They both nod in agreement, my dad looking at me with a little bit of mischief now. “So what are you going to do in California? Surf?”
I chuckle at that. “They have farms in California, Dad.” In fact, Kelly has mentioned a couple of contacts she has there. “I might be back in a week though, if Emerson kicks me to the curb.”
The thought makes me a little sicker than I’d like to admit, but my mom immediately scoffs at that. “Not going to happen, sweetie. You go get him. And you have the best life.”
“It’s not goodbye forever,” I say. “And I’m not leaving before pie.”
She laughs, wiping a tear from her own face and standing up, gripping my cheeks in both of her small hands. “I love you, kiddo. And it better not be forever. This will always be your home.”
“Always,” I hear my dad say when my mom kisses my forehead and then goes to grab the pie.
I nod, knowing it’s the truth but also knowing Emerson is my home—wherever we are.
We can make a home.
It only tookme a few days to get everything in order to go to California and then another few days to drive there, all my possessions bundled in the back of my truck.
I haven’t told Emerson I’m coming because I can just feel he would tell me I don’t have to do it. He’s stubborn and would argue with me. But I need him to finish college, and I need to be with him while he does it. So this is the best solution.
I just hope he thinks so too.
Because when I drive up to his dorm, the nerves really kick in. This could have been a huge mistake. Not coming to be withhim—that I’m 100 percent sure of—but doing it without talking to him first. Yeah, he might be pissed at me.
I send him a quick text to find out where he is, and when he says his dorm, I tell him to come out front.
I don’t get another text, but it’s not long at all before the front door to the dorm is bursting open and Emerson is running out to me, wearing only a pair of gym shorts. No shirt, no shoes, but he doesn’t seem to care as he jumps into my arms and attacks me with a frantic kiss.
“Are you really here?”
I nod against his lips, wrapping my arms around him and not letting him go. “I am.”
“How? You took a week off? Again? Did Kelly faint when you said you wanted another vacation? Because you never take time off.”
His obvious excitement gives me the confidence I need. “I quit.” He pulls back to look at me, his eyes wide with shock. “Respectfully, of course. She was happy for me. For us.”
“You quit your job on the farm?” He gently pulls out of my hold and then looks at my truck, the bags and boxes in the back glaringly obvious. “You...” His eyes flick back to mine. “You’re here.”
I nod my head slowly. “I’m going to find a place to stay here while you’re in college.” He starts to open his mouth, and I know it’s to argue, so I quickly close the gap between our bodies and cover his mouth with my palm. “I’ve thought about it a lot. This is where you belong for now. You need to go to college here. It’s your dream school. And I need to work on a farm. Kelly has some friends here who are going to give me a shot. So I have a job on a farm. My family is fine. We talked, and it was good. I’m going to miss the hell out of them, but I can call and visit. Send money, even when they object. I want to be with you.”
All I can see are his eyes as he takes in the information, and there’s a little stubbornness and anger there, but not as much as I expected. I remove my hand, and he remains quiet for a minute. Looking back at my truck and then me. “I love you.”
A startled laugh comes out of me, and I grin. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he says. “I love you so damn much. Are you sure this is what you want?”
I nod immediately. “Yes. No doubts. None. Is this what you want?”
He wraps his arms around my neck. “I’ve never wanted anything more. But we won’t stay here forever.” This time he covers my mouth before I can argue. “It’s a partnership. We work together. I never in a million years thought I could be happy in a small town in Kansas, but I fell in love with Kensley every bit as much as I fell in love with you. So the goal will be to finish college here...”
“And travel,” I say through his hand, the words garbled, but he understands what I’m saying.
“And travel,” he repeats. “But the goal will be to get back to Kensley. Deal?”
I nod my head, and he removes his hand, but I don’t need to say anything else. I seal my mouth over his, and I kiss him hard.
Deal.
THIRTY-THREE
