Macintyre Farm

Twenty One

SEBASTIAN POV

Andy was taking deep breaths as the flight was preparing to land.  Everything up til now went smoothly, though I knew how uneasy she was.  

As soon as she agreed to go on the surprise trip to Wisconsin with me, everything fell into place.  We headed to the mall about an hour away a week ago with Marianne and Austin as part of our preparations. It was a fun time, especially since Andy grabbed a couple nice dresses then got a manicure with Mar.  We would have taken Walt and Ruby but they insisted we make it a double date day.

It was more fun than I expected.  Mar knew exactly which stores would have the right options for Andy then they agreed to pick out a tie for me that would match her dress.  I let them know I chose a navy blue suit so was excited to see what Andy decided for the party.

Isabelle had a great chat with her a couple days ago so she knew what to expect. Our parents were not society folks or fancy necessarily but this was a big deal so I could completely understand her fear.

My sister was a sweet person when she wanted to be.

Then again, Austin says the same thing about Andy.

The last 2 months had been easier each day. We were still grieving Matilda and Jeffrey but the other horses did not have difficult problems like we feared.  Lenny struggled the most so the extra time he had with everyone, especially Walt, made a huge difference. 

Daylight and Maverick continued to thrive during training while Roscoe loved getting out for long runs, too.  Mar was over all the time and would use a special saddle with Austin so they could ride doubles with him.  That made for some fun adventures with the 4 of us on Maverick and Roscoe, racing through the moonlight while our horses stretched their legs.

Our visit up North was from Thursday through Monday.  My parents anniversary dinner was on Friday night so we were going to visit with my sister and her kids during the day while my parents were at work. 

Andy insisted on covering our hotel since I paid for the flight. 

As much as I knew this entire situation is stressful for her, it also allowed the chance to try new things.  She had never stayed at a hotel, never been on a plane, or even out of State.

We had a rental car set and would just relax tonight with room service.   It would allow some time to unwind after the stress of traveling, especially since the hotel has a hot tub on the balcony of our room.

That was something she insisted on.

The spare room upstairs in the farm house was now an actual spare room again. Walt teased that Taylor could move there for the summer then we could get another new farm hand, if we wanted, thanks to how well last season did with the tomato crop.  Everyone agreed that was a great idea even though he was completely joking. Since Gramps had a lead as well as Dylan joining us, it left an opening that could be filled by someone local so it was nice to have options.

As the pilot told us we were about to land, Andy's eyes widened and breath caught.  I slipped my hand around hers and leaned closer, "I'm here, okay, Andy? Take off and landing are the absolute worst but it's a gorgeous day with not a cloud in the blue sky."

She smiled toward me then shook her head, "I have no idea what I did to deserve a guy like you in my life."

Those honest and tender moments would always surprise me as much as her sense of humor.

Our landing went smoothly, even though Andy choked back a laugh when the other passengers applauded, then we were able to get our carry on bags and head to the rental car kiosk. It worked out well that we could use a hanging bag as well as a carryon I owned. Sharing suitcase space was easy with Andy.  She didn't bring much but was prepared, especially considering the party we would be attending.