Garrett slipped his arm around my waist, and the butterflies went off in my stomach. I was shocked that his touch still affected me even after all these months.
Garrett said, “I was telling David that I had to really go pee, and I was about to pull over on the side of the road when you remembered your dad had stopped by here with you before. Since it’s abandoned, we pulled in, so I could use the bathroom really quick while you changed into more comfortable pants.”
I nodded my head and turned back to look at the house. “Yep. It makes me sad that the place has been let go like this. When I was just a little girl while my father was the doctor in Fredericksburg, my father used to see Mr. Martin.”
I looked back, and Mr. Bauer was smiling.
I tilted my head and said, “Mr. Bauer, what’s going on?”
He looked at Garrett and then back at me. “I bought this place about a month ago. My plan is to restore it, and by the time y’all are finished with school, hopefully, Julia and I will be moved into our new home.”
I let out a squeal. “Oh, golly! How exciting, Mr. Bauer!”
Garrett was smiling from ear to ear. “Does Mom know?”
Mr. Bauer shook his head. “It’s a wedding present. I was just coming to check on things, and here you kids were. It’s almost like a sign.”
I nodded my head in agreement. “Oh, it’s a wonderful sign, and I have a feeling y’all are going to be very happy here. I can’t wait to help restore this old house when we come home for visits.”
“I’m going to hold you to that, young lady. I’m sure we will need all the help we can get,” Mr. Bauer said as he took another look at the house.
We talked for a few minutes more before everyone piled back into the trucks. Once Mr. Bauer began driving off, Garrett and I looked at each other and started laughing.
“Holy shit! That’s twice that bastard has almost caught us naked,” Garrett said.
We both laughed again.
The twenty-five minute drive to the ranch went by pretty fast. Garrett was now rambling on and on about everything and anything he could think of. I couldn’t believe how nervous he was about his mother getting married. I would almost think it was him getting married.
When he pulled up and parked, Mrs. Mathews came running down the porch stairs. Garrett got out and ran up to her. He picked her up and spun her around a few times as she let out a small scream.
“Garrett Thomas Mathews, you put me down right now,” she said.
He gently put her down and kissed her on the cheek. “Damn, I’ve missed you, Mama.”
“Mind your manners, young man. Don’t be cursing in front of ladies.”
He let out a small laugh. “Yes, ma’am.”
Mrs. Mathews looked at me and smiled. “Emma Rose, darling, come here and hug me.”
I walked over and gave her a hug. She held on to me tightly. The last time I’d hugged her, she had been so frail. I was glad to see that she had put on a bit more weight. She looked breathtaking. She was as tall as me with light brown hair and the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. Garrett looked so much like his mother, but he had his father’s smile. Garrett was tall with wavy dark hair and eyes so blue, like the color of the sky after a rainstorm.
I had asked my father about the chances of our children having blue eyes.
He’d laughed and said, Pretty darn good, sweetheart.
I hoped our children had Garrett’s vibrant blue eyes and not my bluish-gray ones.
“Are you excited, Mrs. Mathews?” I asked as we made our way into the house.
She smiled. “Emma Rose, please call me Julia.”
The love in her eyes caused me to tear up.
“Thank you…Julia.”
I peeked over at Garrett. He was smiling so big that I couldn’t help but giggle.