Page 85 of Made For You
“Shit,” I mumbled as I looked at the calendar. Today was my day to work the market. I didn’t need to be there for three more hours, but it put a damper on spending the morning with Talon. And I wasn’t ready for the questions everyone would have. Not just about his grandfather but with my job. News traveled fast in a small town.
Quickly, I plated the omelets, left them on the counter, and went to open the bedroom door, only to find Talon standing in the doorway, wearing only his boxer briefs. His eyes were rimmed in red, and there were almost purplish smudges underneath them.
“You okay?” I asked him.
“Yeah. I kept waking up last night.”
“Oh, what from?” I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his waist. He did the same around my shoulders as he kissed my forehead.
“Everything. Regretting I brought you into all this, but not regretting that I got to have you.”
“I’m sorry.” I wasn’t sure what my apology was for, but it seemed to please him just the same.
At the counter, we ate breakfast, and I told him about the market. The last few times it was my weekend, he stayed at home or was busy in Knoxville. Franny was usually on board to help me, but for some reason, I wanted Talon there. Surprisingly, he agreed.
The morning passed by quickly as we went to my parents’ farm to load the crates into Alex’s vintage truck—something Talon was thrilled to drive. But Mom must’ve set out the produce the night before, because everything was packed in the truck for me by the time we got there. The workers were already making headway out on the farm, aerating the soil for the next planting season, and my parents weren’t in the house when I popped my head in to tell them I was leaving with the goods, so they must’ve been out in the fields too.
We made our way to the stand before most of the other vendors. The Sunny Brook Farm booth was one of the more popular spots, so we usually tried to have it stocked long before others arrived. It gave us time to barter with some of the other local farmers in town.
While I worked on setting up the crates, Talon called his grandmother, inviting her to come to the market today. He offered to pick her up, but she stubbornly refused and said she’d find a way there herself. I wouldn’t be surprised if Gigi walked the entire way.
As I pulled out one of the canopies from the back of the truck, my phone rang. I answered when I saw it was my mom.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetie. Are you already set up at the market?”
“Um… yes, for the most part.”
“Autumn mentioned Talon’s grandmother is staying at the B&B. Is he with you?”
I was confused by her question, but answered, “Yes.”
“Okay. I have something for him. Oh, and your brother is looking for you. So, don’t be surprised if he stops by.”
Great.
“Okay. Love you.”
“Love you. We’ll see you in a bit.”
I ended the call and set my phone on the rustic wooden tabletop. It wasn’t uncommon for my mom to find her way to the market on the weekends if the harvesting season was over. She loved to stock up on some of the local jellies and soups for the winter. But I was concerned about her having something for Talon.
Out of nowhere, a hand wrapped around my neck from behind, and I yelped with surprise. The pressure of the fingers twisted my head to the side, where Talon’s lips crashed down on mine, and I instantly melted.
I moaned against his mouth as his tongue swiped across my upper lip, and I opened for him. We kissed like two teenagers until a catcall rang out from somewhere off in the distance, reminding us we were in public.
“Where did that come from?” I panted when he broke our kiss.
“Fucking missed this,” Talon whispered as he rested his forehead against mine.
“Me, too.”
We pulled apart, but only slightly. Talon stood behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist as a chilly breeze whipped around us. I’d worn a light jacket but shivered from the cold.
An unfamiliar alert chimed on my phone, and I looked down to find a browser notification. Last night, Talon suggested I ignore everything I found on the web, but I thought it was best to know what was being said about our marriage. I set up a browser search notification that alerted me whenever there was a news article released containing my name. Last night, it was just the few Talon had already shown me. When we were getting ready this morning, there had only been one more.
The notification I was staring at showed seventhousand.
