Page 11 of Sunny Skies Ahead (Watford Sweethearts #2)

Chapter seven

Imogen

D ropping Abbie off at the airport for her honeymoon was a full circle moment.

When I’d handed her the tickets for Amsterdam, alongside a folder full of information about what farms and tulip fields to visit for the best view this time of year, she burst into tears.

The moment I’d realized that early May was one of the best times of year to see the sprawling tulip fields in the Netherlands, I’d known it was the ideal vacation destination for Abbie.

Couple that with how Amsterdam wasn’t a bustling city in the way New York or Paris was, and I figured it was the perfect honeymoon. Their rental was nestled in a quieter part of the city, close to beautiful waterscapes and historic sites. There was something for both Abbie and Connor there.

Abbie’s blubbering ‘thank you’s’ and Connor’s misty expression told me my instincts had been right on the money .

After our excursion to the airport, I’d come back to the homestead, eager to hand the reins of every day operations over to Kevin. He met me in the driveway of my farmhouse, hands in his pockets as he leaned against the side of his truck.

“How was the send off?” Kevin asked as I approached him.

“It was perfect.”

“Of course it was. I’m guessing you picked the right destination?”

I puffed my chest out with mock pride.

“Of course I did. You should have seen the two of them. Abbie was completely beside herself with excitement. I thought Connor was going to sink to his knees with utter relief that I wasn’t sending them to a huge city.”

I let out a long sigh, kicking at a piece of stray gravel on the ground.

“You sure you’re still okay to manage both the homestead and the store while I focus on renovations and figuring out what the hell I’m doing going forward?” I asked. “It’s a lot for one person to handle. I know you’ll have help from the FFA kids, but. . .”

Kevin gestured for me to give him the keys. I narrowed my eyes and cautiously handed them over.

“I’ve got this. The farm is in excellent hands.”

“If you need something over the next two days, please call me,” I said. “I mean it. Don’t try to figure it out by yourself. I promise I won’t make fun of you.”

Kevin’s raised eyebrows told me he didn’t believe me.

“I’m planning to be back on Thursday morning. ”

“Take your time,” Kevin said. I didn’t miss his smirk. I put one hand on my hip and pointed the other in his direction.

“What’s your deal?”

Kevin shrugged, tossing the keys up in the air before catching them again.

“I should ask you the same.”

I tamped down the urge to stomp my foot and demand, for the thousandth time, that people stay out of my business.

“It’s a special opportunity,” I said. Kevin shrugged.

“It is.”

“Spit it out, Kev.”

Kevin sighed, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans once more.

“You deserve good things, Imogen.”

Kevin’s words, and the sincerity with which he spoke them, momentarily surprised me.

“Okay,” I said, scrunching my nose in confusion.

“This is an excellent opportunity. It’s one Kameron and the other guys made specifically for you. You’re smart, and talented, and you should know that.”

I sniffled. Kevin rolled his eyes.

“Think whatever you want,” Kevin said as he opened the driver’s side door of his truck. “Doesn’t change the facts.”

“What’s that?”

“That you can lie to yourself, but you can’t lie to your family.”

My heart twisted as Kevin closed the door behind him, cranking the truck engine to life.

I stood in my driveway long after the dust had settled, mulling things over .

You can’t lie to your family.

I had to assume he was talking about himself and Cassie.

The insinuation that our family might also include the Winding Road trio was too much for me to take in.

I realized when I pulled out of my driveway the next morning that this was the first time I was traveling to Winding Road by myself. I’d only been a handful of times, but even then, those visits had been in a wedding capacity.

This time, I was going there for myself.

I’d double checked my laptop bag before I left, making sure I had all of my sticky notes, notebooks, laptop and charger, the pencil for my tablet—everything a brand new administrative assistant could need.

As I pulled up to the charming white farmhouse, I let out a small gasp at the view beyond.

I’d been too distracted in the few times I’d been here, including the wedding, to really take in the scenery.

I was certain I’d never seen a farm as gorgeous as this one.

The lush pasture stretched out into the valley, the Washington mountains in the backdrop.

I knew the barn was just down the hill opposite the pasture, and that it overlooked a gap in the forest that showed the mountain passage in all its glory.

The three therapy horses—Memphis, Chesty, and Reckless—were grazing in the pasture nearest the farmhouse .

I slowly got out of my car, transfixed on the horizon beyond. To my right, the chickens squawked merrily in their fenced-off area.

Watford was gorgeous, but in some ways, it had nothing on Winding Road. How Kameron was able to snag this perfect piece of land would remain a mystery.

“You made it!”

I whirled around to see Kameron descending the steps of the farmhouse.

Oh, sweet Jesus.

Kameron was wearing his classic jeans and t-shirt pairing, but I’d either forgotten how good he looked in green, or simply hadn’t prepared myself for what the sight of him was going to do to me. I looked down at my denim overalls and white t-shirt, feeling slightly overdressed.

Couple his incredible physique with the excited grin on his face, and I was really about to lose it.

I didn’t know how I’d convinced myself doing an overnight here would be fine.

With Kameron looking like that, and my head a jumbled mess of feelings I couldn’t untangle, the night was sure to be a disaster.

“Hi,” I said, smiling back at him. “Thanks for letting me come by for a few days.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” Kam said. “It’ll be good for you to see everything before you work remotely most of the week.”

I smiled and adjusted the strap of my bag over my shoulder, hitting the lock button on my keys .

“So, am I sleeping in the farmhouse?” I said, gesturing to my bag.

“About that,” Kameron said sheepishly. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “I might have made another small infrastructure investment.”

“An infrastructure investment?” I repeated. Kameron nodded, gesturing for us to turn around. There was a small natural incline built into the hill that descended past the chicken coop.

“Trust me,” Kam said, heading down what felt like a natural staircase leading down the hill. It was only a few more steps before the tiny house appeared. My jaw hit the floor as I took in the structure and I whirled towards Kameron, who was blushing.

“You built a tiny house?” I practically squealed.

Before leaving Watford, and before I knew my Nana had left her land to me, including the farmhouse, I’d dreamed about building a tiny house in my Nana’s backyard.

I loved the appeal of living in a small, minimalist space where every design feature, every nook and cranny, had a purpose.

“Ta-da,” Kam said weakly, pulling a small key out of his pocket.

I took it from him, my face still shell-shocked as we walked towards the front door.

The house had wooden paneling with black accents, a small front porch, a black door, and several windows, including what looked to be a skylight on the far side. I opened the front door and gasped.

The interior was something out of a Pinterest dream.

We entered the kitchen, which was surprisingly spacious for a tiny home.

A lofted bed rose above the living room seating area with a built-in desk along the far wall.

There was a small couch, and just off the kitchen was the bathroom, complete with a small shower.

And, to top it all off, the small wall behind the small vertical fridge boasted a built-in book shelf. I walked over to it, my eyes immediately scanning the titles.

“I originally had the idea to install a tiny house when Abbie and Connor got back together,” Kameron’s voice brought me back to the present moment.

“I figured they might want more privacy than the farmhouse can provide. So, I reached out to a local builder, and now we have this guy,” he said, knocking his knuckles against the wooden shelves. “The idea was to rent it out as an Airbnb eventually, but right now, it’s yours.”

“What?” I said, still running my fingers along the wooden bookshelves built into the wall of the home.

“You can spend the night here, as opposed to the farmhouse, if you’d like.”

“It’s. . . Kameron, this is beautiful.”

Kameron stood against the wall, leaning his full weight into it.

“I’m glad you like it. I thought of the books you and Abbie read all the time, so the bookshelves were a necessity.”

I turned to face him, unable to find the words to explain what I was feeling.

What was happening?

He didn’t build this house for me. I knew that, and yet I also couldn’t stop the torrent of emotion rising within me at all the details he’d thought about. Details that were connected to me .

“So, I figured I’d give you some time to settle in here. Whenever you’re ready, come back up to the farmhouse. I’ve got a pot roast going. We can eat lunch and discuss things.”

“You cooked?”

Kameron shook his head, a teasing grin on his face.

“Need I remind you that Lucas is the one who is inept in the kitchen? I’ll have you know I can cook just fine.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

“So you will,” Kameron said, smiling as he turned to leave.

I turned my attention back to the loft above the small living area.

The house couldn’t have been over 350 square feet.

This house was a fraction of the size of my farmhouse, with its long ranch style hallway and small bedrooms, but it was every bit as cozy.