Coming Home to the Mountain: Complete Edition

10. Anchor

CHAPTER 10

Anchor

T he idea of Lemon leaving the lake house the day after we met slays me.

I'm not going to let her leave without a fight.

Her eyes reach mine before I even need to clear my throat and declare myself.

"Can we talk?" she asks me.

Her brothers seem to understand that this conversation is none of their goddamn business. They turn off the grill and place the hamburger patties they've been cooking on a platter.

"We're just going to take these on inside. All right, Lemon?" Mac tells her.

"Thanks," she says, "I guess we ought to eat before we start trekking home." She looks at her watch. “It's six in the evening and it'll be a few hours’ drive to get back to Home.”

Alone on the back porch, she steps closer to me, presses a hand on my chest, and damn, I can't help but wrap my arms around her waist. "Hey," I say, "your grandma's going to be okay." I tell her something I know I have no business promising, but I need to comfort her in some small way.

"I love her so much," Lemon says. "My whole childhood, she was a part of it and I can't..." Tears fill her eyes.

I press my lips to her forehead and kiss her softly. "Hey, hey, I got you. It's all right."

She presses a hand to her eyes, wiping away her tears. "And we were having such a good day, and now this." She shakes her head. "I hate leaving you.”

“Do you want me to drive you home?" I ask.

Her eyes find mine. "You'd do that for me?"

"I don't exactly want to let you go. And I don't think you're fit to drive home right now, anyways.” This girl, she's shaking, scared. I understand. I’ve lost people I love too. God willing, her grandma won't be gone anytime soon.

"I know you could hitch a ride with your brothers," I tell her. "They're protective of you. I can see that, but so am I, Lemon. I want what's best for you too."

"Thank you. I would love you to drive me home. I feel like..." She swallows. "You ground me in a way my brothers don’t. I just need..."

"I know," I tell her, "you need to be able to sit in a car and think things through in peace and quiet. Why don't you pack up whatever you want to, and I'll go do the same and we'll get on the road. All right? Maybe you can eat a burger before we go?" I run my hands over her shoulders. "How's that sound?"

She nods. "That all sounds like a good idea."

"It's going to be a long night, but we'll get through it together," I tell her.

I'm making big declarations. Inside, my heart is screaming, What the hell are you doing, Anchor?

I've never been the kind of man who commits, who stays. I've avoided relationships my entire life because I have this fear deep down that anyone good, anyone I love, is going to leave.

But I'm forcing myself to push past that right now so I can give myself to Lemon.

An hour later, we're on the road, bags packed, food in our bellies and driving over the mountains. I put on a playlist of some indie folk and tell her to close her eyes if she needs to rest.

She reaches out for my hand, laces her fingers with it, as she settles into the passenger seat of my Jeep. "I like your car," she tells me.

I chuckle. "Yeah?" I look over at her.

She nods. "It looks like you."

"And what do I look like, Lemon?"

She sighs. "Strong, rugged, like no one can push you down."

I smile at that as we cross the mountains. "What kind of car do you drive?" I ask her, thinking about her behind the wheel.

"I drive a Subaru. I'm pretty basic," she says.

"You're not basic, Lemon. You're lovely."

Her hand squeezes mine at those words.

And I may be faking it till I make it, in terms of staying put when the going gets tough, but Lemon makes it easy.

Lemon is not at all sour. This girl, she's the kind of sweet I need.

Then she brings up the topic I’ve been dreading. “So, the reality show? Can you tell me about that?”

“Right,” I start, hesitantly. “Where do I begin? That show was me at my worst.”

“And yet you won?”

“It was a competition; I got lucky that I was good at all the challenges. If the winner was voted on for best personality, I would have been dead last.”

“I feel like it’s the tip of the iceberg of what I don’t know about you,” she says softly.

I look over at her. “That isn’t true. I don’t have deep, dark secrets I’m hiding. I am an open book. Thing is, I’ve never shared that book with anyone.”

“Until me?”

I nod, my chest tightening. I want to give Lemon everything, but how do I even begin when I have spent my life protecting myself, my heart?

“I know we just met but it doesn’t feel like that. I know we have a shit ton to learn about one another, but at the same time, I have a feeling you’re like me—not faking anything. You are who you say you are.”

“I think it’s amazing you got past your fear of the water by facing it head-on with that show.”

“Thanks,” I say, looking over at this beautiful woman who seems willing to accept me, flaws and all. “And I think it’s amazing you don’t lose your shit all the time considering you have a bunch of brothers dead set on giving you a hard time.”

She laughs. “They liked you.”

“Ya?”

“I was nervous. I mean, they know we slept together, and I was expecting some kind of throwdown, but you held your ground with them. Didn’t give them any reason to fight.”

“I’m not scared of those boys,” I say with a chuckle.

“I suppose not, considering you’re a real man.”

“Damn, I could take you right here, if we had the time.”

She moans playfully. “Tonight, at my house, we can make good on that desire.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that, Lemon Rough.”

She laughs, and I am glad to take her mind off the reality that we are driving Home to see her grandmother in the hospital.

When we roll into town, she calls her father on speakerphone. "So the visiting hours are over?" she asks.

"Sorry, Lemon," her dad tells her. "I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but she is sleeping now and that's a good thing. You can see her in the morning."

"Okay," Lemon sighs. "What are you doing now?"

"Rye, Prairie, Bart, and Abby are over. And Reuben's here too, with Plum. I wish your mama were in town. I know she'd be making a good dinner for everyone, but I figure we can wrestle up something. We've been at the hospital all day."

"I'm so sorry, Dad. I’ll be there soon to help. I just got into town now." I look over at her. The worry in her voice endears her to me. "Dad," she says. "I know you've had a lot going on, and I don't want to spring anything more on you, but..."

"What is it?" he asks.

"I'm bringing home a friend—Anchor. He's the new neighbor out at the lake house. So he's driving me back. I was a little shook up and..."

"I'll be happy to meet him," her father says. “Though, I'm sorry if I'm not exactly the best company tonight. I'm tired and, well, seeing my mom like that, that was a hard pill to swallow."

“I’m so sorry. I love you, Dad. See you in a few minutes.” She ends the call, exhaling, then directs me to her father's home.

"So where is your mom?" I ask her.

"She's on a trip with my little sister, Fig, in LA for spring break. Dad said they are waiting until they get an update in the morning before flying home. I'm sure she's a nervous wreck right now. She loves Grandma Rosie so much. We all do." Her voice cracks and damn, I want to get out of this car so I can wrap that girl up in my arms.

"It's going to be all right," I say. "Like your dad said, your grandma's resting. That's probably the best thing right now."

She nods. "I'm sure my grandpa is a mess."

"Will he be at your dad’s place?”

"Oh, I'm sure he's at the hospital, waiting. He's loved my grandma since they were little kids. Can you believe that? They grew up on the same street here in Home. They were childhood sweethearts. It was just the sweetest love story." She sighs wistfully. And I'm glad she's thinking of something happy instead of something so damn heartbreaking.

"Up this hill," she directs.

"Hill?" I laugh. "This is a mountain."

"Fair enough," she says as we pass a street called Tender Trail and head into the woods.

"It's beautiful out here even in the dark. I bet it's gorgeous in the daylight."

"It is," she says. "It's the most beautiful place in the world. I never want to move away from it."

"It's got to be nice to feel like you're exactly where you belong."

"Where do you belong, Anchor?" she asks me softly. The huge pine trees tower above us, the sky dark but filled with stars.

"I've been looking for a place to belong my whole life," I tell her.

"And now look at you," she says. "You've come Home."

Her words are spoken easily, with a smile. But they terrify me in a way she doesn't understand. Giving my heart, my whole heart, over to someone means there's a cost involved. Losing what I love scares me shitless.

"Right here," she says. "Turn right. That's my parents’ house."

"This is where you grew up?" I ask as we pull up to a massive homestead. A house that is lit up by lampposts, a large garage with three bays, attic windows with the lights on, a big wide porch full of white rockers. "Damn," I say, "this place is incredible."

"My dad built it with his own two hands," she tells me as I pull into the large driveway in front of the house and turn off the ignition. Jumping out of the Jeep, I head over to her side and open her door, taking her hand and then pulling her in for the hug I've been aching to give her for the last few hours.

"What was that for?" she asks, looking up at me, the moonlight across her face. Even in her pain, this girl glows.

"I'm just happy you invited me to come along. I’m glad I can be here for you. I know you love your family something fierce.” I swallow my feelings of being overwhelmed. I have never had anyone and Lemon, she has everyone.

“I know we just met, but I want you here with me," she says, pulling me in for a second hug. “I know my family can be a lot. But I just want..." She swallows. "I want you."

Inside the house I quickly realize why her family is so dear to her. There's family pictures on every wall, big comfy furniture in all corners of the rooms. Someone's put on a pot of soup and I'm guessing one of her brothers’ wives is the one slicing a loaf of French bread.

"Oh, Lemon," a woman says, wrapping her up in her arms. "Happy birthday. I'm sure this is not how you expected to be spending it."

Lemon hugs her back. "Thanks, Abby. It's been a long day for everybody, I guess."

"Who's this?" Abby asks, looking over at me.

"This is Anchor," she says. "We met at the lake house. He's our new neighbor and my..." She is looking at me with anxious eyes, silently asking me to fill in the blank.

"Friend," I say, offering her a hand. "Good to meet you, Abby."

"Good to meet you too. You guys hungry?" she asks us.

Lemon shakes her head. "No, we ate before we left. Mac grilled burgers."

"Well, Prairie made lemon meringue pie, which I guess is apropos considering it's your birthday. She made one this morning before she even knew you were coming back into town.”

“That woman has good instincts."

I smile, watching the two women exchange updates as they head into the kitchen. I follow them, taking it all in.

An older man is sitting at the table with a bowl of soup. His eyes lift when Lemon walks into the kitchen.

"Hey sweetheart." He stands and Lemon walks over to him.

"Hey, Dad," she says, "I'm so sorry about Grandma."

"It's gonna be all right," he says. "She's going to be all right and pull through. I have faith in that."

Lemon smiles. "The doctors say anything?"

"We're just hoping when she wakes up, s he'll have full function of her speech, her mobility."

Lemon gives her dad a hug. "I guess there's nothing we can do except wait for tomorrow, huh?"

Her father nods. "I'm Red," he tells me. "I'm guessing you’re Anchor?"

"Yes, sir." I realize in this moment, meeting her father means everything to Lemon. I'm falling for this girl hard and I'm meeting her dad. It’s the last thing I anticipated when I woke up this morning, bringing her croissants and mimosas. But here we are, with real life right in our faces.

"Well," Red says, "get yourself some pie, maybe a cup of coffee. I know it's not the birthday you were hoping for, Lemon, but at least we're together." Her father smiles at her and another woman, who I'm guessing is Prairie, hands Lemon a slice of pie.

"Here you go, birthday girl. Should I find a candle and let you make a wish?"

Lemonlaughs. "I did that on Sunday night, Prairie."

Prairie, though, rests a hand on her shoulder. "Take it from me. If you have the chance to make a wish, you never let it pass you."

I realize then that this family is more than something special. This family is forever.