Page 61 of Your Love

The truck stops in the dirt in front of the barn, and Landry jumps out wearing his signature boots, tight denim jeans, a plain white T-shirt that stretches across his chest, and a baseball cap. He confidently strides over and disappears inside the barn to begin his work day.

I take one last sip of coffee, still holding the cup with my two shaky hands, before setting it down and pulling my cardigan sweater a little tighter around my body. I take a deep breath and march outside toward the barn. There’s a slight chill in the air, reminding me that I’m not in Texas.

When I enter the barn, Landry’s back is to me, working on the small tractor Papa bought. He said he got it for a steal, but the damn thing is always breaking down. That would explain Landry tinkering around with something and cursing under his breath.

“Maybe you should hit it with a hockey stick,” I suggest with a smirk.

Landry whirls around, his eyes as big as saucers—his big, beautiful amber-colored eyes that make me hate myself. “Kerri? What are you doing here?” he says in a pitch that’s easily three times higher than his normal voice.

He reaches me in four quick strides and puts his hands out but stops short of hugging me. Instead, he places his hand on my arm over the sweater, and the heat seeps through to my skin, searing me in the best way.

“It’s so good to see you,” he says, looking me over. “You look wonderful.”

“Thank you,” I reply, trying to control the hammering in my heart.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I would’ve picked you up.”

“My mom and I came together. Papa picked us up.”

Landry’s brow furrow. “So you’re not staying?”

I don’t want to have this conversation right now. He has work to do, and I feel like I’m about to combust. “Do you think we could talk when you’re done today?”

“Of course,” he says, confusion lacing through his words. “I don’t have a full day to put in, so why don’t I come up to the house in a few?”

I’m already on my way out as I say. “See you then.”

I quickly go back to my room and look through my clothes, but nothing seems right. After showering and starting to feel a bit more human, I put on jeans and a sweater and pull my hair back into a wavy ponytail. I apply minimal makeup, just enough to cover my tired eyes as much as possible, and then pace the floor until lunchtime.

The sound of the front door opening and voices echoing through the house interrupts my thoughts. I take a deep breath, trying to calm the queasiness in my stomach, before walking down the stairs. Landry is at the sink, his hands dripping with water as he washes them. He turns when he hears me approach and leans against the sink, drying his hands on one of Nana’s “Bless this kitchen” hand towels.

“Hey,” he says softly.

“Hi,” I reply, my voice barely above a whisper. “Can we take a walk?’

“Are you feeling up for it?” he asks, concern etched on his face. “We can take the golf cart if you want.”

I shake my head. “I’m okay.”

Landry opens the door for me and gestures for me to go first before following behind me. The crisp air hits my skin as we step outside, the familiar sights and scents of the property filling my senses. We walk in silence for a few minutes, soaking in the peacefulness of our surroundings.

“I noticed your sling and cast are gone,” Landry observes, breaking the silence.

“Yeah,” I reply with a small smile. “I did physical therapy, and I’m just about back to normal.”

“That’s great,” he says.

We come to a stop in front of the chicken coop, and I lean against the wooden fence, my fingers tracing the lines in the wood. I can’t bring myself to look at him right now, even though he deserves it for what I’m about to tell him. “I remember, Landry,” I say softly.

I wait for some kind of reaction, maybe excitement or joy, but instead, he leans against the fence next to me and lets out a long sigh. His shoulders slump as he asks, “How long?”

“Everything started coming back a few months ago. It was a picture from Paisley that sparked things.”

He hangs his head, his eyes fixed on the ground. “I think I knew on some level. You’ve been different when we talk on the phone, which hasn’t been much. And showing up out of the blue was a big hint.”

I reach out and place my hand on his arm, trying to comfort him. “I wasn’t trying to hide it from you. I needed to figure everything out.”

He nods but still can’t bring himself to meet my gaze. I can feel his hurt radiating off him in waves.