Page 68 of Townshipped
I take a breath and walk to the window. Outside we have a view of the parking lot and street with a strip mall across the way.
“The beautiful view from a motel when my dad is in charge of booking. Budget could be his middle name,” Trevor says.
“It’s fine,” I tell him.
Seems like I’ve said the wordfinea lot over the past four hours throughout the drive up as Aiden’s understandable anxiety filled the cab of the truck. My mind is on bigger things: meeting Aiden’s cousin’s children, what happens when they move in, how much longer I have in Bordeaux, and when I can tell Aiden about Buck and the fact that I’m not dating or married to anyone.
That last thought dominates over the rest, but it obviously has to wait.
Once a portable crib is assembled, Trevor leaves to settle into his room. Poppy stirs as if on cue. Lexi nurses her, and then I sit on the edge of my bed rocking Poppy while Lexi changes and brushes her teeth.
“You’re precious,” I coo at Poppy. “And you have the prettiest little fingers.”
I lift her hand and she closes it around my pointer, squeezing an unbidden smile from me.
“I wonder what you’ll be like as you grow up. Will you be a girly girl, or a tomboy?”
She yawns. Her tiny features scrunch and her mouth goes wide. I’m mesmerized.
I start humming a song. The words come to me, so I start to sing.
“Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra-Loo-ra-loo-ra-li …” I continue singing and rocking, studying Poppy’s features and losing myself in the sweetness of her baby smell and whatever magic babies have that makes them irresistible.
When my head lifts, Lexi’s leaning in the doorway between the bathroom and our room with a soft smile on her face.
“You sing as beautifully as you play piano.”
“Thank you.”
“I can’t sing, but I sure love to anyway,” Lexi says.
I chuckle. “You can’t be that bad.”
She snorts. “Oh. No. I am. I’m like the abandoned love child of a hyena and a screech owl, but once I take on a song, I’m all in.”
I chuckle. “This, I have to hear.”
“Trust me, you don’t. Trevor is the only soul on earth who thinks it’s cute. Everyone says love is usually blind. But in his case, it must be deaf.”
I hand Poppy back to Lexi and take my turn in the restroom. Once I’m changed into pajamas, Lexi and I prop ourselves up against our headboards and fall into a comfortable conversation until Lexi yawns repeatedly.
“You’re tired. We should sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day.”
“It is,” Lexi says. “Are you okay being here? It must be strange coming along on a trip like this when you barely know most of us.”
“Truth?”
“Of course.”
“The word strange sort of defines my life right now. Everything except being on the farm with Aiden, which should be strange, except it’s the only thing I know. You might say it feels like I grew up there. It’s the source of nearly every memory and the setting for most thoughts. So, leaving the farm always feels off. Not to mention …” My voice trails off. I’m comfortable with Lexi, but I haven’t even told Aiden what I’m about to say.
“What? You don’t have to tell me anything. I hope you know that. But I am good at keeping things to myself and I can’t imagine not having girlfriends to talk things out with. Guys are great, but they aren’t women.”
I guess I know what she means, though I tell Aiden everything. Well, everything but the secret I’m about to tell Lexi and my knowledge about Buck and my singleness. But I will tell Aiden that when the timing is right.
“I still get pretty freaked out being in any car—or truck.”
Lexi’s eyes go wide with understanding. “That makes so much sense. Why didn’t anyone think of this? And we’ve been dragging you out for girls’ night and coffee, and Aiden’s been taking you into town … and now this trip!”
