Adopting Love

Chapter Two

Garrett-

Waking up before the rooster crows has become my new norm here lately. Can't really complain, as it gives me time to get the farm hands going, but today, I am going to have to leave it in the hands of my lead farm hand, Bradly. My stomach started grumbling as I reached for my clothes for today's adventures. Snapping my buckle, I headed out of the room with another set of stomach growls, seems that's the sign to head on down to the kitchen and start the day off right, by making breakfast. Shit, while I am at, I should get something out for dinner too. I opened the fridge, grabbing the country ham off the second shelf, from last night. I sat it on the counter trying to think of a way to repurpose it, pausing, I walk over to the coffee machine to fill my first thermos of the day. After waiting, impatiently for it to brew, I added a pinch of sugar into mix it, then grabbed the lid to pour some in while just staring out the window, deep in thought. It wasn't long after that before I was disrupted by the housekeeper, Alaina. "You are awfully early this morning."

"No, sir, you just aren't used to getting up before I get here yet." she teased. "What are you doing throwing food around on the counter?"

For a few minutes, I didn't even respond back, which I'm sure she fully expected by now, Alaina has known me since I was in diapers. My parents hired her on as a nanny originally, but here I am twenty-nine and still under her wing per say. After I came of age, she was already apart of the family, so my parents hired her on as the housekeeper, at her choice of course. Unlike most nannies and housekeepers cause that was just her title on paper. She ate meals, has casual conversations, and even comes and goes as she pleases. She stays in one of the farm hand houses on the property, so she's always close and so she doesn't have to pay rent anywhere else. I wouldn't dare expect her to live like that after all she's done for me through the years.

"Earth to Garrett, are you gonna answer me or just stare blankly into space?" she shouted, to get my attention. "Garrett Ryan Hudson!!"

"Yes ma'am?" I answered. "Sorry, lost in thought, I had gotten it out to make breakfast with so it wouldn't go to waste. Some country ham gravy and grits sounded good to me, how about you?"

"Listen, I know you are stressing about Sam coming into town, but get out of my kitchen." she teased. "I'll have breakfast done in about ten minutes."

Not even responding cause I am stressing about Sam, I can't deny it, I head down to the barn to check in with Bradly. Just making sure he has everything under control while I step away today to deal with the paperwork. He already had my best working dog out rounding up all the cattle to get tagged and he was to do the horses next. After tagging, I informed him the that the horses needed to be moved to the greener pasture. If we can get all this done by the end of the weekend we should have the fields baled or at least almost completely baled. Once filled in, he headed towards the bunker where the summer farm hands slept so he could get everyone on board with today's duties. I headed back to the main house to wash up before breakfast so I could head into town before not long after.

Sitting down at the long log table before anyone else, I had time to concentrate on the task at hand, when I have to come face to face with Sam. Deep down, I can't say that we had a clean break, but the last thing I would do is drag her name through the dirt. My momma didn't raise me to disrespect women. Yet, she reminds me on a daily basis that Sam was not he right choice from the start. Dad, on with very few opinions, was another one who warned me from the start. Sam was not raised in Harpers Ferry. We met when I stepped away from the family business to pursue a path that I thought was for me. We met at the local college where she studied photography and I studied biology. We married, quickly, before we even graduated. Shortly, after that she landed an amazing job opportunity and I had decided to go back to my roots and run the farm. Only downfall was that she was constantly gone, small city shoots turned to international shoots, which instantly lead to tabloids making our life public when she was home. They also became the downfall of our marriage, when she was outed in Paris for going home with a male model from her photo shoot. She still doesn't understand why the marriage is ending, yet she has no issue making sure her lawyer handles the paperwork and tries to run the show. One of the main times I listened to my parents, is what was saving the farm, our family legacy. My dad refuses to sign it over to me until I am married and settled down to his approval and to be honest I am glad he didn't cause I can see her selling it just for shits and giggles or trying to get half the value. I've already expressed to my lawyer that she can have everything cause all I want is the farm.

Thirty minutes later, Alaina was cleaning up the table then heading for the kitchen to repeat. "I've got this, you go freshen up and head in to town. I'll see you for dinner, smoked trout is on the menu."

"Yes, ma'am, see you after this disaster of a meeting."

After having lunch at the local diner, I headed back to my truck to make my way towards my lawyer's office. Maybe I shouldn't have ate, cause now I'm starting to feel nauseous, or maybe I needed one more beer to wash down this sorrow. Either way, it's time to get moving. Best part about living in a small town is the lack of constant traffic, making it to the other side of town only took, roughly, ten minutes. Punctual as always, her car is already sitting in the parking space right in front of the door, conveniently. I pull into an empty spot about two rows down, being further away from passing her on the way out is worth the few extra steps it'll take to get to the door.

Cutting the corner and looking through the glass, I see her sitting in the back of the conference room in the sable colored, high back chair. Taking a final deep breath, I grab the handle, open the door and made my entrance. The air seemed stale, stiff, and at some points nonexistent, but I ambled through and grabbed a chair on the opposite end of the room. Both her lawyers and mine had already taken their chairs beside each of us, within moments, what I thought were supposed to be simple negotiations had begun.

Two hours, two hours it took to come to the conclusion that she can have whatever she wants, I just wanted to be left alone on the farm, doing my thing as usual. She told me she wouldn't take anything from my account, which I gotta say was a total surprise. She even left the trucks, honestly, I was confused on why we even needed to have this meeting in the first place. My lawyer encouraged me not to sign the separation papers just yet, to give myself some time to completely go over them. Just to remember that my verbal agreement was that she could have anything she wanted, but the things we went over were set in stone on the one small agreement we actually did sign. After a few last words with my my attorney, I headed back out to the parking lot. I needed to hit the feed mill and grab a few compressed bales of straw before I headed towards home.

No sooner than me throwing the bales on the back of the truck, my phone started ringing off the hook. Everyone knew this was my last stop before heading back home and they couldn't even give me a good forty-five minutes. I let it go to voice mail so I could push the cart back to rack, as I made some strides back to the other isle towards the truck, I dug my phone out of my pocket to check it. Seven text messages and now up to three missed calls, so I unlocked my phone. Clicking the text notifications, I see two from Alaina and one from Brad. Opening the two from Alaina, assuming that it was about dinner, I was in shock at the all caps message I read, 'GET BACK HOME IMMEDIATELY!!' Followed by a 'S.O.S.' from Brad.

Figuring that Alaina would be the easiest to reach, I called her first. "Alaina, what's going on? Is there an emergency at the farm?"

"Oh, Garrett, there is an emergency, you need to get home immediately!" she said frantically.

"Tell me, what's going on?" I stuttered.

"Garrett, there's no time to explain, you need to hurry!!" she commanded.