Page 19 of Fruit and Flash

In the end, I don’t think telling him I want to help will work. I need to convince Hayes that he’s helping me out. Closing my eyes, I feel more settled and drift off to sleep imagining cute animals following me and a certain farmer inviting me for a roll in the hay.

Chapter twelve

Hayes

Aftermymorningchores,I head out to the farm stand to restock and take a break. The day is already shaping up to be a scorcher, and it’s not even noon. My dad would have said I’m burning daylight, but I run the ranch on my own. I have learned to take breaks so I don’t burn out.

My neighbor, Mickey, shows up from down the road where he has an alpaca farm. He waves and smiles in greeting, “Morning, Hayes!”

“Morning, Mickey,” I wave back as Shadow barks at the new person. “Easy, Shadow. That’s just Mickey, he’s a friend.”

Shadow stops barking to give Mickey a sniff as he walks up to my fence line, near where I see Opie is grazing sedately. Mickey turns serious and I take note of his furrowed brow.

“Someone was walking around my place last night,” Mickey tells me, fear etched in his voice. “Not sure how close they came to the house, but there’s definitely evidence they were close to the herd. You see anything?”

There were no footprints I noticed around my barn or coop, but I’ll have to do a more thorough search later. Shaking my head, I glance back toward my miniature donkey, “I did hear Opie braying last night, but sometimes she gives a false alarm.”

“Okay, that’s good. That’s good if they didn’t come close to you. Uh, you’ve got my number right?”

“Yeah, text or call if it happens again,” I nod, hoping to reassure him. “I can come out and search with Shadow.”

“Thanks, that’d be great,” Mickey replies like it’s a weight off his back to know I’ll help out. “And you, too, if you notice anything, let me know okay? We gotta look out for each other.”

Grinning, I can’t help but agree. Living rurally means help isn’t always close by. I sometimes worry, living alone, but I’m glad to have neighbors like Mickey. “That we do.”

He heads out and I settle back into the shade. Pulling out my phone, I look at my recent messages with Kai. Should I text him? He could come shoot his content or whatever. I know I’m grasping at reasons to have him here, but when someone makes you come your brains out, it’s hard not to want more.

My sister’s text popping up shuts those thoughts down. She wants to know if I have extra eggs, to which I respond with a laughing emoji. Even with selling them at the stand, I always have extras. The Foggy Basin grocery store stocks my fruit and vegetables, but they can’t take my eggs unless I follow a bunch of guidelines.

Opening the cabinet where I keep extra egg cartons that neighbors bring me, I set aside a dozen for Kristen, who is apparently making angel food cake. She must have already been on the way, because she does a mid-road u-turn right in front of me a few minutes later.

“Hey, big brother,” she calls out from the window of her raised truck. I think it’s stupid to ruin the vehicle’s suspension forthat look, but once a rodeo queen… Kristen grins mischievously. “Wanna egg someone’s house.”

Laughing, I walk over to hand the carton up to her. “Wanna start with those rich Belham’s?” I tease, referring to her in-laws. “Knock ‘em down a peg.”

Kristen rolls her eyes. “Since they’re currently with the munchkin at my house, I think they might notice. And it’s my house.”

“You’re the one talking about egging people,” I point out. “Save a slice for me?”

“Bring over some of your strawberry preserves for dinner tomorrow and I will.”

“Deal,” I hold my hand up for her to shake.

We say our goodbyes and I’m still watching the haze over the road behind her when a white hybrid I recognize pulls up in her spot. Guess it’s one of those days where I see everyone.

Kai is visible in the window, smiling as he gets out. “Oh, good. You’re here!”

“Where else would I be?” I ask, smiling back as he rounds the car holding his phone and wearing jeans for once. They’re black and hug him in all the right places, where his shirt is a bright purple and looser.

“I don’t know. The back forty?” Kai shrugs and leans against the farm stand in the shade. Smart guy to avoid the midday sun.

“I don’t have a back forty,” I explain, moving to stand under the awning to be closer to him. “Or even a front forty.”

“I see.” Kai smirks and leans closer, whispering, “ I don’t even know what the forty is for, I just know farmers have it.”

This time I laugh so hard I throw my head back. “Acres,” I choke out, in disbelief this man made a fair point without having any context. “It means forty acres of land without crops that’s just sitting there, or used for grazing.”

“Ohhh, that makes more sense,” Kai nods to himself and thankfully still looks amused despite my laughing at him. We’re from different worlds, but he’s open to learning new things, which I appreciate.