Page 5 of Forever with the Farmer's Daughter
I chuckle as he releases me once again. “It’s good to be home.”
“Aunt Jane is goin’ go nuts when she sees you. Today was Aubrey’s baby shower, so they should be home shortly.”
I pitch my thumb to the SUV parked in the yard. “Let me grab my bags and we can head over there and say hi.” I jog down the steps, pull my bags out of the back of the SUV, and follow Craig inside. A feeling of home envelopes me the moment I walk through the door and take in my surroundings. It looks pretty much the same as the last time I was here, though the couch is new. “Glad to see you upgraded the furniture.”
Craig chuckles. “Yeah, it was Aubrey’s. She sold what she could before we moved her down, said I could have whatever I needed of what was left.”
“That was nice of her. Momma and Dad had nothing but good things to say about her. I can’t wait to meet her.”
This time he laughs and shakes his head. “She’s something, all right. Couldn’t be happier for her and Kenny.” Craig pauses as he tilts his head. “Wait, you’ve seen Momma and Dad? How long have you been back?”
I grin uneasily as my hand finds the back of my neck as I admit, “A couple of weeks.”
“Seriously? And Momma didn’t say anything? You wait ‘til I call her tonight.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Don’t be too hard on her, I asked them not to say anything so I could surprise you.”
“Well, you certainly did.” Craig claps his hands. “I’m going to wash up, why don’t you settle in and then we’ll head over to Kenny’s.”
“Roger that,” I reply as I grab my bags and head upstairs to my old room. Walking through the door of my childhood bedroom, memories flood my mind. I knew Momma would leave everything in place once I left, so I packed away the football trophies, and FFA ribbons before I deployed. It’s nice to see she gave my room a fresh coat of paint and hung new curtains. The bed has been upgraded to a queen size, which is good since I don’t think I could fit in a twin bed now.
I toss my bags on the bed and begin to unpack. I begin by placing my things in the dresser and then move to the closet. I pull my dress uniform from the suitcase, and hang it in the empty closet, placing my dress shoes underneath it on the floor. Luckily for me, Momma was more than willing to take me shopping, otherwise my closet would be void of clothing other than my fatigues. Once I’m finished unpacking, I head downstairs to meet Craig.
Walking through the house, I find my brother in the kitchen staring out the window over the sink. “The place looks great.”
“Thanks. I’ve been making improvements a little at a time.”
“Well, if there’s anything I can help you with, let me know.”
He laughs as he leans against the counter. “Oh don’t worry, there’s plenty you can help with.”
“Good, you know I like to stay busy. By the way, is my old truck still here?”
Craig grins, “Yep, tucked safely away under the lean-to. I’m sure she’s going to need some work though; it hasn't been started in a while.”
This time it’s my turn to grin. “Good thing I know a good mechanic.”
Craig shakes his head and laughs, walking over to clap me on the back. “Come on, let’s head over to the barn and surprise Kenny and the rest of the family.”
We climb into Craig’s truck to make the short drive over to Aunt Jane and Uncle Ken’s. “Think you can follow me to town tomorrow to return the rental?”
He glances over at me. “Sure, we can head out after breakfast.”
I grin. “Aunt Jane still spoiling you with breakfast?”
“You know it, plus now she has Aubrey to help her.”
“I bet she loves every minute of it.”
He laughs as we pull up beside the barn. “Man, you have no idea.”
We hop out of the truck, as Kenny comes out of the barn. "Hey, did something happen to the tractor?" Focused on Craig, he doesn't seem to notice me until I close the truck door. His eyes dart in my direction, "Cam?"
"Hey cousin, how ya doing?"
A huge smile breaks out across his face as he pulls me into a hug. "Damn it's good to see you," he says as he releases me.
"You too, man. I hear life's treating you well."
