Page 78 of Make it Real
She didn’t seem that affected by my sarcasm. “Oh, relax. We’ve all been there. This one time, I was out riding one of Ty’s horses by myself and he got so worried, he—”
“Jed doesn’t need all the details,” Ty cut in.
Her affectionate look showed every ounce of her love for the big, private guy. Or possibly she was undressing him with her eyes—it all ran together these days.
She turned back to me, wearing a much more normal expression. “The point is, we’re happy for you.”
“So happy.” Wade’s face twisted up as if in the middle of an ugly cry.
“That’s it, I have to move,” I said. “I can’t stand y’all anymore.”
“He can dish it out,” he called in a sing-song voice.
Nope, I could not take it. Never thought I’d get so touchy. Not too hard to see the reason why. Callie and I had built up this thing between us just to set it at the edge of a cliff. A few more days, and we’d have to push it over, letting it crash and burn. A grim reality I’d been increasingly driving from my mind.
Instead, I’d begun to spin thoughts of an alternative option. One where we didn’t go our separate ways, but went on spending our days together indefinitely. Wasn’t all that sure what she’d think about that plan. I’d considered myself pretty skilled at reading a woman’s signals, but I didn’t like to assume anything with her, not when fake and real blurred together so easily.
Once we got past this wedding and her grandma’s tail lights had disappeared off to Florida, we’d get a minute to ourselves. Then…well, we’d just see where things went.
“Make sure you bring Callie tonight,” June said, edging closer to me. “Tell hernotto bring food.”
“She won’t be too happy about that.”
“It’s the least we can do, after all her help.”
Callie had been out here all day yesterday, even when I’d had to cut out for a while to get a few things done on the farm. She’d worked alongside June and Marilyn fixing up the table centerpieces, arranging flowers, and I couldn’t guess what else.
“It’s how she shows she cares.”
“Yep. She’s got a big heart.” June smirked, taking me back to when we were kids and she wanted to gloat over the latest gossip about me. “Reminds me of someone else I know.”
I headed toward the barn door. “All right, I’ve had about all I can take.”
“Aw. But you could stay and talk feelings with us.”
“I want to hear about your feelings,” Wade echoed, saying the last word in a distinct baby voice.
I pointed where he sat perched up in the rafters. “The guy with a wife and three kids is one to talk.”
“I’m not hiding anything, everybody knows how I feel. I am desperately in love with my wife. It’s freeing to get it all out there. You should try it sometime.”
“How about now?” June said with a grin.
I ignored my rotten siblings and turned to Ty. “You good here?”
“We’re good.” He nodded, releasing me from enduring more of this exultation. “But if you want to stay and discuss anything…”
“Dammit, Hardy, not you, too.” I threw a hand up, walking away. “I’m out.”
“Don’t forget to bring Callie tonight!” June called after me.
“Like he’d ever leave her behind,” Wade said, chuckling.
Man wasn’t wrong, I just didn’t need it thrown in my face every minute of the day. Wanting to be with a womanindefinitelywas uncharted territory for me. Totally off the map. Their teasing only reminded me I had no clue what I was doing.
I’d just about reached my truck when a notification pinged on my phone.
Wade: I made it safely down the ladder
