He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “I just want to make a toast to my girl.” He looked down at me with such adoration in his eyes that I could feel a lump forming in my throat. “Addison, you put in the work and made your dream come true. You continue to amaze me and inspire me. Cheers to you, baby.” Everyone shouted out their agreement, and we all clinked Solo cups.
I took a moment to look around me and take it all in. If you had told me a year ago that this was where I would be, finally realizing my dreams, I never would have believed it. I never thought I would get here. I was so incredibly happy that it scared me. Being happy, this happy, was the scariest place to be…because I had a lot more to lose.
The first couple of weeks of Mountain Laurel Farm being open were pure chaos, but I loved every second of it. The hours werelong, and the work was at times grueling, since it was only Levi and me. I was physically and mentally exhausted by the end of each day, but I went to sleep with a sense of pride and accomplishment that I had never experienced before. Running your own business wasn’t for the faint of heart or the faint of mind, and at times when I was truly run down from the day, I questioned whether it was all worth it, if I could keep up this pace. However, I knew I just had to push those negative thoughts aside and keep grinding. My business would grow, and I would eventually reach a point where I could afford to hire more employees to ease the workload.
There were days I didn’t see Dean at all, or was barely even able to speak to him. Those were probably the hardest days, but I continually reminded myself that if he was the right guy for me, we would get through this challenging part of my business’s beginning. Dean, of all people, should understand.
Spending less time tending to Mountain Laurel Farm and cultivating my business to spend more time with Dean was not an option. I was not going to mold my life and schedule around a man again.
All six of my boarders had moved their horses in, my lesson horses that I bought had arrived from Richard’s, and all the horses were settled and happy. Lessons for my clients that didn’t own their own horses would be starting up next week on Waffles and Pancake, my two new lesson horses. I had ten of my fifteen stalls filled, and I had only just opened.
Levi and I worked great together, and I trusted him immensely with the horses. All my boarding clients loved himas well. We worked out a schedule where I would cover for him on Mondays and Tuesdays so he could have some days off each week. Today was Tuesday, and let’s just say I was feeling it after two solid days of manual labor. The to-do list and the chores were endless, and my body felt it, but tonight I had long-overdue dinner plans with Farrah. I could use a drink and some girl talk.
We decided to meet up at the local pizza place that we both loved, Primrose Slice. By the time I got there, Farrah was already seated. I slid into the booth across from her. “Hey, girl, sorry I’m a little late.”
She smiled. “No worries, I know how busy you are at the farm. Do you want to order our usual?” We always shared a Greek salad, a pepperoni pizza, and a bottle of wine.
I nodded. “Of course.” The owner and server, Patty Leroy, walked over. “Hey, if it isn’t my two favorite gals! We ordering the usual?” Patty had known us since we were two, and she always wanted the latest gossip on our love lives.
Farrah smiled and nodded. “Yup, the usual.”
Patty looked at me. “I heard that you and that insanely sexy animal doctor are shacking up.”
I laughed because Patty had no filter or shame. “Yeah, you could say that.”
“Good for you, Addi. I’m very happily married to Greg, but that man of yours is sexy as sin.”
Farrah’s head fell back in laughter, which only caused Patty to then turn her attention toward her. “And what about you, Ms. Farrah? Walker’s home for a couple of months. You going totake that man for a little trip down memory lane?” She waggled her brows. I saw a pink tint creep up Farrah’s cheeks. I decided to save her.
“Farrah is entirely too busy with her business and Hadley to entertain any boys at the moment.”
“Well, if you find the time, Walker is looking good as always.”
I groaned. “Can we not talk about my brother?”
Patty nodded and chuckled. “All right, girls, let me get your order in and grab you that bottle of wine.”
Farrah just shook her head. “Jesus, that woman can be too much sometimes. Thanks for saving me.”
Over wine and good food, we caught up on everything. We discussed her thriving interior design business, as well as my farm and my new clients. After enough business talk, we shifted the conversation to her daughter.
“So how is Hadley doing? Is she with your parents tonight or with Jake?” Jake was Farrah’s ex-husband. They divorced when Hadley was only six months old but had remained friends and were the star example of co-parenting done right.
Farrah took a sip of her wine, and I saw what looked like sadness flash across her bright green eyes. “She’s with Jake tonight. When I dropped her off, he kind of dropped a bomb on me. He told me that he’s planning on proposing to Lily around Christmas.”
I studied her for a moment. “And you’re upset by this?”
She sighed heavily. “No? Yes? I don’t know. I mean, Lily is great. She’s great with Hadley, and we get along really well. Iguess it just closes that chapter of my life with Jake, ya know? It isn’t like I want to get back with him or anything. I guess I just wasn’t prepared. They’ve only been together for seven or eight months. Obviously, things will change, and I’m just tired of change.” She took a long drink from her wineglass, and I knew in that last statement she wasn’t just talking about Jake.
I reached out and put my hand over hers. “It’s okay not to be happy or not know how to feel about this.”
“I just keep thinking about if or when they’ll have a baby together. Will Hadley be pushed to the side?”
I shook my head. “No way. Jake loves that little girl, and y'all parent her so well together. Lily loves Hadley too. That won’t change.”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m just feeling sorry for myself and just feel really alone.” She put her hand on top of mine. “I’m sorry I’m so depressing. Let’s talk about your hot new boyfriend instead.” A part of me wanted to ask about what happened with her and Walker way back when. We’d never talked about it, and I always figured if she wanted to tell me, she would. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind for the time being.
I grabbed my wine and took a sip. “Things are going really well with Dean. I’ve honestly never felt this way about a guy before, but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, ya know?”
