Page 27 of More Than a Little Spark

“You chat.I’ll see you in the morning.Call me if you need anything.”

Carson:I’m home, but I wanted to tell you again that I had a great time.

Me:I did too.And thank you for letting me know you made it home safely.I’m eager to see you again.

Carson:Same.We can text between dates if you want.

Me:I want.

He sends a laughing emoji as a reply.

I’ve never been shy, and I’m happy that my personality isn’t sending Carson running in the opposite direction.But patience isn’t my greatest virtue, so slow is going to be rough.I’m hoping the saying is true and that good things come to those who wait.

Chapter11

Carson

Carson

Fred and Mason are laughing up a storm as they toss hay off the trailer.Closed in the cab of the tractor, I can’t make out what prompted the laugh, but it’s fun to listen to.

My phone buzzes, and I check it in case Clint has something else he needs us to do while we’re out here with the tractor.

But the text on my screen isn’t from Clint.

Daphne:Good morning, Mr.Magical.I’m still smiling from last night.

I glance over my shoulder as I stop the tractor near the gate.The boys hop off the trailer and run toward the gate, and I tap out a reply to Daphne.

Me:I had fun spending time with you.And carrying you.Not sure if I’ll be able to steal away again before Christmas, but I’ll see what I can do.

Daphne:I do not want to interfere with any of y’all’s Christmas plans.But I do want to see you again.And don’t forget to send me the name of that soap.*Sigh*

Laughing, I flip my phone over as Fred opens the door.“Hey.Gate’s open.Can we ride on the trailer all the way back?We’ll be careful.”

“Sure.Hold on because it gets bumpy.”

“I know.”He starts to close the door, then stops.“What’s funny?”

“A friend texted me something funny.”I answer honestly but keep it very vague.To most people, the soap text might not be funny, but I can picture Daphne sighing, adding dramatic flair to emphasize that she really likes the way it smells.

Fred is still eyeing me.“One of the other guys?”

“No.Someone else.”I shift in my seat.“I’m getting hungry.We should head back.”

He nods and steps down.

I check that Fred and Mason are clear of the path before pulling through the gate.There’s probably no harm in letting Fred know that I’m seeing someone, but I don’t want him to even worry about that.Daphne might get tired of me after a few dates.And since she’s close with Rose, Daphne might be around some, and I don’t want Fred to dislike her if things do go south.If we’re still dating six months from now, I’ll consider introducing her to Fred.

Six months would be the longest I’ve dated anyone.By about 5 months.Though I really haven’t dated much at all.It’s not that I don’t like people.Most of the time, I do.I learned long ago to be content in my own company, but I didn’t break out of old patterns until Fred came along.Then I needed to for both of our sakes.

After parking the tractor, I find the boys beside the truck.Fred glances at my phone.“Thanks for letting us stay in the trailer.We’re kinda big to squeeze into the cab with you.”

Feigning shock, I nudge him.“You calling me fat?”

Mason cackles, and Fred shakes his head.“No, Uncle Car, I promise.”

I join in on the laugh, and Fred relaxes.

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