Page 13 of The Burbs and the Bees
Ah, there it is!
The question of the century. The one I’ve been waiting for. Jay knows I’m out of my element as much as I do, and it was only a matter of time before he questioned my abilities. “Do I know anything about what?”
He scratches his head. “Anything about running an orchard?”
I take a minute to compose myself. I hate admitting that I don’t know a lot of anything about anything. “Not as of right now, no,” I say.
His face is blank, expressionless, and then he laughs, like I cracked a joke.
“What’s so funny?” I ask, squaring my shoulders and placing a hand on my hip. This time, with my limbs thawed, it doesn’t take effort and hopefully gives the “screw you” look I’m going for.
“Come on, you don’t think you can just move here from…” He pauses, waiting for me to fill in the blank.
“New York,” I say, starching my back.
“New York,” he repeats, “and just take over an orchard with no experience?”
I exhale. Is there any point in arguing any of this with him? He’s right. I know nothing. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to do my damnedest, give my heart and soul to this place for at least a month—or die trying. It’s not just my parents I have something to prove to, it’s myself…but… “No, I guess I don’t. I suppose you think I’ll be lucky to make it through the night,” I say.
“I didn’t say that…exactly.”
I bite back a laugh. He didn’t have to. “You’re probably right, though,” I say, letting him believe what he wants, but I’m sure going to love his astonishment when I prove him and everyone else wrong—including myself—and stay for at least a month. “I realize you think I don’t belong here.”
“Do you think you do?”
I glance around, and my shoulders sag. I might not belong here, but here is where I plan to stay. At least for the next thirty days. I’ll have to figure out life after that. But for now…
Reading my defeated body language, Jay snaps his fingers. “Listen, I know a buyer. He’ll take the farm off your hands like this, and you can go back to New York and do whatever it is you do.”
“A man from down yonder,” I say, using Charlie Miller’s words. “He stopped by earlier and offered me a number already.”
He frowns at me. “Charlie was at your door already?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Stay away from him. He’s not a good guy.”
“He seemed fine.” I turn my attention elsewhere, wanting to change the subject. “There are a lot of animals on this farm. I take it you’ve been caring for them.”
“With the help of my brothers.”
“I really appreciate it.”
An SUV pulls into the driveway, the tires crunching on the gravel, and we both turn.
“Looks like you have your first customers. Jack always opened the market on the first Saturday of July.”
“And of course, that would be today,” I say. “My day is getting better and better.”
“I stocked it last week. I wanted to get things ready for the new owner.”
“I didn’t know Uncle Jack, but I’m glad he had people he could count on. Thank you for that.”
One shoulder rolls, like he’s shrugging off the compliment, and I get the sense he doesn’t like the praise. “Customer,” he reminds me with a nod of his head.
“I guess I should open it up then?”
“You don’t have to.”
