Home Again

by Jennifer Ketchum

  “He does?” Danna was surprised.

  “Yes, he does. He rarely dates, and when you got married he left town for two weeks before he finally showed back up again. We were worried sick about him.”

  “Then why would you want him to hook back up with me, Katie? I’m bad news for Jack. I don’t want to hurt him all over again even though I’d love to see him…”

  “He’d love to see you too. Look, we don’t often get second chances in life, Danna, but it seems to me that you’re here, you’re single, Jack’s single…”

  “Always the matchmaker,” Danna said with a sly smile. Her friend was always matchmaking even back in high school, although Katie was a year older than her and Jack.

  “Just think about it, okay? You know where to find him, and I think you’ll be surprised at how Jack has turned out.”

  “You’re the second person to say that to me in the last two days,” Danna muttered under her breath, referring back to her sister’s comment.

  “Go see him, Danna. You’ll always regret it if you don’t,” Katie said with a grin as she pushed her cart up the aisle.

  ***

  As Danna got home with her groceries, her sister Olivia was hard at work at the kitchen table, crunching numbers as usual.

  “Whatcha doin’?” Danna asked as she plopped down next to her twenty-five year old sister.

  “Working on spreadsheets. Where have you been this morning?”

  “Had to load up on some snacks for my stay. Mom doesn’t have anything unhealthy in this house,” Danna complained as she opened a bag of chips.

  “Chips in the morning?” Olivia said looking down her nose through a pair of reading glasses.

  “Chips are good anytime, anywhere. What’re your plans for today, sis?” Danna asked.

  “I’m working from home today.”

  “But it’s Saturday…”

  “Danna, I work almost everyday of the week.”

  “It’s June. Isn’t tax season over?”

  “Tax season is never over,” Olivia said with a laugh.

  “How do you ever date?” Danna asked. Olivia was an attractive woman with blond hair and beautiful blue eyes, but she hid it well under a tight bun and matronly clothing.

  “I don’t date. No time for that right now,” Olivia said looking back down at her spreadsheet. Realizing she was interfering in Olivia’s work, Danna slowly slid out of her chair and went upstairs to her room.

  Looking out her window, she could see so many familiar sights from her childhood. The big oak tree on the corner of her property where she and Jack had regular make-out sessions while waiting for the sunset. The old red barn on Mr. Milton’s property where Danna had jumped off the loft and broken her arm at ten years old. The creek where she’d caught tadpoles and picked muscadine berries. So many memories, yet one important person was missing. Jack.

  Jack had been there for most of her memories. From the time she was ten years old until the moment she left for college, they’d been inseparable. Jack’s family had moved to Dallas Springs when he was just starting middle school. They bought old Mr. Prager’s apple farm, and Jack was constantly working with his father and uncle in the fields. She remembered the first time they met - when Jack brought her a “special apple” from his favorite tree. During lunch one day, he presented it to her and his buddies made such fun of him that he wouldn’t look Danna’s way for two weeks. Of course, she eventually bullied her way right back into his world and the rest was history.

  What had she done? Jack had been her best friend and the love of her short life, yet she’d tossed him aside to pursue her dreams. What kind of person did that make her?

  She wondered how he really felt about her now. Did he hate her? Would he even care that she was back in town? Would he want to see her?

  She decided, in true Danna fashion, that there was only one way to find out. She would have to see for herself whether or not Jack Swanson still cared about her, and the only way to do that was by sneak attack.

  Chapter 4

  Danna drove slowly up the dirt road leading to the main house of Swanson Farms. The pasture had just been cut, and there were more horses grazing than Danna remembered. She could see the apple trees lining the fields, and it looked like there was a new red barn off in the distance. Some things hadn’t changed at all, but she could tell time had allowed the farm to progress somewhat.

  As she parked her car in front of the sprawling white antebellum home that stood on one hundred acres of land, memories came flooding back to her. She and Jack had spent an awful lot of time together running through those fields, picking apples, riding horses and creating mischief anywhere they could.

  “Can I help you?” a man asked who was working on landscaping in the front flower bed.

  “I’m looking for Jack Swanson,” she said. Knowing that she was going to a working farm, Danna had worn jeans, brown cowboy boots and a button up plaid shirt. She felt like a real cowgirl again.

  “Oh, he’s down in the barn over there,” the man said pointing behind the house.

  “Thanks.”

  Danna started walking down toward the bright red barn. She could tell that a lot of the fencing on the old farm had been upgraded, and the barn wasn’t that old. As she walked through the big double doors, she could hear a radio playing country music. Jack had always loved country music, and she was sure he was near that radio wherever it was.

  Petting one of the horses in a stall on the right, Danna continued walking through the big barn until she saw a pair of cowboy boots on the ground. They were attached to Jack’s legs as he worked on hammering up a board that had apparently come loose.

  She stopped in front of where he was lying on the ground, waiting for him to notice her.

  “Can you hand me that nail?” he called over the radio, completely unaware that it was Danna standing there. Seeing only boots and jeans, he apparently assumed it was just one of the farm workers.

  “Sure,” she said as she reached down and picked it up. When her hand touched his, he stopped cold and sat up.

  “Danna?” he said with his mouth hanging open. When she saw him, she almost passed out herself. He’d changed a lot since she’d seen him. Now a real man, he was tough and rugged looking with stubble across his jaw and messed up dirty blond hair. His blue eyes were still as piercing as ever, and she could still smell that cologne he wore in high school wafting past her nose.

  “Hi, Jack,” she said softly. He switched off the radio, and stood up, shaking the hay off his jeans.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, still not cracking a smile or looking like he wanted her there.

  “I’m back. Well, for awhile at least. It’s nice to see you…” she said.

  “Okay,” he said as he turned around and gathered up his tools. Walking past her, he headed straight for his office leaving her standing there feeling like an idiot. Not exactly the warm welcome she was hoping for.

  Danna followed him and found him sitting behind his desk adding something up on a calculator. Fuming mad at the cold welcome, she crossed her arms and glared at him from the doorway.

  “Excuse me?” she said in her snappiest tone.

  “What?”

  “What kind of welcome was that after not seeing me for all these years. I came all the way over here to see you.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Was I supposed to clap or bow at your feet, Princess?”

  “Why are you being such a jackass? Your sister said you’d be happy to see me, but I can see this was a big mistake,” she said.

  “My sister? When did you talk to Katie?”

  “This morning. I ran into her at the grocery store.”

  “Well, she shouldn’t have said anything about me. I am none of your business, Danna.”

  It became obvious that he had nothing to say to her, so Danna opted to retain some of her dignity and leave. Turning to walk away, she tripped over a piece of lumber that was sticking a little too far into the pathway and went t
umbling to the ground.

  “Ouch!” she yelled as she grabbed her ankle and fell to the ground. “Crap, crap, crap!” she said as the tears welled up in her eyes and fell over her cheeks.

  “Danna!” Jack said as he quickly ran out from behind his desk and knelt beside her on the ground. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry…”

  “It really hurts…” she said with tears escaping her eyes.

  “Let me take a look,” he said carefully lifting the leg of her jeans. “It’s not swollen yet. Do you want to try walking on it?” His touch sent shivers up her spine which only made her angrier at herself for being in this position.

  “Just help me get to my car, and I’ll get out of your hair,” she said avoiding eye contact.

  “Come on, don’t be like that…”

  “Don’t be like that? You mean don’t be a jerk? Because you were a really big jerk to me a few minutes ago!”

  Jack slid down to his butt and leaned against the wall, sighing as he ran his fingers through his thick hair.

  “I know I was. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t sue you,” she said trying not to laugh.

  “Danna, I really am sorry. You know I’d never do anything to hurt you intentionally,” he said looking at her.

  “I know. But you did.”

  “I am used to stepping over that piece of wood. I totally forgot…”

  “No. I’m not talking about my ankle,” she said searching his eyes.

  “Oh.”

  “Jack, you never gave me an opening to say how sorry I am about the way things ended with us.”

  “It was a long time ago, Danna,” he said.

  “Then why do I get the feeling you’re still hurt?” she asked softly.

  “Because I guess I am. I wish I could say it doesn’t matter all these years later, but it does. You were my life for years, and then you were just gone. That was bad enough, but then you went and married some guy in Vegas. What was that about?”

  “Stupidity. My normal spontaneous nature. I don’t know really,” she said shaking her head.

  “That hurt me more than anything because I always thought you’d come back to me at some point. If I just waited long enough…”

  “And then I showed up out of the blue today…”

  “Why are you here, Danna?”

  “Because I lost my job and wanted to get a fresh start.”

  “There’s nothing fresh about Dallas Springs. Everything here is from the past.”

  “Then why does it feel like it’s exactly the place I need to be?” she said softly as Jack slowly looked up.

  “It does?”

  “It does right now,” she said realizing that her heart was flip flopping in her chest. She hadn’t felt this way about any man since she’d left Jack standing at the end of her driveway on the day she left for college. Why did she ever leave him?

  Without warning, Jack slid in front of Danna, putting his hand through her hair as he searched her eyes silently.

  “Jack…” she pleaded as he pulled her face to his in an agonizingly slow manner. Brushing his lips against hers ever so slightly, Danna felt like her body had been hooked to an electric charger. Overcome himself, Jack’s mouth pressed into Danna’s with force as his tongue parted her lips. Gasping between kisses, Danna was lost in his scent and the feeling of finally kissing him again.

  Suddenly, Jack pulled away and shook his head. “God, what am I doing?” he said.

  “Kissing me…” Danna said leaning closer.

  “No, Danna. We can’t do this. It took me years to get over you, and I can’t do it again. I’m sorry,” he said as he stood up. “Let me help you get home.”

  “No… I don’t need help…” she stammered as she attempted to stand up, falling right back down again.

  “Danna, you’re hurt. We need to get you over to Dr. Stewart’s office…”

  “I’ll drive myself!” she snapped, trying to stand up again.

  “No, you won’t. That’s your right ankle,” he said as he picked her up in his arms. Danna pushed against his chest trying to break free.

  “Put me down!”

  “No. You are the most hard-headed woman I’ve ever met!” he yelled as he walked toward the driveway.

  “I said put me down!” she continued to yell as she slapped at his chest and his arms all the way to the car. He slid her into the seat and ran around to the driver’s side before she could get out. Finally giving in to her throbbing ankle, Danna sat quietly in the passenger seat until they arrived at Dr. Stewart’s office near the town square.

  Jack carried Danna into the doctor’s office and went with her into the examining room. Thankfully, it was just a sprain, and the doctor was able to wrap it. Recommending she stay off of it as much as possible and take an anti-inflammatory, he sent her home an hour later.

  That didn’t stop Jack from carrying Danna to his car anyway, which irritated her to no end. As they drove toward her house, Jack suddenly stopped the car at a clearing halfway up the mountain.

  “Remember this place?” he asked without looking at Danna.

  “Of course I do, Jack. This is where we had our first kiss. We were in Billy McNamara’s truck,” Danna said with a sly smile as she remembered the old days.

  “You’re a much better kisser now,” he said with a laugh.

  “Yeah. You too,” she said looking over at him. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Jack.”

  He didn’t say anything for a moment, and then looked at her. “I know you didn’t mean to hurt me, Danna. You were just young.”

  “I wanted to be something, and I thought leaving you and Dallas Springs was the only way that could happen. Turns out, I was wrong. I should have stayed. I always knew that you were my future, but I had to get out of here to prove it to myself. Now it’s too late to go back,” she said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

  “I never stopped thinking about you. I always thought that you’d come back one day, but then you got married…”

  “I already told you that was my biggest mistake. The only man I ever wanted to marry was you, Jack.”

  “You did?” he asked, surprised at her admission.

  “Of course. Surely you know how much I loved you all those years, Jack. I just needed to get out of here for awhile and find myself. I made some mistakes along the way, but the moment I saw you in the barn, every feeling I had for you came flooding back. And if you asked me right now to stay in Dallas Springs and never leave, I would stay forever just to have a chance at being with you again,” she said, the words flooding out before she could stop them.

  Jack’s mouth gaped open, and she could tell that he had no idea what to say.

  “I can’t ask you to stay, Danna,” he finally said without looking her in the eye. “I asked you the last time, and you still left. It has to be your decision. I don’t want you here just because of me.”

  “I still love you, Jack.”

  “And I still love you, Danna, but our love was never enough, was it?” he said.

  “There’s something else,” she said.

  “What?”

  “You know how poor we were growing up. My mother struggled to make ends meet for me and my sisters. When I left you, it was partly out of selfishness. I saw how hard you worked on the farm, and I was terrified that you’d always been this poor farm laborer who couldn’t offer me anything. I didn’t want to be a struggling mother one day, Jack. As much as I loved you, I was already thinking about the future.”

  “So you left because you didn’t think I had enough money?” Jack asked in shock.

  “Partly. I’m being honest.”

  Jack immediately started laughing, and Danna couldn’t figure out what was so funny.

  “So, you left me to strike out on your own, and then you got fired and had to come home?”

  “Yes, but that was a mean way to say it,” she said crossing her arms.

  “Then you’re going to find this n
ext part quite ironic,” he said with a sly smile.

  “What?”

  “Danna, I own the farm now. On the other side of the land, we have a retail store and an adventure center where tourists come to zip line and go through our boot camp courses. We board horses and have a small dairy farm on the west side…”