Page 86 of Sweatpants & Sweet Tea

I nodded. “I tried to get your address from your aunt yesterday, but she was asleep. And today, I decided I’m going to sell the farm.”

“What? Why would you sell the farm?”

“Because you live in California.”

Emotion filled her bottom lids. “You would move to California? For me?”

“Yes. I love you. I’ll do anything for you.”

Two tears slid down her cheeks as she smiled. “You don’t have to move for me. I don’t want to live in California. I don’t want to leave Aunt Rhonda alone, and I don’t even like my job. I want to be here. I want to live here.”

I cupped her face and wiped her tears with my thumbs as my heart exploded in my chest from happiness. “I don’t want you to say those things if you don’t mean them. You don’t have to say that.”

“No. I want to. I really do. I met this guy, this biker; I think he was a biker. And I think I met him, or I dreamt him; anyway, he asked me what was wrong, and usually I don’t tell people things, personal things, but I did. I told him everything, and he told me to close my eyes and picture my life, and if I could picture it without you, then…” She sniffed and closed her eyes. “It doesn’t matter, anyway, the point is, when I pictured my life, even with you in California, I wasn’t happy. But when I pictured it with us here, I was. I was happy. I want to be here with you. I love you, Harlan. I can’t picture my life without you.”

“I love you, too. I love you. I love you. I love you.” I leaned down and kissed her. I kissed her deep and hard, and then I hugged her tight, never wanting to let her go.

It might have been too tight because I felt her body tense.

“Harlan?”

“What?” I looked down at her, searching her face to see what was wrong. Whatever it was, we would fix it even if she’d changed her mind about moving. I didn’t care. Wherever she wanted to live, it would be fine.

“Who is that?”

She moved out of my arms and picked up a photo of my dad on his Harley. It was the last photo taken of him, and it was my favorite. He was wearing a white T-shirt, jeans, and his black riding boots. His long beard was blowing in the wind, and his bright blue eyes were vibrant in the photo.

“That’s my dad.”

All of the color drained from her face as she staggered back and sank onto the couch.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, stepping forward.

“Was your mom’s name Maggie?”

“Maggie,” I said at the same time she said her name. “Yeah, it’s Maggie.”

“Did your dad call her Magpie?”

“Magpie,” we chorused again.

“How did you know?”

Her breath grew shallow as she put her hand on her chest. She sounded like she was starting to hyperventilate as she said, “I know this is crazy, but this is the man I saw. This is the biker that I talked to at the airport.” She pointed down to the picture as tears filled her eyes. “This is the man who told me to close my eyes and picture what the rest of my life was going to be like. He said that was how I would know the answer to what I should do. It was him.”

I smiled as I shook my head back and forth and lowered myself beside her, my own tears forming in my eyes. “That’s not crazy. That’s my dad.”

I explained how he used to visit me in my dreams. I even told her that I asked him what I should do right before the poweroutage. She told me she’d asked her grandma the exact same question right before the lights went out.

We sat together, confused and happy, and confused again, trying to wrap our heads around what had transpired. Even though we had more questions now than ever, there were a couple of things we were certain of: we loved each other, and we were going to be together. And that was all we needed to know for sure.

EPILOGUE

Daphne

FOUR MONTHS LATER

A yawn claimedme as I sat at Aunt Rhonda’s dining room table and went over the latest draft of a new deal for Moore Farm Moonshine Sweet Tea distribution. It was going to be available in supermarkets nationwide and in Canada.

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