Pumpkin Patch Change in Plans

"Well, there is the problem of you and Shawn's relationship muddying the waters a touch." She stepped back and shrugged.

"Have you not talked to him recently?" Davis flipped out his phone and pulled up a call log with a number that Andi knew was her brother's and a call time of a half hour. "I know I blew things back then, but I reached out to finally apologize to him." Davis turned with a daring smirk. "Grandpa Joe told me you were hanging out with RyeRye. I figured I better bulldozer one of your excuses. What else you got?"

"I don't know. I'm not his type?" Andrea didn't know why, but Davis was always a ready ear to listen before the unpleasantness with Shawn.

"What type's that, On-di?" Davis stood tall beside her and put his hands on his hips, with the back of his wrist touching his ostentatious belt. The orange coloration matched his boots but didn't have the same pattern. "Are you not the most beautiful woman in any building, even in your workout chic here?"

"I don't know about that. I'm not a tiny blonde with giant..." Andrea had a sudden realization that there were high schoolers around her. None of them seemed to be listening, but she didn't need gossip about their rookie teacher in the school.

"Bazongas?" Davis asked and giggled as he motioned in front of his chest.

"Yeah, that." She could feel her cheeks getting hot as she blushed.

"Girl, you got plenty, but that wasn't why those girls were big bro's type."

"It wasn't?"

"Oh, hell no! I love RyeRye, but the man has zero game regarding ladies. I mean, he's a great boyfriend and all, but he doesn't know how to start things off. Those girls had to chase him." Davis cackled once.

"Really?"

"Yeah, Ony, but if he doesn't get the hint, I'm not above smacking my brother around with his own metal leg." He teed up the table with an imaginary bat.

"You're bad, Davis." Andrea couldn't help laughing.

"I know where he sleeps, and it would make running easier." Davis chuckled then his expression got severe. "How's he doing with that? He's always so damn stoic with me."

"He's not using crutches anymore, so that's a good sign. I try not to bring it up when we talk, though. I figure he gets enough of that from everyone else. It seems like a fair trade as he doesn't question why I'm teaching when I got perfect scores on the entrance exams like I get from my family."

"Ouch."

"They're both engineers. They don't think I'm optimizing my potential. I try to tell them I'm better at training the next generation of problem solvers." Andrea didn't even think about what she was saying until she unburdened her issues. "I'm sorry, Davis."

"Don't even worry about it, honey. There is a reason I'm going to be a therapist someday or a bartender. We can't always choose our callings, can we?"

"I suppose we can't. Thank you, Davis." Andrea smiled wanly before switching subjects. "Cynthia, my best friend, got her whole class to call Rylan Mr. Cyborg at the end of the field trip." Her grin expanded.

"She sounds like a hoot. I gotta meet her. She's already messing with RyeRye like an older sister. The boy does need a little payback."

Davis helped Andrea, and her volunteers transform the party barn into something special for the homecoming dance. She had plenty of time to catch a nap and go visit Cynthia. Andi needed her dose of aunt time, and Cynth would help chaperone the dance as payback for the field trip. Kyler would have to spend a rare night with a sitter.

Rylan -- That night before the dance

"Wow, they really did a number on this place."

"I helped, RyeRye." Davis looked proudly around the barn. "Now I get to play with a chainsaw in a cornfield for the night."

"I'll want that back next year, bro." Rylan smiled at his brother.

"I planned on winning it with charm and skill, not because you wanted to be more like Pop-pop." Davis smiled.

"Don't tire yourself out too much. I'll need your help cleaning this place up for tomorrow's wedding."

"Only if you ask out On-di tonight on a real date."

"You know she hates when you call her that." Rylan shook his head as he smiled.

"That's a you problem. I'm just the rapacious and mischievous younger brother." Davis beamed. "She hasn't slapped me yet."

"I'm not sure you're using rapacious correctly."

"Whatever, Mr. Cyborg, I think you're deflecting." Davis beamed proudly.

"Grandpa tell you that one?"

"I prefer to keep my sources anonymous. Do you like her or not? Grandpa has seen you making eyes at her."

"Why would such a brilliant and beautiful woman want a part of a broken man like me?" Rylan couldn't stop himself from confessing his worry to his brother.

"I know you're still hurt about not making millions, but it didn't do anything to what's up here." Davis tapped on his temple. "Or in here." He poked Rylan's chest. "You're still an awesome guy. You'll have to do something with all those smarts instead of your throwing arm. Stop worrying about what you missed out on, or you'll add to those regrets."

"The smarter you get, the more you sound like Grandpa Joe, Davis."

"I know, right? Where do you think I got my awesomeness from? Seriously, dude, don't let that one get away. She's wonderful, stunning, and thinks you're cute and funny for some reason." Davis shook his head and feigned disbelief.

"You think she's into me?"

"I promised her I would smack you upside the head with your new leg if you didn't get the hint." As he wandered toward the haunted corn maze, his brother gave him a dismissive wave.

"I might have to help him with that, son." Grandpa Joe must have been listening in on the conversation. "Not every woman takes the direct route like my wife did."

"What do you think she would say about this place?" Rylan motioned toward all the decorations.

"She would have been so proud of you, Rye. She wanted this to be a place for the city and host dances, weddings, parties, and all sorts of frivolities, not just the harvest fest dance." His grandfather looked to have covertly wiped away a tear. "She loved this place and had so many ideas for after the pandemic passed."

"She made it special."

"That woman made everything special. Millions of dollars and fame wouldn't have added one thing to my life better than her. A good partner and loving family are worth more than anything else. I hope you and Davis don't forget that."

"What if what's left of me isn't enough?" Familiar despair threatened to sour Rylan's mood.

"Don't give me any of that horseshit. The only way you'll ever find out is if you ask, Rylan."

"Okay, Grandpa. I think you two have made your point."

"If you don't, I may just lend Davis my leg so he can dual-wield when he smacks you around." He glared at Rye before smiling. "I gotta make sure everything is humming when the corn maze opens." Grandpa Joe strode out of the barn.

"Thanks, Grandpa." Rylan yelled after him.

Rylan may have had other duties to get done on most Saturday nights during the Autumn, but he had pushed those off on his manager this evening. Making sure everything was perfect in the party barn was of the utmost importance. As he silently straightened things up and set up a couple of tables outside the barn for the lines to check students in, he practiced what he would say to Andrea. His brother and grandfather were absolutely correct about how deep his feelings were for the woman.

Cynthia's little orange crossover was one of the first vehicles to arrive. Rylan let her park close to the party barn so she could unload food and drink from the SUV. As she stepped out of the car, the petite blonde woman looked more professional than on the field trip. "Mr. Cyborg!" Heels gave her a slight vertical advantage but would not serve her well if she wanted to go to the corn maze. A dark-colored pair of pants and an off-white blouse looked good on her.

"Hello, again, Miss Bradford."

"I brought cookies, soda, punch, and an adorable SINGLE!" She emphasized. "Brunette." Cynthia winked as she moved past him to check out the barn.

Andrea was putting her cell phone in her little black clutch as she slid out of the vehicle. She had a navy-blue sweater on top of a jade green dress that flared out at her shapely hips and fell past her knees. Rylan had no doubt that it would compliment and accent her eyes perfectly, even if they were currently hidden by a pair of vintage-looking sunglasses to guard against the setting sun. Although it looked like she was attempting to look professional, Andi was still the sexiest woman that Rye had ever seen. Those two were right.

"Hi!" She gave him a friendly wave with a smile that had his heart palpitating loudly in his chest. "You want to help us get this stuff inside?"

Rylan felt his heart doing summersaults. "Of course. You look fantastic, Andi!"

"Ah, thank you." Andrea blushed.

"Can we talk before everyone else gets here?" It was Rylan's turn to redden.

"Help me schlep all this stuff into the venue, and we can," Andi smirked at him.

It took a full ten minutes to unpack the crossover. With the seats folded down, the thing was stuffed to the gills with food and soft drinks in coolers. Rylan didn't even think about it being the first time he had moved anything with weight on his artificial limb. Andrea had him distracted. She asked how the game went and appeared genuinely interested in his analysis. Cynthia rolled her eyes at the conversation. Rylan couldn't help being excited about how well their sophomore QB had performed in the win.

"That's the last of them; you wanted to talk?" Andi made a show of brushing the dust from her hands.

"Uh, yeah. Let me show you the stage back here." Rylan's heart was thudding in his chest. He had started in a college playoff game in front of a screaming sellout crowd but had never felt so nervous.

"Sure, umm, Cyn, you want to meet Mrs. Landers and show her where to park? The DJ should be right behind her." Andi looked as nervous as he was.

The silence as they crossed the room felt like it was trying to crush him with the pressure of the moment. When Cynthia left the room, Rye tried to open his mouth to get the question out but grunted instead. Don't make Davis smack you later. He prodded himself to speak. "Andi..." His head felt light for a moment.

"What is it, Rye?" Andrea stopped and put a hand on Rylan's arm.

The little touch leeched some of his anxiety from Rylan. "Would you want to go out sometime?"

Andi's response floored him. Instead of replying in words, she pulled him down into a scintillating, electric kiss. It started somewhat chaste, but in moments their tongues were dancing around each other as solid arms pulled them together. Her body against him felt incredible. Two months of flirtation came to an epic crescendo.

"Maybe." Andrea's attempt at sounding coy was obliterated by the biggest smile Rylan had seen on Andi since she had eked out the final victory in their calc class their senior year. She winked at him right before the door across the room opened to admit Mrs. Landers and Cynthia.

"My God, Andi," Rylan whispered.

"I concur. We'll talk later, but I must be a professional now." Andrea stepped away to help get the dance set up.

Her soft hand slipped from his grasp as Rylan attempted to look nonplussed at the singular best kiss of his life. All his nervous energy was obliterated, and a low buzz of happy anticipation filled the void.

Andrea -- As the dance wound down

The venue change for the dance was a smash hit for students and staff alike, though they did have to station a few faculty members between the dance and the haunted corn maze, so the kids didn't wander into the pumpkin patch and get into trouble. Davis stopped by in the middle of the dance to rave about how busy they were and bummed a few sodas for his crew. The school had brought more than enough to sell at the dance to relinquish a handful to the man that had helped decorate the place.

A little later in the dance, Rylan had to step in to stop a fight before it broke out. Andi stood back to quietly observe his conflict resolution skills. She was ready to step in if the boys didn't get the hint.

"Trust me, you guys, getting into a jealous fistfight isn't going to impress either of your dates." Rye took the two boys aside to talk to them. "What would coach say if you had to miss next week's game?"

"He wouldn't be happy." Said one boy.

"Might kick me off the team." Replied the other, looking sullen.

"But he tried to steal my girl."

"First of all, girls aren't property. They're partners. We must respect them if we're lucky enough for them to spend their time with our dumbasses." Rye paused for a second for the boys to absorb his words. "We need to respect them anyways, always. You try treating a woman like that again, and they'll dump your ass so fast it'll make your head spin. What did he say that has you so mad?" Rylan looked for an explanation.

"He's telling her that her dress is pretty."

"Okay, so he's stating facts. Don't you agree with him?"

"Yeah..."

"Have you told her that?"

"No..."

"Why not?"

"I don't know."

"Think with your head and heart, but don't play yourself, Miguel. You're both smarter than this, guys."

"Okay, Coach Rylan."

"Are you two going to be good if I don't walk you out of here?"

"Yes, Coach." They said in near unison.

"Good, Miguel, be sure to tell her, okay." Rylan patted the senior on the shoulder. "We will be watching you, though." Rye let the boys return to their dates and move their separate ways into the crowd.

"We're not property, eh? How very twenty-first century of you." Andi stepped beside Rylan with a quiet chuckle.

"Are you spying on me, Miss Thomas? Because that would be great." Rylan didn't look toward her, trying to keep his professional image going.

The rest of the party was pretty uneventful for the most part, but when Mrs. Landers and her husband shared a dance near the end of the event, Andrea took the opportunity to invite Rylan out on the floor.

"I had two left feet before, so maybe being down one will help." Rylan chuckled and took her offered hand.

They were careful not to get too close, using Mrs. Landers as an example. Rye wasn't bad, even if he had a hitch and limp in his movements. With a bit of practice, the man might have some moves. His brown eyes kept looking into hers, and all she could think of for a moment or two was the perfect kiss they had shared. Her heart was fluttering around the man. She was falling for him in a way she hadn't in years.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen! I hope you had a fantastic time tonight!" Davis had made his way to the stage as the lights came up around the barn-turned-dance hall. It was fitting for him to have made it to the center of attention. "The busses to take you back to the high school are waiting if you didn't drive out here. Thank you all for coming, and good night!"

Half the faculty headed out with the busses or to police the parking lot, and the other half helped clean up and tear down the decorations in the barn. One thing had Andi concerned; however, it looked like Davis and Cynthia were getting chummy. Those two, with their powers combined, could be scary. That and they both had plenty of embarrassing stories as ammunition against her.

"Hey, girl. Uh, do you mind if Rylan gives you a ride home? I need to go relieve the sitter." Cyn came to ask a half hour into the teardown.

"That's fine. I gotta get this place in shape, I promised Rye."

"If you decided to stay and have some fun with the cute guy, that wouldn't be so bad either," Cynthia whispered and then winked.

"You're bad, Cynth."

"You know you want to."

"Thanks for helping out."

Davis walked the woman to her car, which might have scary future prospects.

"This was a fantastic idea, Andrea! We might have started a new tradition." Mrs. Landers came to talk to Andi on her way out.

"Depending on who buys the place. Rylan's grandfather is looking to sell."

"It would be a shame for this to just become another housing development. My kids loved this place when they were little."

"So did I."

"Is there something going on with you two?" Mrs. Landers whispered. "You looked awfully good together on the dance floor."

"Maybe, Mrs. Landers." Andi blushed and smiled.

"He's cute, girl. Go for it!" Mrs. Landers winked and then pirouetted around to her husband. "Come on, James! I think I earned a glass of wine this evening. Careful getting home, Andi."

Davis, Andi, and Rylan worked for another half hour before Davis declared they were done. "I still need to mop, but tomorrow Davis can worry about that. I think Mrs. Landers had the right idea. We have earned ourselves a nightcap. What's your poison, On-di? Wine, beer, whiskey?"

"Whiskey as long as it's not swill."

"A whiskey girl, she could be trouble, RyeRye."

"The best kind," Andi smirked.

Grandpa Joe joined them for a few minutes. They gathered around the kitchen table and swapped stories about the farm. Rylan had once almost drowned in the farm pond when he was just a little older than Kyler. Grandma Martha had leapt into action and saved him as he fell beneath the fishing dock. Davis had always tried to get one of the farm dogs inside to stay in his room whenever they spent the weekend at their grandparents. Grandpa Joe was insistent that they were outdoor dogs but admitted that Grandma Martha had a retriever that was a house dog when their father was a kid.

"You want to take me on a walk and see the stars to burn off this whiskey?" Andi asked as she polished off her drink.

"That sounds like a fine idea."

"Night, you two, be safe. I've seen some coyotes out there. The three watchdogs should keep you protected, but you might bribe them with a treat." Grandpa Joe went to bed.

"Stay safe in other ways too." Davis smiled proudly as he went to the front room to watch some television.

Rylan grabbed a couple of pillows and a pair of blankets as they left the house. "I know just the spot to see the stars. Grab a couple of treats from there for the dogs grandpa pretends not to like."

As soon as she and Rylan got back outside and around a corner, Andi pounced. She landed a perfect sneak attack of kisses in a flurry. Rye was taken aback but pulled her closer in his strong arms. As her hands started to wander, he took the opportunity to squeeze the butt he had been stealing not-so-covert glances at all night. Andi returned the favor and was happy to discover his glutes were as firm as they had appeared.

"I thought you wanted to see the stars." Rylan smiled as they finally parted.

"I couldn't get my mind off that kiss. I'm happy to know it wasn't a fluke." Andi bit her lower lip. Even in the low light, her eyes were an unmistakable gleaming color of green. "I was promised some stargazing?"

Andrea grabbed his hand and pulled him into the night. The three farm dogs did come over to collect their treats before Rylan guided him and Andi to the other side of a berm. "This blocks some of the light from the city." Rye spread the throw on the ground and looked up toward the sky, pointing out the view above.

"I always loved looking up at the stars." Andi sat next to Rylan. He put a pillow down for each of them to recline toward the sky. She nestled up close to him. "Do you know the constellations?"

"A few. I used to remember more when I was a scout before football all but consumed every waking hour. What about you?"

"You've discovered the one gap in my knowledge." Andrea twisted so she was facing Rylan. "I love staring up at them, but I have no idea what any of the constellations are."

"I can see three I know well. See those" He pointed at a quadrilateral of stars. "That's part of the big dipper."

"There?" Andi moved her arm to point at the stars along with him.