Last Turn Home

Chapter 23 - Oh Baby

CHAPTER 23

JOHN

At a certain age, people expect you to have certain experiences under your belt. When you're a teenager, it's your first kiss, your first drink, and your first time. In your twenties or thirties, it's marriage and kids and a career doing something you love.

When you get older and still you haven't hit some of those milestones, people start looking down on you, judging you, wondering if there's something wrong with you. He's twenty-two! Why hasn't he been in a serious relationship? He's twenty-eight! Shouldn't he be married with a couple kids? He's thirty-one! Why hasn't he ever said I love you to a woman... or anyone?

I didn't take those three words lightly. For such a long time I never thought it would be in the cards for me. I was the guy that was always left out to dry, thrown on the curb, unwanted and forgotten.

Sometimes, it takes just one moment to change everything. Sometimes it's not a moment, sometimes it's a person. Carly Atwood was the woman that changed everything. I fell in love with her and I fell in love hard. It terrified the shit out of me, but at the same time it felt right.

God knows, nothing had ever felt so right.

We spent the next six weeks getting to know each other some more and falling into an easy routine around the ranch, which mostly involved her bed, or my bed, or the shower...

It was such a new and weird feeling to be so... happy.

It was the last week of October and Carly was still getting over the flu. Most of the kids she gave riding lessons to had it at one point or another in the last few weeks, so inevitably it was her turn.

I was fully expecting to get hit by the bug sooner rather than later too.

"Are you feelin' any better?" I asked when I came into the main house to check on her after turning out some of the horses. She was lying on the couch in the living room, looking through different categories for something to watch on Netflix.

"I've been drinkin' water, ate a couple saltine crackers," she shrugged, lifting her head up when I sat down and putting it in my lap. "Did you give Lady some exercise?" she asked. Even when she was sick in bed – or on the couch in this case – she was still thinking about her horses and the ranch.

"Indeed I did," I said, running my fingers through her hair.

"You checked on Callie?" she asked.

"Yeah, Juno actually let me get close," I grinned triumphantly. She was very protective of her little one, and while Carly had no problem getting close, I was only beginning to make some progress. "The vet called too, I left a note on your desk... nothin' urgent, he said to just call back when you're feelin' up to it," I told her.

"I'll try to do some work today," Carly said determinedly.

"Don't over-do it though," I warned.

"I won't," she smiled. "Maisy is comin' over a little later anyway... she's got some news she wants to tell me. She's been real secretive about it," she added.

"Mm, well you two don't cause too much trouble," I chuckled.

"With Maisy, can't make any promises," she laughed weakly.

"Alright, well I'm gonna go run some errands in town if you don't need me for anythin'... get somethin' for dinner... You gonna feel like eatin' anythin'?" I asked.