Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 80102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
“Now you’re talking about cum, right?”
I snort. “I wish.”
We drive down the road to the other entrance of the property and past the empty meadows that are soon going to be crops, and I explain to Rainn the plans for the expansion, but I’m not sure how much of it he’s retaining.
“We need more than dairy to survive in the long run,” I explain. “But this isn’t what I wanted to show you. Eventually, we’re going to add another entrance from the road that leads back here, but for now this is the only access.” I pull up alongside the foundation and half-constructed walls of my soon-to-be house.
“What is this?” Rainn asks as we get out of the car.
“This …” I hold out my arms. “Is my future home.”
The house faces the pond, and I wish I could’ve brought Rainn here at sunset for him to see the colors painted across the sky.
Rainn is quietly contemplative.
“Campbell and Christie’s place is up a bit farther, but after Mom and Dad are gone, they’ll probably take over the farmhouse.”
“Because he’s older?”
“Nah, because they’ll fill it with a billion children. I’ll probably be the weird uncle who lives in a cabin all alone.” Or with someone special, but I don’t want to push that idea onto Rainn even though imagining it makes me want it.
I grab his hand and take him to where my porch will be. “I’m going to drink my morning coffee here.” After I wake you up after I finish morning chores. “Drink my beer and watch the sunset.” With you on the seat next to me.
There I go getting ahead of myself and fantasizing about things that I really shouldn’t.
“Sounds perfect,” Rainn says.
“The plans are for two bedrooms, though I don’t know what I’ll do with the second one yet. Home gym maybe.”
“You don’t want kids?” Rainn asks.
“I dunno. I always thought that would be left up to my brother. I love the idea of being able to give them back when they’re whiny or upset.”
“That is a very good point. I don’t get to see my nephews much, but when I do, I love it when I can be all ‘Someone has a dirty diaper, and that’s not my job.’”
“Exactly.”
“This is an amazing place, Whit.”
“I like it.” I step up behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. “And when it’s done, you can spend your nights off here. You can sleep in while I go to work. I can come home for a nooner.”
Rainn laughs. “Now who’s the romantic one?”
“I can see us here,” I whisper and hold my breath to wait for the protest or for him to stiffen.
He doesn’t, though. Surprising me, he turns in my arms and kisses me. It could be in agreement or a distraction, but I really don’t care.
This is me, putting myself out there, but not with anything too crazy. I’m talking about doing what we do now, just at my place instead of his.
I don’t need to ask questions that don’t need immediate answers, but I want him to know I am thinking about a future.
“We should get back,” he says. “Before Campbell kills me for making his brother miss his wedding.”
“That would be bad. I kinda like you, and it would suck if you died before you could fuck me.”
Rainn scowls. “And you’d miss me.”
“Oh, yeah, that too.”
He hip-checks me as we walk back to the truck. When we climb in, he reaches over and squeezes my leg but doesn’t say anything.
With one last look out at the place, it really hits me. “My brother and I have been talking about doing this since we were kids—building houses on the property and expanding the farm. It’s surreal that it’s finally happening.” I lock eyes with him, and his expression holds some sort of awe. “What’s that look for?”
Rainn averts his gaze and stares out the windshield. He looks like he wants to say something but either can’t or doesn’t know if he should. “I’m … jealous.”
“Of the house?”
He huffs. “No. Of your passion. I like my job, I like my life, but I don’t have that passion anymore.”
I want to tell him he still has it, he’s just mad at it, but he needs to get there on his own. “You’ll find it. You’ve been discovering a lot of new things about yourself lately.”
“True.”
By the time we get back to the farmhouse, we have to take a parking spot on the road because the other guests have poured in.
“Will you sit with me for the ceremony?”
“Of course. We’ll have to find Sommer, though. I told her I wouldn’t leave her side today. Oops.”
“Are you ready to meet my extended family?”
“Nope, but I’ll do it for you.”
That makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. “I promise they won’t interrogate you. Much.”