A grin tugs at the corner of his lips when he nods, bypassing me into a hallway. “Well, let’s take a look and see what room you’ll be in.”
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t catch your name.”
“It’s Wesley, but my friends and family call me Wes,” he says, opening a door.
I slap my hand over my mouth when I realize that I was just checking out the owner’s son, not even five minutes ago. “Will and Sandy are your parents?” I ask, feeling like an idiot.
“Yeah, and they must really like you to let you stay here in the house,” he replies checking another room. “Ah… here you go. Mom always leaves fresh towels and mints on the bed when we have company. She likes to think it’s a hotel sometimes,” he says, chuckling.
Nodding, I skirt past him into the room. My jaw drops as I look at the furnishings. Decorated beautifully with white wicker furniture, the large bed sits opposite the window that overlooks the horse stables. A gorgeous quilt with intricate patterns and a multitude of colors lies on the bed. Sitting in the far corner of the room next to the armoire is a wooden rocking chair with another quilt draped over its backing. “It’s nice isn’t it?” Wes asks, pulling me from my daze.
“Yeah, it sure is. Look, thanks so much for getting my bags,” I reply, reaching for them. Smiling at my outstretched hand, he chuckles and sets them on the bed.
“Anytime,” Wes replies, walking toward the door. Placing his hand on the doorframe, he looks back at me. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other around here.”
All I can do is nod since my nerves have rendered me speechless. I turn away from him and look out the window. My eyes focus on the stables as I answer quietly, “I’m sure we will.”
I can hear the tapping of his hand on the frame as he says, “All right then. I guess I’ll see you later.”
Taking a deep breath, I turn back around to see he has left the room. After closing the door, I fall back in a heap onto the bed breathing a sigh of relief. Boy, am I in for it this summer.
After putting my clothes away in the dresser and hanging what I needed to in the armoire, I make my way to the kitchen to help Sandy with lunch. Bounding down the stairs, I stop to look at the pictures of the Adams family that line the walls on either side of the staircase. Pictures of family vacations, Wes playing football and baseball throughout the years, and previous Christmas’ line one side. On the other side of the staircase are pictures of Wes’ high school graduation, his first truck, Will and Wes fishing on a boat, but one picture in particular catches my attention. In a silver frame is a picture of a large tree next to a creek. A younger Mrs. Adams sits on a swing looking over her shoulder at a much younger Mr. Adams standing beside her. A wide smile encompasses her face as she stares at her husband with nothing less than total devotion, adoration, and never-ending love. The look on Will’s face says it all. It’s a look that says he knows he’s lucky to have her. It’s a look that I know well since that’s how my parents looked at each other every day, a look I hope to share with someone someday.
I’m pulled out of my reminiscing when I hear someone say, “I like that picture, too.”
I smile at Wes from over my shoulder before taking a deep breath. “How long ago was this picture taken?”
“I’m not sure, but I know it was before I was born. Why?”
“I was just wondering. They look so in love,” I reply, sighing.
“Yeah, I guess.” He shrugs his broad shoulders. “So, what are you doing right now?” he asks with a smile.
“I’m about to help your mom with lunch. Why?”
“My dad told me last week that he bought two new mares that need breaking in, so I was wonderin’ if you wanted to go check ‘em out,” Wes answers while rubbing the back of his neck and looking at me nervously.
I smile at the gesture. When we met thirty minutes ago, he seemed so confident, but now, he seems a little shy. “Um… sure. Let me help with lunch first and then we can go after, if that’s okay?”
“Sounds good,” he answers as his eyes find mine.
As we stand there staring at each other, I feel like he can see through me. I’ve come a long way since the death of my parents. I don’t hold back from life anymore. I take it head on. My parents were too young when they died; they still had so much to look forward to. I’ve come to realize that life is too short to not enjoy it, to not seize every happy opportunity that you can. I catch a smile tug at the corners of his lips when he sweeps his hand out in front of me, motioning for me to take the lead. I snap out of it, rushing down the stairs, and away from him.