Page 49 of Belong With Me

“Everything you do or think is important. I’m sure whatever was just running through that beautiful mind of yours was too. If you need an ear, I’m here.” I hoped she took me up on my offer. I wanted her to trust me and feel comfortable enough to share all her thoughts and feelings with me. It would go a long way toward me opening up to her in return.

She was quiet for a few minutes. “I was just thinking about how different this place is compared to where I grew up.”

That wasn’t what I thought she might say. But I latched onto it like Milo or Oz would if it was a juicy bone. I was desperate to know more about her. “How so?”

Her response was almost instantaneous. “Well, I didn’t grow up on a farm for one thing.”

That was something I could have guessed. “Where did you grow up?” It struck me that she knew a lot about me, but I didn’t actually know that much about her. And this was my opportunity to change that.

“Louisiana. Only a few minutes from the center of the city. It was always busy and loud too. The sounds of cars and activity never stopped. Even late at night it wasn’t unheard of to still hear traffic noise.”

It was a vague answer, it could have been any city, but I loved learning everything I could about her. Even if it was something simple like where she lived. I was desperate for more, so I gave her another little piece of me. “I’ve never been any further than Fort Worth.”

Her hand came down on mine, squeezing it. “Really?”

Shrugging, I responded. “Yep.”

“Why not?”

I hadn’t thought it was that big a deal, but her question prompted me to think of a reason why. Just like me, it was simple in nature. “Never really had the inclination to travel. Plus, the ranch keeps me more than busy.”

“Hmmm,” she muttered, pouting a little.

“How about you?” I imagined she was well travelled.

“Yeah, I’ve seen most of the country. I’ve been to Europe once on holiday a few years ago.”

“Bet that was something different.”

“Yeah. It was a real eye opener, for sure. I love to travel. In fact, I’d love to go to Australia one day.”

I thought about where I would travel to if ever I decided to go away. Australia was somewhere that interested me too.

Who was I kidding, though? I’d never even been to the beach; I couldn’t see myself travelling internationally anytime soon.

“What about you? If you could go anywhere, where would you go?” she asked. When she turned in her seat, I felt her eyes on me as she waited for my response.

“Australia sounds pretty cool. I’ve heard they have some pretty similar farming habits to us, plus they’ve got some pretty nice beaches too.” I took a breath and told her, “But I’ve never been to the beach. I mean, not that I remember. There’s a photo of my parents and me with Van and Wyatt on a beach somewhere, but I was only about eight months old, so I don’t remember it.”

She remained quiet for a few minutes. Probably processing my lack of travel. Who knew? She was probably thinking I was some kind of idiot. After all, most people visited the beach on their vacation. “I’m not overly keen on the beach. The fact that sand gets everywhere and apparently takes weeks to completely disappear is something I could happily live without.”

As the main house came into view, I eased my foot from the accelerator and drove a little slower than I normally would. I wasn’t ready for this night to end. Not yet anyway. Not when everything had gone as well as I possibly thought it would. In fact, it went even better than I could have hoped. It felt easy; nothing felt like it was forced or like it was something she didn’t enjoy. If I was being completely honest with myself, that made my walls crack just a little bit.

As I reached the same spot I always left the truck, I put the shifter into Park and turned off the engine. Looking across the seat, I spied Sienna already glancing over at me. “Are you tired?” she asked, tilting her head slightly. A habit I’d noticed she had when she asked questions.

“Not yet,” I told her. “Do you maybe want to sit on the porch swing with me for a little while?”

Her small smile warmed me to my core. “Sure, though I can help you with the things from the date first if you want?”

“Nah, it’s okay. I’ll grab them later.’’ I stepped out of the truck and snagged a blanket on my way past the tray. “A blanket won’t harm us though. It is getting late after all.” It seemed that summer was finally starting to turn toward fall, and the nights were starting to cool. A better time for everyone, for sleeping and for working, and for nights cuddled together with hot cocoa and a warm blanket.

The moment I was by her side, she threaded her fingers through mine. I was struck by how easily she did so. It was like we had done this a hundred times before. We climbed the steps, heading directly for the old porch swing that had hung in the same position since I was a little boy. Holding the arm of the swing, I kept it steady while she sat down. I lowered myself in the spot beside her and spread the blanket over the two of us. She leaned in close to me and I lifted my arm and settled it around her shoulders. She sighed contentedly against my shoulder.

Nestling in even further, she pulled the blanket up under her chin and we looked out at the plethora of stars in the sky above us. “It’s amazing just how many stars you can see out here.” Sienna turned her head a little so she was looking up at me.

I leaned down just fraction, pressing my lips against her forehead. The fact that I could do that blew my mind. And she was here with me at this moment enjoying one of life’s little pleasures. “Is it really that hard to see the stars where you’re from?”

I supposed that was another thing I’d taken for granted all these years. Dad had taught me my constellations and how to navigate with them if I ever got lost, so maybe they were more of a resource than entertainment. But seeing the way she looked up at them, with something akin to childlike wonder on her face…. It made me glad that I lived here and could walk outside and look at them anytime I wanted.

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