Page 72 of Where Are You Now
“Is it okay if we pick all this up when I get back?”
Her mother waved her off. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine. Go, go.”
Ava blew her a kiss and went to her room, popping around the corner to tell Lucas she’d be right there. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and slipped on her sneakers. Then, she went out to meet him.
Lucas was already at the truck, standing next to the open passenger door. Ava climbed in, sat on the worn vinyl bench seat, and buckled up as Lucas shut her door and went around to his side. He got in and turned the key, the timeworn engine clicking and growling in response. Then, with his elbow leaning out the open window, he drove them through the leafy lanes that snaked around the lake.
The cool breeze blew wisps of hair from Ava’s ponytail, tickling her face, just like the old days. She glanced over at Lucas. His shirt rippled in the wind. For an instant, she was that girl again, riding with her boy. In this truck, Lucas lookedso much more like the young man he’d been, and she could hardly take her eyes off him. A part of her hoped he’d have a change of heart and move back to New York, but watching him driving this truck told her otherwise. His shoulders were relaxed, his face set in a pleasant expression. Could she convince him that he could be happy in New York? And even if she could, was it reasonable of her to expect to be a part of his life there?
What would the dynamic be like if he and Elise were together? It occurred to her that mending his relationship had been God’s motivation in sending Ava to find Lucas. Maybe now Ava’s work with him was done, and it was time for him to get on with his own life.
The roads opened around them as they entered the city. They continued through the busy downtown streets until Nashville’s bustling atmosphere gave way to quieter lanes once again, and Ava found herself in the rolling hills outside the city limits. With every mile they drove, she felt more like the girl she’d been.
“It’s meant to be that I found this truck,” Lucas said.
She held back the runaway strands of her hair. “Why do you think so?”
“Well, I took a drive because there was something I wanted to see.”
He slowed down next to a dirt road leading into the woods. Posts on either side marked the path, and a metal bar with a latch stretched between them. He put the truck in park and jumped out, unlatching the bar and swinging it outward. He got back in and drove them into the trees. They bumped along, and he cranked up the radio, just like old times. After they drove through the woods for a while, the tree line gave way to an open field—meadows as far as she could see. At the very end of it was a little white farmhouse. Lucas pulled up outside of it and cut the engine.
“Where are we?”
“Nowhere,” he said proudly.
“Who lives here?”
“It’s empty.” He walked up to the wide wooden front porch and sat down on the step. Then he patted the spot next to him.
Ava went up the three steps and sat. That was when she took in the view from the porch: round hills of green leading to the forest that seemed to stretch on forever.
“It definitely does feel like we’re out in the middle of nowhere,” she said.
“But we’re only twenty minutes outside the city. Pretty cool, right?”
She took in a deep breath of untainted air. “Yeah. It reminds me of the farm.”
“Exactly.”
She looked over at him.
“It’s for sale,” he said.
A twinge of disappointment filled her, but she’d known deep down he wasn’t meant for New York. He’d been right there in the city with her that whole time. Why hadn’t things lined up for them then? Because they weren’t supposed to.
“Are you going to buy this place?” she asked.
“I’m thinking about it.”
“Have you talked to Elise about your decision to stay in Nashville? What does she think?”
“I haven’t told her yet. She loves to remodel, though. I’m sure she’d jump at the chance to help me. She renovated her apartment and, before we split, we were trying to decide if I should move in instead of getting a new place together—just because she was struggling to part with all the work she’d put into it.”
Ava nodded, their reality crashing down upon her.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
“Hm?” She swam out of her thoughts and landed in those emerald eyes.
