Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“I’m worried there are some problems with the irrigation,” Vince told Dad. “Maybe clogged or something. I noticed last night that there seems to be an uneven distribution of water on the western edge. I meant to say something yesterday and forgot.”
Shit. Colby hadn’t even noticed that.
“Oh, that’s all we need with the hot weather,” Dad replied.
“I’ll take a look in the morning,” Vince told him. “If I can’t figure it out myself, then we can look into calling someone, but I’m pretty handy, so maybe I can do it.”
“Thanks, Vince. We appreciate the work you do for us.” Dad squeezed his shoulder, and Colby just stood there watching them. Why did he find this so interesting? There was no jealousy that his dad was speaking to Vince this way. In fact, Colby liked it maybe more than he should. It made him feel good that Vince had been brought into the fold so easily.
“Dinner’s done!” Mama called. “Get your butts in here and help me.”
There was a mad dash for the kitchen, where they helped grab serving dishes to place on the tables. They’d bought a second one a while back, pushing two of them together so there was enough room for their growing army.
Once everyone was seated, his dad said grace. Colby used to go to church a lot more with his family, but it wasn’t something he did much now. Roe hadn’t gone since he was eighteen, but it took Colby longer to start skipping out. He just wasn’t sure he believed the same things his parents did, and if he did, he didn’t think sitting in church on Sundays mattered as much as how you treated people. He would rather focus on those things.
“How are the wedding plans going?” Mama asked because weddings were always on her mind. She was so damn happy that Roe and Holden were tying the knot, and while Colby was happy for them, he couldn’t deny that the question made his gut roll. It wasn’t usually long before they went from that to Colby’s love life—or lack thereof.
“Same as last time you asked,” Roe teased her.
“Monroe Covington. Don’t you talk to me that way,” Mama said, but she had a smile on her face.
“We picked out Sean and Wyatt’s tuxes,” Holden added.
“They look so cute!” Marilee said.
Sean would be Holden’s best man, and Wyatt was Roe’s. Their parents had been slightly upset that Vince was performing the ceremony rather than having their pastor do it, but they didn’t put up much of a fight. They typically didn’t with Roe. He was able to do his own thing.
“We have to make sure everything stays nice and green. I want it to be perfect.” Mom looked his and Vince’s direction. The wedding was going to be here.
Colby cleared his throat. “We’re on it.”
They rambled on some more about the ceremony while eating the baked chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and vegetables Mama had made. Colby couldn’t stop his leg from bouncing the whole time, the nervous habit frustrating him.
Until he felt the warm press of Vince’s hand on his thigh. He’d never had a man do this to him before Vince—hell, Vince had never done it to him either, but somehow, it made the bouncing slow. Made him feel…like someone was on his side? Yes, that, but also like someone saw him. Not one single person at this table realized Colby was uncomfortable except Vince. He didn’t get why, but his friend always seemed to know.
“Did you hear Lulu is engaged?” Lindsey asked, and damned if Colby’s heart didn’t drop. Not because he was jealous. Or at least, not in the typical way. He didn’t want Lulu. He was happy for her, but…why couldn’t he want that? Why couldn’t he have loved her the way she deserved?
His mama looked down at her food. “I heard. Justin is a good man. I’m sure they’ll be real happy together.”
Lulu had also stopped working at the farm, and Colby knew his mama missed her. She’d liked Lulu even before they started dating.
“Why didn’t you marry Lulu, Uncle Colby?” his niece Heidi asked.
“Heidi,” her mama scolded.
“Sorry…I liked her. I didn’t mean anything by it,” Heidi replied.
He could tell she felt bad, and that was the last thing he wanted. Maybe most wouldn’t understand it, maybe it didn’t make sense, but in that moment, he felt like he was letting her down too.
“It’s fine, kid. Lulu was way out of my league.” He tried to sound playful, but really, he wanted nothing more than to walk out of the room. He was so fucking different from his family. From everyone in the room…well, except Vince.
“But didn’t you break up with her?” his nephew Scotty asked.
Fuck. He should have thought his reply through better.
“Sounds like Lulu was meant to be with Justin,” Vince added.