Wait, what?
Ignoring that, I rush over to the window, and peer through the blinds to the front yard. The coast is clear. I roll the blinds up, grip the bottom of the window, and pull up, sliding the window all the way open. I do my best to pop out the screen, and tell myself to remember to come back later to put it back on.
When the screen is successfully removed, I lean out of the window and I gently place it up against the house. Bracing both hands on the window sill, I hurl my first leg outside. I do my best to touch my toes to the mulch in the garden bed outside, but I’m too short, and my crotch digs into the window track making me wince in pain.
“Ouch. Shit!” I yelp as my survival instincts kick in, and I launch myself completely out of the window to avoid being split in half by the metal shank lining the window. In no shock to myself, I fall very ungracefully out of the window, and onto my back in the garden bed.
It’s not too bad, considering the mulch broke most of my fall, but it still humbles the shit out of me.
“Mornin’ sunshine,” I hear a deep voice boom.
Just my luck.
I turn my head to the side and see Buck standing in the front yard with his hands in his pockets, grinning widely.
I groan, and sit up, brushing the mulch out of my hair. Wesley's dad walks over and holds out his hand, and I take it, letting him help me to my feet.
“Didn’t expect to find you in the garden, but I gotta say, you’re my favorite thing to bloom there by far,” he says through a chuckle, then winks.
“Yes, well I was just tending to the roses,” I reply, raising my chin.
He barks out a laugh, then he takes my hand, and helps me step over the wood beam that separates the gravel from the wood chips.
“Still haven’t told Lilah, I’m assuming?” he questions, arching an eyebrow.
“Yeah. I don’t want to push Wes into anything he’s not ready for,” I reply, feeling my cheeks heat.
Not for the fact that Buck just caught me falling out of his son’s window, but that I’m having to speak about Wesley’s readiness to commit.
Buck’s lips tip up at the corners, and he cocks his head to the side. “You don’t even know, do you?” he asks, gently.
“Know what?” I respond, just as I hear a squeal.
“Papa! Iby!” Delilah shouts.
Buck and I turn at the same time to see Delilah stomping down the porch steps, and barreling toward us. I hurriedly brush the remaining dust off of me, and give my girl a bright smile. I expect her to go to Buck first, but Delilah takes me by surprise, and leaps into my arms.
I catch her easily, and swing her up onto my hip.
“Good morning, beautiful,” I say, and kiss her on the cheek.
“Good morning!” she replies, and returns my kiss on her cheek with one of her own, followed by a peck from Burrito. “Why are you outside?” she asks.
I find Wesley standing on the porch with his arms crossed, and an arched brow identical to his fathers. He looks behind me where I know he sees the open window, and the removed screen. He folds his lips between his teeth, and I give him the bright smile I gave his daughter.
“Um, I was just getting some fresh air. Watched the sunrise,” I tell her breezily.
She seems to accept my answer, and then asks her papa the same thing.
“I was just on my morning stroll, darlin’,” Buck responds as we all turn at the sound of tires coming down the road from Buck and Maggie’s house. I see Maggie driving their fancy golf cart, and we wait as she approaches and slams on the breaks.
“Damn you, Buck! Did you already tell them?” Maggie yells.
“No woman. Keep your pants on,” Buck yells back, smirking. “Or better yet, take em’ off,” he mumbles, which earns him a giggle from me, and a scolding from Wesley.
“Why would Nana take her pants off?” Delilah asks, and Wesley gives Buck a glare.
“Oh he’s just joking sweetheart,” Maggie says to Delilah as she steps off the cart.
