by Piper Frost
Which means one thing. She still wants out. So, here I sit. Panicked because there's nothing I have that will make her stay and still be as happy as she deserves. If she moves, I'll move with her. I've already decided that but I'm not happy about it. I'm sure I'll grow to love wherever she wants to go, but it'll never feel right if we're not here, right where we started. Where we belong.
I wish I could be out there with them, but she made me promise I'd let her talk to them without intimidating them with my good looks. Apparently these boys are as gay as they come, which makes me slightly less nervous about this situation.
When she finally stands from the table and shakes their hands I grip my beer tighter. The smile on her face isn't one that says she just turned down this gig and my heart breaks a little. As much as I want her happy, I really was hoping she meant it when she said there wasn't anything she wouldn't do for us. I was hoping she'd realize we were better here, but seeing how happy everyone looks heading inside my back door makes my stomach plummet that she just did the one thing I was secretly hoping she wouldn't.
The smile she gives me forces a fake one out of me. I’m not mad she's happy, I’m just so fucking sad that she ended up taking it. I'm not a dumbass, I know I could have told her flat out I didn't want her to take it...but I couldn't. I'll go wherever I need to for her. I wasn't lying when I said she's my future. No matter what.
I follow them to the front door, shaking their hands and saying our goodbyes. They're nice guys, but right now I kind of hate them.
“Mr. Barns,” the one that talks the most says and nods. “Really looking forward to getting to know you and future Mrs. Barns here. She'll be the asset this company's needed to wipe Trenton off the map.” The three of them chuckle and Affton smiles.
“Do you do any modeling, Mr. Barns?” One of the others asks me.
My eyebrows shoot up and I glance at Affton. “I'm a veterinarian,” I mumble, shaking my head. “Definitely not model material. But thank you.” I try to laugh it off.
“Too bad. We could have offered you a job.” The third one winks at Affton and she chuckles, moving closer to me.
“Thank you for coming. I really appreciate it and from here on out, you won't have to come back,” she says and my heart drops with confirmation she took the job and we're moving.
I watch them get in their rented car before driving away. Silently, Affton closes the door and smiles at me.
“Congratulations, Beany. I’m proud of you.” It's not a lie, I'm so fucking proud.
She squeals and throws her arms around me, hugging me tight. “Oh my god! Baby! This is exactly what we needed!” She lets me go and offers a chaste kiss before rushing to the kitchen. “I have to call Grant. Is he working?” She's already dialing his number.
“Wait, stop,” I blurt, shoving her phone down. “What? Grant? Why?”
“You weren't listening?” She laughs. “I saw you stalking the door, I thought for sure you were eavesdropping. Grant Matthews just got a pay increase of fifty thousand more a year. And he gets his own private airport.” She winces and goes still. “Out there,” she quietly says and meekly points out our back door. “I should have talked to you about that part first. I'm sorry, but we'll buy all that land and build the runway past the old train tracks.”
I blink a few times, trying to let her words sink in.
“You're what now?” I lean back against the counter. “You're building a runway? For Grant? On my land?” I shake my head. “So we’re not moving?” My heart's hammering in my chest and I want to smile but I'm still so confused.
Her smile falls and she moves toward me, grabbing my hips. “You want to move?” she asks like I'm breaking her heart. “But this is our home. I thought you'd be happy we'd stay here. I'll be traveling for work a lot but I told them I wouldn't move so they suggested the whole airport thing after I told them I had a personal pilot that might consider a job from them if they wanted me bad enough. They want me, baby.” She's grinning again. “I thought you'd be happy about staying here.”
A smile breaks out on my face so big it almost hurts. She told them she wouldn't leave?
“Holy shit,” I say, starting to laugh. “Affton, that's...” I let out a whoop and swoop my arms around her, spinning her in the kitchen. “Holy shit, babe, that's amazing!” They're building her a fucking airport! And she doesn't have to move. And I don't have to move! I slam my mouth to hers. “I'm so fucking proud of you,” I murmur on her lips.
She hums, deepening our kiss. “I love you. But I really need to call Grant because they want to meet him tomorrow before they leave the city. I know he does the Kenshaw's crops but he'll have time to do both. I'll be traveling something like two weeks out of the month.” She moves away, grabbing her phone before frowning at me. “I know it seems like a lot, but, baby, I want this and I'd rather we stayed here and do it that way than us moving to some huge city you'd hate.”
“We'll work it out. Call Grant, Bean.” I watch her bite her lip and smile while dialing his number and walking out to the back porch.
It's not typical a hotshot fashionista moves into the country and builds an airport in her backyard, but that’s my girl and I won't live my life without her.
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