AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What’s up, D?” I ask, unable to stop smiling.
My brother’s mouth is gaping open. He looks over at Silas and Levi, who are both conspicuously preoccupied with their fingernails. Dan’s face turns back to me.
“I guess I’d like to know what your goal is here. Are you going back to the farm after your degree? Has your whole life plan altered because of a girl?”
His accusatory tone doesn’t mix well with my good mood, and my smile drops as I stand up.
“I’d like to know who you think you are to question every move I make. I’ve already got two overbearing parents. I don’t need another one.”
My fists clench at my sides, and I force them to loosen as I focus on breathing in and out.
Dan takes a dangerous step closer to me, raising up his hands in defense. “Listen, brother, I’m just worried about you. This girl—”
“Her name is Harley,” I interrupt, my voice low and harsh.
“Harley…seems to have a rough background. Nothing wrong with that, okay? There’s nothing wrong with her. I’m concerned about what’s going to happen when you try bringing her home.” He’s close to me now, only a step away. “I want you to be happy, and I know what you have always wanted is the farm. To work on it and develop it into something great. Our hometown doesn’t accept girls that look like her. They just don’t. You remember Scarlett?”
Silas’s head pops up at the name drop, and we both turn to him. His cheeks turn pink as he looks back down at the blank notebook in his lap.
“What about her?” I ask, folding my arms over my bare chest.
“She…basically moved away because she was always going to have that kind of…reputation. She was the bad girl, and we all knew it. She would’ve never been able to marry one of us and settle down. You know Harley has that same…look and vibe. You don’t have to know her to know—”
My forearm comes up to grind against his windpipe, and he struggles to finish, “I just—meant—that’s what people will—think!” He shoves me back, his eyes darkening as he rubs his throat.
My chest is heaving with my breath.
“Despite what you think, I don’t care if you’re with her.” He raises his hands with his voice, and I almost believe him. “If she makes you happy, I’m happy. What I don’t believe is that you’ll be happy without the farm. And I know that even if she wanted that life, that life doesn’t want her. They don’t want her.” He pauses, shaking his head as he looks down at the floor. “I talked to Eden, but I’m guessing you haven’t.” He looks back up at me.
“What?” I grit out. I’m about to walk out without listening to the answer. I don’t care what they think.
“Basically…Mom thinks Harley is…the woman of the night, just distracting you. She’s got the whole family praying for you to see the truth and find a good girl.”
My stomach is full of lead. I can tell he doesn’t agree, eyes full of pity.
“I don’t know her well enough, Adam. I don’t know her at all. I know we all make mistakes, but I don’t get why you’d want to take on…so much baggage. It’s already changing you.”
His voice is quiet now, his face creased in concern for me. He’s worried I’m throwing away my future for the girl I can’t take home to Momma. He doesn’t get it. How can he?
If the roles were reversed, would I be giving him the same speech?
“I love her.” Words have never felt so right, and I speak them with full conviction. “She’s not…what they think. She’s had a bad life. She’s made mistakes, like we all have. Mostly, she’s just been treated…horribly. She hasn’t led me down some destructive path. I’ve chosen my way. I haven’t done everything right, but as soon as she’s ready, I’ll ask her to marry me. If our family can’t accept her”—my heart sinks at the possibility of having to neglect the only life I’ve ever known until the last few months—“then I’ll just have to start a new one with her.”
Dan’s face has softened as I speak, and he reaches a hand to clap me on the shoulder. “You won’t lose me, brother, and I want to get to know her. We’ll talk to them together; maybe they’ll see reason. They might just need some time.”
He flashes me a devilish smile. He’s a handsome son of a bitch, and I’ll bet he’ll understand better once a girl waltzes into his life.
“So, is it worth the wait?”
Silas and Levi both jerk their heads up again, suddenly okay with revealing their obvious eavesdropping.
“You will never, ever be the same.”
I match his grin, shoving his hand off of me to go hold on to my girl.
Monday is a perfect day of sunshine. I talked to my dad on the phone this morning, and he was pretty concerned about how I’m spending my free time. I know I should just be straightforward about it with him, but I was vague instead. At this point, I know I won’t be giving Harley up, no matter what the obstacles in our relationship are.
I knew when I met her that she was inevitable.
