by Candy Quinn
“I don’t know how you ate like that and ended up with all those muscles,” I said without thinking, and scrambled to come up with something to hide my admiring tone. “I mean, you’d figure you’d look more like Marcus, eatin’ like that, is all I’m sayin’.”
Asher smiled and shook his head, repressin’ a laugh, I could tell.
“Well maybe once upon a time, I did look like scrawny ol’ Marcus,” he said, lookin’ at me still with those beautiful, dark eyes. “But that was long ago. And I built myself up into someone stronger. Tougher. Life’s a little different in the city, you don’t have the kind of peace and security you do out here in the country.”
“Is that why you’re so worried about the Sheriff?” The words popped out of my mouth unbidden.
Silence hung in the air for just a moment, but he shook his head as he looked down at his food, cutting his last fried egg in half with his fork before eating it.
“No,” was all he said to me, simple and direct.
I pushed around some of my bacon, regretting asking. He clearly wasn’t going to talk about it.
“I’m gonna head into town later, then go to Marcus’, see if I can’t clear this up none,” I said, trying to get rid of the strange feeling in the air.
But the moment I stood up, I froze. And the look of alarm on my face made it impossible to hide my concern from Asher. It was only a moment and he was standin’ up, lookin’ out the window with me to the sight of the sheriff's truck comin’ up the lane.
“Dammit,” Asher cursed beneath his breath, wiping his hands off on a napkin I’d put there for him.
“What do I do?” I asked immediately, shaking my head. Asher wouldn’t know. I’d known Hank since I was a kid, surely I could figure something out.
I moved away from the table, toward the front door, still barefooted and feeling a bit groggy.
Asher stayed back as I headed out to greet the sheriff, his pickup coming to a halt and the man casually getting out. He wasn’t even in his forties, but with his uniform and his black hair prematurely greying, Hank looked like an authority figure despite his youthful, athletic figure.
“Howdy Hank,” I managed to say.
“Mornin’ Shelby, sorry to drop on by like this unannounced. But I was in the neighbourhood,” undoubtedly he was, of course. Since Marcus’ farm wasn’t far up the road.
“Gorgeous day,” I said, and I felt a pit in my stomach, twisting and growing hard. I didn’t know what I was doin’, I wanted to protect Asher, but didn’t want to get Marcus in trouble neither. It was a tough spot, and I didn’t have any experience bein’ on the other side of the law. I’d always been the good girl, the boring one.
Everything about my life had been dull and routine until the moment I caught sight of Asher.
Hank tugged at his heavy belt, adjustin’ himself as he peered about the farm.
“Indeed it is,” he said, smilin’ as he looked on back to me. “I heard tell you had an incident here at your farm last night, Shelby. Anythin’ for me to be concerned about?” he asked so casually.
“Just a misunderstandin’, Hank, nothin’ serious. I’m gonna go over and talk to Marcus later today.”
Hank flipped up his sunglasses and looked me over.
“I was just over there, talkin’ with ‘im. He was right worked up. That jaw of his is right messed up too,” he said, fishin’ for more.
“He was sneakin’ around in the middle of the night with a crowbar, and parked off down the road so there was no way of knowin’ it was him, not a bit. He woke up ma and she was wanderin’, and you know how that goes with her mind bein’ what it is, Hank. It’s just family stuff, nothin’ you need to trouble yourself with, I swear.”
“I figured as much Shelby,” he said, holdin’ out a hand in that calmin’ gesture. “But Marcus was worked right up, and he was sayin’ there’s this shady fella hangin’ around your place what did it to him. Said he was just over here to protect you after some suspicious activity. So in a case of assault, I gotta investigate it some, ya see?”
“Yea, I know, Hank, but ain’t nothin’ suspicious at all. I just hired on some extra help is all, I can’t do it all myself and take care of ma. So I came to an arrangement with a man in town, and he’s stayin’ here and workin’. Marcus knew I’d hire him so I don’t know why he’d be all worked up ‘cept he mentioned about the barn burning down ‘cross the way, but it isn’t like that at all.”
My accent was getting thick, I knew. It always did, talkin’ to my own folk but I was tryin’ to act more sophisticated around Asher.
“I hear ya, Shelby, and I trust ya ain’t bein’ threatened or nothin’ like Marcus said, or else you’d tell me. Whatever a fella like that could blackmail ya about, I know ya could tell me and we’d take care of it. You’re practically a daughter to me as is. If yer ma’s mind had give way any sooner, I’d have had to step in as yer godfather, after all.”
Hank was a crafty fella, able to craft his words so carefully. Came with the job, I s’pose.
“Ain’t even looked at me the wrong way, I promise it. Just did his work, ate dinner, and went up to bed, that’s all he’d done. Quietest night as any ‘til Marcus came by and ma got to wanderin’ around.”
“I understand,” he said, smilin’ at me pleasantly. “Ya think I could meet this here fella? I know how Marcus can be, and that’s why I never came tearin’ in here, sirens a blazin’. But I do gotta meet the fella, keep it all official and the like,” he said so calmly.
I had been hoping it wouldn’t have come to that and I sighed. I wasn’t no good at lying, so I nodded my head, knowin’ full well the dishes were still on the table and there wasn’t no lyin’ about him not bein’ up.
“Sure, Hank. He’s real swell, a hard worker if I ever met one.”
I led Hank on back to the house, and at first I got a lil’ worried. Asher weren’t there, and I thought he might’ve gone to hide, which would’ve only made Hank suspicious. But out he came, with a long sleeved shirt on, givin’ a nod to Hank all proper like.
“Morning Sheriff,” he said in his deep, gruff voice.
“Howdy, fella. What was the name there again?” he asked.
“It’s Asher,” he responded promptly, but Hank’s look made it clear a first name just weren’t goin’ to cut it. “Asher Quay.”
“He just started yesterday and already he’s finished off the garden, and gotten started on clearin’ out some rubbish from out back. I wouldn’t be able to do it without him, not by a long shot,” I piped up cheerfully.
Hank smiled at that and nodded.
“Big strong lookin’ fella. Certainly seems like Asher here’s the type to get the job done,” he pivoted upon his booted heels and turned his gaze back to Asher. “Should probably dress lighter’n that though, if yer gonna be workin’ on a day like today, fella. Thick, long shirt like that’ll suffocate ya.”
Nothin’ got past Hank, it seemed.
“Gotta be careful of gettin’ burned, though. If you’re not used to bein’ out in the sun all day you’ll be lookin’ like a lobster in no time,” I joked, but it felt forced.
Hank gave me a polite smile and nodded his head.
“Take care of yaself, Shelby. And know though I ain’t yer pa, you can come to me like I was,” he said, reachin’ out to rest a hand on my shoulder for just a moment. “Have a good one, you two.”
With that he began to walk off, back to his pickup, leavin’ Asher and me in the kitchen together alone once more.
I felt like his hand lifted from my shoulders and left a boulder in its place. I was weighted down from the anxiety, and I looked up at Asher.
I was afraid he was gonna go. That what I was offerin’ wasn’t gonna be worth it to him at all, and I’ll be honest, I’d never been so scared. It was silly, of course. I was a girl who’d lost her pa, and whose ma could barely remember her, so of course I’d been scared and upset before.
But not like that. Maybe it was just because in Asher I sa
w the first bit of brightness in so long. It weren’t all just physical, though I’d be a damn dirty liar to say that didn’t play a part. But I was intrigued by him, and I didn’t wanna have things messed up so soon.
Asher watched Hank drive off, then took a deep breath that pumped up his big chest.
“I shouldn’t stick around, I’m already causin’ trouble,” he said at last, and I’d already estimated that was comin’. He grabbed his bag from around the corner of the door and headed off toward the shed where he’d kept his bike. “I’ll work for my meal this mornin’ still, but then I should be goin’.”
“Asher, no,” I said with way more of a whine than I’d intended as I followed after him, still bare footed.
“I’m gonna go sort this all out with Marcus, get him off your back and it’ll be fine. I really could use the company, y’know?”
“And I really like your company. And your cookin’,” he said as we walked on through the sunny mornin’ into the shed. “But I really don’t wanna get wrapped up in the law, and your Sheriff don’t seem like the type to let things go. He’s probably already lookin’ up my name as we speak,” he said, dropping his back by the door and going to his motorcycle.
“So what’s the big deal with that?” I said, hoping once again to find out his secrets, why he was so concerned about people finding out who he was. Not that I’d be any different, not wantin’ a run in with the sheriff in a new town, but he was makin’ a thing of it.
“I’m nobody you wanna be mixed up in anyhow,” he said, and grasped his bike by the handlebars before he froze. A moment later he dropped to his knees and looked over the bike, lettin’ out a curse as he inspected the metalwork.
“Fuck!” he swore again, risin’ up and lookin’ away with his fists balled up in anger.
I had a sinkin’ feelin’ that we hadn’t caught Marcus on the way in, but the way out...
“W-what is it?”
He gave a kick to his bike and pointed down at the machine.
“That fucker,” he said, grittin’ his teeth in anger. “Well I ain’t goin’ nowhere anytime soon. Not unless you got a motorcycle shop I don’t know about somewhere nearby, and they accept payments in ‘thank yous’.”
Anger rose up within me.
I couldn’t believe Marcus would ever do something so horrible, so heinous, and my skin was just as red as a fire engine, I knew.
I could almost feel the steam coming out of my ears, and I clasped my hands into fists. I was loosin’ my cool.
“That little dick,” I cursed, so unlike myself. I just couldn’t believe it, though!
Whatever it was about my bein’ angry, it helped Asher catch his own cool again. His fists loosened, and he reached up to run a hand back over his hair then reach out to squeeze my shoulder.
The two of us stood together like that for a while in quiet silence, the buzz of the hot summer day in the air as bugs whizzed by the shed door, the warming air flowing into the shaded area where we stood. It seemed to last an eternity, but not long enough either.
“Hey, don’t let it bug you,” he urged, his voice returning to its usual calm again after that momentary flare up of his frightful anger.
“That’s all you got! That and the clothes on your back, and he just breaks it? You’re not payin’ for this, no way. He’s goin’ to give you every penny you need and an apology. This ain’t right, Asher, ain’t right at all, not after you’ve been so good and doin’ not a thing wrong. He just can’t see past your tattoos and muscles and the bike, that’s all, and that ain’t fair he’s judgin’ you for that.”
Nothing of those three things being the main thing that attracted me to him...
He took a deep breath again, focusin’ himself.
“It’s okay,” he said, but he wore a smile on his face once more. Somethin’ about my words must’ve cheered him up a might, because he lifted his free hand to my chin and directed his gaze to mine. “We’ll sort that all out in time, don’t you worry. But in the meantime…” he shrugged his broad shoulders. “Guess I’m stayin’ for now anyhow.”
There were things I coulda done, maybe. Offered him a ride in the back of my pickup, bring him and his bike to the nearest autobody shop, but I selfishly didn’t wanna overextend my helpfulness. Especially watchin’ his mouth smile like that again, and the feel of his hand on my chin. It was like fireworks were goin’ off inside me.
“Yea,” I said dumbly, but I couldn’t call upon no more words than that. I was transfixed.
His big, strong hand went from my chin up to my hair, where he petted my long locks so affectionately. Havin’ such a big strong man, smilin’ down at me all tender like was more soothin’ than I’d like to admit. Reminded me of better times, and times I’d never had neither!
“I can think of worse fates,” he said, and he sounded genuine, though part of me knew he had a real urgency about him when Hank had asked him questions. He was runnin’ from somethin’. Someone.
And I won’t lie, it should’ve made me more cautious. I knew just as sure as Marcus that from the looks of him he was trouble, but everything about him called out to me. Made me want him in a very real way that I couldn’t fight.
“Now come on, I still gotta get some work done today,” he remarked with a wink and leaned in. For a moment I thought he was gonna kiss me, but instead he picked up his bag and offered it to me. “Mind runnin’ it inside for me? I wanna get right to work.”
My breath was stolen and harder to get back as I scrambled to take his bag, still stunned and a little confused. I coulda sworn he was gonna kiss me and I’d be able to feel those full lips against mine. I licked along my lower lip at the thought, and it tingled against my tongue.
“Oh, sure, yea...” I mumbled stupidly as I backed away, my face warm with embarrassment.
“Hold on a second,” he said, and he reached down, pullin’ that big shirt up off himself, and liftin’ his tshirt beneath up, exposin’ his bare abs again as he disrobed. He tucked the long sleeve into the bag then adjusted his still remaining tshirt, smilin’ at me.
“Thanks hun. You’re a doll,” he said.
“Sure,” I said, though I won’t deny that those words made me feel a lot lighter on my feet. It was nice to dote on a man. Feel a bit like a lady for a change instead of just a farmer and caretaker.
And I was lovin’ the little buzz in my mind, the excitement I had in me since he’d come to town. I knew it ain’t been long, but still, can’t change how excitin’ it felt.
We spent the first few days together workin’ like a lovely team. I cooked for him, did the laundry, and aside from havin’ to teach him a few things about farm work, he handled all of that there was that needed doin’.
One day I came out for lunch as a surprise, picnic basket in tow as I greeted him in the fields.
“What’s all that?” he asked, lookin’ me over with a surprised smile. It was a scorcher outside, so he was already bare chested and glistenin’ in the sun.
“Lunch,” I said with a smile. “Hope you’ve worked up an appetite,” I said with a grin as I motioned towards one of the cleared areas towards the side of the farm.
“And there’s more water than y’know what to do with, I promise.”
Asher chuckled and made his way on over with me, slingin’ his shirt over his shoulder as I laid out the blanket for the picnic.
“Well ya didn’t have to bring the food to me, I’m a travellin’ man,” he said with a playful grin on his face as we settled in. “But thank you all the same, miss Shelby. You’re a right lady,” he declared, foldin’ his legs up beneath him.
I smiled as I opened the basket, handing him one of the packed sandwiches. It had more meat on it than a leg of lamb, and I was pleased with myself. I made up this new sauce, just for him. He’d mentioned he liked things a little spicy and flavourful, after all.
“Hope you like it.”
He took the sandwich and smiled, “Thank you ma’am,” he said, catchin’ on to the way thi
ngs were done it seemed. Though nothin’ diminished his appetite, of course.
Of course, I had ulterior motives to settin’ up a picnic. The summer sun dance was that night, and for once I thought I might like to go. Accompanied.
Though I didn’t have the nerve to ask him just then.
“There’s carrots in there as well if you want some crunch, too.” I took my own sandwich, much thinner than his, and took a small bite. I was a bit more aware of myself around him.
He nodded appreciatively and smiled widely, though the real treat of the meal was gettin’ to watch him up close, bare chested and hard bodied, the sun havin’ only enhanced his tan since he got on my farm.
“Y’know, I was thinking…” he started, lookin’ around the area. “That old abandoned storehouse of yours is in pretty good shape. It’s just the roof that needs repairs, and I’ve got carpentry skills to spare. I could fix that up for you, with some lumber and supplies.”
“Yea?”
I was stunned. I mean, I hadn’t even thought about gettin’ that place fixed up, it was too big of an undertakin’ for me. And it’d cost an arm and a leg to hire folk to come fix it for me. Even with him there, I didn’t think it’d ever get fixed.
“That’d be amazin’. I mean, would lead to there bein’ a lot less rubbish around, at least.”
Asher’s smile lit up his face and it was hard to believe he was the tattooed ruffian he appeared to be.
“I’ll get right on that then, soon as we get the materials together,” he said, lifting his sandwich and taking another big bite as he flashed me a wink.
Maybe it was the farm livin’ that was turnin’ him into such a warm, carefree spirit. Or maybe he was never the hard case he appeared to be. How could I say?
Whatever it was, I was fallin’ hard and fast, and the fact that he hadn’t made a move only made me like him a little bit more. He was bein’ respectful, the type of guy that I knew my parents woulda been proud for me to have.
