Page 47 of Never Really Over

I stand up and get to moving. I can’t keep my promise to Poppy if I don’t do my second most important job, keeping the animals alive and the crops in good condition. Farming might not be the ideal profession for a single father, which is what I need to start thinking of myself as, but Poppy and I, we’ll make it work. I’m lucky that so far, she seems content just following me around and being a part of all of it.

The cows and goats seem to notice the absence of their favorite person, meaning they don’t stick around too long. Apparently I’m not as entertaining as Poppy. The thought makes me grin and realize that we’ll be all right. There will be days I might need the girls to help and watch her if I’m pulling late days in the field, but that’s okay. Today made me realize that I’m not alone. I never was to begin with, but they stepped up and didn’t make me feel like an idiot for not knowing what was happening.

After feeding the animals, I head into the shop so I can work on the combine for a little bit. The big green machine is the key to getting the crops out of the fields and if I don’t have it in top working order before the crops are ready to be harvested, I’ll be in bad shape. That’s where Tim, Brian, Drew, and Corey find me about forty-five minutes later.

“Well. That was interesting,” Brian says, coming to stand next to me, leaning his arm on the back tire of the combine. “Knew she was here because our wives, you know, they like to keep us informed, but didn’t figure I’d see her cleaning out your fridge when I stopped inside to drop off food.”

I turn toward him and can’t help but smile. “She was doing what?”

Corey nods, laughing and scrubbing a hand down his face. “Amy would’ve loved to see that. Layla doing work for us lowly country folk.” All of our friends are well aware of Amy’s feelings toward Layla, so it’s no surprise Corey brings up Amy and the way Layla talked down about us when she broke up with me.

“Or kicked her out and taken over because she wouldn’t want her here,” Drew says, laughing.

Corey grins. “That, too.”

“She means well, you know,” Drew tells me, meaning Amy, I’m sure.

“I know. But she doesn’t need to worry because nothing is going to happen between Layla and me. Honestly, she wouldn’t have been here at all if she hadn’t been at Missy’s earlier. She’s moving back,” I tack on the last, knowing the girls already told them, but I want to hear their reaction.

“How you feeling about that?” Tim asks, smirking.

I shrug. “Doesn’t really matter either way, I guess. She might be here again, but that doesn’t change anything. Those feelings she squashed years ago stayed squashed so you can let the girls know that my heart is safe. Besides, I have bigger things to worry about like taking care of Poppy. That’s my focus from now on and I’m happy with that.”

The guys exchange a look that I can see right through.

Corey speaks up. “No one would blame you if you still have feelings for her.”

I groan and lean against the tractor sitting next to the combine. “Think what you want. I have no desire to start anything up with Layla Belk ever again. She made it clear what she thought of me and I’m nowhere close to the type of guy she wants in her life. Not that I would even want to be.”

Tim raises his eyebrows. “You trying to convince us, or you?”

“Both? I don’t know.” I toss a rag into the corner, frustrated that this is even something that’s taking up headspace right now. “She’s changed, though. Not the same person I was in love with when I was a teenager. We’ve both moved on, that much is clear. The morning she came here, she was making fun of me for being the same person I was then. She later said she didn’t mean it, but I know better. Those thoughts were voiced only because they were in her head in the first place. On some level, she has always felt I’m beneath her. She was engaged to a man completely opposite of me. That’s all I need to remind myself of if I ever start thinking things I shouldn’t. We’re not a match and never were. We’re over, plain and simple.”

I hear a feminine voice clear behind me and turn around to see Layla holding Poppy, no doubt having heard everything I just said. I could, and maybe should, apologize, but I’m not going to. Nothing I said was a lie. In fact, she’s the one who told me she thinks it’s all but pathetic that I’m still friends with all the same people I’ve been friends with since I was young. Sure, like I told them, she told me she didn’t believe it, but there’s a reason she said those things. There was truth to it. I’m not the man for her.

Rather than bring up the earlier conversation, I direct my attention to Poppy.

“She woke up, huh?”

Layla nods, looking incredibly uncomfortable. I move to them, taking Poppy from Layla’s arms, who actually seemed completely content, resting her head on Layla’s shoulder. But the problem was more that I liked the sight a little too much and if I’m going to stick with the words I said to the guys, I can’t be seeing that too often or I’ll get things mixed up in my head.

“How’s my Tootsie Pop feeling?” I ask her, feeling her head. “She doesn’t feel as warm, huh?”

“I thought so, too. I changed her diaper when she woke up but I didn’t really know what I was doing so I hope it doesn’t leak or something,” she says quietly. Maybe she’s embarrassed that she doesn’t know how to change a baby’s diaper.

“Thanks. I’m sure it’s fine.”

“Hey, Layla,” Tim says, coming over to give her a side hug. “Been a while, huh?”

Layla looks at him in surprise but returns the hug, moving to the rest of the guys and doing the same.

“Yeah. Too long. I missed a lot.”

Drew pats his stomach. “Missed me building this sexy dad bod,” he says, chuckling.

“I see that,” she jokes, poking his stomach. “It suits you. You all look great.”

“So do you,” Brian tells her. “How’s your mom?”

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