“Are you gonna have to go back to Atlanta for a while?” Sean asked.
“Not sure yet, kid. I gotta call work. I mean, I’ll have to so I can pack up and prepare the apartment to put it on the market, but I can’t say if I’ll need to go back to work and fulfill my commitment there.”
“What are we gonna do when you come back? Are you gonna live with Roe? Will Mama and I stay at the cabin? Are you gonna get a place with us?”
His head was already spinning with it all. He bit back a groan. He didn’t want to make Sean feel bad. “I don’t really have any answers yet. We’ll take it all one day at a time, and when I know something, I’ll let you know. It’s not that easy with Roe and me. We’ve got grown-up stuff to think about. And I have to make sure you and your mama are taken care of.”
“I can do it, Uncle Holden. I can take care of her. I won’t let anyone hurt her again.”
Holden looked over, squeezed Sean’s shoulder in support. “You’re a good man, Sean…but you’re also young. You don’t worry about that. You just worry about being a kid. That’s all me and your mama want. We’ll take care of the adulting.”
Sean grumbled but nodded.
They’d just gotten to Covington Acres, and as he parked, he saw Vicki coming toward them, smiling.
“Morning, fellas!”
“Good morning,” Holden replied. The farm was already busy—people working, caring for animals, out in the orchard, and Lulu teaching one of her goat-yoga classes.
Vicki chatted with them a moment. Holden knew she was trying to make sure they felt comfortable and to show them yesterday had been forgotten. They were good people—the Covingtons. He knew where Roe had gotten it from.
They got to work after that, the day extra muggy and humid after the rain through the night.
As Holden got busy working with his hands, some of the other shit faded to the background. He needed to research North Carolina business laws, figure out what he had to do to get his own handyman company started and things like that.
Throughout the day, different members of Roe’s family—first his dad, then Colby, Dennis, and Jackie—made their way to the barn where Holden was working just to chat him up, see if he needed a drink, or to tell him he was doing a good job. He had no doubt Vicki had given the directive.
They called it a day at about three and headed back to Roe’s.
Wyatt was there, him and Roe picking weeds around the house when Holden killed the engine. It was ridiculous, but nerves tied him up in knots. Roe had said it was okay, that he’d talked to Wyatt, but it would kill Holden to cause problems between Roe and his son.
And it would kill Holden to lose Roe.
Now that he knew what it was like to feel this way, as scary as it was to have it, he was just as afraid of losing it.
Roe turned and looked at them as they got out. He had one of his baseball caps on backward, and used his hand to shield his eyes from the sun.
“You two have a good day?” he called out as Zeus came running.
“We did,” Holden replied.
“Hey, Wyatt!” Sean called, and Holden found himself holding his breath. What if Wyatt took out on Sean the confusing feelings he must be having?
Wyatt stood, turned around, and said, “Hey…I can’t believe they have us working so hard during our summer.”
He didn’t make eye contact with Holden, but he was okay with that. They could work on things between them. He just didn’t want Sean to lose him.
“I know, right? But it’s not that bad. Uncle Holden’s teaching me all sorts of stuff.”
“Dad’s got me pulling weeds. Not real exciting.”
They all laughed just as Holden’s cell rang. He tugged it out of his pocket to see Marilee’s name on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Holden. Something’s going on with my car. It won’t start. Do you think you can come down and take a look at it?”
“Yeah, of course. I’ll be right there.”
He ended the call. “Gotta run down to Bunny’s and help Marilee with the car. It won’t start.”
“Need me?” Roe asked.
“No, thanks. I got it under control.” He looked at Sean. “Operation Save Marilee is in effect,” he teased.
“Can I stay? I don’t really feel like going,” Sean said.
Normally Holden would have no problem with it, but they were in new territory at the moment. Wyatt was there, adjusting to his dad and Holden being a couple. They would likely need some time together just the two of them.
“I’m not—”
“If he stays, can we go play video games, Dad?” Wyatt asked, and again, Holden let out a breath of relief. Wyatt was a good boy.