Page 50 of Mountain Pine
“Damn, girl. Forget things more often.”
Conner never fails to make me laugh. Or feel good about myself. Or feel safe or understood or protected or taken care of.
“I don’t want to adult today,” I confess. “I want to go back into our bubble and make up for lost time.”
“We’re not in a rush, Taylor. There’s no time limit for us.”
It doesn’t feel that way. I’ve got this nagging feeling that something’s going to blow up and I’m scared that something is us. When I tell him that, he cups my face and kisses the tip of my nose and then my forehead.
“I swear we’re going to be fine.” He presses his forehead to mine. “We didn’t get here to stop now. It isn’t in me.”
Speaking of stopping… “Are you really quitting your job?”
His demeanor shifts again. “I don’t know. It’s something I’m still trying to figure out.”
My protective instincts go haywire. He’s my dad’s best worker, and most trusted employee. If Conner really leaves, my dad won’t be able to keep his business going the same way and he’ll work himself into an early grave instead of early retirement. But I also understand that it’s not Conner’s responsibility to make my dad’s company a success. “Whatever you decide, I’ve got your back.”
I’ll stand by him no matter what. If that means walking away from Larson Landscaping, so be it.
“Is there something else you want to do for work?”
Maybe he’s got some hidden dreams I never knew about. I mean, he wanted to be a paleontologist once. Is it too late to start that?
“I love what I do,” he says. “I’m just… feeling stuck and confused, I guess. But I love working in the dirt. I love being at a different job every day. I love your dad.”
So maybe my father’s right and Conner just needs a time out to reset. “Well, no rush. I’ve got things covered in the office until you want to return.”
“The office isn’t the issue. The field work is where…” Conner’s expression turns panicked. “Don’t tell me your dad is working my shifts while I’m gone.”
Shaking my head, I shrug and smile.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” His eyes darken. “Jesus, Taylor, tell me Russ isn’t working overtime, covering my ass for me, while I’m going down on his daughter.”
Eww. When he says it like that it sounds terrible. “I don’t think so. He’s got the new guy on your jobs, and I’ve asked for extensions on the larger projects so they’re on hold at the moment.”
Shit. I shouldn’t have brought this up. I don’t even know why I did it.
“Don’t worry.” I pat his arm. “We’ve got it covered, bro.”
Conner closes his eyes and a hiss slithers out of him. “Please. Do not. Call mebro.”
Okay. My bad. “Go to the campsite. I’ll be there around eight with pizza.”
He’s not budging.
“Con. Go.”
“I should probably get back to work. This is selfish of me.”
“No.” I grab his arm and sink my fingers into him. “Donotgo back to work. You’re not being selfish by taking time for yourself, Conner. You’re like theleast selfish person on the planet. All you do is bust your ass for everyone else. Take a minute for you.”
“I took a week.”
“Take two weeks.” Nailing him with babydoll eyes, I know I’ve got him. “Please. For us?”
He swallows hard. “It doesn’t feel right.”
“You’re not taking advantage of dad’s offer. He wants you gone for a month, did you know that?”
