Page 77 of The Secret
I laugh. I worked all day on that thing. I thought we’d got it sorted out, and then the guy turned the ignition and the whole thing went up in smoke.
Jed’s shoulders ease a little as he listens. “I’ll make sure not to let you loose on the tractors then,” he says with a wink, and then he’s out the door in a swirl of grumpiness.
“Jed’s a bit tense?” I say, after some thought, as Dan beavers around making me eggs and toast. Even without hearing the earlier conversation, Jed was brusque with me. It’d be odd not to mention it.
Dan sighs. “Yeah, the farm is one huge headache for the pair of us, so neither of us is sunshine and roses most of the time. It’s been on the edge for years, not helped by the fact we weren’t here for two years. Alongside that, he doesn’t like women much. I should have warned you.”
“Any particular reason?”
“He got badly burned by one. I’ll give you the whole story sometime.”
35
LISS
Monday, April 4, 2022
Despite my attempts to be useful, Dan is having none of it. He didn’t wake me yesterday, and when I get up on the second day, he’s disappeared again. So I fling myself out of bed and pull on some old clothes, heading down into the quiet downstairs. I stand by the back door, scuffing my shoes on and peering out at the rolling hills. Is there a problem I could help with?
“There’s not going to be a lot of money, you know.”
I whirl around, hand against my throat when Jed speaks behind me, eyeing me like I’m an unexploded bomb.
“A lot of money …?”
He waves an arm. “With Dan, the farm.”
Is this some kind of warning? That Linda woman really did a number on him, didn’t she? But hey, I empathize with having a faulty radar with the opposite sex.
“I’m not good at picking men,” I say, tilting my head at him.
He folds his arms on his chest, expression surly. “So, you just go for the ones with money?”
What? I shake my head. “No, I’m saying I get why you mistrust women. I’m like that with guys: I haven’t had a bunch of great experiences.”
“Perhaps that’s because they see beyond the exterior to the real person beneath.”
“Excuse me?”
“Why do I feel like we’re having two different conversations here?” he says.
“Maybe because we are?” I try for a bit of light-heartedness and a smile, which usually works, but, if anything, his scowl deepens.
“A lot of women like you use how attractive they are and their personality”—he waves a hand at me—“to get what they want. What I’m telling you is that Dan isn’t going to come into a ton of money.”
I let out a long breath. “I appreciate what you’re saying, Jed.”
He frowns. I don’t think he likes the fact that I’m not rising to the bait.
“I understand what women like you are like.”
This time I do take the bait. “Do enlighten me.”
“Men fancy you, so you think if you flirt and smile you can persuade them to do what you want. I see straight through that.”
I fold my arms over my chest. “And what do you see straight through to?” Wow. How cynical is he?
“I see a very attractive woman who’s using my brother.”
