Chapter 12 Zach
TWELVE
ZACH
“You’re still such a baby, Adam,” Duke said as he caressed the pygmy’s withers and back in response to Adam’s gentle head-butting.
“He really is,” I confirmed. “Sometimes I forget he’s not a puppy.”
“That’s how he was with us too.” Duke smiled.
“He used to live with you?”
“All three of them did. They were seized from an illegal breeder and brought to me. Then Dare took them from me to help with the crops, but I see they’ve become homebodies.”
I laughed.
“That’s right, I remember Dare telling me your boyfriend named them. These guys are great homebodies. As am I now. I guess Dare takes in all the strays.”
Duke raised an eyebrow and smirked.
“How is it going with you two?”
I sucked in my cheeks and crossed my arms trying to be nonchalant, though I had no idea how successful I was.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Duke snorted.
“Oh come on, dude. You’ve been crushing on Dare since time immemorial. Are you telling me you still haven’t made a move?”
I gasped.
“I have not been crushing on him, thank you very much.” Duke pursed his lips and raised his eyebrow even higher. “Is it that obvious?”
“Honey, it’s written in your face every time you look at him,” he replied.
I bit my lip.
“It is? Do you think he knows?”
Duke rolled his eyes.
“Oh honey, he’s as clueless as you.”
“I’m not clueless,” I said.
“You are or you would have realized the man worships the ground you walk on.”
He did?
“No!”
“Yes!” Duke insisted.
“He couldn’t. What on earth would he even see in me?”
Duke buried his head in his hands and let out a long sigh.
“God help me.” He looked up. “Do I need to play bowling with your heads in order for you both to see what’s obvious to everyone else on this island?”
I blinked.
“Everyone on the island knows?”
Duke shook his head and turned his attention to Eve.
“What are you doing?” I asked when he didn’t offer a reply after several beats.
“Ignoring you. The goats are smarter than you two.”
I huffed in response and Duke chuckled, but he continued his examination on the goats, offering them carrot slices as treats for good behavior.
“Anyway,” he said and stood up when he was done. “All jokes aside, how are you finding it here?”
I looked at the closed door and pressed my lips together.
“Dare is a great host and it’s lovely here,” I said.
“But…”
“How do you know there’s a but?”
“Because I can see your face?” he bit back.
I used both my palms to massage whatever tension had given me away on my face and sighed.
“Nothing. It’s nothing to do with Dare or the farm. It’s to do with me. I’m just…I’m bored out of my mind. I want to work. I want to talk to people. I want to go out and take in some fresh air.”
“The air couldn’t be fresher outside these walls,” Duke said and crossed his arms.
“I know,” I sighed. “But still. I feel cut off. I feel…”
I felt like I’d felt when I’d been with Victor. A prisoner in my own home. Well, his house. It had never been mine to begin with. Which was one of the reasons it took me so long to leave him.
“Trapped,” Duke said, matter-of-factly.
I stared at him and frowned.
“No. Not trapped. That’s not fair to Dare.”
“It’s got nothing to do with Dare though. You feel how you feel. But you have to remember, this is for your safety. It’s not forever.”
I breathed out.
“I know. I know. That’s why I feel so ungrateful for feeling that way.”
Duke approached and put his arms on my shoulders.
“You’re not ungrateful. And if you want to shake things up, there are ways, you know…”
I rolled my eyes.
“I’m not gonna hit on the poor guy just to have something to do.”
Duke giggled.
“That’s not what I said. But it’s interesting that’s where your mind went.” He smirked.
I squeezed my eyes shut, bit the inside of my cheek and when I looked at him again, I offered him my best smile.
“Duke, honey, fuck off. With all due respect, of course.”
Duke gasped.
“Hey, don’t blame me for your dirty little mind. All I was going to say is there’s a fucking acre or so of blueberries out there. I’m sure Dare could use a hand if you’re that bored. But hey, if you want to do the horizontal tango with Dare, I ain’t going to stop you. I’m not that cruel.”
I patted Duke’s hands on top of my shoulders and nodded.
“You’re right. I’m such a terrible guest, I didn’t even offer him a hand with the fields.”
I didn’t know if it would help with my feeling like a prisoner or my feeling useless, but it was a start. And it was the least I could do to thank Dare for taking care of me.
When Duke and Warren left and it was just us two again, Dare started getting ready to go out.
“Are you…are you going out to the fields?”
“Yeah,” he replied, stifling a cough. “Do you need anything?”
I licked my bottom lip and stared at his boots instead of his penetrating gaze that I could feel burning my face with its warmth.
“I was wondering if I could come out with you. Give you a hand.”
“You don’t need to—”
“I want to. It’s the least I could do.”
I looked up at him and his lips curved into a smile.
“I’m not going to say no to a couple of extra hands. But only if you really want to. And if you promise to tell me the moment you get tired and want to head back.”
“I pinky promise.” I raised my little finger in the air to drive my point home.
I didn’t expect Dare to actually lock his own pinky with mine. The sudden contact almost made me lose my balance and my common sense.
But I ground my teeth, swallowed the frog in my throat and steadied my body despite the tidal wave of shivers along my skin before I made a complete fool of myself.
“Okay, let’s go.” Dare pulled back and clapped his hands together, getting Lookah’s attention as the goats rushed into the living room bleeping incessantly.
I put my shoes and jacket on and just before we left, Dare handed me a scarf, and we were out the door.
I helped him load the goats in the back of the pickup truck and Lookah cozied up between us in the front seat. As Dare drove us to the fields, I snuggled into the scarf.
It smelled of him. A scent I couldn’t quite define but that was so distinctly his, that it soothed my soul with each inhale. By the time the car came to a stop I was drunk on his smell, and my body was covered in goosebumps that made me feel both weak and on edge.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I used all my strength to nod and jumped out of the car with Lookah on my tail.
All around us there were nothing but fields, the sky, and an endless supply of cool winter air. It helped kick my body into gear and I followed Dare around as he let the goats loose.
“It’s so pretty here,” I told him.
“You should see it when it’s in bloom. It’s even prettier.” He smiled.
“I bet. I’ll have to come back in the spring.”
Or maybe I’d still be here, but that was a thought I couldn’t even begin to entertain.
“So, what do you have to do when the plants are in hibernation?” I asked.
Dare leaned against his car and puffed up his chest as he took a deep breath.
“Lots of things. I start by checking if the irrigation system is working properly. I look to make sure there are no punctures or gaps, and all the plants are watered right. Then I start pruning dead branches, offshoots, and stunted branches. I’ll also prune if the bush is too dense, to ensure there’s good airflow and they’re not packed too tightly when they start blooming again, and to make sure each plant isn’t wasting too much energy.
It can stunt the size of the crops if there are too many.
Then I check the ground’s pH and lime, if necessary. Then I keep an eye on everything.”
“Oh wow. That sounds like a lot. And you do it all on your own?”
Dare shrugged and coughed softly.
“I have some part timers, but I can’t afford full help in winter so it’s mostly just me.”
The more I got to know this man, the more in awe of him I became. Was there anything he didn’t do? From pies to jams to tending to his farm, I was surprised he had any time to sleep or eat or, hell, even breathe.
And I’d been sitting on my ass all week, using his resources and baking cakes like a princess.
“Right. Put me to work, boss. What do I need to do?”
Dare chuckled and reached inside the car for a pair of gloves he passed to me. Then he grabbed some shears and we walked along the first row. He showed me what we were looking for and walked me through the process then sat back and watched me prune my first plant.
“That was great.” He applauded me and I stood up to take a little bow.
It made him laugh.
“What do I do with these?” I pointed at the branches.
“We’ll pick them up on our way back to the truck. I try to mulch as much as possible, but sometimes I’ll burn them if there’s too much.”
I nodded and looked at the next plant. “Can I?” I asked.
“Be my guest,” he said and put his hands on his hips.
He watched me prune a couple more before he picked up his own shears and started on the second row, opposite me.
We worked in silence for the rest of the morning, Dare’s persistent cough was the only noise aside from the birds and the wind. Every now and again I’d throw a dead branch for Lookah to retrieve, and he was all too happy to play fetch with me. Even Dare joined our little game.
We just about managed half a row each before we got hungry and made our way back to the farmhouse for lunch. After eating, we came back out to finish the rows, but it was getting too dark to stay out so we gave up and I promised him I’d help again tomorrow.
“How long do you see yourself doing this for?” I asked on our way back to the truck.
Dare bent down to pick up another handful of branches and he stood back up, coughing.
“As long as I can,” he said. “It’s hard work but I love this place. I love tending to the plants. Picking the fruit. Making stuff with it. I don’t know that there is anything better than being part of nature and providing sustenance for others.”
I smiled.
“You sound a lot like me,” I said. “I love baking and putting a smile on people’s faces.”
Dare glanced at me and smirked.