23. Brooks
Chapter twenty-three
Brooks
I heard her door open. I heard her walk out, heard her car start as she left. Part of me wanted to stop her or chase her, tell her it would all be okay, but I didn’t know how it could be… yet.
I lay in bed for a bit longer, letting my mind wander until I was so anxious I had to stand and pace. Finally, I decided I couldn’t just sit here. I needed to get out. So I grabbed my hat and my keys, made my way to my truck, and barreled my way into town.
I pulled into Killy’s Bar, needing a quick drink. But I didn’t want it alone. I walked over to the thrift store and knocked on the door hard, just in case Jake was upstairs.
The door opened a few minutes later to an irritated-looking Jake. “What?”
“Come grab a drink with me?”
“I’m not really in the mood,” he said.
“I could use it.”
He must have noticed something in my expression because he rolled his eyes at me before answering, “Fine. But you’re buying.”
We walked over together and found a seat at the bar. I stuck with a hoppy IPA while Jake opted for a whiskey.
“So why did you need this drink so badly?” he asked.
I took a long sip from the top of the bottle before recounting everything that happened, just needing to get it off my chest.
“Damn,” was all he said when I was finished.
I snorted an unamused laugh. “My thoughts exactly.”
“Do you know what you’re going to do?”
I shook my head. “If I’m honest, I’m in love with her. I don’t think this situation has changed that… or even if it could change that. She was in a hard place, and I have no idea what I would have done if the roles had been reversed.”
Jake nodded, and we sat there, enjoying our drinks. Though he wasn’t the type to talk things through the way Gabe was, he would always stick by you when you needed company.
“Yo,” I heard from behind me. I turned to see Blake standing there. “I thought that was you. What are you doing here?”
“Having a drink. What are you doing here?”
He shrugged. “The same. Hey, by the way, Mom wanted me to give you this.” He reached into his jacket pocket and took out a slightly crumpled envelope. “I figured I’d run into you sooner or later.”
“Thanks.”
“See you later,” Blake said as he continued to the back where his friends were playing pool. I turned the envelope over to see it addressed to me from Organic Certifiers of Stonebridge. I sliced through the top and tore the paper out.
As I scanned it, my jaw dropped.
We are pleased to inform you that Hoffman Farm has passed their certification and will be awarded the official organic seal…
I continued reading down the page until I reached the date. This had been posted three days ago, which meant Sydney had submitted our results before knowing if there was a way out of this for her. Why hadn’t she told me?
Because she thought I wouldn’t listen.
“Well, congrats on the certification,” Jake said, looking over my shoulder. “It seems that Sydney—"
“Thanks,” I said, cutting him off. “I gotta go.” I threw some money on the bar top and ran back to my truck, thoughts swimming through my head as I drove toward my house.
As I entered the kitchen, I realized Sydney’s broken camera was still on the counter. I lifted it and put it in my bag for tomorrow.
I was going to fix that and everything else by tomorrow.
I was going to get her back.
The next morning, I was up bright and early as always. I started by stopping by my parents, which surprised my mom since I hadn’t been there in a while.
“Sorry, I’ve been a bit busy.”
She nodded and smiled but didn’t push the subject. Maybe because she saw Sydney was not with me. “I saw the audit came back. How did we do?”
I smiled lightly at her. “We got it.”
She took me into her arms, squeezing me tightly. “I knew you could do it. You’ve done such amazing work since taking over. I’m so proud of you.”
I squeezed her back. I knew I had all their support all the time, but this kind of validation felt really good.
When I pulled away, I asked, “Is Bridget still here?”
Mom nodded. “Yeah, but you know she’s not used to farm life anymore. She’s fast asleep.”
“That’s fine. I just need her for a sec.”
“Okay, but will you be staying for breakfast?”
“Not today,” I said. “I have something to do.”
“Okay. I’ll have a sandwich ready for you when you come back down.”
I thanked her and headed up the stairs to my sister’s old room. My parents hadn’t changed anything about the house since we all moved out, so everyone’s room was still exactly how it had been when we were eighteen.
I knocked on her door for at least two minutes before it cracked open, and a very pissed-off Bridget stood on the other side.
“What?” she asked sharply.
“I need your help,” I said, cutting right to the chase.
“Does it need to happen at this ungodly hour?”
“It does.”
She sighed but opened her door to let me in. It was just as I remembered. Though all our walls were white, you could barely see hers under all of the peeling band posters and random magazine covers she’d stuck up everywhere. Everything else was black, from her comforter to her desk chair.
She sat on the edge of the bed, crossing her hooves. “What do you need?”
I pulled out the camera from my bag. “Can you fix this?”
She snatched it from my hands and turned it over. “A camera? Since when do you care about taking photos?”
I cleared my throat. “It’s actually not mine.”
She hummed in understanding. “Ah, so your girlfriend broke her camera?”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” I replied. Not yet at least.
Bridget rolled her eyes. “Your fuck buddy? Friend with benefits? Fling?” She looked at me, and I probably looked annoyed. “Fine, whatever. Do you know what happened to it?”
“It fell in the pond.”
She raised her eyebrow. “Let me take a look. If the damage isn’t too bad, I may be able to repair it.”
“Thanks. If you could drop it at the house when you’re done, I would really appreciate it. I gotta run now. Love you!”
I turned and left her room. I was on a mission and couldn’t be distracted.
As I went through the kitchen, my mother handed me an egg muffin and an apple, which I ate as I drove to my next location.
I made my way into town to Main Street Bodega to grab a few things before heading out to the city. I wanted some snacks for the road.
I grabbed everything I needed, and Betsy scanned all my items.
“Going on a trip?” she asked.
I nodded. “To the city to see someone.”
“That’s nice. You know, I heard there was a girl from the city who drove up to the ski lodge last night. It’s weird for tourists to go up there now. And an odd time to do it too.”
I paused at what she said. “What does the girl look like?”
“Hm… Lerana said short, dark hair, cute face, but definitely from the city. She’d served her a few times since she’s been here.”
That was Sydney. That was where she had gone last night.
She hadn’t left yet.
“Thanks,” I said.
Betsy looked confused, but I quickly paid and hopped in my truck, heading up the hill toward the ski lodge.