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She cuddled against his chest and nodded. “Yep, and I’m starving. Should we eat here before we go four-wheeling?”
“Sure. Want pancakes? My mom’s making some.”
“Oh, and I can cut up some berries,” Holly said.
He kissed her head and shot a glance toward his mom. His mother sighed and pointed toward the fridge. “I’m sure we have some in there.”
“Thank you, Rhonda. And sorry about yesterday. I feel much better today and can’t wait to try out your cooking.”
His mom’s cheeks pinked. “Ah, well, it’s just an old recipe my mom used.”
He smiled as he watched the two women chitchat. The tension was still there, but it was a step in the right direction.
By the time they were ready to leave, his mom stopped him with a cooler. “I packed your favorite drinks, some sandwiches, and chips. Will you be home for dinner?”
He frowned. He had wanted to take Holly to a fancy restaurant after being in the dirt all day, but it seemed rude when his mom was offering.
“I’m sure we can,” Holly offered, giving his mom a bright smile.
His mom gave a resolute nod. “Be careful out there, you two.”
He waited until they were in his dad’s truck before exhaling loudly.
She laughed and patted his hand. “It’s all right. She wouldn’t be a good mom if she gave you away so easily.”
He gave a light chuckle. “I guess. By the way, how much of our conversation did you hear this morning?”
Her cheeks pinked. “Not a lot. Something about how kind-hearted I am and how she can support us or not be in our lives.”
That had been the tail end of their conversation. Phew. Telling her about Wisconsin was a conversation he wanted to save for when they were back at school.
He took her hand and smiled. “Well, I guess that’s good that you heard it. It’s best to be straightforward with Mom. Should we get going? Cameron and Diane are meeting us there.”
“Yep, let’s have fun and not think about anything else.”
Was there a double meaning to her words? She was already looking out the window, a smile still on her face. If something was wrong, she would tell him. For once, he wanted to do exactly as she suggested—have fun and not think about anything else.
22
Holly
Holly held her hands on the top of her stretched-out legs, but her fingers still buzzed after their long ride. It was their last official day of spring break. Despite the rough start, she’d had a wonderful time. Most days, they went out exploring on the four-wheelers and caught up on movies she’d never seen on the big screen.
Some nights, they stayed at home and ate with the family, but most of the time, they stayed at Cameron’s house where a new batch of puppies were on hand to play and cuddle with. It had been nice to spend time together, away from the stresses of school and life, but Holly worried things would change once school started again.
As soon as Eric sat down next to her, she released her legs and snuggled against him. Even though it was much hotter in St. George, she couldn’t help clinging to him. Something in her had snapped when she’d heard his announcement to his mom. In just a short, few weeks, he would be leaving for Wisconsin. Eric hadn’t told her, and she hadn’t wanted to mention the fact that she’d heard everything, even the part where he thought she was the one. If so, it would ruin his surprise, but she had practiced with Diane how she would respond to his request for a long-distance relationship.
Oh, we can handle a few months apart.
We can video chat every night and text each other throughout the day. It’ll be just like it is now.
I can do long distance, as long as it’s with you.
Every single one of her answers either sounded too cheesy or pathetic. She thought that by now Eric would have brought his internship up, especially after the romantic dinner in the city. But he hadn’t said a peep about anything deeper than the amount of food they’d ordered and how savory it tasted. Had she heard things wrong? Or even worse, was he doubting how he felt about her?
He slipped his arm out of hers and scooted an inch away. “I’m really dusty and sweaty,” he said when she stared at the empty space between them.
That wasn’t exactly the reassurance she needed. Frowning she scooted closer to Diane who was looking her direction. “Don’t worry about it,” Diane said. “It will happen in its own time.”
