long time. “I wasn’t expecting you so early. What a nice surprise.”
I pulled out the picnic basket and waved it at him. “I guessed that you wouldn’t have eaten yet…and I missed you.”
He chuckled and smiled at me before dropping what he was doing and hopping in the car with me. “Come on, drive along to the other side of the fence. There’s still a part of it that isn’t fixed up yet, and there’s something that I want to show you.”
“Uh oh… It isn’t going to be another nasty surprise, is it?” I half joked, trying to work out what was going on. He was acting strange, which made me a little anxious.
“Of course not, come on!”
I followed his instructions and parked where he showed me to, all the while trying to figure him out. I knew that Roy had a lot of land, but I didn’t realize that it was quite this much! It seemed to go on forever. I only had one small apartment to my name, that I rented and would be kicked out of soon enough when I couldn’t afford it anymore, and he had all of this – it was crazy.
He led me along to a beautiful lake with a small fishing boat on it. “This isn’t yours, too, is it?” I exclaimed in disbelief. “You cannot be serious.”
“It is,” he chuckled brightly. “It’s where I go fishing. Sure, there isn’t always a lot of fish, but it’s relaxing all the same.”
“So…you’re taking me fishing?” I asked curiously, almost laughing aloud at the ludicrous idea. I was actually excited at the thought of doing something that I’d never thought I would like before, realizing how much I’d already changed…and for the better, too.
“Well, I thought that we could have lunch out on the pond,” he answered, unhooking the boat. “Then I might teach you how to use the tractor – if you’re lucky.”
“Oh, I see, you’re training me up to work on the ranch with you…and here I am thinking that we’re just having a nice relaxing day of hanging out.”
“You’ll love it!” he exclaimed, holding out his hand to help me onto the boat. “Just trust me. Then, with you helping me, I’ll be able to get the fence finished in no time.”
As we sat opposite each other, chewing slowly on our sandwiches, I had to admit that the idea was an awesome one. It was so peaceful out on the lake, and the view across Roy’s land was amazing. It was like something from a painting. “Thank you for bringing me out here,” I smiled at him. “It’s wonderful.”
The fishing lines were dangling in the water, but as expected, we weren’t catching anything. I guessed that part was just for show.
“You’re welcome,” Roy smiled at me with love in his eyes. “I knew that you’d like it.”
“But we better get back soon. Tank must be going crazy over there waiting for you. He adores you, that dog.”
“We’ve been through a lot together; he’s helped me through everything,” he told me honestly. “He was there through most of the trauma that I’ve been through, and he’s helped me when things have been tough. I honestly don’t know what I would do without him.” He mused thoughtfully for a second, before grinning at me. “You’re lucky he loves you. I might have had to throw you off.”
“Come on,” I chuckled at him, before packing everything away. “Let’s get back. You can show me how to drive this tractor so we can get this fence done once and for all.”
***
“I am absolutely exhausted,” I laughed, flopping onto Roy’s couch. “I might just fall asleep right here.”
“You might be tired, but after a few bumps along the road, we managed to get there. The fence is done.”
“By bumps do you mean me knocking down five of the fence posts you’d already put up?” I laughed. It was safe to say that tractor driving didn’t come easy to me, but we had managed to get the fence finished, so at least I wouldn’t have to do it again anytime soon. “I’m glad I could help you, though; that was fun. Maybe in my next job, I should be a farm girl.”
“Now, let’s not get ahead ourselves,” he said as he sat beside me, wrapping his arm around me and handing me a beer. “One day doesn’t make you good enough to be a farm girl. Maybe you should come and work at my company.”
I considered that for a second, thinking that maybe I could go and work for Roy’s company; it would give me something to focus on, it would earn me money…but then my boyfriend would be my boss, and that would be too weird for words. “No, I will figure something out,” I told him honestly. “But thank you for the offer. How are things with the company?”
“Getting there slowly but surely. I mean, we have had some people walking out, but that doesn’t matter because I think the place could use some fresh blood, anyway. Some new ideas can’t hurt.”
“Yeah, I think you’ll be fine. Actually, I know you will. I have total faith in you making things much better again. If anyone can do it, it’s you.”
The television flickered in front of me, but I wasn’t really watching. My eyes were growing heavier with every passing second, and I knew that I would be asleep soon enough. I really was exhausted after my day of hard labor, and I didn’t think that I would last much longer.
“Thank you for your help,” Roy continued, oblivious to my exhaustion. “I do appreciate it. I know you really didn’t have to do that.”
“You’re welcome,” I said quietly, almost to myself. “You know that I’ll do anything for you.”
“I love you,” he replied, kissing the top of my forehead.. He truly did adore me, and that felt amazing. And, the fact that Roy had really let me in and showed me some of his world was even better. This was a man who found it really hard to be open with anyone, yet he was making that change for me, after all those years. If that didn’t make me important to him, then I didn’t know what would.
“I love you, too,” I whispered…or at least, I hoped that I did. I wasn’t quite sure if I was dreaming or not by that point.
After a few moments, I felt Roy lift my body up off the couch, as if I weighed nothing, which allowed me to drift off much more peacefully.