“What is the thought process behind not doing that?” Elliot frowns.
“Hayden wants him to feel secure and safe within himself before he is put into social situations with mean kids. She thinks he’s going to snap if they push him.”
“Good point. Can we find him a job here?”
“This is the problem; he can’t even work in the mail room if he can’t read or write. This really is a major roadblock in his life right now and I need to find a way to help and motivate him. I just don’t know how.”
Elliot thinks for a minute. “You need to think like a fourteen-year-old boy.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“What would have motivated you when you were fourteen?”
I think for a moment, a new plan comes into mind and I smirk. “That’s it.” I slap him hard on the back. “That’s fucking it.”
Elliot chuckles. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“You bet I am.”
I drive up the long winding driveway toward our house and I catch sight of something magnificent in the field, I pull the car to a stop as I stare on in awe.
The sun is slowly setting over the mountain, the meadows are dancing with colors of gold. Eddie is driving the tractor and Hayden is sitting up on the back behind him with the two puppies. They are laughing and talking and having the absolute time of their lives. Every now and then the puppies will bark and Hayden and Eddie roar in laughter at what must be the funniest joke of all time.
They don’t see me, but every cell in my body sees them.
I can feel the happiness as it oozes from their souls.
This farm, these people, this life.
It’s perfect, where the three of us belong.
Together.
I couldn’t ask for a happier place to live…for Eddie to call home.
I know it’s not Spain and I know we have so many more hurdles to cross but between the three of us, there is so much love.
I watch them until they disappear over the hill, they still haven’t seen me and probably won’t be back to the house for hours. This is what they do here, disappear into god knows where.
I make my way up to the house and walk in to see Sylvester and Minnie, our cats, lying in front of the fire, stretched out and sleeping like logs.
I stare at them all relaxed like. “Dare I ask if you two wild beasts caught any mouses today?”
I frown as I mouth the word.
Mouses.
“Mice, did you two catch any mice today?”
They keep sleeping.
“Everybody is working in this house to keep the wheels running except you two,” I tell them as I kick off my shoes and take off my jacket. “You better start pulling your weight around here or that’s it. No more fire and no more free meals.”
I drop a cushion off the couch onto the floor beside them.
“Because if we get lice and we have to burn the house down then I’m leaving you two inside it.” I lie down on the floor beside them in front of the fire with my head on the cushion.
Sylvester looks up as if just realizing I’m home and gets up and walks over and sits on me. “I’m not a chair you know?” I tell him.
I scratch his chin and he purrs and closes his eyes, relaxed and living the life of a king.
It brings a smile to my face; these cats couldn’t catch a mouse if their lives depended on it.
“Maybe you’ll have to start cooking instead.”
Hayden
Knock, knock, sounds at the door.
Eddie’s new tutor is here, I bound down the stairs and stop on the spot when I see who is at the door.
A Spanish bombshell, curvy and gorgeous and in her late twenties, she’s wearing a long black pencil skirt and tight-fitting sweater blouse, her long dark hair is out and full and she has a real Sofía Vergara vibe.
A walking sex bomb.
“Hello, my name is Lucia. I’m here to see Eddie. I’m his new teacher.”
I stare at her, shocked to my core…
What are you going to teach him?
Eddie’s eyes widen as he stares at her. “I’m…I ’m…I’m…Eddie,” he stammers as he points to his chest.
I roll my lips to hide my smile at his reaction to her.
Christopher Miles…you snake.
“Come in.” I smile.
“Do you…do you want a drink or something?” Eddie offers her at a million miles per minute.
“That would be lovely. Thank you, Eduardo.” She smiles calmly, it’s obvious that every male she meets would have this reaction to her.
Eddie smiles goofily up at her and then his eyes flick to me to make sure I’m seeing this too.
Diabolical.
“Let’s just get to know each other today, Eddie,” she says. “Maybe you could show me around your farm.”
Eddie’s eyes widen with excitement. “Su…sure,” he gasps, his eyes flick to me and then back to her and then back to me, he’s so excited that he doesn’t know where to look.
Over the next two hours I watch on as Eddie hangs off every word that comes out of Lucia’s mouth. He took her for a drive on the tractor and has been explaining everything about our farm and animals to her in great detail. Which I’m really pleased about because she can now see how switched on he is.
She’s kind and thoughtful and he is already so much more engaged than he was with his last teacher.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Eddie?” she asks.
He smiles goofily. “Okay.”
“Your father wants us to do this every day.”
Eddie’s eyes widen in excitement. “Sounds so great,” he gasps. “Really, really great.”
I bet it does…you little demon, you.
He walks out the front to wave her off and I watch them through the window. Eddie is glowing with excitement and I have to admit, I’m even excited for him.
Later that night I hear Christopher’s car pull up the driveway and I walk out to meet him.
“Hi there,” he says as he gets out of his car, he takes me into his arms and kisses me softly, his tongue gently brushing against mine.
“Tell me you did not do that on purpose.” I smirk up at him.
He gives me a sexy wink. “Whatever it takes.”
The Wedding
The farm is abuzz with catering staff, florists and bartenders.
People are carrying tables; marquee white tents are being erected and flowers are everywhere. Preparation for our wedding tomorrow at my parents’ farm in Finger Lakes in the US is in full swing.
I wanted to get married here, it was important to my parents and important to me. This farm is the very essence of my soul, marrying my soulmate could only ever be done here.
Christopher really wanted to get married at our farm but he conceded once he knew how much it meant to me.
Eddie and I have been here for a week already and Christopher flew in on Wednesday after work.
On Monday, Christopher and I go on our honeymoon to the Maldives and Mom and Dad and Eddie will return to our farm in the UK, we have too much going on there at the moment for it to be left alone for more than a few days.
The good news is that Mom and Dad have a full-time caretaker here now, so they are free to travel whenever they want. Eddie has become very close to my parents; my father especially has taken him in under his wing and I’m quite sure that they come and stay at our farm for extended times now to see Eddie and not us.