Page 50 of Keep My Heart (The Haydon Falls #1)

‘I’d let them do what they want. I couldn’t force them into it.

Nash fought it for years, doing all kinds of jobs that didn’t suit him.

I think he was just trying to prove that he was different than me.

He didn’t want to be a version of his old man.

The thing he didn’t get is that construction is what we do, not who we are.

He can do construction and be nothing like me.

’ He chuckles. ‘He actually is a lot like me, but I don’t point it out. ’

‘If none of your boys wanted the company, would you sell it?’

‘Probably. I can’t do this forever. My body’s already showing wear and tear from years of working construction.’

Mom walks up to us, talking to Uncle Mitch. ‘Where are your boys?’

‘In the cafeteria.’ He gets up and puts his arm around her. ‘Let’s go down there and join them. I’ll buy you some lunch.’

‘I’m really not hungry.’

‘Then your big brother will buy you a cup of coffee.’ He forces her to walk with him. ‘You coming, Nick?’

‘No, I think I’ll stay here.’

They continue down the hall to the elevator. I remain in the waiting area and think about what I should do, weighing the pros and cons, calculating the risks. Then I think about what Lyndsay said, about how I think too much and how I should listen to what my heart is telling me.

‘Why am I making this so hard?’ I mutter to myself as I get up.

It’s not hard. This is the easiest decision I’ve ever made.

As I walk into Dad’s room, he hears me and opens his eyes. ‘What are you doing back?’

‘I came to make you an offer. ’

‘An offer? For what?’

I grab a chair and pull it up next to his bed. ‘I’d like to apply for the job.’

‘What job?’

‘Taking your place on the orchard until you’re better, or until you think I’m ready to take it over for good.’

‘Nick, if your mother put you up to this—’

‘She didn’t. This is what I want. It just took me until now to figure it out.’

‘No.’ He shakes his head. ‘I’m not letting you do this. You didn’t spend all that time and money going to school to be a farmer. Your life is in New York and that’s where you’re going to stay.’

‘I don’t want that life. I’m tired of it.

The only time I’m happy is when I come home, when I’m out working in the orchard, breathing the fresh air.

You taught me everything I know, and if I forgot anything, you’ll be there to help me.

’ I look him in the eye. ‘I want to do this, Dad. And I’m not doing it because you can’t.

I’m doing it because this is what I want. ’

His brows furrow. ‘Are you sure about this?’

‘A hundred percent.’ I stand up. ‘I can send you a resume and we can schedule a formal interview if you have other candidates you need to consider.’

He smiles a little. ‘How much do you expect to get paid?’

‘We can settle that later. For now I need to know if you’ll consider me.’

He looks up at the ceiling, a trick he uses to keep himself from crying.

‘You sure you can handle the job?’ he asks, still staring at the ceiling. ‘It’s a lot of hard, physical labor.’

‘I’m looking forward to it. It’ll save me from paying for a gym membership. ’

He clears his throat and extends his hand to me. ‘Congratulations. You’re hired.’

I smile. ‘You won’t regret it.’

‘I better not,’ he says, trying to hide his smile.

‘There you are,’ Sawyer says, coming into the room. ‘We couldn’t find you.’

My brothers walk in, along with Mom and Uncle Mitch.

‘I had an interview,’ I say, laughing a little.

‘For what?’ Brody asks, sitting down in the chair.

‘I’m officially the new manager of Kanfield Orchard.’

‘You’re what ?’ Sawyer asks.

Mom gasps and looks at Dad.

‘What could I say?’ he says to Mom. ‘The kid wanted it. I couldn’t really tell him no.’

‘Holy shit.’ Sawyer walks up to me. ‘You’re moving back?’

‘I have to. I can’t run the place from New York.’

‘Oh, Nick!’ My mom races up to me and hugs me. ‘Thank you.’

‘I should be thanking you. I get a job where I get to be outside all day instead of stuck in an office.’

‘You’re really doing this?’ Jason asks. ‘You’re giving up being a lawyer?’

‘He’s not giving it up,’ Sawyer says, smiling at me. ‘I need a lawyer. You think you could look over some vendor contracts for me?’

‘Only if I get free beer.’

‘You can have all you want.’

‘Hey, Nick,’ Nash says, standing at the door.

‘Yeah?’

‘There’s someone out here that needs to talk to you.’

‘Who?’

‘Just get out here,’ he says, cracking a smile .

I walk out to the hall and see Lyndsay standing there, wearing jeans and the Kanfield Orchard t-shirt my mom gave her the day Lyndsay helped clean up after the party.

‘Hey, Nick.’ Her eyes lock on mine and I feel like all those pieces that were falling apart are starting to come back together. I don’t know why she’s here and what this means, but having her here feels as right as telling my dad I want the orchard.

‘I’ll leave you two alone,’ Nash says, going in Dad’s room.

‘Lyndsay, what are you doing here?’

‘I wanted to be here for you.’ She steps up to me. ‘As a friend, or whatever we are now.’ She glances at my dad’s room. ‘How’s he doing?’

‘Better. He’s tired, but the doctor said that’s normal after a heart attack.’

‘Is he still having surgery?’

‘Yeah, later this week. How long are you staying?’

‘Actually, I live here now.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘I decided I don’t want to be in LA anymore. So I packed up my stuff and left.’

‘To come here,’ I confirm. ‘To Haydon Falls.’

‘Yeah. I’m going to live with my mom, get a job, save up some money.

I thought about what you said, Nick, and you were right.

We were moving too fast. I’m not ready to move to New York with you.

I’m still working through all the issues I had with Chris.

I need to learn to trust again. I can’t be accusing you of things you didn’t do. ’

I step aside as a nurse goes by us, pushing a guy in a wheelchair.

‘Let’s go outside,’ I say to Lyndsay. ‘I don’t want to talk in here.’

Taking her hand, I lead her down the hall and out the doors to the front of the hospital. I spot a bench and we walk down there and take a seat.

‘I understand you need time to work through stuff,’ I say, turning to her. ‘But I’d still like to see you.’

‘I’d like to see you too, but how are we going to do this? You can’t fly home every weekend.’

‘I don’t need to.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I’m already home. I live here. Well, I don’t have a place yet, but I’ll work on that next week.’

‘I don’t get it. What do you mean you live here?’

‘I’m taking over the orchard for my dad. He’ll still be there, but I’ll be the one running the place and doing the work.’

‘What about your job in New York?’

‘I’m quitting. I don’t want that life anymore. I want to be here, with my family.’ I take her hand. ‘And with you.’

Her face lights up. ‘Is this really happening? You’re seriously moving here?’

‘It’s really happening. I already talked to my dad.’

‘Nick, that’s great!’ She hugs me, then lets me go. ‘This is really what you want to do?’

‘It is. It just took me 15 years to figure it out. What about you? Is this really what you want? To live here again?’

‘Yes. I love it here. And I love being able to see my mom, and Diane and Tom. This feels like home. LA never did.’

‘What about dating a farmer? You okay with that?’

‘Only if it’s you.’ She smiles. ‘I love watching you work in the fields, shirtless and sweaty. It turns me on.’

‘Good, because you’re going to be seeing that a lot more, assuming you come over.’ I pause, getting an idea. ‘Did my mom tell you that Cheryl quit?’

‘Who’s Cheryl? ’

‘Their bookkeeper. She retired last month. They haven’t hired a replacement yet. If you’re interested, I might be able to get you the job.’

‘Nick, if you’re serious, I’ll take it!’

‘I’ll talk to my dad, but I’m guessing it’s yours if you want it. We could go ask him right now.’

‘Okay.’ She gets up.

‘Hey.’ I stand up. ‘Before we go in .?.?.’

‘Yeah?’

I hold her face in my hands and kiss her, getting that feeling again that the pieces are coming together, that things are finally the way they should be.

I’ve been searching for this feeling for years, but I was looking in all the wrong places. It turns out it was here all along. I just didn’t see it until now.