Her voice softens as she says, “I’m sorry about your wife. That’s… awful. I had no idea.”
I pinch my lips together and pause for a moment before speaking. “Thankfully, we’d started working on this farm dream. So, I began growing some veggies, our daughter Kit fell in love with horses, and before you know it… farm. Kit and I did it together for years, but she’s an adult now and she needs to spread her wings. So, when the animals need to be fed and the crops need to be harvested, I’m the guy.” I let out a calming breath. “I may not have gotten the answers I was looking for, but I got the focus I needed.”
She nods. “That must have been so hard. I don’t know what I would do without my mom. We don’t always see eye to eye, but if she was suddenly gone, I’d be devastated.”
I nod slowly. “Girls need their moms, no matter their age. It was so obvious to see it in the way Kit and her mom interacted. No matter what they were feeling in a moment, you could see the love shining through.” I nod toward a picture of Kit hanging on the wall. She was four at the time, pigtails, overalls, the whole thing. “She’s carrying on her mom’s free spirit and love for animals.” I suck in a deep breath. “Unfortunately, she’s seeing one of the guys at work now. Not sure I’ll ever get used to that, but life works in mysterious ways.”
She nods slowly, her gaze stuck on mine. “It does. I never thought I was going to end up here last night. Not in a million years.”
“Have you heard from Pete?”
“I texted him this morning and told him it was over, then let him know that I was willing to work out a visitation agreement with a lawyer come Monday.” She takes a bite of the stale donut, and I realize I need to go grocery shopping. “I’m not looking to take Jasper from him. I just don’t think it’s healthy for us to be there full time anymore, ya know?” She’s barely finishedher sentence when I hear the patter of little feet running down the hall.
“Mom? Mom!” Jasper’s tiny voice yells as he rounds the corner. “Do you see the horses outside, and the red barn? I think I’m still in my dream!”
Sara lifts her boy into her arms and holds him close to her chest before turning toward me. “Every night before bed he tells me how he wants two horses with a big space and a red barn.”
“Well, then you’re in luck, bud. There are six horses out there.”
“Six!” He glances toward Sara, dark eyes bright and wide. “Mommy, can we feed them carrots?”
“I have sweet potatoes. Will that do?”
Jasper nods excitedly and bolts back down the hallway as quickly as he came. “I’m getting dressed!”
Sara spins back toward me, her face bright and happy. “I’m not sure I’ve seen him this excited about anything ever.”
“He should be over the moon then when we take him to the rodeo tonight.” I pause wondering if maybe I’ve overstepped. “I mean, if you want to go. You don’t have to go with me. I’m not implying that—”
“I want to go with you.” She smiles. “It sounds fun! Plus, you got us the tickets. Thank you! He’s going to lose his mind. You should let me cook dinner. It’s the least I can do.”
“The closest thing I’ve had to a home-cooked meal in months is the diner’s Sunday special, so I reckon that sounds like a plan. There’s a greenhouse outside you’re welcome to pull from. Everything else has to wait for the thaw.”
She grins wide. “You’ve got a greenhouse too? What do you grow?”
“Staples mostly. This time of year, the greenhouse is pretty stocked with spinach, carrots, and… I think there’re some peas out there too.”
She nods slowly. “Sounds like your wife had the right idea for a dream.”
I smile, thinking back to the woman that stole my heart a long time ago. “She sure did, but that greenhouse is all me. See, I’m cheap and if I can grow ten potatoes for the price of one from the grocery store, that’s what I’m going to do. Plus, I like the self-sufficiency of it all.”
She smiles wide and twists her long blonde hair to the side of her shoulder. “Yes! That’s how I grew up. I swear, if you try and explain this stuff to people who haven’t lived it, they think you’re crazy.”
Jasper comes running back down the hall with a crooked gait, his clothes half on. “I’m ready. I just need help with the snaps.”
Sara leans down and readjusts his jeans, buckling them closed before tightening his socks. “Looks good, bud, but where are your boots?”
“Boots!” He tears back down the hall again, running his hand against the wood chair railing as he turns the corner.
My chest tightens as though I’m seeing ghosts. “I didn’t realize how much I missed this.”
“Missed what?”
“Noise in the house. Little feet. Voices echoing. Life. I got used to the quiet but I’m not sure I actually enjoyed it.”
“Why didn’t you ever remarry?” She grins coyly. “I hear what the women around town say about you. You could find someone if you wanted to.”
I raise my brows with genuine curiosity. “What do the women around town say?”
