“Exactly,” I muse. “I’ll save that for theseconddate.”
I take a drink while she scans the page again, her lips twitching as she does it. I love how she can switch from light to heavy and back again without issue because I’m the same.
“OK. What kind of music do you like?”
“Anythin’ with a beat. Slow when I’m tryin’ to relax, fast when I’m tryin’ to stay energized,” I tell her.
“Somethin’ tells me you’re more of the energized type than the relaxin’ kind.”
My lips twitch. “Maybe that’s somethin’ I’m hopin’ mywifecan help me with.”
Em hums but her warm eyes let me know she liked that answer. “Good answer, hubby. Next up, what’s your favorite TV show?”
“You knowthatone already.”
She eyes me skeptically, a single brow raised. “You already liked Deadliest Catch before knowin’ me?
“Yep,” I reply. “Dad’s a crab boat captain out of Dutch Harbor. He’s been doin’ it for decades.”
A gasp escapes her. “Imagine if he’d been on the show. That would make you be two degrees of separation from a celebrity.”
I chuckle. “Nah. I did watch the early episodes with him, though. You should’ve heard him analyzin’ everythin’. He’d get really into it and one or more of us would end up in an argument over howrealreality TV is.”
She’s leaning back in her chair now, a picture of comfort. “That sounds fun, actually.”
My lips tug up on the side. “Maybe we’ll put on an episode when I take you to meet my parents,” I say without thinking.
She stills, as if she hadn’t thought about that happening. “I think I’d like that. Then I can hear all the embarrassin’ stories from your childhood.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “As long as you promise not to get Mom to pull out the baby photos, have at it.”
She eyes me knowingly. “Deal.” Lifting the paper again, she looks over at me. “OK, last one. What’s your favorite thing to do for yourself?”
“When we first moved back to the ranch, the greenhouses were in a terrible state. They were overgrown and hadn’t been fixed up or used for years. So, I decided to make it my project for the ranch. Sutt has his Zen garden, Case has his Christmas tree farm, Will oversees everythin’ and I have that.”
She leans an arm against the table and picks at the leftover salad on her plate. “How are they goin’ now?”
“Really good. Just finished the last of our plantin’ for the year before the weather turns.”
“Is it just for personal use, or are you goin’ to be sellin’ them at the farmer’s market? My mom used to sell knitted crafts and fruit from our orchard at the markets every so often.” She smiles. “I’d go with her and pretend I was a shopkeeper.”
“Cutest shopkeeper in the whole town, I bet,” I reply. “Thatisthe plan, though. Grow enough for usandwhatever’s left can be for the community—whether that be through givin’ it away or barterin’. I like the idea of the townsfolk workin’ together to help each other out.”
“Timber Falls is good like that. Everyone knows everyone.”
“And they’re always willin’ to help out when it’s needed. I couldn’t believe the amount of meals delivered to your house after Sully’s passin’.” My eyes jump wide at my mistake.
“It’s OK,” she says, her expression not stricken as I’d expected. “I can’t say I’m the same woman I was two months ago because that would be a lie. I adored my father. He may not have been everyone’s cup of tea but he was amazin’ to me. He may have been overprotective and strict at times, but he was also a great listener, told a great dad joke, and never once tried to stop me from doin’ anythin’ I wanted to do.” She closes her eyes, taking a slow deep breath before opening them again. All I want to do is get up and wrap my arms around her so she knows she’s not alone. Instead, I reach over and grab hold of her hand, with no plans to let it go this time.
Her gentle gaze meets my concerned one. “Hey. No. Please don’t look at me like that. I’m OK, I promise. Whenever I think about him, it hits me that he’s truly gone now. He’s not goin’ to be back home the next time I visit. He won’t be callin’ me askin’ me to update him on the Pacific Plate like he used to do every once in a while.” She falls quiet. “Honestly, I think that’s what is holdin’ me back about bein’ back on the mountain. It’s almost paralyzin’.”
I nod, understanding exactly how she feels. “First time I went inside the house at the ranch after Gramps had passed, it felt wrong somehow. It didn’t help that the place looked like it had been frozen in time and the only thing missin’ was him. It helped havin’ my brothers around, though. Even now, months later, we still joke and reminisce about the things we did with him and all the crazy stories he used to tell us.”
A small, soft smile appears. “We’ve been doin’ that too. It’s been nice bein’ able to message them at any time just to check in and know I’m not in this alone.”
I rub my thumb over her knuckles. “You won’t ever be again if I have any say in it.”
Em’s eyes turn glassy. “That might just be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”