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Chapter 76: Dixie
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2022-11-24 14:09:48Related chapters
The Love Barn Chapter 77: Dixie
Dixie glanced down at their joined hands now resting on his thigh. His other arm was braced on the sofa behind her head. He'd leaned in so far it felt as though he were sheltering her from the world, putting himself between her and some unseen threat.When Benjamin was there, she felt safe. And other things she shouldn't feel about her friend's older brother. But there they were."Dix?" he murmured."Sure. It's okay." Except her mouth was dry. Parched. And it was becoming hard to breathe.He released her hand, leaving it sitting on his thigh, and cupped her cheek, turning her face toward him."And now?" he whispered.This wasn't the touch of a friend.Her insides quivered, half telling her to run while the other half wanted to crawl into his lap."It's fine," she whispered.The hand at her cheek slid back, his fingers curling around the back of her head, tugging her gently.Oh, God...A small voice in the back of her head screamed at her to do something. Sitting t
Last Updated : 2022-11-24The Love Barn Chapter 78: Benji
BENJI LEANED THE SHOVEL up against the tree and dragged the back of his hand across his brow. The landscaping they'd been cultivating was paying off, but that had a few unfortunate results. Namely, more brides wanted their ceremony outdoors with the ancient oaks overhead. The screen of sunflowers planted along the property line helped since the neighbor's old eyesore of a barn wasn't visible.Last year Scarlett had talked Garth into letting Benji lay some stone for a center aisle and paved space for the wedding party to stand, citing things about women's shoes. Garth had begrudgingly agreed and Benji organized the work. Now they were turning an eye to the area where guests sat.Controlling the undergrowth was the name of the game.They'd tried laying sod and encouraging a thick blanket of grass, but the tree canopy was too thick to support grass. Which left the area prone to weeds. And that was why Benji was currently smoothing out what felt like a metric ton of wood chip mulch o
Last Updated : 2022-11-24The Love Barn Chapter 79: Benji
Fifteen minutes later Benji pulled up in front of one of the historic old homes of downtown Ransom. The craftsman style house was one of those that dated back over a hundred years. The exterior charm made it look like it belonged on a postcard with the stained glass accents on the front windows and flower beds dancing in the breeze.These days, it was also where the leader of the town's L.O.L. Gang lived.Bunny Foster descended from old money and had married into new money. According to town history she'd caused quite a stir when she ran for-and won-the town's mayor race in the seventies. These days she still pretty much ran things, only she did it with her granny friends. Even the current mayor, one of the Morgan brothers, leaned on Bunny for her wisdom.Today Benji was hoping that wisdom could help him.He stood on the sidewalk, acutely aware of his dirty, sweat-soaked clothes.Crap.Maybe he should come back later. But that would mean chancing an encounter with Garth in
Last Updated : 2022-11-24The Love Barn Chapter 80: Dixie
DIXIE MADE IT THROUGH her workday by hiding. She'd had one well-timed sneeze, followed it up with a cough and when one of her co-workers asked if she was coming down with something Dixie had said yes.It was amazing how many people hadn't needed her today.The downside was that she'd had almost twenty-four hours to spin her wheels and freak out.Benjamin Lively had kissed her.And she'd kissed him back.Dixie slid down farther in her seat as she passed the Ransom city limit sign. No one had said a word when she ducked out just a little early.A few minutes later she pulled into the parking lot at the Ransom High School and parked into a visitor spot. At least once a year Dixie made a point of stopping in to see Elisabeth's classroom. Looked like this year was going to be a special case of two visits.Dixie grabbed her purse, locked the car and headed into the school. Classes were out, and the halls were empty. She didn't bother going to the front office. Instead she hooke
Last Updated : 2022-11-24The Love Barn Chapter 81: Benji
BENJI STOOD BACK AND admired the gleam of the wood floor. Most Mondays he took off work, but he hadn't felt like doing anything else. And after a busy weekend of people trekking in and out of the place, the floors had needed a day of pampering. His back and arms ached, but it was a good feeling. One that he got after a long day of work spent on the business that kept the family taken care of.He checked the time. Once again a kick of adrenaline hit him, making his heart beat just a bit faster.The anticipation was slowly killing him.Dixie would be ready before much longer. He needed to stow his gear and move ass to her place. Even with the events eating up the weekend, he'd spent a good deal of time pondering what she'd say today. He'd almost called her up late Saturday to suggest a midnight drive, but was willing to bet she'd be passed out. She didn't strike him as the night owl type.Benji turned the lights off and secured the doors. Scarlett was still in the office working
Last Updated : 2022-11-24The Love Barn Chapter 82: Benji
Benji stood there a moment, Scarlett's words not quite making sense.Garth. Collapse. Hospital.Dad had collapsed and died without them knowing.People had whispered about the Lively family curse coming back. Was it here to take his brother?A warm weight settled on his arm. He glanced at Dixie, staring up at him with her bag over her shoulder.Benji didn't believe in a silly curse. This was the real world and that meant something as wrong with Garth."What hospital?" Benji asked."The only damn one in town," Scarlett snapped back."Okay, I'll be there in a minute. Everything will be fine, Scar.""He collapsed, Benji. Do you understand that? He couldn't say anything." Scarlett's voice was so high, her words broken."Babe, give me the phone," Cole said in the background."I'll see you at the hospital," Benji said."Come on." Dixie opened the front door.He moved on auto pilot, out the door, across the lawn and to the truck. Dixie was by his side with every step
Last Updated : 2022-11-24The Love Barn Chapter 83: Dixie
DIXIE KEPT HER ARM hooked around Benjamin's and practically dragged him into her house. He didn't protest. He didn't say anything. He simply followed where she directed.She was wiped after this evening. She couldn't begin to imagine how Benjamin felt.Hadn't his father collapsed one day for no reason and died? Could it be hereditary? What about Benjamin?Dixie's father had a massive heart attack a few years ago. The doctors had indicated that the cause could be passed down. After seeing how her parents' lives were upended by the cardiac incident, she'd made changes to her life, hoping to escape the same fate.She stuffed her concerns to the back of her mind and fished out her keys."You got a note." Benjamin reached up and took the folded sheet of paper taped to her door off.Oh, great. Just what this day needed."Don't mind that. Inside." She unlocked the door and nudged him inside."The grass is too high." He frowned at the note.Dixie didn't need to see the note t
Last Updated : 2022-11-24The Love Barn Chapter 84: Benji
They sat there for several long moments. The silence wasn't tense or awkward. It was nice after hours of straining to hear anything, any hint of news."Thanks for being there tonight," Benji said."I hate this is happening to your family." Dixie turned her face toward him and inhaled."I'm afraid I didn't put cologne on." He chuckled."What?" She froze, only then realizing that he didn't smell like he usually did.How did he know she liked his cologne?Oh, God...A real smile finally pulled the corners of his mouth up. He shifted, turning his upper body toward her."You might have told me I smelled really good one night. I can't quite remember when that was." His smile widened, and she knew exactly when she would have told him and blissfully forgotten about it."I didn't-I wasn't..." Dixie groaned and ducked her face.He slid the arm around her shoulders lower, tugging her closer still. She felt the press of his lips against her hair and the heat in her cheeks inten
Last Updated : 2022-11-24
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The Love Barn Chapter 167: Epilogue
SIX MONTHS LATER...SCARLETT SAT STRETCHED OUT on the old, wooden swing content to watch the circus going on over in the flower garden.Mom threw her hands up and said something Scarlett couldn't hear. She chuckled and knew the others were likely beside themselves trying to figure out how to make Mom happy.They all called Noemi's mother Mom now. It just felt right. Garth stood next to Mom, shaking his head at the others. Noemi bent, fussing no doubt over the way the blankets lay or how the bow sat.Benji and Dixie had the whole light kit out and three cameras.All the attention was focused on the bundle of joy currently sleeping soundly in the cradle Garth had carefully restored. It was one of a handful of old things he'd found in the barn and kept. Judging by the initials on the bottom of the old crib, generations of Livelys had slept in that thing.And now so would her baby.Scarlett smiled and sank further into the cushions Cole had set up for her. She was still ex
The Love Barn Chapter 166: Noemi
Noemi WHIPPED HER CAR into the driveway. With it being so early and since everyone had family visiting the street was packed with cars. Garth's truck barely fit in the one open spot.Where the hell was he?What was he doing?Why was he talking to Ángel?A Jeep pulled across the drive behind her, Cole and Scarlett getting out."Why can't you answer your phone?" Scarlett demanded.Noemi threw up her hand as she caught the sound of a deep, rumbling voice."Benji? Hey, we're already here." Scarlett's voice faded as Noemi crept toward the fence and the gate her mother always left open between the two properties.Ángel sat in the swiveling chair at the head of the table on his parent's patio.Garth had a tight grip on one of the other chairs, his back toward her. He was leaning forward, his entire focus on Ángel, who was staring back at Garth like he'd just sprouted a second head or something."You're only going to get one shot at this. If she's decided to give you anothe
The Love Barn Chapter 165: Garth
Garth HAD ALWAYS THOUGHT the hardest thing he'd ever done was bury his parents and accept responsibility for Benji and Scarlett.That had been easy. A simple process and an obvious life altering decision.Neither of those moments had anything on what he was about to do.Garth stood on the front porch of the brick house and glanced to his left, where Noemi was likely sleeping. He hoped that she was getting rest. She never took off except for holidays and if he remembered correctly, she had events this weekend. With any luck, she'd have someone in her corner that would look after her properly.He turned his attention back to the door. There was one of the new, electronic doorbells. He pressed it, listened to the chime and waited.It was early still, but he hadn't been able to make himself wait any longer.After a few moments the locks clanked and the door swung open.Ángel stood on the welcome mat in sweatpants, a T-shirt and a hoodie draped over his shoulders. His hair was
The Love Barn Chapter 164: Noemi
Noemi HADN'T SLEPT ALL night. Most of the time when she wasn't sleeping it was because she was up at all hours trying to pull the last bits of a wedding together. There was purpose to the sleepless nights.All she'd done since getting home around two was sit in the guest chair at her desk and stare at the clear surface. She couldn't claim to have done a lot of thinking in those hours. Mostly she'd sat, stared and let her mind wander. She'd poked at corners she normally ignored, examining her feelings, her thoughts and all the other uncomfortable bits of her life.She excelled at leaving relationships.There were only two men in her life who had ever left her.Her father.And Ángel.Noemi had left every other man before he could get tired of her. She'd known she had the habit, but she hadn't paused to think it through like this until tonight. It was easy to pretend that she didn't have time for men and relationships that weren't going somewhere. She could spin all the excuse
The Love Barn Chapter 163: Garth
Garth GRIPPED THE WHEEL of his truck and drew in a deep breath. He knew it was his imagination. Noemi's perfume wasn't really lingering, he just wished it were.Another car rolled up to the stop sign at the bottom of the hill. Garth waved and pressed the accelerator, heading into town.It was tradition for the guys to meet up at The Hole in town for beers on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Benji had already texted, wondering where he was. Scarlett and the girls were up to something. All the normal things were underway. Except for him.Garth felt stuck. Like he couldn't move.He rolled the problem around in his head as The Hole came into view.The little parking lot was full and people had taken to finding spots along the street. It would no doubt be loud in there, full of people ready to start talking about the Christmas tours, when they were bringing the tractors to Main Street to help decorate and so forth.He just wasn't in the mood.Garth turned the wheel away from the
The Love Barn Chapter 162: Noemi
Noemi KNEW TODAY WASN'T her best work. She'd gone through the whole day in a fog that had nothing to do with the large, Thanksgiving meal she'd eaten yesterday or the Black Friday shopping she'd done that morning.Once again she had to wonder at a bride choosing to have her wedding the day after Thanksgiving. If Noemi was going to have a wedding-No.Not going there.She shook her head and turned her attention back to packing up the arch and removing the flowers. She had about an hour to get the rental pieces ready to go while the wedding party ate dinner. There were still a few things to make sure went off without a hitch. The cake needed cutting and the bride wanted Noemi to keep the speeches short, but there was time before that got started.It felt like she'd lived in a daze the last forty-eight hours.Wednesday night she'd chosen to not go to the annual meal her family had with Ángel's. She couldn't be in the same room with him and act like she wanted to be there. Not
The Love Barn Chapter 161: Garth
Both Garth and Noemi glanced at the door.Benji laughed loudly and a single pair of heavy footsteps came creaking up the stairs mixed with Dixie's softer voice.Noemi covered her mouth with her hand and glanced at Garth. Her eyebrows were almost at her hairline.He just shook his head as something-probably one of the pictures on the landing-clattered to the ground. Another burst of laughter followed by hurried footsteps into Benji's room and the slam of a door."Well, I guess no one knows we're in here," Noemi said dryly."No they do not." Garth put thoughts of his brother out of his mind. It wasn't the first time he'd ignored his brother's antics. "What's really going on, No-No?"She blew out a breath and let go of his hand. For a moment she fussed with her boots, unzipping them and getting more comfortable, sitting cross legged in the middle of his bed. He didn't say anything, just watched her face, how lines developed and went away as she thought through what was botheri
The Love Barn Chapter 160: Garth
Garth STARED DOWN AT where he'd thought he'd seen Noemi.Except Noemi didn't wear flannel. He could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen her wearing jeans and have fingers leftover. But he was fairly certain that had been her."Garth?" Adeline's voice brought him back to the moment.He blinked down at this funny, sweet woman, but she didn't stir anything in him. Not like Noemi."Adeline?" He took her hand in his. "It was a pleasure meeting you and I hope we see you around. Scarlett's intentions introducing us were good, but..."She smiled a knowing smile and turned her hand in his so she could give it a friendly shake. "I can tell. She's a special woman. I appreciate the history lesson.""Thanks, Adeline."If he'd met her at another point in his life, he'd have been interested. But it wasn't the burning connection he'd had with Noemi. Nothing could compare to that.Garth headed for the stairs, taking them two and three at a time. He skirted the tables between
The Love Barn Chapter 159: Noemi
Noemi PARKED HER CAR out on the grass along with all the other cars.She could do this.Hopefully Garth wasn't angry with her. Well, he could be a little angry. She'd deserve that much. She just hoped he'd hear her.Noemi began walking with the crowd, toward the festival clustered around the barn. Her heart gave a twinge as she got closer to the houses.She hadn't told anyone she was showing up, partly because she was nervous and feared she'd chicken out. Through all the jumble of thoughts, the one thing she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt was that she loved Garth.As the crowd folded her into their midst, Noemi realized there were a lot more people there than she anticipated. How was she going to find Garth in all this?"Noemi?" a familiar voice called out.She turned and saw Scarlett standing with a basket of something hanging from one arm and a toddler perched on her hip looking at Noemi with wide eyes."Hey." Noemi fidgeted with the hem of her T-shirt.Scarlett gr
