by Ali Parker
“How could you possibly know where we are?” I asked. “These aren’t even your cornfields.”
“No, but I grew up playing hide and seek in fields like these,” Mason said, shrugging. “After a while, I got pretty good at remembering which direction I was facing when I entered. Now, no matter how many turns I take, I can still figure out where I came in—without even thinking about it. But actually, you’re not too far away from the tractor. I ran after it and finally got it stopped and shut off. Then, I heard you rustling around over here and came to see who might be out in your fields in the middle of the night. I thought someone might have been out here with Steven or something.” He guided me along as he spoke, and I began to feel my fear ebb.
“Oh,” I said. I was glad that he’d found me, and glad he didn’t ask what I was doing out here. Imagine how stupid my response would sound. ‘Oh, I just panicked and figured running was the best course of action.’ I couldn’t even come up with a better excuse in my head. Instead, I decided it was best to change the subject. “Do you believe in zombies?” I asked curiously.
“Nah,” Mason said, shaking his head. “I think they’re just some stupid Hollywood thing to scare us. But I don’t mind a good horror movie or two.”
“What about ghosts?” I asked.
Mason frowned. “That one’s harder for me to say,” he said. “I guess I just like the idea of eternal souls and all of that. That people aren’t really gone once they’ve died. That everything comes back some day.”
“You’re getting a little deep, Mason Dawson,” I told him.
He laughed, “You’re the one who asked,” he reminded me.
“Maybe you and I will have to go watch one of those zombie movies together sometime,” I suggested. I didn’t know where the words came from, or the flirty tone either, for that matter. It wasn’t my usual style, especially since I knew better than to date him. Hadn’t I just talked myself out of doing anything more with him back at the bar. I don’t need all that drama.
Then again, it wasn’t like I didn’t come with plenty of drama of my own. Case in point, the cornfield we were currently walking through. I was impressed with how he’d handled the situation, how calm he was. But why wouldn’t he be, this didn’t matter to him. If our crops were destroyed, it didn’t change his life. It only impacted my family.
I was so busy thinking gloomy thoughts about the future, I almost missed Mason’s reaction. But his recoil was obvious.
Of course he didn’t want to go to a movie with me. That wasn’t the kind of thing he did with girls. He probably just had a drink or two then tumbled into bed. But I didn’t know how things worked out here; maybe he just called them up and they came running. He was a really attractive guy, after all.
“I should probably get you back to your house,” he said, not responding to the movie comment. It was just as well; I never should have said it in the first place. Stupid, stupid heart.
“Do you know where the house is?” I asked.
“Vaguely,” Mason said. “But here’s the tractor. I figure we’ll take it out to the road, grab your truck, and then I’ll take you right back home.”
“Okay,” I said meekly, climbing up onto the tractor. I wanted to say something about before, but I had the feeling that saying anything, like apologizing or whatever else, would only make it all more awkward. Instead, I tried to think of something else to say, but our easy camaraderie had been destroyed—by me and my big mouth. Just couldn’t let it be, could you, Abi?
If nothing else, I could have used a friend in the area, quite desperately, really. Maybe someone who could help me make heads or tails of what to do with the farm, considering the events of the night. But now, given Mason’s silence, it seemed he wanted nothing more to do with me. I sighed, the sound fortunately covered by the roar of the tractor coming to life.
To be honest, it was probably for the best. I wasn’t planning on sticking around through the winter. Once the harvest was over, for better or for worse, I needed to get back to my life in North Carolina. If the harvest didn’t pull in enough to pay off all the back-bills and everything else, we would need to sell the farm and find someplace for my grandparents to move into. But I could make most of those arrangements from afar.
Find a realtor for the farm, wait for the place to sell, find a nursing home for Nana and Grampa, one that knew what to do with my Nana’s memory problems. I could be more useful from back home, probably, where I could make a real salary. The only reason I was here, working on the farm, was because the farm itself had meaning to me and to my family. If we could bring it back to life, so much the better. If we could find hands who would stick around and help Grampa out even after this season was over, that was better still. I suppose I was starting to lose hope that we’d even come up with enough to save the farm from foreclosure.
As much as I liked Mason, as much as I appreciated his help tonight, and as attracted as I was to him, I knew that I could never have anything long-term with him. No point in starting a relationship when we knew exactly where it was going to end. Probably best that he wasn’t interested in going to the movies—or anything else with me.
To have my first time be with him would have been good, though. He was experienced and would know exactly how to work me up, bring me to the brink, and send me spilling through dozens of orgasms. But then in the morning, he’d be gone, and he’d probably never talk to me again. That was exactly what I didn’t want.
I settled into the silence, even though I wished things could have somehow been different.
Chapter 7
Mason
I parked Abi’s truck in the driveway and hopped out, leading Abi up towards the house. I probably didn’t need to do that, and in the back of my head, I knew that I should be getting away from there as quickly as I could. It had been hard enough already to restrain myself when she’d asked if I wanted to go see a movie with her sometime. She’d undoubtedly meant it as a friendly sort of thing, but I couldn’t stop thinking what it would be like to date her.
Which was strange since I never really dated girls. But the idea of dating Abi was certainly appealing.
Except for that whole married thing.
I needed to keep my distance, I knew. But I also could tell that she was still upset, and could still see the tear tracks that remained on her face. I felt obligated to walk her right to her doorway, even if it was going to take everything in my power to refrain from kissing her once we got there.
“I wonder if Jeff’s made it back yet,” Abi said, as we walked across the lawn towards the house. She paused. “I hope your friend’s okay.”
“Thanks,” I said. I glanced back at the driveway. “Judging by the lack of vehicle, I’d guess that your boyfriend—Jeff— isn’t back yet.”
“My boyfriend?” Abi asked.
“Sorry, your husband,” I corrected, feeling foolish. I had known their dynamic wasn’t a boyfriend-girlfriend kind of thing. It was closer than that.
Abi was laughing, though. Almost breathlessly, tears starting to fall down her face again. But this time, she wasn’t scared or upset, she appeared amused. Highly amused. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her, even though I didn’t know what the joke was.
“Sorry,” she finally said as she composed herself, wiping the tears away from her eyes. “Jeff’s my little brother. Not my boyfriend, and definitely not my husband.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling surprised and foolish. God, what an idiot I’d been, just assuming he was her significant other. Now that I thought about it though, his behavior at the bar was a lot more like that of a brother.
“You thought I had a boyfriend, and you were still willing to help me?” Abi asked, and I blinked at her.
“Of course I wanted to help you,” I said, shaking my head and wondering what kind of world she lived in that she seemed so floored by the fact that I’d helped her, even knowing I wouldn’t get to sleep with her at the end of it. That was my assumption, at least. “You looke
d really upset when you left Kinsey’s,” I explained. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Any decent guy would have done the same.”
“I guess I don’t know many decent guys then,” Abi said, but she laughed.
“So you’re single, huh?” I asked. Just to clarify. I knew better than to try and sweep her off her feet and kiss her right then; she’d had enough of an emotional rollercoaster for the night. But if she was single, then maybe in the future we could do something together. See that movie, like she’d mentioned, or go for a drive to look up at the stars.
I wasn’t usually a romantic kind of guy, but Abi had been dealt a difficult hand lately. I couldn’t help but want to treat her right, to do something to take her mind off things, even if it was just for a night. And if it ended with both of us getting our needs fulfilled, so much for the better.
“Yep. Single,” Abi said, nodding her head as she laughed. She brushed some hair back behind her ear. “Like I said, maybe I just don’t know too many decent guys.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you finally met one then,” I said, smirking at her. “You know, I am really glad to hear you’re single because I’ve been thinking about you a lot, ever since we danced together. Ever since I laid eyes on you, really. And I’ve been really, really wanting to do this.”
I leaned in towards her, watching the way her breath caught for a second, the way she leaned in towards me, her eyes flicking down towards my lips. I was already imagining what she would taste like. Sweet, I was sure. Innocent. She’d be gentle in the way she returned the kiss, letting me guide her. But she’d start to kiss back more passionately as she got more comfortable, her body pressed against mine. I’d back her up against the door, sloppily making out, exploring her mouth, but—
But then, the moment was broken as she took a step back. “We shouldn’t,” she whispered.
“What do you mean, we shouldn’t?” I asked, perplexed. She was single, I was single. From everything I’d just seen in her face, she wanted this just as much as I did. And she was the one who had asked me to a movie.
Maybe that was it, though. Maybe this was moving too quickly for her. I could tell that she was a good girl; she probably didn’t kiss a guy before the third date. Did I have the patience to wait that long? Was that even what she wanted?
There was something sexy in her refusal, though. I had never been shot down before, never had to play the waiting game. It was like she was teasing me, though.
Or at least, that’s what I thought, until she continued. “I can’t do this, you and me,” Abi said, shaking her head. “I’m not going to be around for too long. Only until after the harvest. I don’t want to start something that we can’t finish.”
I wanted to say something flippant about how we’d just have to finish it then, whatever it was. But I knew what she was saying. She was a relationship kind of girl. I could tell that just from looking at her. No matter how sexy she was, there was a certain girl-next-door vibe to her. She was a good girl, and she wasn’t looking to just hook up for a couple months, until after the harvest. It was all or nothing with her.
And if she was leaving, the only way we could have it all was if I pledged to go with her to wherever she was from. Since I didn’t even know where that was, there was no way I could do it. We were practically strangers so there was nothing to start a relationship on. And as far as she was concerned, that was how it needed to be.
Slowly, I nodded. Whatever my feelings for her, no matter that I was already half-hard in my jeans at the almost kiss we’d just shared, I couldn’t force myself on her or pressure her in any way. Especially not after the night that she’d had.
I pulled her into a quick hug instead. “You get some rest,” I told her. “I’ll get Steven out of your hair and send your brother up to the house as quickly as I can. And I’ll see you around.”
“Thanks,” Abi said. I wasn’t sure what she was thanking me for—my help, or for not kissing her, but either way, I nodded at her and headed back to the tractor.
When I got back to the spot where Steven had gone off the road, Steven, Jeff and Mick, the sheriff, were all chatting and laughing. “Get home, all of you,” I joked, as I walked up to them. They all snorted.
“Was wondering when you’d be back through,” Mick said. “Listen, I’m going to take Steven over to the hospital just to be on the safe side. You need a ride back to your car?”
“Yeah, that’d be great,” I told him gesturing at the tractor where I’d parked it on the side of the road. “I didn’t fancy driving this thing all the way back to Kinsey’s.”
“Didn’t figure you would,” Mick said. “Hop in, we’ll put Steven up front, just to keep a better eye on him.”
“Sure, no problem,” I said. I held a hand out to Jeff. “Abi’s already back at the house. Good to meet you, and I’ll see you around.”
“See you around,” Jeff said, shaking my hand. There was something in his eyes, and I wondered if he was going to give me a lecture about being careful with his sister. But he seemed to think better of it, and I was glad. The last thing I needed was a rumor spreading around town that I was dating Abi. I doubted she would appreciate it.
Mick dropped me off at my truck just a little while later. For a moment, I sat there staring at Kinsey’s, trying to think of other ways that I could help Abi. There had to be some way to help her keep the family farm. I knew she said she’d be leaving after the harvest, but surely if the harvest was successful, if they found a way to make ends meet, then she’d have to stick around. Her grandparents weren’t getting any younger, after all, and Jeff didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who knew much about farming either.
Maybe there was something we could do at Kinsey’s. A fundraiser? No, that would make her feel like a charity case, and I doubted she’d appreciate that. Maybe Kinsey could help her find reliable hands for the farm. He knew a bunch of guys who could throw kegs around like there was no tomorrow; those guys could surely help out around a farm for a while, just to get a little extra money. But then again, they already had jobs. Who knew what their hours were or what other things they had on their plates.
Maybe I could help out around her farm. But at this point, harvest time, there wasn’t much I could do, only harvest whatever crops they had managed to grow. From the sounds of it, there wasn’t much there to harvest. Plus, I had my hands full on our own farm, and unless Abi specifically asked me, I didn’t know how she would feel about my just showing up to help. Especially not in light of the kiss, or lack thereof.
There had to be something that I could do, though, some way that I could help. All I knew was that I couldn’t just let her leave. Clearly the farm was important to her, or else she never would have come here in the first place. If we could find some way to save it, maybe she’d stick around long enough for us to explore this attraction.
Chapter 8
Abi
I bustled around the kitchen on Sunday morning, making breakfast for the family even as I mentally went over the list of chores I needed to get done that day. Somehow, I needed to work cleaning up the cornfield into all the other things I needed to do. I wasn’t sure I could count on Jeff to be much help after the scene from the previous night. I just hoped he’d cooled off a little and that he and I could get on all right.
Nana and Grampa’s kitchen was a place I had always loved. Nana loved cooking, so she had pretty much every appliance and gadget known to mankind, and the industrial stove worked magic every time. Half of the recipes she had taught me, I only knew how to cook based on her kitchen. For example, the cream for French toast should come up to the scratch in the blue mixing bowl, and so on. And no matter what, her cooking was always the best.
But there was something about the kitchen that evoked a feeling of peace within me. The yellow walls and wooden furniture made everything feel so cozy. Not much had changed here over the years, not even the newspaper clippings on the refrigerator.
I almost had to remind myself that this
wasn’t home, and that I wasn’t staying here forever.
My thoughts were interrupted by Nana coming down the stairs. She smiled warmly at me when she entered the kitchen, and I looked back at her in shock. She was still wearing her nightgown, though I knew she had asked Jeff to take her and Grampa to church this morning. My shock faded to sadness as she greeted me, “Good morning, Margaret.”
Margaret was my mother’s name.
These little lapses, these memory problems, had been becoming more and more pronounced over the time that I’d spent there. I knew that she was old, and that Grampa was old as well, but I was starting to really worry about her. Grampa said that she’d been to see the doctor, who said her symptoms were normal for her age, but I wasn’t so sure. I wasn’t sure at all.
There wasn’t much that I could do about it, though. I simply poured a mug of coffee and got Nana seated at the coffee table, trying to pretend like there was nothing wrong. “Good morning,” I said. “Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes. Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to go back upstairs and change before church.”
Nana laughed. “Church?” she asked. “Margaret, I know you’ve always been less religious than we would have liked for our dear Adam, but surely even you know that we only go to church on Sundays and holidays, today being neither!”
I frowned at her, wondering how to break it to her that it was, in fact, Sunday. I doubted pulling out my cellphone would work, and the most recent paper calendar that I’d seen in the house was from five years ago. I still didn’t know what was really going on in her head. Just like when she called me by my mother’s name, I wasn’t sure if I should correct her or if that would just upset her unnecessarily.
Opting to finish cooking breakfast, I plated the food and put it under the warmers until the guys came down, then sat across from her with a cup of coffee of my own.
