Page 62 of Mr. Green
“I grew out my hair as a fuck you to my dad. I wanted to be the complete opposite of whatever perfect little picture he had of me. Turns out I like having my own business and dealing with numbers, though. That’s one thing he did right. But he can’t touch my hair or beard. I’m a fucking rebel.”
She giggles. “My parents are supportive—you know that. I can’t help but think I’ve disappointed them, though. They want me married with a family. I’m becoming a spinster before their eyes.”
“Good thing I saw you at that party then.” I raise my eyebrows up and down. “I can make their dreams come true if that’s what you want.”
“Would you stop!” She gives me a playful smack on my chest. “We’re on date three. You don’t need to marry me when it’s been like two weeks.”
“Lana, I’ve seen the way your parents look at you. You’re far from a disappointment. You’re their little girl. They’d love you no matter what. You’re lucky to have that.”
She fidgets with her shirt and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear that was already there. “Yeah. At least my siblings take some of the pressure off. Three out of five have a family. You don’t have anyone, huh?”
I grasp the steering wheel until my hands are white. “No. All the attention was on me. Lots of pressure to be the perfect son.”
“I’m not fond of attention right now either. I want to tell everyone to fuck off.”
“You could never hide from anyone, Sunshine.” I pause. “I was supposed to go to New York for school. The right people were there, but it didn’t feel right.”
“What is everyone’s obsession with New York?” she murmurs, crossing her arms over her chest. Okay. She doesn’t like New York, got it. Change of subject now! “Do you want to get married? You know—to the right person.”
“Yeah. Someday.” She looks out the window. I hate when she hides from me.
“Hey! Look at me.” She does. I focus between the road and her, needing to keep eye contact. “It’s okay to want a relationship and kids. You don’t have to act like you’re not interested. You’ll never scare me away.”
She nods. “I think there’s something nice about coming home to a person who loves you for you. It’d be nice to have a family life. I’ve thought about it a lot, but the person I thought loved me, didn’t love me back.”
“That guy sounds like the king of ball suckers.”
She laughs. “I thought he was perfect. The first guy I had anactualrelationship with, but you’ve been showing me maybe I was wrong. He wasn’t the guy I thought he was at all.”
My chest puffs up without me thinking about it. I’d do anything for Lana. She told me I’ve been showing her she’s amazing. I wish she’d see how perfect and beautiful she is.
She turns to me. “What do you like to do for fun? It seems like you do a whole bunch of things, but they’re for charity or for your parents or for someone else. What do you like to do?”
I stroke my beard. No one has ever cared to ask me. I haven’t thought of it much. I’ve always just kept myself busy volunteering or working or planning something. I think about it for a few minutes. “I like horseback riding a lot. I should’ve been a cowboy even though I’m not very handy.”
“No, seriously.”
“I’m serious. I have a horse. I board him a mile down the road. I never spend as much time with him as I want, though.”
She looks impressed. “Wow. I’d never pictureyouon a horse.”
I smirk. “Am I not rugged enough?”
She laughs. Her dimple appears. “You’re plenty rugged. I’ve never thought of you as a cowboy. You wear suits a lot.” Then she mumbles, “If anything it’d be a Viking.”
“I do go to work a lot, but it’s nice being outside in fresh air with an animal who seems like he can read your mind. It’s a trip, really.”
“You should do more of what you love.” She puts her hand over mine. “Horseback riding sounds cool. I’ve never been.”
I nod, forming a plan in my head to do what I love with Lana the next time I see her. Thoughts of riding in the open air come to a stop. We’re here.
Chapter 40
Lana
He brought me to a meadow with freaking flowers everywhere. I knew this guy woke up to a flowery life. I have my mouth open and am gawking at my surroundings. The place is something out of a dream. A dream where pilgrims settled.
“This is a rose emporium,” Grant explains, “but it’s also where blue bonnets are. I wanted to take you. These are a big deal in Texas.”