Hang Tough(99)
Olivia had started to get restless. Streeter stood. “We’d better git before the total meltdown hits. Thanks for talkin’ to me, Tobin. I hope this works out for us some way.”
Jade wasn’t surprised when Tobin acted noncommittal. “Renner will be in touch. Drive safe.”
“Nice meeting you, Jade.”
“Likewise. Take care. And if you need anything . . . I don’t know how I can help you, I just know that I want to.”
When Streeter said, “You’re the first person who’s said that to me that I actually believe means it,” Jade’s heart broke all over again.
Jade left Tobin alone to think.
She walked out to the garden. Twilight was her favorite time of day, when the soil still held the heat of the sun’s rays, perfuming the air with that loamy scent. When the plants were bouncing back from hours in the sun and soaking up water from the irrigation system. Although she hadn’t started these plants from seedlings, she had a sense of accomplishment they were thriving under her care.
What would it be like to plan out a growing season? Would the connection to this chunk of earth get stronger with each passing year? Or would the rose-colored glasses come off and it’d become another chore?
Being born and raised a city girl, Jade wondered whether a life rooted so deeply in the country would lose the charm. If she’d miss the conveniences and choices of living in a metro area. She knew she’d miss her parents, but she also knew they wanted her to spread her wings.
Maybe they just hadn’t expected her to fly so far away.
Jade heard Tobin’s boots shuffling across the yard. She loved being so attuned to him. She turned to watch him walk toward her, and. immediately that overwhelming sense of elation filled her. This wonderful man was hers. She was his. There was no question they’d both do everything within their power to keep this level of connection to each other. And if she had to work three part-time jobs to build a life with him, she’d do it. She knew he’d do it too.
She took off at a dead run wanting to reach him as fast as possible.
Laughing, he caught her in those big strong arms of his and crushed her against his chest. “Hey. What a great welcome.”
“I’ll do that every night if you want.”
“Oh, I want.” Without setting her down, he angled his head to gaze into her eyes. “I don’t even have to ask, Jade. I know how you feel about me. It’s right there every time you look at me.”
“Was there ever any question?”
“Only why you’d hitch your wagon to a guy who’s maybe got one horse here, and one horse there,” he joked.
“As long as you let me sit beside you in the wagon, I’m good with it.”
He rested his forehead to hers.
“What did you decide to do about Streeter and the job-sharing situation?”
“I’ll try it for a while and see how working part-time at both places works out. As much as Renner doesn’t want to just cut me loose, I don’t want to just walk away either. The position LME offered is a great opportunity, but the company and the work is a huge unknown. Maybe easing into it is the best way to see if it’s what I even want.”
Jade grinned and kissed him. “I’m so relieved to hear that.”
“You are?”
“You were torn and it ripped me up. Now you can have both worlds, because there’s no doubt in my mind you need both of them to make you happy.”
“You make me happy.”
“So finding a place to live in Muddy Gap would be ideal, but we’ll likely need to check out the listings in Casper too.” He set her down and smoothed his hand over her head. “This all seems surreal.”
“It does. But it also feels right.” She stepped back. “Tell you what, if you can catch me before we get back to the house? I’ll remind you on my knees how real this is.”
And when he caught her within the first twenty feet, she didn’t mind losing.
Chapter Twenty-four
Tobin had spent the morning online looking for places to rent.
Jade said she’d be fine staying at his old trailer at the Split Rock since they both worked there, but he wanted them to start someplace new.
They were both a little on edge, not knowing when Miz G would return. Not knowing how she’d react to the news they were a couple in love, the head-over-heels-crazy-forever kind of love. Not knowing if she’d let them stay together in this house for one night, even if Tobin promised he’d ask Jade to be his wife.
He’d poured his third cup of coffee and was sorting through various screens on his laptop when he heard a rumble outside. Then he heard it again.