I tug at the collar of my dress. It’s too hot to be wearing something like this, even if it is cotton. I can’t even unfasten the top button, given the style. It would make me look sloppy.
Celeste’s broad smile when I came out of the house in it was enough to convince me I’d made the right call. Still, I intentionally skipped the nylons. There’s no way I’m wearing those on a day like today.
Henry approaches me now, his brow glistening with sweat from working in the heat. “You look….” His words fade with a twist of his lips.
“Like I could star on Little House on the Prairie?” I don’t bother hiding the dismay in my voice.
“Something like that.” His eyes flicker down my front, where a line of white buttons runs from my neck to my knees.
“She loves buttons.”
“I can see that.”
“They make it easy to get in and out of the dress.”
His blue eyes flare with heat. “I’ll have to test that theory out later and let you know.”
Flutters stir in my stomach. “I thought you had to leave? Don’t you have a meeting tonight?”
“Do you want me to leave, Abbi?”
“No.” I emphasize that with a head shake. I don’t ever want him to leave.
He takes a step closer. A tiny smirk curls his lips. “The lovely church ladies have begged me to stay. They’ve sworn up and down that Bernadette Mitchell will want to thank me personally for my part.”
“Oh, I’m sure she will.” I giggle, my gaze flickering behind us to where Peggy Sue, Edith, and three other women cluster together around a table like, well, clucking hens. Mama would never dare say anything disparaging about Henry to anyone but me. She’s smart enough to know how ungrateful that’d make her look and she’s all about image.
Jed catches my eye. He’s standing next to Celeste, whose wide smile from only moments ago has been replaced with a frown of worry as she watches Henry and me. As lovely as Celeste is, she’s as delusional as the Reverend and Mama if she thinks I’d ever get back together with her son.
“They’re here!” someone calls out, and I spot the Reverend’s green Oldsmobile rolling up the driveway.
“I guess it’s too late now, either way,” Henry murmurs, stepping back to watch with interest as the crowd of people begin politely cheering.
I reach over to snag his finger within mine, giving it a squeeze. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
I can feel his eyes on me as I watch the car come to a stop and Reverend Enderbey pop out with a big grin.
Someone runs for Mama’s door to open it for her, holding their hand out to help her heave her body out. I was hoping that she’d lose a bit of weight over these past three weeks, stuck in the hospital next to my dad instead of near a kitchen, her focus on him rather than food. I know that’s an awful thing to wish for, but it’s borne from worry for her health rather than anything else. But if she has lost weight, it’s unnoticeable. At least, from here and in her sunny yellow tent dress.
I take a deep breath. How is she going to deal with Henry being here?
“You should probably go over there,” he murmurs, ushering me forward with a gentle push against the small of my back.
“I know. I’m just….” It’s stupid, but I’m afraid. I want her to accept Henry and love him because, despite how difficult she is, she’s still my Mama. It hurts that she wouldn’t want me to be happy, and Henry is what makes me happy.
“Go on. I’ll wait here.” His gaze drifts over the bumper and, more specifically, the duct tape that’s holding it in place. I can’t imagine what he thinks about that.
I cut my way through the crowd with polite smiles and soft excuse mes. At some point along the way, Jed has intercepted my path and is now beside me. I try to add space between us but each time, he shifts with me, closing the distance, until by the time we reach the car, we may as well be arm in arm. He even ran home to change into a pair of khakis and a blue button-down plaid. Oddly, the same shade of blue as my dress.
I spear him with a glare but quickly wipe it off as some of the church men help Daddy out of the backseat and into his wheel chair. Unlike Mama, he’s definitely lost weight. He also looks like he’s aged by five years, his skin pale and starting to sag at his jowls.
I gingerly wrap my arms around him in a hug, afraid to squeeze too tight.
“I thought you were running the farm and here you are, throwing parties.” He chuckles softly—his voice, his laugh, his demeanor, all of it has always been gentle—and it instantly brings tears to my eyes.
“Just one big one for you, Daddy. Welcome home.”
Jed moves to grab the handles of his wheelchair and ease it over the gravel toward the grass. “We’ve been bustin’ our butts but everything’s in good working order. Abigail makes a pretty darn good farmer.”
Daddy chuckles again, his smile wide as he greets all the people milling around with a small wave. “Oh, I know she does.”
Mama is making her way behind him, beads of sweat already running down the side of her cheeks.
“I’ll get you a cold water, Mama.”
“That’d be lovely. It was a long drive back from the city with all that traffic. God bless livin’ in the country.” She fans herself with a magazine and smiles as Peggy Sue and Edith meander over. Where Peggy Sue is old, tiny, and sweet, Edith is in her early forties, big-boned, and as opinionated as Mama; at times, bordering on salty.
“Didn’t your daughter do an absolutely wonderful job?” Edith preens, waving her thick arm toward where the tables and streamers are set up. We even strung up some Christmas lights from one barn to the other. It’ll make a nice canopy once the sun goes down.
“I had a lot of help from everyone,” I counter. I can’t take credit; everyone chipped in.
“Yes, that man of hers has been helping all afternoon without a single complaint,” Peggy Sue adds.
Mama beams. “Yes, I’m so thankful to have our Jedediah in our lives.” She only uses his full name when she’s exceptionally proud of him.
A mischievous twinkle glints in the old woman’s eyes. “Oh, I was talking about that handsome hotel owner over there.”
I’ll give Mama one thing—she can school her expression with the best of them, and it’s obvious that Peggy Sue is fishing for a reaction. “Oh? Is he here?” Her voice has risen at least two octaves in a display of pleasant surprise.
As if Celeste didn’t phone and warn her ahead of time.
“Yes, just over there.” Edith uses the excuse to look over at Henry, who is surrounded by ladies, all offering something—drinks, plates of food.
Themselves, if they could figure out a way to do it, I’m sure. They’re all watching him, some stealing glances, others more blatant in their admiration. I’ve heard a few asking the standard nosy but harmless questions: Where do you live? How long will you be here? I’ve heard others offer remarks. I’ve never stayed at a Wolf before.
I’ve caught many giggling in quiet circles, their excited voices tapering off when they see me coming, their eyes rolling over me in various shades of curiosity, envy, and a few in outright jealousy.
“Well, isn’t that lovely that he could surprise us with a visit.”
“Yes, you’ll have to go over and say hello. He really is a lovely man. ”
Peggy Sue’s as bad as a little boy with a stick at a hornet’s nest. I have to smother my amusement. Henry’s been called a lot of things.
Rich, smart, beautiful, driven….
Arrogant, demanding, condescending….
“Lovely” is a new one.
Mama makes a throaty sound of agreement. “I will certainly do that. Abigail, can I speak with you for a moment?” Her voice is still light and airy.
But I hear the anger behind it.
I sigh. “Of course.” Daddy is already in the throng, heading toward the shaded area with tables where Steven Meyers strums along on his guitar, playing Daddy’s favorite Christian songs. He won’t notice us missing for a bit.
I follow Mama off to the side. She does a quick glance around to make sure she’s not within earshot before that kind tone of hers vanishes. “What on earth is he doing on our farm, Abigail Margaret Mitchell?”
“He surprised me on his way to New York. He had no idea we’d be having this party today.” It doesn’t matter what I say, really.
“I told you I don’t approve of him. Whatever you two did up there in the woods, this isn’t Alaska. This is my home, and I won’t be disrespected under my own roof.”
I open my mouth to argue with her but promptly clamp it shut at her hiss of warning. She plasters on a fake smile as one of the hens passes by on their way to the house, no doubt to pull another casserole out of the oven.
It gives me a moment to think rather than simply blurt out the first thing that comes to my mind: that she’s being controlling and unfair and above all else, ridiculous. In those brief moments, I’m able to calm and compose myself somewhat.
“Mama, you are not being disrespected in any way. Henry arrived after lunch and has been busy all afternoon, helping with Daddy’s party. He’s leaving tonight to go to New York and I, along with all the ladies from the church, asked him to stay and celebrate Daddy coming home.”
“Yes, I’ll bet they did.” She snorts. “Well, don’t be thinking he’s going to stay here.”
“Like I said, he’s leaving for New York tonight. He was supposed to be gone already but he rearranged his schedule so he could help.”
“And what about poor Jed? You’re prancing around here with that man. You’re hurting him. Maybe enough to turn him away. And then when he has gotten his fill of you, it’ll be too late to salvage things. Then what will you do, huh?”
I’m not good enough for Henry. That’s what she’s saying, what they’re all saying. I don’t know if she realizes how hurtful her words are. She clearly believes she’s entitled to say whatever she wants to me because she’s my mother.
Now’s not the time to address that though. I take a deep breath. “I’m going over there to enjoy the party and the fact that Daddy is home. In large part due to Henry. If you’re the Christian that you swear you are, you’ll make your way over and thank Henry for all that he’s done, because it’s the right thing to do regardless of how you feel about him.” With that, I move away from her, trying not to stalk because Lord knows, people are watching.
Henry’s been circled by the trifecta—Jenny, Beth, and Veronica. I haven’t seen them at one of these church functions in years. I’m guessing their presence here now has a lot to do with Jenny’s mom, who was helping out with the setup, mentioning that “Abigail’s rich boyfriend is here.”
“So, are you looking to replace Abigail now that she’s stuck here on the farm? Because I’m an excellent executive assistant,” Beth says, toying with her wavy blonde hair between her fingers as she peers up at Henry through wide, blue eyes.
“You already have a job at John Deere,” Veronica mentions next to her. “I thought you loved it.”
The look Beth shoots Veronica is nothing short of scathing. “I’m looking to broaden my horizons.” The way she bats her eyelashes at Henry there’s no doubt what horizons she’s looking to broaden. That doesn’t surprise me. Of the three of them, Beth is the only one who earned any sort of reputation in high school, after people saw her giving Tommy Chelton a hand job at a party, right out in the open.
A spike of jealousy flares at how openly they’re hitting on him, even with me standing right here.
“Abigail!” Jenny throws her arms around my neck, squeezing me like we’re best friends. “You remember Beth and Veronica, right?”
“Yes.” I offer them polite smiles.
“We were just talking to Henry about his hotels. It’d be so exciting to work somewhere like Alaska.”
“Or anywhere, far away from here,” Veronica adds. Of the three, she has the most unglamorous future ahead of her, working as the receptionist in her father’s mechanic shop. I don’t think she ever did well enough in school to go to college, had she wanted to.
“You should apply then. Abigail can tell you how exciting her summer was.” There’s that playful twinkle in Henry’s eye. He’s thinking of dirty things, as usual.
I fight my blush and worm my way past them to stand next to him. What I’d like to do is wrap my arms around him in a very bold statement, but out of respect for my parents, I keep my fists balled at my sides and instead ask, “Can I get you anything? The first batch of corn should be ready.”
“If you’ll excuse us, ladies.” He offers them a polite smile before weaving around, unable to avoid bumping into Beth’s chest—because she thrusts it out at him—on his way past. “Why did I expect these girls to be shy and reserved,” he mutters, low enough for only me to hear as we head toward the shaded area.
“Maybe because I’m shy and reserved?”
“Right. Well, except when you’re drunk and hitting on strangers.”
I giggle. I’m able to laugh at myself about that horrendous first night now, when I threw myself at him, not knowing who he was.
He glances back at them. “I’d stay away from them if I were you. They’ll be more trouble than your roommates ever were.”
“Who, Katie and Rachel?” I can’t help but laugh at the thought that they could ever rival those two. “Yeah, whatever.”
Daddy is up ahead, talking to Bart. I’m sure he’s thanking him for all his help. Jed hasn’t left his side, pushing him around like the saintly future son-in-law he’s trying to be.
“I’d like to introduce you to my father. He wants to meet you.”
“Okay.” Henry takes a step toward them.
But I don’t follow. “It’s just…. He is very thankful to you. Please know that. But I don’t know how he’s feeling about everything else.” At least Mama’s predictable. But what is Daddy going to say?
Henry slides his hand over the small of my back. I want to beg him to keep it there for the rest of the day. “It’s fine. I can handle it.”
But I can’t. I desperately want my dad to like Henry. So desperately. My mother’s a lost cause, but….
Daddy turns to see us standing there, some twenty feet away. He says something to Jed and points in our direction. By the sour turn of Jed’s face, I’m guessing Daddy’s asked him to push him over to me.
“I guess we’re about to find out,” I whisper, nerves churning in my stomach as I move to meet them. Not the fun, flirty kind. The ones laced with a heavy dose of anxiety.
“Don’t walk too fast,” Henry murmurs beside me.
“But it’s hard to push those wheels on the grass.”
“Exactly.”
I scold Henry with a glare but it’s a weak one, softened by my own throaty giggle. “Stop being bad.”
“I’m just getting started.”
We meet Daddy and Jed halfway, Daddy’s eyes flickering between Henry and me, finally settling on him.
“Hello, Mr. Mitchell,” Henry offers in a smooth voice, not the least bit nervous. God, I wish I had nerves like he does.
Daddy smiles. “Call me Roger. I’d get up but….” He gestures at his wheelchair.
Henry matches his easy smile with one of his own. “You’ll be up again in no time.”
“Thanks to you, from what I hear.” My dad’s face smoothes over with seriousness. “I’m glad you’re here today. I didn’t have the chance to thank you for all that you did—in getting my daughter back here quickly and in bringing Dr. Eisenhower in. From what all the nurses tell me, I might not be in such good shape had it not been for him.”
A tiny bubble of relief bursts in me. Daddy’s a man of few words but they’re always genuine.
Henry answers with a nod. “It’s the least I could do, what with you raising such an incredible woman.” He turns to look at me and the veil usually over his eyes is lifted momentarily, showing me a brief glimpse of emotion. The kind that buckles my knees and makes my heart start racing and aching. The kind that makes me have to fight the urge to reach out and touch him. “I can’t thank you enough for that.”
Oh my God.
Everyone’s watching.
My cheeks burst with heat. If there were any questions around us being together, I’d say they’re extinguished now.
“Enjoy the food. There is more than enough. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to have a moment alone with my daughter. I feel like I haven’t had one in months.”
Henry smiles. “I think I hear the corn calling. I’ll grab you one, too,” he says to me and then briskly moves away.
Daddy turns to look at Jed. “I think the corn’s calling to you, too.”
A sulky Jed turns and marches away, leaving us together.
“If you’re going to tell me that I can’t be with—”
“Hush up, now. We don’t have much time before your mother hunts us down.” As if to emphasize his point, he glances over his shoulder to where she’s chatting with someone. Even now, I can see her trying to make her way here. “She’s probably over there, telling them about this supposed head injury of mine.”
“She probably is.”
“Nothin’s wrong with my head. In fact, I’m seeing clearer than I ever have. That’s what happens when you face death.” Daddy’s gaze shifts to Henry before moving back to me. “He’s a handsome fella.”
I grin. “Yes, he is.”
“And rich, too. I may not know fashion but those expensive leather shoes are gonna need a good cleaning after walkin’ around here.”
I giggle. “Yes, probably.” He probably has ten more in his closet at home.
“I suppose Jed can’t hold a candle to him.”
“For so many reasons… no.”
He nods, more to himself. “I can see he makes you happy.”
“Very happy. I know he may not be what you and Mama want, but—”
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since the accident. I know your Mama keeps pushing Jed on you, even after how badly he hurt you.” He frowns. “It’s not right. Of course we’d love it if you found yourself someone who’d want to run this place, and I gather he ain’t it….”
The thought of Henry in coveralls behind the wheel of a tractor flashes through my head.
Nope. He ain’t it.
“You should be with whoever you want, and if this billionaire guy treats you well, then… so be it.”
“What about Jed?”
“You never would have gone to Alaska had Jed appreciated what he had in the first place.”
“Thank you, Daddy. You don’t understand what that means to me. Do you think Mama will come around?”
He shrugs, then winces with pain, as if the simple movement hurt. “Don’t be expecting her blessin’ anytime soon, or ever. But you’ve got mine. Though that needs to be your and my little secret until my legs work and I can get the hell away from her from time to time. The woman will drive me to drink soon enough.” He adds that last part more under his breath, but I hear it loud and clear.
“Yes, I can sympathize.” What would I do if I were wheelchair bound and had her hovering over me all day, nattering on and on?
A high-pitched squeal from the church’s karaoke machine tells me someone’s about to use the microphone. Reverend Enderbey it would seem. Mama, Jed, and Celeste stand on either side of him, Mama with the kind of wide grin on her face that I’d expect the day I hold up a sonogram of her grandbaby.
“Everyone! Hey, everyone!” Reverend Enderbey holds a hand up to get the crowd’s attention. He has an easy way about him, and people are used to shushing and listening. “We just wanted to thank you all for coming on such short notice to welcome Roger home from the hospital. Three weeks ago, we almost lost him, but the good Lord prevailed and there he is, put back together and just itching to get back to the farm.”
A round of applause goes up and Daddy waves them off with a smile. “I think Abigail and Jed have a new appreciation for all the work you do, Roger. The two of them have been run ragged every single day.” As if on cue, Reverend Enderbey passes the microphone to Jed.
“I have been passin’ out before my head hits the pillow every single day!” Jed admits with a playful grin, but then it slips off, replaced by a somber mask. “It wasn’t even a question that I would quit my job and be here for Abigail and the Mitchells, because they’re my family. I’ll always be here for them.” He nods toward me. “Which is why I’ve also deferred my last year of college to stay here with you to run this farm. Nothing’s more important to me.”
Talk about a subtle dig at Henry, who’ll be getting on a plane after this to go and run his corporation. I doubt anyone else has picked up on it. Has Henry?
I glance over to see him watching Jed, an unreadable look in his eyes. But that tiny smirk on his lips…. He’s smiling. Why?
A round of cheers go up and Jed grins at me. He loves this kind of attention. It’s just the kind of pat on the back he’s fishing for.
I do appreciate the hand around the farm. But oh God, that means he’s going to be here all day, every day, thinking he can slowly whittle away my refusal to take him back. He saw me with Henry. He saw how happy I am. Is he completely blind or just clueless?
Or does he see something so obvious that I don’t?
Reverend Enderbey takes the microphone back. “Okay, everybody chow down and have fun!”
I heave a sigh.
“That’s not a happy sound,” my daddy murmurs, low enough for only me to hear.
I force a smile. Even so, it’s tight. “It’ll be great to have the help. I guess.”
“Well, don’t expect that boy to give up anytime soon. He’s an idiot for what he did, and an even bigger idiot for not seeing that he has no hope as long as that one’s in the picture.”
“Did you hear that, Abigail?” Mama hollers, her girth shifting with each step as she marches for us. “Jed is putting his whole life on hold for us. That’s what a good family man does. He stays put when people need him.”
He does not get on his private jet and fly all over the place, and send workers to take care of things is what she doesn’t say but means.
Daddy and I exchange a glance.
Her eyes narrow with suspicion. “What were you two jabbering on about?”
“Corn,” Daddy says, at the same time I say “Hay.”
