A Gentleman's Agreement (7 page)

Blake tugged at his
sweater cuff to see his watch. Two hours remained until his parents’
anniversary party ended. This year rivaled previous years. In attendance. In
extravagance. In cost. But no price tag could be placed on his parents’
happiness.

The decorators had done
a fabulous job transforming the hay barn into something spectacular. Who knew
the aged structure could look this amazing? Shades of champagne, gold, and
terracotta adorned the large space. Oversized pumpkins were scattered
throughout, stenciled with words such as love, cherish, respect, and countless
other enduring terms. Shimmery champagne tablecloths draped round tables topped
with pinecones, fall-colored leaves, candles, and miniature pumpkins.

“May I have everyone’s
attention, please?” Focus shifted to the event coordinator standing at what
would be considered the front of the room. “The Farrington men: Ian, Tucker,
and Blake have prepared a special presentation for their parents.”

His parents tossed
glances between them that clearly asked, “
What kind of presentation
?”

The coordinator made a
gesture with her hand and a screen lowered from the rafters. A moment later, the
lights dimmed. For the next twenty minutes, everyone enjoyed a reel of his parents’
life together, synced to a sequence of love songs. Their favorite song, Bebe
Winans’ “I Found Love,” signaled the end of the slideshow.

When the lights rose,
Eunice—along with countless others—swiped at their eyes.

“That was beautiful,”
she whispered to him, more tears escaping.

Blake was happy that
she was shedding tears of joy and not of sorrow. Leaning over, he dragged his
thumb across both cheeks. Admittedly, he found himself constantly looking for
opportunities to touch Eunice.

Something about being
in Norfolk heightened the feelings he harbored for Eunice. Feelings he’d fought
for a number of years. How in the hell did he ever believe he could spend time
with her in this type of setting and have it not affect him?

Like he’d done for so
long, he beat the feelings down, reminding himself that some lines shouldn’t be
crossed. Especially ones that could result in losing a friend—which he
considered Eunice to be. A great friend, if further clarification was needed.

Eunice blinked back
more tears. “I guess I’m a sucker for beautiful love stories.”

After speeches by Blake
and his brothers, the dinner plates were cleared and the party kicked up a
notch. The danced floor jumped with individuals eager to show off their moves.
Eunice had been led away by Casey before he got the opportunity to ask her for
a dance. The more he thought about it, it was probably for the best. Eunice’s
body pressed against his… Why torture himself?

When he spotted Eunice
and Casey across the room, he smiled. Casey adored her
Aunt
Eunice
,
the child had started calling her out of the blue. Eunice glanced in his
direction as if she’d known his eyes were pinned to her. She waved, then broke
their connection when his cousin, Bobby, approached.

Bobby’s interruption
caused a twinge of irritation to roll through him. When Eunice tossed her head
back in laughter, a sound rumbled in Blake’s chest. What in the hell had Bobby
said to her that was so damn funny? Someone clapped Blake and the back, and he turned
to see Tucker.

Tucker stood shoulder
to shoulder with him. “What are you staring at?”

“Nobody,” he said.

Tucker chuckled. “The
correct answer would have been
nothing
, seeing how I didn’t ask you
who
you were staring at.”

So what if he was casually
observing Eunice. It wasn’t like there was a law against admiring her from a
distance. “I’m contemplating whether or not I should rescue her from Bobby. You
know that smooth-talking Louisianan can chat an ear off.” More like
lie
an ear off.

“Uh-huh,” Tucker said,
rocking back and forth on his heels.

Blake folded his arms
across his chest. “Why are you giving me that look?”

“No reason.”

“Okay.” He shifted his focus
back to Eunice and Bobby. When Bobby whispered something in Eunice’s ear, Blake’s
jaw tightened.

“You okay? You look a little…tense.”

Blake refused to make
eye contact with Tucker. No, he wasn’t okay. Why in the hell did seeing Eunice
with Bobby irk him so much? Was it jealousy? No. Hell, no. He didn’t have a
right to be jealous. Eunice wasn’t technically his. Their relationship was only
make-believe. He repeated that a few more times to himself.
Keep your head
in the game, Farrington
.

The sound of their
mother’s soft voice prompted them both to turn.

“My men,” she said,
draping an arm around them both.

Blake wrapped his arm
around his mother. “Did you like the presentation?”

“I absolutely loved it.
You boys outdid yourselves. All of this.” She scanned the room. “It’s amazing.
Thank you.” Their mother’s voice cracked with emotion.

“Don’t cry, Mom,”
Tucker said. “You’re going to run this squeamish one right here away.” He
popped Blake on the arm.

Blake faked a laughed. “I
think you missed your true calling. You should have been a comedian instead of
a minister.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Tucker
kissed their mother on the cheek. “I need to find my wife. Bobby is on the
prowl.”

When Tucker moved away,
his mother glanced up at him. “You didn’t seem too squeamish when you were
wiping Eunice’s tears away.” She didn’t wait for a response. “Care to take an
old lady for a twirl around the dance floor?”

Blake surveyed the
room. “Sure. Just point her out.” His mother swatted at him. “Oh, I didn’t
realize you were referring to yourself. Old? Hogwash.” He escorted his mother onto
the lighted dance floor.

“I like Eunice, son.
You two seem good for each other.”

“She’s amazing.” Blake stole
a glimpse of Eunice, still engulfed in conversation with Bobby. He rolled his
eyes away. “Mom, I know we traditionally visit the farm the Saturday after Thanksgiving,
but do you think we can go the day before Thanksgiving this year?”

“Is something wrong?
You’re not leaving early, are you?”

“No.” Without going
into detail, he said, “I want to take Eunice’s mind off the day.” His eyes
sought her out again. This time, Eunice’s eyes met his. The feelings swirling
around inside him were dangerous, but he was powerless against them. Something
had changed between them. He felt it and was convinced Eunice felt it, too.

“Did something bad
happen, son?”

Refocusing on his
mother, he nodded. “Yes, it did.”

“You care about her
deeply, don’t you?”

More than he wanted to
admit. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded. He hadn’t realized just how
much until he’d held her trembling body in his arms.

“Of course, we can.”

“Thank you.”

“She’s crazy about you,
too, you know. That fills my heart with so much joy.”

How had his mother come
to such a conclusion? “And how do you know she’s crazy about me, beautiful?”

“By the way she looks
at you. With such admiration. Plus, a mother knows when a woman really cares
for her son. Just like a mother knows when a woman is only interested in her
son’s money.” Her face contorted. “Like that Sandy girl you used to date.”

“Sasha, Mom.”

“That’s what I said,
dear.” She patted him softly on the chest. “You know I never make it a habit to
get into you boys’ business, but I’m so glad you’re no longer dating that awful
woman.”

Blake chuckled. For
kicks, he asked, “What was so wrong with her?”

His mother scoffed.
“Other than the fact that she came into my home and preceded to tell me how I
should prepare dinner. And when I suggested she prepare the meal to her liking,
her telling me she’d just had her nails done.”

He laughed as the memories
of the previous year filled his thoughts.

“It’s not funny, Prat. You
and that girl were not suited for one another. She was too immature and needy.”

He agreed with his
mother on that, but didn’t share it with her.

“But Eunice...” A smiled
stretched her lips. “Never mind. I’m meddling in your love life. You’re a grown
man.”

“You know your opinion
has always been important to me.”

“I know, but I don’t
want my opinion to ever influence your decisions. I’ve always wanted my boys to
do what makes them happy, not what makes me happy. My one hope was that you’d
find love. True love. And I think you have.”

At that moment, he felt
like a complete asshole. He was starting to believe Tucker had been right. This
deception had been a bad idea. Especially since his mother seemed to adore
Eunice. The truth would surely break her heart.

His mother patted his
chest. “Thank you for the dance, son. I have to find your father. He owes me a
dance.” She kissed him, then wiped the pink lip color from his cheek. “I love
you.”

“I love you, too, Mom.”
His mother strolled away. “Mom?” She turned to face him. “I need to tell you
something.”

She rejoined him. “What
is it?”

His lips parted. How
did he tell her everything she thought she’d witnessed between him and Eunice
had been orchestrated? How did he break her heart during her anniversary party?
He couldn’t. “I haven’t told you how gorgeous you look tonight.”

She patted the side of
his face. “You’re so kind. Thank you.”

“Go find dad. I’m sure
he’s waiting to dance with his beautiful bride.” His mother moved away again. There
was no way he could ruin her night. Tomorrow. He’d tell her everything
tomorrow.

“May I have this
dance?”

When he turned, Eunice’s
smiling face greeted him. Oh, this was going to be tough. “Of course.” She took
her place in his arms, and they tightened around her as if he was afraid she’d
change her mind and sprint away.

Just as he expected,
his body reacted to their closeness. The heated sensation in his chest gave way
to the throbbing in his boxers. He willed an erection away and struck up a
conversation to derail the thoughts of how wonderful she felt in his arms. “Did
Bobby talk your ear off?”

Eunice pulled at her
lobe. “Not completely. He really thinks highly of himself, huh?”

“That’s Bobby.” He
twirled her, but pulled her back close. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“I’m having a ball. I
never knew what I was missing by not having a large family until now. It’s
going to be kind of hard to say goodbye.”

The music ceased, but
his need to cling to Eunice remained. “I want to show you something.” He took
her by the hand and led her through the crowd and to the back of the barn. They
climbed the set of stairs leading to the loft.

“Oh, my God, Blake. Who
painted these?”

“My mother.”

“I didn’t know she was
an artist.” Eunice examined the multiple oil paintings hanging in the space.
“These are amazing. She has her great-great-grandfather’s talent for sure.”

Blake folded his arms
across his chest and took joy in Eunice’s delight. The satiny burnt orange
dress she wore rode her curves as she ventured from frame to frame. The
tightening in his stomach when she bent to examine a print closer was enough to
bring him to his knees. When he imagined her legs wrapped around his waist, he
shifted his focus before he actually crumbled to his knees.

“Blake?”

When his eyes slid back
to her, she eyed him awkwardly. “Hmm?”

“I asked how long has
your mother been painting?”

“Ah…as long as I can
remember.”

“This one is my
absolute favorite,” Eunice said, in regards to the painting of a vibrant
waterfall.

“Follow me,” Blake
said. When they arrived at a pile of straw, he turned and freefell backwards
into the mound. “Try it.”

“With my luck, I’ll
miss the pile and careen off the side.”

“Chicken.” Blake tossed
a handful of straw at her.

She eased down next to
him, mimicking his reclined position. “This feels better than my mattress.”

“You must have a really
crappy mattress.”

“I do,” she said.
“Maybe you should give me a raise so I can afford a better one.”

“In your dreams.” Blake
chewed on a piece of the hay. “This is where I used to come when I needed alone
time. I didn’t have to worry about anyone bothering me.” He rested his hands on
top of his stomach. “Sort out my problems.”

“What problems could you
have possibly had?”

“Ha. More than I care
to mention.”

“Your parents seem to
have had many happy years together.”

“They’re blessed. What
they share is rare nowadays.”

“Your mother reminds me
of my aunt. So warm and caring.”

“She’s definitely the
rock of our family. My dad would be lost without her, for sure.” Blake sat
forward and rested his arms on his thighs. “I shouldn’t have asked you to do
this, Eunice. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I’m
having a great time. Besides, I could have said no. The truth is…I wanted to be
here. Actually, I needed to be here.”

“Needed to be here?” For
a moment, he found himself excited by the words. But the thrill was short-lived.

“I didn’t want to be
alone at Thanksgiving.”

“Oh.” He could understand why. “For
what it’s worth, I’m really glad you’re here.”

Eunice stepped into her
boots and made sure they were snuggly fastened. Today they were visiting the
Farrington family farm. Everyone appeared confused as to why they were going
before Thanksgiving instead of after like they normally did. If she didn’t know
any better, she’d believed Blake had had something to do with it. But she
didn’t inquire, because if he’d said yes, she’d have felt guilty that everyone
had been forced to alter their plans for her.

Being here felt so
right. Blake’s family had accepted her as one of their own. For the first time
since she could remember, she actually felt like she fit in somewhere. Too bad
it would all come to a screeching halt in a few days.

“You might want to
double layer. It gets cold at the farm. Especially when the sun goes down,”
Blake said.

“You can keep me warm.”
Eunice stopped abruptly.
Shit
. How’d she keep allowing these things to escape
past her lips? “I-I hear you’re pretty skillful at starting barrel fires.” A
veiled attempt at changing the subject.

Blake chuckled and
continued lacing his own boots. “Yeah, I am. And don’t worry. I won’t let you
freeze to death.”

Thirty minutes later,
the fifteen-passenger van entered through a massive wooden arch that displayed
a black metal sign which read: FARRINGTON FARMS. Gravel crunched as they drove
through a lot crammed packed with cars, trucks, SUVs, RVs, and buses. They
idled in front of an oversized cobalt blue barn. ENTRANCE, in large silver
letters, hung above enormous white double doors.

“Welcome to Farrington
Farms,” Blake whispered in her ear.

With all the excitement
bustling around her, it didn’t stop her body from reacting to Blake’s warm
breath on her neck. “You didn’t exactly do the place justice,” she said,
willing away the shiver running up her spine.

Neon signs blazed with
labels such as: HARVEST HAYRIDE, CELEBRATION LIGHTSHOW, and CORNUCOPIA CORN
MAZE. When they exited the van, Eunice eyed a directory that listed more
attractions: CASEY’S PETTING CORNER, TUCKER’S TUMBLEWEEDS, IAN’S APPLE DUNK,
and BLAKE’S BOUNCY HOUSE.

Eunice grinned and eyed
Blake. “Blake’s Bouncy House. Hmm. Sounds intriguing.”

“Did I mention we’re
standing on three hundred acres? There’re places I could hide your body and no
one would ever find you.”

Eunice made a zipping
motion across her lips.

Casey tugged on
Eunice’s coat and Eunice stooped to be at eye level with her. “Yes, sweetie.”

“Aunt Eunice, wanna
come to the petting zoo with me?” Casey asked.

“We’ll catch up with
you, baby girl,” Blake said. “I want to show Aunt Eunice something.”

“Okay,” Casey said in
her tiny, innocent voice and skipped away.

Eunice returned to a
full stand. “I just love her.”

Blake smiled as he
watched Casey. “Yeah. Me too. The second girl who’s ever fully captured my
heart.”

How she wished the
first had been her, but she was sure that his mother held that position. “What do
you want to show me?”

Blake held up his index
finger. “Two seconds.” He moved away and said something to his parents and
rejoined Eunice. “Okay, let’s go.” He cupped her hand. “Got to make it look
good, right?”

It was bristling cold,
but the feel of Blake’s flesh against hers raised her temperature a few
degrees, taming the cold biting at her exposed skin. Hand-in-hand, they weaved
their way through the crowd. “Tell me about this place.”

“Pop purchased the land
right after retiring, sat on it a few years, then started farming the land. One
day, he says he wants to open this place. So, he did. It expands every year.
It’s coming up on ten years.”

“Does your dad still
farm?”

“He does small crops
now. Mainly for my mom’s use. Most of the vegetables we’ve eaten, he grew. The
man has a green thumb. In the summer there’s a rose garden over that hill. It’s
enormous. Thelma’s Thorn Patch. He grew it just for my mom.”

What it had to be like
to grow up around such love. Just being surrounded by it the past few days felt
amazing. “This place must take up a lot of his time.”

“It did until my mother
put her foot down. Now it’s fully staffed year-round.”

 Eunice laughed. “Now I
know who wears the pants.”

“Was there ever any
doubt?”

“None.”

They both laughed.

“Easter, there’s an egg
hunt. Halloween, the barns are transformed into haunted houses and there’s a
haunted corn maze. Thanksgiving…” Blake swept his hand in front of him. “But
Christmas…” He blew a heavy breath. “Man, Christmas is amazing. The lights, the
decorations, the caroling… There’s also a food drive and charity event. You’ll
love it.”

“Does that mean you’re
inviting me back?”

Blake glanced at her
and shrugged. “Absolutely. Maybe not this year since my parents are spending
Christmas in Italy. But definitely next year. Or…” He shrugged. “I guess we
could fly down if you wanted.”

Of course she wanted.

Blake came to a stop. “We’re
here.”

Lost in the idea of
spending Christmas with Blake, she had no idea what he’d just said. “I’m sorry,
what?”

“We’re here.”

Snapping herself back
to reality, she read the sign on the building. “Homemade kettle corn. My
favorite.” But of course, he knew that.

Blake moved behind the
counter and shoveled a bag full of the sweetened popcorn and passed it to her,
then scored two hot chocolates. After spending a few minutes chatting with the
staff, they were off again.

“I’m in heaven,” she
said, stuffing her mouth. “There’s nothing better than kettle corn.”

“Oh, I can think of one
or two things.”

Well, if he put it that
way, so could she.

“Can a brother get a
kernel or two?”

Eunice laughed and
offered him the bag. “Don’t eat it all.”

“Don’t worry, there’s
plenty more where this came from.”

For the next hour,
Eunice feasted on kettle corn, cotton candy, funnel cakes, hot dogs, Italian
sausages, and s’mores. She’d gulped eggnog and sipped the best apple cider
slushy she’d ever tasted.

After a lengthy stroll
around the park, she and Blake joined up with the rest of the family at
Christmas Tree Land, an expansive area that housed what seemed like a thousand
trees in all shapes and sizes. Everyone approved a Douglas fir the size of a skyscraper.
They’d even included her in the decision making, which made her truly feel like
a part of the family.

Though she’d enjoyed
herself, Eunice was happy to be headed back to the house, because her stomach
was starting to do back flips. Once she settled into her seat in the back of
the van, she reclined her head.

“What’s wrong?” Blake
asked.

“You let me eat too
much.”

Blake wrapped his arm
around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. The pounding in his chest
patterned the churning in her stomach. “It’s so hot.”

“Pop, can you dial back
the heat a little?” Blake said.

His hand moved up and
down her arm. “It was probably that third hot dog. You know, you have a pretty
big appetite to be so fit.”

Eunice playfully jabbed
him in the side. “Watch it, bouncy Blake.”

Blake barked a laugh.

Eunice sat forward with
urgency. “Uh-oh.” She rested her hand on her stomach. “I think I’m going to be
sick.”

“Pop, pull over,” Blake
said. “Quickly.”

Dust rose as the van
came to a screeching halt on the side of the road. Eunice practically climbed
over the other bench-style seats to get out. The last time she’d been this
sick… Heck, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this sick. Blake held
her hair away from her face as she lost everything she’d consumed at the park.

“Is Eunice okay, Prat?”
Mrs. Farrington asked from a distance.

Blake moved his hand up
and down her back. “She’s fine.”

“I’m never eating
hotdogs again.”

“What about kettle
corn, cotton candy, candy apples—”

Eunice tried to laugh,
but heaved instead. “You’re an asshole, Blake Farrington.”

“I’ve been called
worse.”

“This is so
embarrassing.”

“Don’t be embarrassed.
You’re surrounded by family.”

“Your family, Blake.
I’m an outsider.”

“You best not let my
mother hear you say that.” The words soothed her some.

Ten minutes later,
Blake escorted her back to the van. His hands rested around her waist as wobbly
legs threatened to toss her to the ground.

When they settled back
in the van, Vivian shifted to face them. “Are you pregnant?”

“Sweet, Jesus, Vivian,”
Tucker said.

“Aunt Eunice is
pregnant,” Casey shouted. “Yay. I’m going to have a baby cousin.”

Mrs. Farrington shifted
in her seat, her hand resting on her chest. “Pregnant?”

Mr. Farrington popped
the steering wheel. “Hot dog, I’m getting another grandbaby?”

“Congratulations, bro,”
Ian said.

Blake held his hand in
the air. “No one is pregnant. And, Pop, you probably don’t want to mention hot
dogs.”

“No, no one is pregnant,”
Eunice said, alarm widening her eyes. “We’re not even—” She stopped abruptly.
“Not even discussing kids…yet. Or marriage.” She chose not to even look at
Blake, because she’d walked them both into a corner. This was so much different
than talking to the press. That, she handled with no problem. So what was the
problem now?

Luckily, no one pressed
the issue. When they finally made it back to the Farrington estate, Eunice apologized
and retired to the bedroom. Falling face first onto the mattress, she prayed
for relief. She’d even asked Tucker to pray for her. Surely, he had an express
line to God.

Blake entered moments
later and lay next to her. “Feeling any better?”

“A little. Does your
mother hate me?” Blake had told her the story of how Sasha had faked food
poisoning the year before. “I’m really not faking.”

“She knows you’re not.
She’s really worried about you.”

“I’ll be okay.”

Their eyes locked, and
they spent the silence that’d fallen between them doing nothing more than
staring at each other. The moment was so powerful that it caused her breathing
to go rigid. What was happening to her?

“What would we name
them?” Blake asked, breaking the stillness.

“Name what?”

“Our kids. I think it’s
about time we discussed them, don’t you? Have you thought about names?”

Clearly, he was
referring to what she’d said inside the van. Working with him three years,
they’d discussed an array of things. But never kids. “I didn’t know what else
to say. Vivian and her big mouth.”

“I thought it was
funny.”

“You would.”

“Did you see my mom’s
face?” He chuckled. “I thought she would keel over. Just for the record, we
have to get married before we start having babies.”

“Marriage and babies?
Wouldn’t that be taking this charade a bit far?”

“Nah. We have to make
it look good, right?”

Eunice laughed, but the
idea of wearing Blake’s last name, carrying his babies, sat too well with her.
“I’m drained. Don’t let me keep you from enjoying your family. I feel bad
enough.”

Blake brushed a lock of
her hair behind her ear. “There’s no place I’d rather be than right here with
you. Get some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Eunice managed a weak
smile. “You’re all right with me, Blake Farrington.”

“You’re not too bad
yourself.”

Her eyes closed, and
she nestled into her pillow. “Cody for a boy. Olivia for a girl.”

“Blake, Jr. for a boy.
But I’m okay with Olivia for a girl.”

When Eunice opened her
eyes, Blake closed his. “Now all we have to do is come up with four more names.
I’ll let you sleep on it.”

Who in the hell did he
think would spit out six babies for him? Who was she kidding? At that moment,
she’d do it in a heartbeat.

***

Blake tiptoed down the
stairs when he noticed Aunt Belle lingering by the kitchen entrance. Creeping
up behind her, he whispered, “What are you doing?” He didn’t want to give her a
heart attack or anything.

Aunt Belle flinched.
She rotated to face him, her eyes as wide as her gaped mouth. “Wh…who are you?”

“I’m Blake, Aunt Belle.
Thelma’s son.” He didn’t yell this time.

She scrutinized him.
“Have you seen my cat?”

“I didn’t know you had
a cat, Aunt Belle.” His parents wouldn’t have allowed her a cat. His dad was
allergic. “Maybe you should check upstairs in your bedroom.”

She scoffed and
scurried away.

When he entered the
kitchen, four sets of eyes settled on him. Now he understood why Aunt Belle was
lingering. She’d been eavesdropping. Sometimes he believed the woman had more
sense than people gave her credit for.

“Hey. What’s up?”

“We were just planning
your wedding,” Ian said.

“Wedding?” That had to
be a joke. Him and marriage? That didn’t even go together in the same sentence.

“Don’t listen to him,
son,” his mother said. “We’re discussing the hunting trip in the morning. How’s
Eunice? Should I fix her a cup of warm green tea?”

“She’s asleep.” Blake
slid onto one of the stools. “Pop, would you be upset if I backed out of the
trip this year? I think I should hang around in case Eunice needs anything.”

Ian and Tucker
exchanged glances with their father.

Blake chuckled. “Okay.
What are all the looks about?”

His father clapped a
hand on his shoulder. “Son, you have made me the happiest man alive.”

Blake arched a brow. “
By
choosing to stay behind with Eunice
?”

“No. By not wanting to
go hunting.”

“Thank you, Jesus,”
Tucker said.