Page 34 of Fruit and Flash

We’ve started having dinner together, and I’m loving having the big strong farmer cook for me. Hayes taught me how to do canning and vacuum sealing food for the freezer. I filmed both to post on his page, and they’re popular, but Hayes still hasn’t downloaded the app.

Hayes seems happy to take my word for it, helping me hold heavy things, fetch supplies, or even film segments when I need a second pair of hands. And his hands are also wonderful after the tools are put away and we retreat to one of our bedrooms for the evening.

Sure, I’ve had a lot of sex in my young life. Alotof sex. But most men aren’t as conscientious as Hayes. He’s spoiling me in so many ways, I’m starting to wonder how I’ll move on.

Planning it out, I have about three more weeks on the tiny house renovation now the clear out is done. The building is in better condition than I expected, and only needs a few big fixes. The main thing is the bathroom, and I have Hayes to help me in buying lumber for stud walls as well as building them.

“Are they only stud walls if a stud builds them?” I ask as we enter the hardware store. “Or do you become a stud after you complete the walls?”

Hayes laughs and draws the attention of Jack, who now knows me by name from all my trips to Knuts & Bolts. “Pretty sure it’s neither of those, but if you’ll call me a stud after I put them up, I won’t argue with you.”

“I’ll call you a stud right now, if you want,” I tell him in a low, heated voice as we round a corner.

Hayes grins down at me and I reach for his hand. Our fingers brush and I think about what those big, work-roughened hands might do to me later.

“Can I have my own chickens, Mom?” A little girl’s voice reaches us and Hayes snatches his hand away.

“What–” I start, but then I see his eyes are wide and Hayes has stopped at the end of an aisle.

Following his gaze, I find a family perusing the display of screws and nails. The little girl is wearing a flowered dress and holding a woman’s hand, with a man in nice black jeans and cowboy hat pulling a box off a shelf. Both adults look around Hayes’ age, and it is a small town, but his reaction is odd.

“Do you know them?” I whisper to get his attention.

“I–” Hayes blinks and swallows hard before clearing his throat to try and speak. The sound draws the family’s attention.

“Uncle Hayes,” the little girl squeals, running from her mom to jump into Hayes’s arms. He is still in a daze at seeing them, but catches her just in time.

This must be his niece, Meaghan, making her parents Hayes’ sister, Kristen, and his brother-in-law. I understand why he didn’t hold my hand, but it still stings a little.

“Tell Mom I should have my own chickens.”

“You can visit my chickens, Meg,” Hayes replies in a way that tells me he’s explained this to her many times before. “You’re the one who named most of ‘em.”

Meg rolls her eyes. “But I haven’t visited you in months.”

“Three weeks,” Kristen, tells her daughter. “Not months.”

“Hi,” I say, because I’m eager to properly meet Hayes’ family after weeks of hearing about them. “I’m Kai.”

“Oh, you’re the one who’s bringing my brother into the twenty-first century! It’s so nice to meet you,” Kristen says before hugging me hard. I let out an oomph of surprise. She’s stronger than she looks, considering her designer sundress plus perfect hair and makeup. Kristen lets me go to give me a once over. “I’ve started following you online but you’re even cuter in person.”

“Thank you,” I grin, happy to know she’s checked out my socials. For some reason, I want Hayes’ family to like me. “Love your dress.”

“Oh, this old thing,” she demurs, smoothing down the front. “Who am I kidding? It’s new and I’ve been waiting for someone to notice.”

Her honesty is refreshing, and nothing like the women I’ve met in my travels who pretend that expensive designer clothes just appear in their closets. “From Ezra’s new line, right?”

“Yes, how did you know? Oh, wait! You’ve modeled some of his clothes,” Kristen continues, barely taking a breath. “And now you’re staying on the farm and fixing up that old caretakerhouse. I’m loving the posts, and that my brother is putting himself out there in the digital world.”

“I’m standing right here,” Hayes grumbles playfully, making Meg giggle in his arms.

“What am I, chopped liver?” Kristen’s husband jokes, stepping to stand beside his wife and offering his hand. “I’m Wayne Belham. These two gorgeous girls are mine.”

His words could sound old fashioned, but they come across as sweet and very used to the women in his life steamrolling the conversation. He’s almost as tall as Hayes, but with blue eyes and blond hair peeking out from under the clean black cowboy hat. His boots are much fancier and less dirty as well, but I remember Hayes telling me he runs the finances for his family’s huge rice company.

Shaking his hand, I notice his are rough like he knows how to do hard work, but not as big and warm as Hayes’ are. “Nice to meet you.”

“You didn’t come over for Sunday dinner last week,” Kristen says as she takes Meg from him. “Too busy with your house guest?”