Going Au Naturale at Hallow’s Cove (Hallow’s Cove)

11. Brooks

Chapter eleven

Brooks

I tapped my hands on the steering wheel to the beat of yet another new artist as we made our way down the road toward the beehouses. Bailey told me today would be good for her, and I was also excited to bring Sydney here.

As we pulled up, her gasp told me I was right to be excited. Across the field was a meadow of spring flowers that had just started their main blossom. Peonies, Jacob’s ladders, and bell sprouts filled the area, making it pop with color.

“This is gorgeous,” Sydney commented. “I’ve never seen so many flowers in one place.”

“It’s one of my favorite spots,” I agreed. When I turned the truck off, we could hear the slight buzzing of the bees flying around.

We walked toward my sister’s workshop. It was a shed that looked like a classic barn. I’d helped her build it when she decided she wanted not only to make honey but also to produce soaps, lotions, and other honey-based things.

Part of what I loved about the family farm was that it really was a family farm. There was a place for everyone to do something they wanted to do. Even Bridget, who had left, helped with the website occasionally. I prided myself on keeping this a thriving place for everyone, and that included keeping everyone afloat.

Which started with the certification.

I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. My sister’s space was kept clean, with worktables on each side and hanging shelves and pegboards around holding various tools and products. She currently had her blonde curls in a ponytail and her glasses on her face. She was holding a piping bag and was filling a bunch of glass jars quickly and efficiently. Her phone was set up to record. I didn’t understand the social media side of the business, but that was one of the things Bailey was best at.

“Hey, we’re here,” I called, not wanting to scare her. She was slightly rocking back and forth, and I could tell she didn’t hear me.

“Bay,” I tried to call, waving my arms, but nothing.

Finally, I stepped up next to her and set my hand gently on her shoulder. She jumped and squeezed the bag, overfilling the glass she was working on.

“Brooks!” she yelped, pulling one of her headphones out. The music was so loud I could easily hear it. “You scared me.”

“I know,” I said. “You told us to be here at nine, so we’re here. And I tried to get your attention, but you didn’t look up.”

“Oh,” she said, looking sheepish. “Still, don’t scare me in my own workshop.” She smacked my shoulder as she walked past to wash her hands.

“It’s not my fault you lost track of time.”

“What’s this?” Sydney asked as she examined the jars.

“They’re my best-selling body butter,” Bailey responded as she washed her hands. “I usually sell out early, so I’m trying to prepare a lot.”

“Can I try some?” she asked.

Bailey raised a brow. “Are you going to test if it’s organic through your skin?”

Sydney’s eyes went wide. “No. I just meant it looks nice, and I wanted to…” Her voice dropped down to a mumble as her face flashed a heated red.

Bailey only laughed. “I’m kidding. Go ahead. You can use that jar someone ruined.” She glared back at me as if I’d actually done something wrong.

Sydney ran her manicured nail through it, picking some up and putting it on the back of her hand before rubbing it in. She brought it to her nose, smelling the body butter.

“This smells amazing,” she said. “It’s sweet and luxurious but fresh. I couldn’t get anything like this in the city.”

It was Bailey’s turn to flush. She’d never been the best at accepting compliments, even when her work really was amazing. “Thanks. It’s my special blend.”

“Well, you should get this on shelves everywhere. People would love it.”

“You’re too kind. You can take that messed-up jar; I can just scrape some off the top for you.”

Sydney gave her a vibrant smile I’d only seen a couple of times, but each time I witnessed it, it felt more and more special. “Thank you. I would like that.”

Bailey packed that up for her before we suited up to go out to where the bees were kept. They were very active by the time we got there, milling around the fields and going back and forth to the hives. It always felt so nice and peaceful out here. The humming of the bees provided a nice white noise, and they were used to humans, so they were fairly docile.

Sydney snapped the photos she needed while chatting with my sister. They seemed to get along pretty well and even discovered a shared love for a reality TV show they both watched religiously.

“I go to the café to download every new episode as soon as it airs,” Bailey said. “It’s one of the only places in town with Wi-fi. The owner opens late so I can get it right when it’s out.”

“Yeah, you have to stay on top of it, or else you’ll fall behind and never catch up. I’m glad I started in the beginning. Which couple was your favorite last season?”

And on it went, as they discussed their favorite and least favorite contestants, the heartbreaks, and their favorite revenge moments.

That conversation almost had me rethinking their sanity.

But soon Sydney had taken all her notes and photos and collected all her samples. She then put her stuff away and pulled out her personal camera. “May I?” she asked.

“Sure,” Bailey said. “The bees don’t mind.”

They both laughed as Sydney uncapped her lens and fiddled with the settings. Though I’d spent most of the morning just sitting back and watching, it felt like something I could do all day. Sydney seemed to pull me in, like she had her own gravity, the kind that consumed all my thoughts. I knew I shouldn’t think like this. That she would soon pack up and head back to the city, and I would stay here with my farm, but every time I had that thought I pushed it away, unable to manage it.

Once Sydney was done with the bee photos, we went back to the work shed and took off the suits.

“Thanks for the tour,” Sydney said to Bailey. “I enjoyed it.”

“You’re welcome. Come by anytime. And I’ll see you at the market,” Bailey said to me.

I nodded, and we made our way out. It was still late morning. We could probably head to one of the fields close by before heading out to lunch.

“Do you mind if I take a few more photos before we go?” Sydney asked, gesturing to the rest of the fields.

“Yeah, we can do that.”

I followed her toward the tall stalks of flowers. They were all in various stages of bloom since it was a bit early in the season, but no less beautiful than when it was a full sea of color.

I watched as she took a few wide shots, getting the blue sky in the background. Then she bent down, I’m assuming to get some close-ups of the flowers. As she did, her jeans flexed and her ass bounced slightly, showing off her curves in a way that had me blushing from horn to hoof.

I forced myself to turn away. If I let myself look and let my mind wander any further, there was a one-hundred-percent chance I’d get hard in the middle of this field, and I couldn’t have that.

I closed my eyes and let my face turn up toward the sun. It was something I’d done since I was small; something about the warmth on my face made me feel centered and comforted. And it was a good distraction from my current predicament. Especially when added to the shuttering of the camera.

When I glanced back, the lens was no longer facing the flowers on the ground but up. Facing me.

Sydney shifted slightly, as if she’d realized she’d been caught, pretending she was capturing the tree line beyond me. Though it might have all been in my head, considering she might be taking photos of me was exhilarating.

“Can I try?” I asked.

“Try what?”

I pointed at the camera in her hands. “Taking a photo.”

She stood up, assessing me once again under that microscopic gaze. “This is a very expensive camera, and I don’t normally let anyone touch it.”

“I understand that,” I said. And I did. It seemed to be important to her. “I was just curious, is all.”

She shifted on her feet in thought, looking down at the digital screen. Then she removed the strap from around her neck and held it out to me. “If you break it, I will bury you in this field.”

I took it from her, handling it with care as I slipped the strap around my neck. The camera fell heavily against my chest, a weight I wasn’t used to.

“How does it work?” I asked.

“Have you never used a camera?”

“I have,” I said. “But this one is way fancier than any I’ve touched.”

“Come here,” she said, gesturing for me to sink down to her height so she could see it. Being at her level made me much closer to her than I normally was. Her sweet, floral scent wafted towards me, making me want to lick up the column of her neck, where I could see her pulse race against her luscious skin. “The photo button is in the same spot as every camera. You do this to zoom, this to adjust aperture, which is how much light it lets in, and this to adjust shutter speed. That tells the camera how fast to take the photo, so if you want to capture something moving, you can take it a bit faster to make it still.”

“Got it.” I didn’t really, but I was sure I could take something nice. “And how do I see the photo I took?”

“Here,” she told me, gesturing to the button.

I aimed the camera up toward the field, looked through the small window like I’d seen Sydney do, and snapped the photo. I then checked it. It was a bit crooked, and I thought I’d moved slightly when I took it, making everything a bit blurry, but it was still pretty.

I took a few more, finding myself facing the tree line off in the distance, my truck in the driveway, and finally, landing on Sydney, standing amongst the flowers. Looking like the prettiest one of all.

She was looking right at me, and before I could think about it, I snapped the photo.

“Did you take one of me?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “And I want to take another. Pose for me.”

“I don’t know how to pose,” she said.

I quirked a brow. “You take all these photos, and you don’t know how to pose?”

She furrowed her brow. “I’m usually behind the camera, not in front of it.”

I wanted to tell her it should be the other way around. That I wanted to photograph her and keep her in my memory forever, but under the circumstances, that wouldn’t be appropriate.

“Why don’t you pretend to be looking over there? I’ve seen that in magazines.”

She sighed. “Fine.”

She turned so she was facing sideways and looked toward the sky in the distance. I was right; she should be in front of the camera. I snapped a few, listening to the shutter go off every time.

“I think you’d make a great model,” I said, and I wasn’t kidding.

“Yeah, right.” She showed me that bright smile that I couldn’t get enough of once again, and I took as many photos as I could manage before it slipped. I wondered if there was a way I could get copies of it without seeming weird, but probably not. Maybe I’d be okay with being weird if I got to see that smile every day.

“Want to see?” I asked.

“I’m sure I don’t look that great,” she said, but came over anyway.

I pressed the button she’d shown me earlier, and her image popped up. There was photo after photo of her smiling at the camera, at me.

“ I agree,” I said quietly.

“Agree with what?”

I looked down at her, but her eyes were still on the screen. “You don’t look that great.” She looked up at me in confusion until I continued. “You look… like a tall drink of water on a hot summer day.”

“That’s cheesy,” she said, though her cheeks pinked at the mention.

“Maybe, but it’s true. You’re the most gorgeous person I’ve ever laid my eyes on, and none of these photos could ever do you justice.”

We stood there, just existing in the words I’d laid out between us. I hadn’t realized until now how close we were.

“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. Even so, I could feel the words lassoing around us, pulling us closer.

I wasn’t sure who leaned in first, but soon the camera was forgotten, and my lips were on hers.

It was timid at first, neither of us sure if we were doing the right thing, but it felt like watching the flowers bloom for the first time.

I deepened our kiss, needing to taste her further. She was sweet like the honey she’d had earlier, but there was another flavor that was uniquely her .

Her arms came around me, and I was sure to move the camera to the side to pull her closer, feeling her warm body against mine. She was much smaller than me, small enough that I was easily able to put my hands beneath her thighs and lift her into my arms.

Her legs came around me easily, like they belonged there, pressing her entire body even closer, and it still didn’t feel like enough. I wanted our clothes gone; I wanted to feel her skin against mine.

Eventually, we had to pull away, and I was breathless, so was she. That moment seemed to bring us back to reality, where she was my auditor and we were so different.

I let her slide down my body, feeling her close one last time before she retreated. I took her camera off my neck and handed it back.

“Hm… Should we head to the next field?” I asked.

She nodded but didn’t say anything as she turned away and headed back to the truck.