Home. A simple word that had multiple meanings. A month ago, home was his grandfather who had finally found his place in the sky. Now, for Luke Garrity, home was a small farm, in a small town, in a big state. Home was an unbearable heat even with the sun setting over an open field. Home consisted of an old barn that never seemed to get fixed. It was his first night back into town after his grandfather’s passing and there was no more time for grieving, work needed to be done. Most people would think it was strange for Luke to move on so quickly, but it was how he was raised. Growing up, he was taught to put others before himself, to keep his feelings inside, to be a gentleman. God, family, and the farm was the order he had lived by and now that he had no more family, the farm moved up a spot.
As Luke headed out onto the front lawn, he began chopping fresh firewood. The southern heat never stopped even when the stars occupied the sky. It became so unbearable that he started to break a sweat, resulting in his shirt to come off. Once he decided that his pile was stacked high enough, a light caught the corner of his eye. He searched his surroundings when he realized that it was the neighboring house that caused the light. Luke quickly concluded that someone new had moved in and he instantly felt rude for not realizing sooner, especially when he spotted the new owner. The woman who sat on the bench was beautiful. In fact, the blonde was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He was memorized and suddenly, he felt a pull. An urge to get a closer view overcame him and without hesitation, he walked over to her home. Standing at the bottom of her stairs Luke cleared his throat and offered her a charming smile. “Evening ma’am.” His thick southern drawl was easily heard as he gave her a simple nod. “My name is Luke, Luke Garrity, I live next door.”
