13. Molly
I didn’t wantto pry, so I let the topic drop, but the words echoed inside me for a while.
Meanwhile, Alex puts me in touch with an electrician who comes out on Thursday to look at Vaniel.
Quinn crawls all through the van with me, poking her head in to look at the batteries and the wiring. It’s after work, and the sky is darkening, but we have headlamps.
Finally, Quinn hops out and dusts her hands off. She’s fit and tall, wearing jeans and a fitted tee, her blonde hair in a ponytail. “It’s a fun project,” she says. “I can definitely do it.”
“Awesome.”
“However, I’m going to have to put in the time on the weekends.” She grimaces. “I’ve got a pretty full slate of projects during the week. Does that work for you?”
“I work weekends here on this farm, so I’ll be nearby but working. Nights might be easier.”
Quinn shakes her head. “Commuting from Here and back means I can’t come after my main job.”
“From here and back?” I ask, confused.
She laughs. “Here, New York. You know Kit, right? That’s where he’s from. I work for his best friend, Booker, during the week. It’s an hour each way.”
“Oof, that’s a long drive. I hope it’ll be worth it.”
Quinn lifts her bag of tools into the back of her truck. Now, I’m worried about paying for her mileage and drive time, on top of the work.
She laughs again, seeing my face. “Don’t worry. My rates are very reasonable, and Alex mentioned that if I come down, he has a few small jobs for me, and you can split the travel costs.”
“Okay, that’s better.”
“Plus, I’ll get to see Kit.” She grins. She smiles a lot, and I like her.
“Are you two…?”
“Definitely not. Kit’s fun, but he’s not my type. Fortunately, I figured out he wasn’t early on, because that man leaves a trail of broken hearts everywhere he goes. But he’s good to have a drink with, and I like Alex too. They might even let me spend a few Saturday nights at the big house, so I don’t have to drive back.”
I wonder what Alex is like when he’s relaxed and with friends. Does he open up? Do he and Kit balance each other out? Or is Kit where everyone’s attention goes, and Alex fades into the background?
Quinn heads out. When she emails me with the estimate, it’s slightly over what I agreed to with the electrician who ghosted me. But, as much as the Bedd family—on both farms—is feeding me, I think I can make it work.
* * *
I sell so much at the farm shop on Friday that in the afternoon, I have to call Alex to let him know we’re almost out of eggs and whole milk. He doesn’t answer. I mentally kick myself for not getting Kit’s number, as often as we’ve been hanging out.
Another commuter comes in and buys eggs, so I call Alex again. Still no answer. Frustrated, I slap a “back in ten” sign on the door and lock up.
I wish I could whistle, like Kit did to get Alex here the day I came for my job interview. Maybe I should carry a whistle with me to get Trixie’s attention.
I trudge up the hill and into the barn. With the cows out in the field, it’s empty and quiet. I walk down the main aisle until I hear voices and follow the sound until I exit the barn out the far side. There’s a series of what looks like dog crates but much bigger, each one fenced in and containing a baby cow or two.
Holy hell, they are stinking cute. “Oh my god,” I coo at the nearest one, who ambles over to the metal barrier, ears flicking and huge brown eyes staring at me.
Dad always told me anything with a mouth can bite, so I don’t poke my finger in the cage to scratch it like I want to. The calf lips at the wire, and its little tail flicks, and I almost die of a cuteness overload.
I’m glad no one can see me as I babble at the animal. “Who’s a cutie? Oh my god, you are a cutie. Yes, such a widdle baby with your big ears and eyes, and oh my, what big eyelashes you have.”
I sound like a fairy tale villain. I make a few more kissy noises and straighten up. There are dozens of calves in these pens, each cuter than the last. Most pens even have two inside, and when I walk past, they compete for my attention, nudging each other and following me from one side to the other.
Dear god, it’s like a pet store. And somehow, the baby cows are even cuter than kittens or puppies. How did I not know this?
I wonder if any of them are going to be eaten, but I don’t think Udderly sells meat. I also remember Kit mentioning gendered sperm, so I wonder if these are all girl cows. Does Alex name them? I can understand not naming the cow who’s going to be on your plate, but these are “milkers” as I keep hearing them referred to, so do they get names?
I’m following the voices, lost in my thoughts, totally unprepared for what I see when I turn the corner.