Chapter 15

15

JUNE

" Y ou're pregnant!" are the first two words out of my mom's mouth when she lays eyes on me. How does she do that?

"Mom!" I hiss.

"What? We don't have secrets around here." Mom waves to Paisley and Jackson, who are in the truck. "I've got her."

"Tomorrow!" Paisley shouts from the truck as my brother starts to pull off. I told them I just wanted to be dropped off. It's already super late. "I love you guys."

"Love you," both of us yell back.

Mom wraps her arm around my shoulder, leading me into the house where my dad is sitting in his old leather chair watching TV, pretending it's not the middle of the night and that it's normal for him to just be hanging around, still watching television.

"Hey, Dad." He stands and comes over to give me a hug. Dad kisses the top of my head. The urge to cry hits me hard, but I hold it in.

"You good, sweetheart?"

"Not really, but I will be."

"Then, I'll leave you with your momma." He gives me one more peck on the crown of my head before wishing Mom goodnight.

"Come here." As soon as we are alone, my mother embraces me tightly in one of those unconditional hugs that can only come from a mother.

"I've missed you guys." I feel like such a baby.

"We missed you too." Mom takes my hand, leading me into the kitchen, where there is a plate of cookies awaiting. She pours us both glasses of milk.

"Just what I needed." I take a giant bite of the cookie. It tastes like home.

"So." Mom leans up against the kitchen island, watching me. "How does it feel?"

"What?" She could be talking about so many things right now.

"Being home. How does it feel?" Mom repeats for me. I put the half-eaten cookie down.

"Not how I thought it would be," I admit. I was sure the second I landed, some of that loneliness and heartache I was experiencing would float away. If anything, it's gotten worse.

"Right." She nods. "Because this isn't your home anymore, June bug."

"Are you kicking me out?" The hell is she getting at here? Mom rolls her eyes at me. I'm pretty sure she learned it from me.

"This is just a house. Cottonwood, while a beautiful little town, is still only a town." I know what she is getting at.

"I'll never feel at home without Luka." I say it because it's true. "I'll go back, Mom. I just needed to breathe." There is no way I could be away from Luka for too long. "My whole life is different right now. It's kind of awesome and kind of scary." I feel like I'm all over the place with my emotions. I think I've been bottling them all up, and now they are all trying to come out at once.

"There has been a lot of change." Mom grabs my hand over the kitchen island. "Part of growing up."

"Well, I think I might have thrown a tantrum, so clearly that growth has a way to go." It was childish to take off, but deep down, I knew it would get Luka's attention. It's why I did it. Again, juvenile.

"It's good for men to chase." Mom smirks.

"He might not even be aware I'm gone yet."

"That man knows." Mom pushes the plate of cookies back toward me. "Go on now; you're eating for two." I smile while taking one of the cookies. "Why don't you go on up to bed now? Everything will be better come morning." To move me along, she gives my bottom a soft smack.

I change my clothes before crawling into bed. I power my phone back on, unable to sleep. There's not one missed call or text. The hell? Has he really not noticed I left by now? What if he has and thinks it might be for the best? Every day it's become less and less time he spent with me.

I toss and turn. At some point, I notice the sun peeking in through the bottom of my curtains. Knowing I'm not going to be able to fall back asleep, if I even have at all, I convince myself it's better just to get up at this point. Shamelessly, I check my phone again. I need to exert all of my strength to resist throwing the phone or calling Luka.

Sure, I know it was childish of me to run, but he could still call or text me! I drag myself out of bed and do my morning routine, debating what I'm going to do next. It's only been hours, and I miss him so much.

I pull on my boots so I can go spend the morning with the horses. When I make it to the bottom of the stairs, I can already smell coffee brewing and the sound of voices coming from the kitchen.

I stop short when I enter and see Luka sitting at the kitchen island with both of my parents, sipping coffee. What's more strange than him just being here is the fact that he's in jeans and a shirt. He looks tired.

"Kitten," Luka says, coming right to me.

"You're here," I whisper, tears burn in my eyes. With his hand, Luka cups my cheek. I lean into his touch.

"Where else would I be?"

"I don't know." I shrug. "I shouldn't have run."

"I shouldn't have made it possible for you to run," he counters. I lay my face against his chest, breathing him in. "Come with me?"

"Okay," I say without hesitation. I don't care, even if it means going back to DC. We have things to work out. I know without a doubt that Luka is my home. Wherever he is, I'll be.

"Here you go." Mom hands Luka a picnic basket before leaning up to give him a kiss on the cheek. Luka doesn't stiffen this time with her open affection. I can't help but smile. He's come a long way in such a short time.

Luka needs more affection in his life. If he lets them, my parents will take him in as one of their own. Based on my observations of them all drinking coffee together, including my dad, I believe it's already happening.

He takes my hand, leading me outside. I see the SUV parked in front, but Owen isn't in it. "Did you drive?"

"I know how to drive, kitten." He opens the passenger door for me. I slip in. Luka pulls my belt over me before he gets into the driver's seat. "What if I was taking you back to the city?"

"I would go with you. It's difficult being away from you."

"I know."

Luka pulls out of the long gravel driveway. I wonder where he is taking us. Maybe he just wants us to be alone, with no one in earshot. I'm surprised, though, when he takes a sudden turn a few miles down.

"What are you doing?"

"I want to show you something."

"Show me what? It's my parents' land." I love this side of the property. We don't use it anymore. There are fields of wildflowers. Sometimes I'll bring the horses out here to ride for the view alone, and then over to the pond.

"It's not theirs anymore." Luka says this as the SUV rolls to a stop right near the pond.

"What? They wouldn't sell it."

"You're not wrong there." Luka gets out.

"What?" I shout after him, unbuckling my seat belt. He opens the door for me. "What are you talking about?"

"I wanted to build a home for us here in Cottonwood. I've been searching for land, but your parents told me this is where you'd want a home." He motions toward the field of sunflowers. "But like you said, they won't sell it to me." They would never sell it. They also wouldn't want to take Luka's money.

Luke pulls out a piece of paper from his back pocket. I take it from him and open it. My eyes scan over it. They signed the deed over to me. I don't miss that my name is printed as June Graysen Woods.

"Luka?" When I glance up from the paper, I see Luka on one knee in front of me.

"I love you, kitten." I hold my hand out as Luka slips the ring onto my finger. A beautiful teardrop diamond. It's simple but breathtaking. "I didn't know what love was before you. I didn't know that I could love in this capacity until I met you. I never want to be without you."

"Like true love?" Through tears, I smile at him.

"You have taught me the most important lessons in life."

"I am pretty smart." I sniffle, making him chuckle.

"You're brilliant." He stands up, picking me up in the process. Then he sets me down on the SUV's hood, stepping between my thighs. "I want to raise a family here with you." He runs his hand across my stomach.

"You know?" I don't think my mom would have told him.

"You left a test behind."

"Oops." I might have done that. "Wait, is that why you're here? The ring?"

"No." He cuts me off before I can ramble on more and panic. "I had this ring before. I'm done with the project. They can finish without me."

"But—"

"No buts, kitten. I'm where I want to be. That isn't my life anymore. Wherever you are is where my life will always be."

"I love you so much." I sniffle again.

"I love you, and I want to spend every second showing you just how much, Mrs. Woods." I smile, loving the sound of that.

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. That may be the case for some, but for me, being present and making memories with the ones you love is what life is all about.