Pumpkin Patch Change in Plans

"Hey girl!" Davis's voice rang out from behind her. Since he had made good on patching things up with Shawn, Davis had become the second of her best friends. It was likely so he and Cynthia could conspire more often. Though the impish young man had taught Kyler that Andi was Aunt On-di and Rylan was Uncle Cyborg.

"Kage! You're supposed to warn me when someone suspicious shows up!" Andi jokingly admonished her pup as she came over for a head pat.

The wooly black pup had shown up a week after Grandpa Joe had moved to Arizona after the new year. Rylan told her it was an unfortunate fact of farm life so close to the city that people would sometimes dump their dogs they didn't want out in the country. Kage had been just a puppy with a white bandana with a red spot that almost looked like a Japanese flag. Andi named the dog after the Japanese word for shadow, which proved prophetic as the girl followed Andrea everywhere, even on her long runs.

Kage's arrival had been fortuitous as for all Grandpa Joe's grumbling about dogs belonging outdoors, he took two of the three farm dogs with him to Arizona.

"I hear Kage has wormed her way into being an inside dog." Davis leaned down to pet the excited pup.

"I tried to get Spot to be a house dog too, but he wasn't having it. He wanted to be outside at night." Spot was the one outdoor dog Grandpa Joe had left them, explaining that the property needed at least one guard dog. "What are you doing up early on a Saturday?"

"Someone has to supervise the creation of the corn maze. How come RyeRye isn't with you this morning?"

"He was up late analyzing game film last night. You know how he gets nervous before being on TV. I like to give him Saturday off anyways." Andi explained. "It gives me a chance for some peace and quiet."

"I still can't believe you turned my one-legged brother into a runner. Cardio was his least favorite thing to do while training back in the day." Davis smiled. Rylan had a special leg attachment for running.

"He just needed the right motivation. For him, it's getting to watch my ass while he runs." Andrea giggled. "Had no one tried girl butt as an incentive before?"

"I think it's a specific, very nice rump." Davis leaned back, and his eyebrows shot up as he looked at her posterior. "I don't think your powers would work on me, though."

"We would need to find you the right man ass then. Cross-country running is all about the proper motivation." Andi joked.

"You must be some coach." Davis grinned. "I hear you're moving in, officially."

In reality, Andi's apartment had gone practically unused for the last six months, so Rylan gave her a symbolic key to the farmhouse when her lease renewal came due. She had a house key for quite a while but understood the gesture was about more than the physical key. Andrea belonged in the same king-sized bed as Rylan, with Kage curled up at the foot.

"Yup, I even hired movers. You know Rylan would want to try and help if I didn't."

"Good. You belong here, On-di. Grandma Martha would have loved you. I'll bet my bro pops the big question soon."

Andrea and Rylan had discussed it, but Rye wanted to make the farm solvent before he proposed. The party barn getting rented out most weekends was getting the place closer to the goal. Andi just gave Davis a little nod with the flash of a smile. When her boy asked, there would be no stopping to think. She was happier here than she had ever been. Never thought I'd be a country girl.

"This garden your doing?" Davis seemed to be in a sincere mood instead of his typical jokey self.

"From your grandma's plans. Rylan's pretty good with a tractor, too. I should have seduced him back in high school." Andi smiled as she turned back toward the house a half mile away.

"I'll bet it would have worked. You know he had a crush on you back then."

"It may have come up in discussions."

"Be glad you didn't. You missed out on the year his ego was so inflated he was insufferable." Davis kept pace with Andi and Kage. "Though you might have been able to deflate that."

"Let's see if I need to wake him up for his pre-game performance." Rylan spent an hour each Saturday as a talking head on a national show during football season. "I swear one of these mornings, he'll still have bedhead on camera. You want some coffee before you go to work?"

"Always; besides, I need to dish about my new boyfriend anyways."

"Good; I think Cynthia and Kyler are due in a few minutes. You know those two need a dose of Davis, even if you're a bad influence."

Rylan -- Almost two years after asking Andrea out

The cool autumn air felt sublime as Rylan walked the property. Summer had been so hot this year that he relished the thought of cool nights. Fridays were for managing the farm and watching game tapes to research his tertiary job on a national program. Kage was dutifully following along in his wake. She only followed him when her mom was away. The botanical garden was beautiful, with various mums and fall colors decorating the property. As long as the weather held, it would host its first wedding in a few weeks. The far more critical nuptials would be carried out early next spring. Andi had said yes to his proposal on vacation a few weeks before the start of her school year.

Grandpa Joe had called it early on in their relationship, and he was entirely correct. His fiancée had been named the district's teacher of the year in just her second school year. Rylan struggled to figure out why she blessed him with her love every day but made it his mission to make her as happy as she made him.

Last weekend Rylan had been invited to a morning college pregame show that was taking place at his alma mater. He got to be the celebrity guest on the show. He wasn't sure if Cynthia or Davis had leaked his engagement to the four regulars on the show. Rylan announced his betrothal to the audience, and Cynthia pushed Andi out of the crowd to accept raucous applause.

This farm would be where they raised a family of their own. The old farmhouse was almost done being remodeled and modernized, it was a hard thing to agree to rip up the century-old structure, but an electrical fire made their decision easier.

Davis was now the full-time manager of the property and had moved into a house at the edge of the farm with his little family. He had met a guy, Andrew, a year before; that man was a single father of a three-year-old girl. To Andi's chagrin, Davis called him Andy and her On-di. She had tried to get him to go with Dray or Drea, but he wouldn't have it.

The pumpkin patch looked like it had a bumper crop this year, which was fantastic news as the property's popularity had exploded. The farm was profitable before the most crucial Autumn season emerged. Throughout the summer, he had been desperately willing the graph from red to black so he could complete the promise to himself before he proposed to his soulmate.

Rylan still spent a couple of nights of the week with the high school quarterback he had started coaching a couple of years ago. The now senior had led the team to a state championship last season and was deciding between a couple prominent name colleges to go play ball at. Even better, Rylan had also pushed the bright young man to apply himself in the classroom. He had the pleasure of having Andi as his math teacher. Once that young man graduates, Rylan might take a step back to get more time at home with his fiancée.

"The troops are mustered and ready, boss." Davis interrupted Rylan's slow circuit of the property.

"Is it ten already?" It was just eight-thirty when he walked out to the property. Davis nodded. "Last thing I knew, you were in charge of this shindig now."

"They still want to hear from the guy that pays the bills."

The party barn was filled with over a dozen people that ran everything from the pumpkin patch to the corn maze. All of them were looking expectantly for inspiration. When the door opened, Rylan was about to give a speech to the crew, and Andi stepped in. She looked like she had seen a ghost. Her eyes locked on him, and she knifed her way through the empty space.

"Hey, babe. Can we talk?" She reached out and clutched his hand.

"Sure, Davis, handle my light work." Rylan smiled in a vain attempt to dissipate some of the anxiety he was feeling. He hated to see Andrea hurting in any way. "We can use Davis's office unless you'd rather head home."

"No, I need to do this quick." Andi was shaking.

"Whatever it is, sweetie, it'll be okay. We're in everything together." Rylan put his arm around her and squeezed, she let him embrace her, but Andrea didn't hug back. Something was very wrong. The hairs on his neck stood up as he unlocked Davis's office.

Rylan locked the door behind them so they could have some privacy, whatever this was.

"I didn't mean any of this to happen yet. I'm keeping it, Rylan!" Andi blurted out as the tears she had been holding streamed out of her eyes. Her irises looked like stormy green seas frothed up by a major hurricane.

Keeping what? Oh God, is she leaving me and taking the ring? Rylan took a slow breath as he tried to decipher what Andrea was talking about. Don't panic.

"What are you talking about, babe?" Rylan fought to keep his voice calm; losing Andi would be much worse than losing his other leg.

"I'm pregnant, Rylan, and I'm keeping the baby."

Rylan instantly closed the distance between them and scooped her into his arms. Much as Andrea had answered his asking her out with a kiss, Rye planted a kiss on her lips. "Really!?" Happy tears were pouring down his cheeks as he stared into her eyes. "Of course you are, babe. We wanted kids."

"Uh-huh, I know we wanted kids, but this wasn't in the plan." She leaned up to kiss him again. "I'm sorry, I'm freaking out a little. Cynthia was engaged too when she got pregnant, and he left."

"What about me has ever screamed that I would run?" He collected another kiss. "We both know you would catch me so quick." Rylan laughed through happy tears. "Why in the world would I not want to meet a kid that's got half your DNA, my love?"

Andi leaned into his chest as she embraced him and then looked up. "I know, Rye. We had that broken condom when we were celebrating the engagement."

"I guess we just got lucky." He couldn't help smiling.

"I was just worried. I mean we were going to have our wedding the in the first spring in the botanical garden. By then, I'll be super pregnant." Tears were still streaming down her face, but she had a weak smile.

"Okay, we have two choices then, babe. We could wait until after our first child arrives."

"No," Andi shook her head. "I want to be married when he or she arrives. It's the one thing I'm old-fashioned about."

"You got your dress last weekend with Cynthia, Davis, and Shawn, right?" Rylan never wanted to let his fiancée go.

"The one I'll never fit in." She guffawed between tears.

"What if ours is the first wedding in the botanical garden? Our families are coming into town for the harvest fest anyways. That's three weeks from now."

"Really?" Andi could no longer hold back a smile.

"There would be something so poetic about getting married in the garden we built, babe."

"What if it's too cold, or it rains?"

"Then we have the party barn. Are we telling anyone we're having a baby yet?"

"I almost called Cynthia on the way here, but she's in class. Can we keep the circle of trust small?"

"I'll have to tell Davis to get the gears moving. He has flower and photography contacts."

"Just him and Cynthia until after the wedding, okay, babe? Though Kiran and Andrew will have to know if we tell those two." Andi came in for another little kiss as they just held each other.

Andrea -- Twenty minutes after the wedding ceremony

The wedding had been perfect; Rylan cried when he saw her walk into the garden as Shawn played the wedding march. Davis was too enamored with the whole ritual to notice, but a guy that had been one of Ry's offensive linemen discreetly handed him a handkerchief. It was Andi's turn to cry when he declared that the accident was the best thing that had happened to him, as it was the only way he would have met Andi again. He vowed to be eternally by her side.

The mums exploded in a riot of fall colors sure to look extraordinary in photos. Kyler was a decent, easily distracted ring bearer; Cynthia had to keep him corralled. Kage made it down the aisle as their flower girl. Rylan had taken a week to train her to hold the flower basket handle in her mouth as she ran down the aisle. Although Grandpa Joe had to keep the mutt sat beside him, so she didn't spend the wedding greeting the guests. They had a fantastic turnout for the short notice.

Wedding photos were not too arduous, even though Rylan didn't want to see the dress before the big day. His reaction had been worth it. The photographer and his apprentice took the vast majority of their shots during the ceremony, it did mean two figures were milling about, but it was highly preferable to have pictures of them enjoying the day rather than posing.

Andrea and Rylan let everyone head into the reception but took five minutes to themselves. Kage was loyally following the couple. Andi wondered how the pup would do with their little one, but the dog let Kyler wrestle and play with her without complaint. Rye was her world, and she was thrilled to have merged their lives. They were hand in hand as they meandered through their garden, it was the most serene and peaceful place, and they could see it out their bedroom window. What more could I want for our baby?

Grandpa Joe was sitting on a bench, staring out at the tranquil waters of a small pond. One day the trees lining the pool would be a riot of color this time of year, but they would need time to grow first.

"How come you're not at the reception, Grandpa?" Rylan asked.

The old man turned toward them with a single tear coursing down his cheek. "I was just kind of communing with Martha. She would be so proud of what you two have accomplished here. Andi, she would have adored you."

"Thanks, Grandpa Joe. This garden, it means so much to me. Thank you for letting me help you fulfill your promise."

"Do you know the whole promise, either of you? Has Davis told you two?"

"No, what was it?" Rylan inquired.

"I promised to get her botanical garden open before you or Davis gave us great-grandchildren. Since it opens in the spring, we just made it under the wire, didn't we." Grandpa Joe turned toward them with a knowing smile.

"Did Davis tell you?" Andrea questioned.

"Nope, but you just confirmed my suspicions." The old man laughed a little. "You moved up your wedding date by months, and I may have discovered the sparkling grape juice you switched out for your rehearsal dinner toast. Rylan, I know you love me, but you don't have to imitate everything I do."

"What? You mean Grandma was pregnant when you two got married." Rylan looked bewildered.

"You hadn't done the math? Your dad's birthday was only seven months after our wedding, and he was a full seven pounds and six ounces."

"Huh."

"Congratulations, you two. On the wedding and my great grandbaby."

"Thank you."

"Don't let anyone tell you married life will be easy. It takes work to be the people you need to be to support each other. There will be fights and sleepless nights staying up with sick kids. The thing is, every moment is worth it to be with the one you love." Another tear rolled down his cheek. "Cherish it, you two."

"We will, Grandpa."

"When did you know, Andi, that he was the one?"

"When we kissed for the first time before the homecoming dance. I knew then and there that he was special."

"I knew something had changed between the two of you that night." Joe smiled. Andi tried not to blush, thinking of what had happened later that night. "What about you, Rylan? When did you know?"

"For me? It was three things that culminated in that kiss. When Cynthia showed up with you, Andi, and you smiled at me, it started a cascade. Just something about that grin was a portent of things to come."

"What then, Rye?"

"Then, when I took her aside to ask her out before the dance, I was shaking like a leaf, and she just put her hand on me, and I felt an odd calm suffuse. I still had a swarm of butterflies in my stomach, but I felt steady in her presence. When I asked her out, she answered with that perfect kiss."

"Not bad, not bad. You know when I knew? You can ask Davis about it to know I'm not bullshitting you. When I saw how you were talking to her with Kyler on her hip, there was something about how you two looked into each other's eyes."

Andrea just smiled and blushed at remembering how well Rylan had treated Kyler. The man had quickly and without complaint become an uncle to the kid. He was going to be an excellent father. She was embarrassed that she had even thought he would leave her knocked up like Cynthia's fiancé had done to her best friend. "Really?" She finally questioned.

"Yes, ma'am. It was a look I had seen once before when Martha looked at me. I knew Rylan was in trouble." Joe stared out into the pond.

"In the best way."

"Martha wanted more kids. We thought it would be easy enough; your dad showed up without much effort on my part. We tried and couldn't. That was part of the reason she wanted the pumpkin patch and tree farm when you and Davis came along. She was such a good mother and grandmother." Another tear fell from his eye.

Grandpa Joe turned back toward the pond but continued. "Rylan's grandmother was an amazing woman. She was the most beautiful woman in any room. She made code and equations dance, and with all that, she had such emotional intelligence. My God, that woman was patient with me. Rye, be smarter than me and don't require saintly levels of patience from Andrea; learn from my mistakes."

"I will, Grandpa, I promise. She was extraordinary. I wish she would have been able to meet Andi."

"She did. She had no idea you were destined to be together back then." Grandpa Joe reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph from when Grandma Martha had given a presentation to the calculus class, one about how high-level math could be used in a career. "I found this in the moving boxes." She was standing between Andi and Rylan, with a hand on their shoulders and the class arranged around them. "Then again, maybe she knew something back then."

Andrea remembered the presentation but had forgotten the picture. "What!?" she shook her head in disbelief. Before a single laugh escaped from her lips.

"She was an amazing lady and brilliant like you, Andrea." Joe pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Andi. "Here, I got you two a second wedding present. My brother and his wife went in with me for a blender on your registry. This, though, I need to give you in person."

Andi opened the envelope and pulled the deed from the farmhouse. Andrea and Rylan's names were on the title of the house. "My God... Thank you, but this is too much."

"Bah! Don't worry about it. I don't need the place since Arizona is a bit of a commute to the farm. Martha was good with her investments, and I made more than enough to retire in luxury when I sold off most of the land. It's just the farmhouse and yard. I had the rest of the property parceled out. Davis will own the land he's building the house on, but don't let him know yet. That'll be a wedding present when he marries Andrew in a year or two. I've seen the way those two look at each other too. The rest of the place, you two and Davis own together."

"Thank you, Grandpa."

"I guess I didn't ask you if it was Mrs. Thomas or Mrs. Borgmann. I can get it changed if you're keeping your last name or if you two are hyphenating. I could have asked, but it might have ruined the surprise."