Page 35 of Fruit and Flash

Kristen’s question is innocuous enough, and her tone mostly neutral, but I see a sparkle in her eyes that hints at mischief. I don’t know her well enough to say if there’s a hidden meaning or if it’s just how she looks at everyone.

“Last Sunday Hayes showed me how to make pickles,” I explain, leaving out the part where we shared a bed after hours of trading pleasure. He still isn’t out, as far as I know, and she’s his sister. “I had no clue how easy it is!”

“And Hayes’ has great pickles,” Wayne agrees with a nod and I stifle a laugh at the mental thought of Hayes calling his dick a pickle.

“You two should join us tonight,” Kristen says with enthusiasm, and I realize they’re all in their church clothes. It’sSunday, but days have little meaning when you work random hours mostly online. “Leon gave us some fish.”

“Ooh, Hayes cooked the fish Leon gave us last week and it was so good,” I clap in my excitement, and then I look at Hayes to see him looking stricken. I just let them know that Hayes cooks for me and referred to the two of us as an ‘us’ even though I’m just some content creator who is staying at his place. “He lets me film a lot of stuff,” I add as an explanation. Shit, that sounds like I mean adult content. “About the farm and fixing things, I mean.”

Biting my lip to avoid digging us a bigger hole, I turn to Hayes. He opens and closes his mouth a couple times, at a loss for words where I’m rambling. He finally lands on, “Glad you liked the fish.”

He knows I liked it. Hayes used dill and rosemary from the garden that I helped pick and it was adorable. I crawled under the table and blew him afterwards to say thanks. It was a very memorable fish dinner.

Kristen, Wayne, and Meg all stare at us for a second before his sister breaks the tension. “Well I taught him everything he knows. You should come see how I prepare it.”

Looking at Hayes, because I don’t want to accept on his behalf, I can see he’s in a dilemma. He can’t really say no without a reason, and I have a feeling his sister won’t take no as an answer.

Blowing out a long breath, Hayes rubs at his beard. “I guess we’re coming over for dinner.”

Chapter twenty-four

Hayes

Mysisterissmart.She can clearly tell Kai is more than my roommate. Even Meg and Wayne were giving me a look that called bullshit on my excuses. I’ve known Wayne since elementary school when we started playing football together, and he’s always seen me as a ladies’ man. Hell, I dated his cousin, Christine, for a couple months.

The thing is, I need to tell my sister I’m not straight before anyone else. She was my only family until Meg came along. Wayne, too, but he’s more like a friend than a brother.

Running into them was awkward, and I know I hurt Kai pushing his hand away, but I don’t knowhowto come out. Straight people don’t have to come out. Kristen didn’t have to come home senior year and announce she was straight before telling me about the boy who asked her to prom.

Actually, she could be bi. I’d have no clue, because we’ve never talked about sexuality before. For all I know, she was kissing justas many girls as boys at those farm parties I’d pick her up from. All I cared about was that she called me instead of driving home.

Now I have to contemplate what to say, because I don’t think I can hold this secret any longer.

As we make our way out to the Belham property that evening, I try to stop thinking about how handsome Kai looks in a new plaid shirt that matches mine except for the color, his in subtle yellows where mine is red and black. He asks me questions about their family business, and I explain the family is kind of ridiculously rich for such a small town.

“The family owns an island in the Caribbean. They fly out at least once a year to check on the land, rental properties, and for a vacation.”

“Wild,” Kai nods, and I have the urge to ask him not to care about their wealth. I only think of it in the sense that Kristen and Meg never have to worry about money.

Wayne is a country boy who drinks cheap beer, used to have a tobacco chewing habit before Kristen made him stop, and likes to drive his big, tricked-out truck. All I need to know is that he treats my sister right and is a good father to my niece. Everything else is window dressing to me. I have a sinking feeling Kai cares about those things, though.

We drive up to their big house with the rice fields on either side, and Kai seems more interested in the crop than the house, so that’s a good sign.

Wayne and Meg greet us at the door since Kristen is cooking, and we’re led through the living room with its vaulted, wood-beam ceiling and oversized leather furniture.

“You have a lovely home,” Kai comments as we make it to the kitchen where Kristen gives us side hugs. “This smells delicious.”

“Thanks, it’s my take on a Spanish paella with white fish, onion, saffron and garlic in one pan. Should be ready in five.”

“And rice,” Meg adds with only a touch of bitterness in her voice that makes me laugh. “Of course.”

“Of course, you have to honor the family business,” Kai replies, having been briefed on our effort to show Meg how many ways rice can be eaten. “In Hawai’i we eat a lot of rice. Even MickyD’s has it on the menu!”

Meg’s eyes bug out in shock, “No way?”

“Way,” Kai nods solemnly. “I bet some of it even comes from your dad’s farm.”

To call the Belham Rice Company a farm is kind of funny, but the assertion is probably correct. “I bet it does.”