“She’s amazing,” I finally say, and my mom clasps her hands together and tucks them under her chin.
“She’s so pretty. And so sweet. I just adore her.”
I think back to the day we had yesterday—the impromptu dinner date followed by goat snacks, then a ride out in the fields, and ending with the best kiss I’ve ever had. I can still taste her on my lips, something sweet, like strawberry lemonade. Sweet with a hint of tartness.
I wish I had a camera out there so I could’ve captured that moment. Her pretty dress ruined with mud, and myoversized flannel hanging off of her. Mud in the tips of her hair, covering her hands and feet. The wind picked up the same moment she threw her head back, and I’ve never seen someone look so happy, so beautiful. My feelings must be reflected on my face because my mom squeals and reaches forward to pull me into a hug.
“Oh, Grayson,” she says as her face presses against my shirt. “I’m so happy for you. I like her so much! Do you think she would want to come over for family dinner on Sunday? Or if she’s busy Sunday, we could always change family dinner to another night.”
“We’re changing family dinner?” Theo asks, sauntering into the kitchen to grab his own cup of coffee. My mom does the same for him as she does for me, handing him a mug and making sure he’s set up with milk and sugar.
“We’re not changing family dinner,” I tell him at the same time my mom says, “We might, if it means Holly can make it.”
“Ah,” Theo nods, “so it’s going well, I take it? Grayson’s finally fallen in love?”
“It’s only been two weeks, dude.” I make sure to brush aside his love question. Sure, I don’t believe people can fall in love that fast. My mom always said that the moment she laid eyes on my dad, she knew that she would careabout him. Holly and I are still getting to know each other, but it feels different somehow.
I take another sip of my coffee, wanting to shield any more questions from my family. “Anyone see Lukas yet?”
Theo lets out a heavy sigh. “He texted me early this morning, said he’s not gonna make it out today.”
I slam my mug down on the counter hard enough that my mom jumps. “What is his deal lately? He’s miserable to be around. He calls in half the time. If he shows up, it’s practically halfway through the day.”
“Grayson,” my mom scolds. “We all know he’s been through a lot these last few years. Give him time.”
“I’m all for giving him time, but we also need to stop walking on eggshells when he’s around. He’s been a dick to Holly for absolutely no reason.”
My mom pulls a frying pan from the cabinet and places it on the stove before moving to the fridge. “Pops caught him on his way out the door after dinner the other night to scold him, and your dad said later on that he’s going to sit down with Lukas about it. That’s not how we treat a lady or a guest.”
“Where is Dad?” I ask, reaching for the carafe to refill my coffee. I take a calculated breath, trying to find the right words to say what’s been on my mind for a while. “I want to talk to him about some ideas I have for the farm.Most importantly now, I think we need to hire outside help.”
My mom halts her movements, and I know she’s gathering her thoughts, not wanting to say anything out of key without talking to my dad first. Frustration burns at my throat, but I force myself to keep quiet, wanting to hear what she has to say.
“This farm has been run by four generations of Harts only. You know how your dad feels about outside help.” She pulls a carton of eggs from the fridge, along with a package of bacon. She busies herself with prepping breakfast, cracking eggs in a bowl. I know that if I walked out now, she’d gladly pretend that this conversation never happened. But if I’ve learned anything by taking a chance and asking Holly out, it’s that you’ll never know how good something can be if you’re too scared to make the first move.
“Yeah, but the farm is barely making it, Mom.” It hurts to say those words out loud. We all know the farm hasn’t been a true success in years, but no one wants to consider the alternative—a world where we give it up. “We’re barely making it because we have old equipment, and I’m the only one that works it full-time. More than full-time. Lukas is barely around; Theo works a different full-time job.” I turn to him, putting a hand up so he knows I don’tmean to attack him. “I’m not digging on you for that. I don’t want you to quit the department to work here, trust me.” Theo nods, moving out of the kitchen to the dining room, likely wanting to avoid the awkward conversation.
“Pops is old,” I continue, my voice a hint lower in case he’s awake already. “I worry about him working a tractor in the hot sun. Dad’s busy with the business side of things, and he hasn’t had the same energy since his accident. It all falls on my shoulders, and I wouldn’t mind that if I could do something about it.”
My mom sighs heavily, leaning back against the counter with her arms crossed. “I know, Grayson. I see how hard you work. I know your dad does too. It’s just … he doesn’t like change.”
I scoff a little, reaching for a travel mug to pour the rest of my coffee into, topping it off with some more. “We have almost four hundred acres of land just sitting stagnant. It’s not fenced in so the cattle can’t graze. We don’t have the manpower or equipment to use it for crops. He sure as hell won’t sell it.” I scoff again at that. “Even one full-time employee and another quality tractor, or even a used one, just something that won’t break down on us every other season, would be a huge change, Mom, that’s all I’m trying to say.”
She brings her hand across her forehead, squeezing her fingers to her temples in frustration. “I know, Gray. We want you in charge, we do. I do, anyway. I think your dad is just struggling with the change. He wanted to hand you something that was a success, not something that’s barely afloat.”
With a heavy sigh, I cross the short distance to my mom and pull her in for a hug. “I don’t mean to bark all this at you. I’d like to talk to Dad about it. I have ideas for this farm that I seriously want him to consider.”
“I’ll talk to him,” she says against my chest. “Don’t worry about that. I want you to be happy, Gray.”
I give her small frame another squeeze, chuckling a little at the difference in our size. “And to answer your question, yes, Holly had a great time yesterday.”
“I can’t believe it took you thirty years to bring a girl home to meet the family. Are we that bad?”
I groan, releasing my hold on her and reaching back to grab my travel mug. “Alright, and with that, I’m headed out for the day.”
I’m out of the kitchen, through the dining room, and halfway down the front hall when I hear my mom call out to me, “I’ll talk to your dad, Grayson. All you need to worry about is how to get that cute girl back at my dining room table.”
Chapter Thirteen
