“But you were in the military, Pawpaw?”
“That was back when pterodactyls were considered fighter pilots.”
Once again, she laughed. “But I thought he did some sort of contractor work?”
“He does. But he’s Navy too.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“A lot! Your generation isn’t as loyal as mine was! You wanna talk about the disrespect that men have toward women, wait until you get involved with that guy! No sirree. You probably will takeone good lookat those brown eyes and his damn dimple smile and think he’ssocute and sweet!”
“And he isn’t?”
“No, he ain’t. That’s Edward Wright’s boy. And he’s cold.Realcold. He’s got a temper like a wet chicken. He used to be a realtor, Evie. He’s supposed to look sweet, caring, and kind. It’s how he sold houses.”
“Wait, Edward Wright? You mean the guy who was in Dad’s football gang?”
“Yes, ma’am. And your dad was over at Big Ed’s house tons of times, and if he were still alive today, he’d be able to tell you what kind of a cold, apathetic nuisance that man is.”
“How many years ago was this?”
“Oh, um.” He scratched his head. “I think I have dementia.”
“Pawpaw,” she warned in a grin.
“About six years ago.”
She sat up straight. “He’s older now. Maybe things are different. I’m not the same woman I was six years ago.”
“Okay, but you can’t afford a renovation. How’d you expect to get his attention?”
“I could um… I don’t know actually.”
“I could take a bobcat to it, and we all can party on the insurance money.”
“Pawpaw!” she chuckled.
The rest of the time, Pawpaw kept her company while she whipped up the most decent muffins she could muster. Even though they weren’t anything to write home about, she enjoyed his company greatly before heading home.
At home, Evie peeled off those damp and sweaty clothes and sat down on the couch to watch some TV. A massive pile of dishes collected stagnant water in the sink. Bills and mail were scattered on the coffee table. While a cooking show played, she looked at her place. Boxes still needed to be unpacked, and now she hadnewboxes to unpack. A hole in the wall needed to be patched, and paint supplies were all over the place.
She ended up spending three cooking episodes long of trying to prioritize her tasks and organize her schedule. “I can work out for thirty minutes in the morning, and by the time I get home from work, I can work on my garden outside. Maybe ten minutes to paint, and I can meal prep on Sundays!”
Nope. She tired herself out, and while watching the fifth episode, she scrolled on her phone until her eyes were sore, and so she went to bed.
Dishes still undone. Three hours gone and no workout in.
But for the first time in years, she looked up at the ceiling and truly smiled. So many wild thoughts flooded her tender mind, things that would make her happy. Things that would make her…
Hot.
So hot. Her chest flushed, and she felt a flutter of emotions and stirring excitement within.
But she was going to have to stop being so immature and straighten up. If Caleb Wright was a military man and had another successful career, there was a good chance he was a go-getter, a hard worker, and had his act together. She on the other hand got overwhelmed by doing a load of dishes, couldn’t get a ten-minute workout routine to stick, and didn’t even know how to change the oil in her own car or fill up her antifreeze.
For a few months after that, Evie visited Pawpaw’s place and got used to her new life as best as she could and would specifically stop for the flowers until they no longer bloomed. She would stop on that little farmhouse drive and gaze at the beautiful, rolling fields.
She sighed. “One day, I could live on a rolling field like that with the beautiful sunshine coming in.”
