[Southern Heart 01.0] Southern Pleasure

by Kaylee Ryan

  Perfect.

  I’m officially a college graduate. I’ve enjoyed my reign at the University of Miami, but there’s no place like home. I wanted to go away to school, see how the rest of the world lived outside the state of Kentucky. I experienced it, and I’m glad I did, but it’s so damn good to be home. Aaron, my older brother by two years, is supposed to be picking me up from the airport. Our parents are in Tennessee for a cattle sale. Mom called three times offering to cancel, but I assured her it’s fine. I’ve lived away from home for four years. I think Aaron and I can keep the house standing for a few days on our own. I am twenty-two after all.

  As I’m standing in baggage claim, I pull my cell phone out of my purse and turn it on. A text comes through from Aaron.

  Aaron: Hey, running a few minutes late. Got caught up in traffic.

  I smile to myself. Aaron hates to be late for anything, so I know this is killing him. He’s just like our father: always prepared and always on time. Both take their time and think things through, never making a rash decision. Me, I’m more like our mother. We live with our heart on our sleeves—often times volunteering and taking on too much just to help others. Not that Dad and Aaron aren’t up for helping others, it’s just they know when to say no. Mom and I, on the other hand, not so much. In college, I don’t know how many times I’d gotten roped into helping with events around campus when I had my own projects and studying to do. Part of that could have been my roommate, Lisa’s fault. She could be very persuasive.

  Tapping my foot impatiently, I watch as bags roll by, looking for mine. I only checked one, plus I have my carry-on. I shipped the rest here. I only kept what I needed to get me by the last couple of days. Lisa and I shared an apartment. She’s an Alabama girl, and just like me, more than ready to go home. I’m going to miss her like crazy, but after being roommates and best friends for the past four years, I know we’ve formed an incredible bond and will stay in touch. It was hard to say goodbye, but then it always is.

  Finally, I spot my bag and heave it off the conveyor. That’s when I hear my name being yelled from behind me. Turning to search for the source, I see him. Aaron is running toward me with a big-ass grin on his face. Knowing he’s about to tackle me, I release the handle of my suitcase and let my carry-on and purse drop to the floor just in time for Aaron to wrap his hulking arms around me.

  “I missed you, little sister,” he says as he hugs me tight.

  I can’t breathe, so forming words isn’t possible. I wait until he releases me to respond. “I missed you too. Took you long enough.” I elbow him lightly.

  “Yeah, yeah,” he grumbles good-naturedly.

  I love teasing him; it’s just too easy.

  “Let’s get out of here.” Aaron reaches for my carry-on, hands me my purse, and then grabs my large suitcase. I don’t bother to protest, as I know it won’t do any good. Mom and Dad raised him right. He’s going to make one hell of a husband one day, for multiple reasons. First of all, it’s the truth; second, I just like to wind him up. Aaron is a thinker. He processes everything, including who he dates. He doesn’t see the point in dating someone who he cannot see himself spending the rest of his life with. If he’s not feeling it, he ends it. Only problem is, how is he ever going to get to know someone? Mom and I both have tried to explain this, but he’s too damn stubborn. When he does fall, it’s going to be hard and I’m going to enjoy every single second of watching him flounder around in unchartered seas.

  I follow along behind him, expecting him to lead me to his old beat up ford. Instead, we’re standing in front of a brand-new, shiny Ford F-350 four-door beast. I’m sure there is a more technical name for it, but it’s freaking huge, so beast it is. “This thing is huge!”

  “I know, right?” He grins at me. “Just picked it up last week. I decided to retire the other one.”

  “It’s about time. You’ve been driving that same old beat-up truck since you were sixteen.”

  “Yeah, and with me taking over the farm, I can’t depend on borrowing Dad’s all the time.” He shrugs. “It was time to man up and get my own. One that could actually pull the horse trailer up the hills and not take six days to do it.” We both laugh at that. My brother is frugal to a fault. He’s not one to need shiny new toys. He can afford it, as he’s a partner in the farm with my parents, but you would never know it. He’s modest and so much like our father.

  “How’s that going?” I ask.

  “Good. Papers are drawn up. I’ve asked them both a million times if they’re sure they are ready to pass it on, and they both agree it’s time. Dad says he wants to relax and watch me sweat,” he laughs.

  “It’s hard work, Aaron. I know you love the farm, but you’ve seen the long hours Dad had to put in. You sure this is what you want? No one would judge you if you didn’t.” I ask the question, even though I already know the answer. A resounding yes. Our family farm is in his blood, and it’s always been his dream to take it over. His best friend’s family owns the farm that runs parallel to ours. He and Evan have been friends for as long as I can remember and have always talked about taking over and working together.

  “Yes!” he says emphatically and I grin. I know my brother.

  “So what about Evan? How is he? How’s his dad?”

  “He’s good. Adjusting. His parents moved to Alabama. There is an oncologist there who specializes in his type of cancer. The warmer climate also helps. He’s always freezing.” Aaron loads my bags into the truck as I climb up into the passenger seat. I actually have to climb because this thing is so big. Thank goodness for running boards.

  “I can’t imagine how hard that is for him. I’m sure he always pictured his dad and granddad being there when he took over,” I say softly.

  “Yeah, he’s . . . okay, I guess. He doesn’t say much. Evan just jumps in head first and gets it done, you know what I mean?”

  I nod. Evan is the exact opposite of Aaron. He makes decisions on a whim and rolls with it. Senior prom is a great example. Aaron agonized over who to ask. He didn’t want his date to think it was more than that, just a date. Evan on the other hand, had accepted the first invitation he received. That’s another way they differ—Aaron thought it was the man’s job to ask the girl. Evan just rolled with life. That particular trait alone intensified the already massive crush I had on him. The girl who asked him to the prom, she wasn’t popular, she wasn’t the most beautiful, but she asked and he agreed. He didn’t do it out of pity or to play games with her. Evan treated her like he would a beauty queen. He’s just an all around good guy and my teenage heart couldn’t help but fall for him.

  “Speak of the devil.” Aaron holds his phone up so I can see Evan’s name lighting up the screen. “Hey, man, what’s up?” he asks in greeting. I block out their conversation and stare out the window, enjoying the open land flying by. It’s so good to be home.

  “Earth to Kinley.” Aaron waves his hand in front of my face, snapping me back to the present. “There you are.”

  “Sorry, just got lost in the landscape. It’s so good to be back. I can’t wait to ride the land and take some shots.” I majored in photography and I want to start my own business. The open pastures of Kentucky have my mind racing with photo possibilities.

  “I see. Listen, that was Evan, as you know. He says he needs to talk to me. Do you mind if we stop by his place. He sounded a little . . . I don’t know, off.”

  “Sure, does he know I’m going to be with you? Maybe I should drop you off and come back to get you later,” I offer. Evan may not feel comfortable talking in front of me.

  “Nah, I told him I just picked you up from the airport.”

  “Well, all right then. It’s been forever since I’ve seen him. When I was home for Christmas, he was in Alabama with his parents.”

  Aaron laughs. “That’s pretty funny actually.” He grins. “The path of life.”

  “Yes. So tell me what’s been going on.” Aaron spends the next twenty minutes catching me up on the ins and
outs of him taking over the farm and our parents bragging about slowing down. I laugh when he tells me both Mom and Dad keep dropping hints about wanting to be grandparents.

  “You are the oldest after all,” I chide him.

  “Yeah, yeah. Needs to be a game changer, little sister,” he replies.

  This is not new information to me. I just wish he would lighten up a little. I fear he’ll never give himself the opportunity to open up and know someone, really know them and fall in love. Of course, that’s the romantic in me.

  As we pull into the long drive that leads to Evan’s, we veer to the right instead of driving toward the main house. “Where are we going?”

  “Evan just moved into his new place a few months ago,” Aaron says.

  “Oh, that’s right. I’m excited to see it.”

  “Well, here we are.” Aaron stops in front of a two-story house. It’s beautiful. The front is brick, a mix of light and dark browns, with tan siding the rest. Dark green shutters adorn the windows, and a porch, which crosses the front and both sides.

  “Does the porch wrap all the way around?” I ask as I take in the beautiful structure. I love this house. It’s my dream house, but I would want a basement and for the porch to go all the way around.

  “Yes, four bedrooms, full basement. It’s massive for one guy, but you know Evan. He says this is going to be his home and he wants to be able to grow into it.” He shakes his head as if he doesn’t understand his best friend. Aaron is the type of guy who would need his future bride to be in the building process, discussing and analyzing every room, every fixture.

  “Wow!” is all I can manage to say as I reach for the handle and climb out of the beast. I meet Aaron at the front of the truck, and he throws his arm around my shoulders as we walk up the front porch. Evan opens the door as we reach it.

  “McKinley, welcome home.” He wraps his arms around me and I go willingly into his embrace. Only a crazy person would pass up a heartfelt hug from Evan Chamberlin. He’s tall—-six foot four to be exact—-with broad shoulders, and he’s . . . defined. It’s been a few summers since I’ve seen him with his shirt off, but I have a very vivid memory of the rigid planes of his stomach. It’s not an image a girl is quick to forget, especially a girl with a teenage crush as big as the state of Kentucky.

  “Thank you. It’s good to be home,” I say, stepping away. Not that I wanted to, but it’s the right thing to do.

  “Come on in.” Evan moves back and allows us in.

  “What’s up, man?” Aaron gets right to it.

  I watch closely as Evan pulls the ever-present Alabama hat from his head and runs his fingers through his hair before placing it back on. He’s nervous. I start to panic. Did something happen to his dad?

  “You might want to sit down for this,” he tells us.

  I do as I’m told. Kicking off my flip-flops, I curl my legs under me as I take a seat on the couch. Aaron takes a seat in the chair. Evan remains standing, staring out the window. The house is quiet as we let him gather his thoughts. Looking over his shoulder, he takes a deep breath before walking to the couch and sitting beside me. Pulling one leg up, he faces both of us. My heart is beating like a drum as we wait.

  “I got some news this morning.” He pauses and squeezes his eyes shut.

  I tell myself not to panic, but then a slow grin tips his lips as he opens his eyes.

  “It’s news that shocked me, but I can’t be upset about it. Well, not now anyway,” he says.

  “Shit, man, you’re killing me here. Spit it out,” Aaron complains. I’m in agreement but keep it to myself.

  “Misty stopped by this morning.” I remember Aaron telling me he was seeing someone. “She’s pregnant.”

  “Wow, congratulations, man.” Aaron stands to give him a man hug. Once he’s seated, I lean over from my spot on the couch and hug him as well. It’s quick and I fall back into my seat.

  “Yeah,” he says shyly. “I’m going to be a dad.” His voice trails off and a haunted look falls over his eyes.

  “And?” Aaron prompts.

  Evan laughs humorlessly. “Let me tell you about my morning.” He tells us the details of his conversation with Misty—how she’d wanted to end the pregnancy and he’d begged her not to, and her finally agreeing to sign over all rights to the baby.

  As I sit and listen, I can see how much this is hurting him. How the thought of Misty doing something to harm the baby or worse, end the pregnancy sits heavy on his mind. I scoot closer to him and lay my hand over his on the couch, offering what little comfort I can as he continues to talk.

  “I called our attorney. He’s getting papers together as we speak. I don’t want to give her time to change her mind.”

  “Good,” Aaron replies.

  “There’s more. She’s two months along and today she had a doctor’s appointment. She was going to tell them to end it, but she wanted to tell me first. Thank the angels above she did. I was able to convince her, and then we went to her appointment.” My eyes follow his every move as he leans his head back against the couch and closes his eyes. His chest gently rises and falls with each breath. Again, we wait for him to collect his thoughts. “I heard it,” he says softly. Turning to the side, he opens his eyes. Big brown eyes, glassy and filled with emotion, collide with mine. “I heard my baby’s heartbeat.”

  I can’t prevent the broad smile that takes over my face. “That’s amazing.”

  “Yeah,” he says.

  “Shit, man. That’s intense,” Aaron adds. Evan tears his eyes from mine to look at my brother.

  “You have no idea. We’re sitting in this exam room, tension in the air. The room is so quiet you can hear a pin drop, and then there it was, sounding through this little speaker. It was amazing.”

  “So what now?” Aaron asks.

  “Well, hopefully, the papers will be ready in a day or so. Once she signs, I prepare to be a dad. I told Misty I want to be there for all the appointments and I would pay for anything she needs, clothes and things like that.” He looks at me.

  “Dude, how do you know what a baby needs?” Aaron questions. I want to smack him. I’m sure Evan is nervous enough without him adding fuel to the fire.

  “It’s not that hard to figure out,” I say.

  “Really?” Aaron asks. “Maybe not for you. It’s born into women or something. For guys, it’s different.”

  “I don’t have the first clue. I know I’ll need a bed, and the websites I’ve been on said a baby’s room is called a nursery,” Evan offers.

  “Yes, it’s called a nursery. You need a bed, changing table, dresser, and the small little baby hangers because the clothes are way too small to fit on ours,” I say.

  “Gram said she would help. I haven’t called Mom and Dad yet. I know it’s going to be hard for them, since they’re in Alabama and I’m here. I’m going to be a single dad. I need to learn how to figure this shit out.”

  “I can help.” The words fall from my lips before I realize it. Not that I mind. Evan’s a great guy and Aaron’s best friend, so of course I’ll help him. I admire him for what he’s doing. I don’t know many guys, if any, who would do what he’s doing.

  “Really?” Evan asks with hope in his voice.

  “Kinley can shop with the best of them. You’re in good hands,” Aaron says.

  “Thank you. I can use all the help I can get.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “We better get moving.” Aaron stands from the chair. “I just picked Kinley up from the airport. I want to get her home, so she can settle in.”

  “Sure, thanks for stopping by. I didn’t want to tell you over the phone.” Evan walks us to the door and the two of them make plans to get together later.

  “Wow,” Aaron says once we are in the truck.

  “Yeah. He’s a great guy. Not many would be so adamant and willing to do what he’s doing.”

  “You know Evan. He’s a stand-up guy,” Aaron says defensively.

  “I know that
. I just mean, I really think it’s great what he’s doing for his unborn child.”

  Aaron remains quiet until we pull into our driveway. “Thanks for offering to help him. I’m sure Misty will be no help at all. His gran doesn’t get around well, and with his parents living in Alabama, he’s going to need a female perspective.”

  I just nod and smile, ending the conversation. Aaron carries both my bags up to my old room and leaves me to unpack.

  Finally, after a week of back and forth, today is the day Misty and I sign the papers at my attorney’s office. Mr. Fields had them drawn up within twenty-four hours; he’s compensated well. However, it took me four more days to get Misty to answer her damn phone. I drove by her place, left messages with Heather—her cousin and roommate—and still crickets. This has been the longest week of my life, fearing she’d changed her mind and gone through with, “Getting rid of it,” as she’d said, without telling me.

  Yesterday, she finally called. Her excuse for not getting back to me was she “was busy.” Busy doing what, I have no idea. She very quickly reminded me that just because she’s “giving me the kid” doesn’t mean I can control what she does. These next seven months are going to be exhausting. I’ll feel a little better once she’s signed the papers. However, that still doesn’t mean she’s going to eat right and not drink alcohol. She’s not even supposed to be lifting, at least that’s what the book I’m reading says. How am I going to be able to relax not knowing if she’s taking care of herself and the baby?

  I contemplated asking her to move in. I even ran it past Aaron. He made a valid point that I have no intention of continuing my relationship with her. How could I? Having her move in may make her confuse the situation and she might try to change her mind. Yes, he has a point, but if that’s what she wanted, she could have had it. No, she’s not “the one,” but I do . . . did care for her—I guess I still do and always will because of the baby. However, I could have made us a family. I might have moved her in and the rest would have been history, but that’s not what she wanted. The day she came to me, her mind was made up—-she wanted no part of being a mother.