He shrugged. “Nothing earth shattering. She worries about things she shouldn’t worry about. I thought when Leah and the baby moved in, it would help distract her, but she’s still insistent about being involved with the farm. She doesn’t know the first thing about what’s going on.”
“And she expects you to take care of it from here?” She took a seat at the table, motioning for him to do the same. The delicious scents coming from the steel covered plates made her mouth water.
He went to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer, holding up a bottle for her. “You want one?”
“Water, please.”
He nodded once and ducked again to pull out a bottle of water. “We have a foreman. He’s a good man and he works hard. Hell, I leave him to look out for my family, so of course I trust him to run things. The fact is, I couldn’t be here without him. I don’t understand why — and it frustrates the hell out of me sometimes — but Mom won’t use the money I’ve left without talking to me about every little detail.” Sliding into the chair across from her, he twisted the cap off the water bottle before placing it in front of her. “She should be talking to him,” he murmured.
“Hold on, what do you mean you couldn’t be here without your foreman?”
“I meant what I said.”
Yeah, Jessa was beginning to understand that about him.
Garrett lifted the lids off their plates and set them to the side. “Mmm, princess. This smells good enough to eat.”
“Too bad I can’t take credit for anything other than dialing the phone,” she joked. “So, the farm is more important to you than playing baseball?” She handed him a napkin and he, in turn, passed her the silverware. The ease at which they moved through the motions of readying for dinner stunned her. It was as if they’d done this a hundred times. It was strangely intimate, intoxicating in its simplicity.
“My family is more important to me than playing baseball. The farm is all my mom has left of my dad and she loves it. She refuses to give it up. Actually, it would be a lot easier for all of us if they moved to New York with me, but Mom won’t even consider leaving Mississippi. And Leah and the baby are better off staying with her there.”
He cut a piece of his steak, his eyes rolling back in his head as he put it in his mouth. The muscles in his jaw bunched as he chewed, his throat working to swallow it down. “God, that’s good.” He washed it down with a swig of beer before turning his attention back to her.
“Farming is a tough business, princess. It’s backbreaking, sun up to sundown work. Sometimes the yield is good, sometimes it’s not. The times it’s not can drive a man into the ground. Harlon manages the farm, which makes it possible for me to play baseball. Baseball ensures we keep the farm. See how it all works?” He grinned and took a large bite of his salad.
She did. She understood how important playing ball was, not only to Garrett, but to his family as well. They relied on him. He’d used the money he earned to make sure his mom kept her beloved farm, and he’d kept his father’s memory alive. He took care of his sister and now, her daughter as well. What would it feel like to be on the receiving end of a love like that?
Her heart lurched as she realized their playing around could hurt a lot of people. People Garrett was devoted too, people he loved. She knew he’d sacrifice himself for the good of his family. He’d be an outstanding husband and father, one day.
Lucky was the woman who would call him hers. “It’s good of you to look out for them.”
He shook his head, dismissing her compliment. “I’m doing what any other man would do.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. There are a lot of men — men older than you — who wouldn’t go to such lengths to make sure their families were cared for.”
“Then they aren’t men.” Disgust marred his features. “Doesn’t matter anyway. I take care of my own. Always have, always will. Whether it’s the cotton field or the ball field.” He winked at her and motioned to her plate. “Eat up before it gets cold.”