Chapter 26
Mia
Mia sat at the kitchen table of the ranch house, sipping hot chocolate and watching the clouds dance across the mountains. It was a cold, gray late October day where the sky kept threatening rain or snow but never delivering. She didn't feel well, so she was taking it easy while the kids worked in the barn. She hoped she wasn't coming down with a cold or the flu, but she'd never felt this tired in her life. She had never realized just how much energy it took to breathe before.
Carter waved to her from the front yard as he came in from the garage. She smiled and felt her heart warm. She still couldn't believe how successful the fundraiser he'd given her was. They'd raised more than she'd ever dreamed possible and it was making her rethink her dream of starting a foundation. If she could plan another fundraiser like that one, her own foundation to help foster kids wasn't such a pipe dream.
The door to the kitchen opened with a blast of frigid air. Carter stomped his feet outside and came in out of the cold. His cheeks were rosy with the cold, and his eyes sparkled. He came over and kissed the top of her head.
“You feeling okay? Laura was wondering where you were today,” he asked, going to the kitchen and getting a glass of water.
Mia shrugged. “I'll live,” she replied. She could see Laura running in and out of the barn as hay bales were brought in for the horses. There was a lot of hay. “How's Laura doi
ng today? I know she had a rough night with her siblings the other day.”
Carter took a sip of coffee and followed her gaze out the window.
“Better. She's still adjusting to becoming a parent,” he replied. “She went from being a sister to a parent overnight, and none of them are used to it yet. I'm just glad she's back.”
“Having something to do always helps,” Mia agreed. She made a mental note to check in with Laura more. Suddenly becoming the legal guardian to her two younger siblings wasn't an easy thing. She could probably use a friend.
“She says that Lily's been amazing, though.” Carter took another sip of water, finishing off his glass.
“Yeah?” Mia smiled.
“Laura told me she came back to find everything exactly how she wanted it. All she had to do was the things she hadn't taught Lily how to do yet,” Carter told her, coming to stand next to her chair. “She can't say enough good things about Lily.”
“I'm so glad,” Mia said. “Lily has been working so hard to make sure everything's perfect. I'm glad she can go back to focusing on school again. Her teachers were starting to complain that all she wrote for her essays was horse related.”
Carter nodded and stared at the window at the gray afternoon.
“I never want kids,” he said out of nowhere.
Mia spun in her chair to look at him.
“What makes you say that?” she asked.
“I don't think I could handle the responsibility,” he said quietly. His blue eyes kept looking out the window, his face drawn and serious as he watched Laura struggle with an unruly bale of hay.
Mia snorted and gave his hip a gentle push. “You can handle a billion-dollar company, thousands of jobs, and you run a ranch. You literally can snap your fingers and completely change someone's life, but kids are too big a responsibility?”
“I don’t actually handle my company, Ethan does. But, well, when you say it that way, it sounds silly,” he acknowledged. He looked at her. “But, look at Laura. Anything can happen, and kids complicate things. They make every decision different.”
“You know, that's not necessarily a bad thing,” she replied.
“Don't get me wrong, I like kids. Grayson, Alexander, and Lily are amazing,” he said.
“But?”
“But I'm not cut out to be a parent.” He set his empty glass down on the table and sighed. “Have you seen my hours? It's not fair to anyone for me to have kids. Plus, I have death threats. I couldn't risk what happened to Laura’s family.”
Mia nodded, staying quiet. She already knew he didn't want kids, but hearing him actually say the words made her sad. It was a moot point though.
I can't have kids anyway, she thought to herself. I guess that makes us the perfect couple.
Carter's phone chirped loudly, making her jump.
“Sorry, I have it on extra loud since I was in the garage,” Carter apologized. He read the message and smiled. “Brian thinks he has a lead on my security issues.”