Page 5 of We Found Love

Building his own home had not factored into his future, and yet it should have if he was honest. He was a grown man and should have moved out by now.

“Sure.”

“You don’t sound very enthusiastic about it. You don’t want to live here? I’m sure Mom and Dad would be happy if you wanted somewhere else to build.”

He jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and kept walking, letting his eyes study the land. It was a beautiful piece, the pasture flat and rolling, the trees offering shade and shelter. Then there was the river. Ford had always loved the small, wandering line of water that ran through some of SRR.

“Ford, talk to me, bro. What’s going on? Something’s been riding you lately, but I haven’t said anything. Maybe I should have.”

“Nothing is riding me, and why does something have to be going on?” He shot Nash a look.

His brother was frowning. “I don’t know, but I can feel that you’re not happy with Dad and Mom giving you this piece of dirt, and then there’s what Luna said.”

“What did she say?”

“That you’re not happy. That you always look tired and maybe something is off with you.”

It was eerily close to the truth, and yet until Luna, he’d been able to hide it. He would continue to do so and throw his brother off the scent, but still, it was unsettling she’d picked up on him not being right. She was his brother’s fiancée and hadn’t known him that long. His own family was oblivious to the hell that resided in his head.

“Ford!” Nash snapped his fingers in front of Ford’s face.

“I’m happy all right, you don’t feel shit, and your woman is clueless about me,” he said, going with insults as a way to deflect when inside his gut was tied in knots. Change. Ford hadn’t been good with that since returning from college. “Just because you’re all loved up now does not mean you have intuition, and her neither.”

“The hell you say. I’m everything that is intuitive, and my girl is better.”

Ford snorted.

“But seriously, man. What’s going on? Lately you’ve not been the happy, calm Ford we all know. The people pleaser. Lately you’re more like me.”

“Nothing, and I don’t try to please everyone.”

“Something is off,” Nash persisted.

“It’ll be a great place to build a house,” Ford said, ignoring his brother as he spun on his heel. “I reckon just there. The sun will rise from the east, and I’ll get light all day.”

He felt Nash’s eyes on the side of his face, but his brother didn’t ask any more questions.

“The house should be long and low. You can add on wings when you find a woman to marry your sad ass and the kids start arriving,” his brother said.

He’d once looked forward to having his own kids, but now he wasn’t so sure about them either. It wasn’t that he was broken completely, but he did have issues he’d never dealt with.

Maybe it’s time?

“You can get a dog to keep you company until then,” Nash said. “And a pony.”

“You are not making me take Monica. Besides, she’d pine for you.”

Monica had shown up on his brother’s doorstep one day and refused to leave. With her had come her duck, MD.

“Well, is this where you want to build, son?”

They turned together to face their father, and Ford saw the excited look in his eyes. His mom and dad wanted this for him. A house to call his own.

“You want me out of the house, don’t you?”

“Busted.” He laughed. “But seriously, you need a place of your own, Ford, and we plan on living forever, so this is the best way to get it for you.”

“Then I need to get plans drawn up,” Ford said, forcing a smile. “Thank you, Dad. Really. I never got around to thinking about this, and now you have. I’m happy with where you and Mom picked out.”

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