Page 17 of Fall Back
I’ve been so close for far too long. I should have been a damn adult and come out to see them already, but I didn’t. All because it was easier to be a coward.
Is it easier now? When I’ll have to explain to them why I didn’t say anything sooner. Sure, needing to get settled and start my new job sounds reasonable, but my family will still feel a certain way about it.
The moment we stop in front of the big farmhouse on Limitless Ranch land, the same house where I grew up, my stomach tightens into a knot that has me almost doubling over. Jared’s hand lands on my thigh and he gives a squeeze, as if he knows I need his strength and support.
“Your family loves you,” he reminds me. “They might be hurt, but they’ll get over it and just be happy to see you and have you home.”
I nod absently as I look around.
Mom and Dad’s RV is parked close by and I can see the top of Fletcher and Eden’s house in the distance. My eyes go back to the only home I knew growing up. Back then, it felt small withall of us trying to carve out a space to belong. Now it looks huge, as if it’s grown with the amount of love it has held over the years.
I know Noel, Delaney, Huxley, and Sunshine are all living in the farmhouse. For now. Once the house Noel is building for his woman is done, they’ll move out and leave this piece of our family to Huxley and Sunshine. They’ll do this home justice, of that I have no doubt.
When I made the decision to move back to Wintervale, I never imagined myself living here on this land. I did love growing up here, but the ranch was never for me. It never had a spot where I could just be me. Back then, I resented it, but I don’t anymore.
If I had felt like I had a place here, I don’t know if I would have left to follow my dreams. It would have been easier to stay and be lost in what this small town expected of me. But it’s not how life went for me.
Just as I go to open my door, it’s opened, and I’m engulfed in arms which feel so familiar as the soft scent of lilacs wraps around me. “My girl,” Mom breathes and hugs me tighter.
I didn’t even notice her approach, but it doesn’t stop me from hugging her back. When I look over at Jared, his eyes are on me and filled with a softness I feel all the way to my toes. He gets out of his truck and is immediately greeted by my dad.
“Jared,” my dad slaps his shoulder, “it’s good to see you. You just giving my girl a ride?”
Jared looks my way and smiles. It’s not sly or secretive. It’s open and filled with affection. Dad doesn’t miss it, and his mouth drops open slightly.
“Well shit,” Dad mutters under his breath.
I don’t get the chance to catch if anything else is said because Mom is pulling me out of the truck and hugging me again like it’s been years since we’ve seen each other, instead of months. I get it, she’s always been the one to show open affection with her kids, not caring how old we are or how much we resisted. She was going to let us know we’re loved.
When she finally pulls away enough to look at my face, her eyes roam over me like she’s memorizing me. “No one mentioned you visiting. How long are you staying?” The curiosity mixed with joy in her voice only makes me feel worse.
I clear my throat and admit, “I’m not visiting, Mama.”
Her eyebrows pull together before she lets out a shout. “What? You’re here to stay?” When I nod, her voice goes up an octave, almost to that place only dogs can hear, “Did you hear that, Clive?”
“No, woman,” he comes around Jared’s truck, the two men walking side by side far too casually for my liking, “you know I can’t hear what you’re saying when your voice gets all squeaky like that.”
Mom huffs, hearing the teasing in Dad’s voice. Hell, he’s been teasing her about the same things for as long as I can remember. It’s the way they love each other. Their closeness is something I’ve always admired and sought out in my own relationships.
They just always fell short.
Well, until now.
When my eyes catch Jared’s, he flashes me a knowing grin and winks. He steps closer to me, and I can almost feel how much he wants to wrap his arm around me. I have a feeling he’s holding out more for me than his own self-preservation.
Needing some of his strength, I don’t hesitate to slide my arm around his waist and lean into his side. The way he holds me against him, his arm a solid band holding me up, is exactly what I need.
Dad notices the closeness between us and tries to hide his smile with a frown, but I see the way his eyes light up. Mom is facing Dad, her hands flapping in front of her with excitement.
“Our girl isn’t just visiting,” she informs him. “She’s here to stay.”
Dad looks back at me, his eyebrow raised, and the challenge and questions clear in his voice. “Is that so? And how long have you been in town, little one?”
I bite my lip, knowing the question was bound to be asked eventually but hoping I had a little more time. When Mom whirls around, her eyes get as big as saucers while she takes in how close Jared and I are.
Before I can answer, the door of the farmhouse swings open as Noel and Huxley jostle to be the first ones out. I almost laugh at the familiar scene, but then Fletcher is walking around the side of the house with a pregnant Eden and Macklin right behind them.
Noel is eyeing Jared and how close we are, but it’s Fletcher’s voice that pulls my attention. It sounds like thunder, “Did I just here Mom say you’re not visiting? That you’re staying?”
