Page 80 of Townshipped
I tell myself to stop hoping for what’s probably impossible. One good night in the middle of so much uncertainty doesn’t mean this is our forever.
* * *
“Guh morning!”Ty shouts as he scrambles up onto my bed and then leaps as he crests the edge of the mattress, causing a light bounce.
I lift my head and look at the clock. Six a.m. An early riser. Well, that trait will end up being good for someone living on a farm—eventually.
Today, not so much.
“Good morning,” I answer Ty as he crawls the rest of the way up toward the pillows, pulls back my covers and snuggles under them next to me.
He curls in, aligning his body next to mine and then he starts talking a mile a minute.
“You got goats out there. I want to see the goats. What do they eat? Do you feed them bweakfast? I can help. I’m good at helping. Do they eat eggs? I wike eggs. I don’t wike the runny pawts. That’s gwoss.”
I take a breath and let it out slowly, realizing quiet mornings on the farm may be a thing of the past now. He’s worth it. They both are. I feel the smile on my face grow as Ty prattles on about how theWild Krattshad an episode about a mountain goat, and do I have mountain goats, and where’s the mountain around here.
I’m about to stand and get a large mug of coffee so I can keep up with my nephew when I notice a figure in the doorway.
Paisley’s staring at me and then glancing at Ty like he broke a big rule. Her face is nearly impassive, but something in her eyes sends a chill over me. She’s fierce. Ty seems oblivious to his sister’s mood and the killer glare she’s sending his way.
“Guh morning, Pay Pay.”
She stares at Ty a few more beats before she says, “Good morning.”
She’s still not looking at me, though. Her eyes are trained on her younger brother. “I thought you were coming to my bed if you got scared, Ty. Not Uncle Aiden’s bed.”
Uncle Aiden. Okay. I don’t know why I thought I’d be called Dad. It makes sense they would call me Uncle Aiden. That’s what I’ve always been to them, even though they are technically first cousins once removed.
How do people go about changing labels down the road? Or will I always be Uncle Aiden? And why do I feel like I just got a demotion?
“I not scared, Pay Pay,” Ty says. “I swept the whole night in my big boy bed. By myself. I just got here in this bed. This one is Uncle Aiden’s bed and I told him guh morning.”
“Oh.” Paisley’s face softens.
“How about breakfast?” I suggest.
“For the goats?” Ty asks.
“Them too. Give me a minute to get dressed and then I’ll meet you in the hall. Can you dress yourself, buddy?”
“I’m already three. And I am a half.”
Ty huffs lightly like he was born dressing himself. Then he holds up three fingers to emphasize the point, or to make sure I know what three is since I obviously can’t be counted on to know who can dress themselves.
“Okay, Mister Three and a Half. Go get dressed. I’ll meet you downstairs and then we’ll get breakfast for us and for the goats. And for Lily, our llama.”
“Otee dotee,” he says, sliding down the side of my bed until his feet hit the ground.
Paisley doesn’t leave my doorway right away, even as Ty scoots past her on his way to get dressed.
I’ve been nervous to ask girls out before—in high school. I’ve been anxious about a job interview—hoping they took a chance on me. I felt fear when I carried Em in from the wreck and knew her very life depended on my care.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt so scrutinized or intimidated by a simple look from another person. Paisley’s challenging me to earn my way into her heart. She’s letting me know she’s not going to make it easy on me. And I find myself respecting her for it.
Why would she trust anyone? She’s smart to have her guard up—way up. And Ty’s easy way with me must feel like he’s the preschool version of Benedict Arnold.
Right alongside this petrified feeling that I’m going to mess this up big-time is a sliver of hope that I might just get it right. And if I do, winning Paisley over and helping her heal is going to be the greatest privilege of my life.
