Chapter 10
Eric
I keep telling myself to stop hanging out with her every night. Five nights ago, it was pizza. Then Thai. We cooked shrimp scampi. Two nights ago, I taught her how to grill burgers. And last night was a lesson on roasted chicken.
I’ve learned that she hates cilantro but loves mushrooms. I’ve learned that she’s brilliant and kind. She cares about that stupid fish I gave her as if it’s her child. Even her succulent plants are starting to come back to life.
She’s learned how to care for all the animals. Earl even praised her on operating the tractor the other day. She’s only been here a little over three weeks and I feel like she’s been here forever, like she’s a part of this farm, of this town. Everyone on Main Street knows her. She even put gas in Sheila all on her own the other day.
It’s like watching a flower open, becoming more beautiful and full of life by the day. She still doesn’t talk about her past much. The only time I see a glimmer of something is when she makes a mistake. And it’s not a glimmer I like. She’s afraid to make even a tiny error. I know someone said or did something to make her afraid and it takes all of my being not to demand she tell me who did that to her.
I’m not surprised when I find her in the stall with the lamb. It’s early. Buck and Earl are both working already but Joy isn’t even here yet.
“When are we picking a name?” I ask.
“Soon. I have an idea that I wanted to run by you,” she says.
“Such as?” I ask as I lean on the door to the stall.
“I…want to fix up the farmstand a bit. And then have sort of a grand re-opening party and we can announce the name then,” she explains as she looks up at me. Her big blue eyes look so hopeful that I can’t even fathom saying anything but yes.
“Sounds like a good plan,” I reply.
I watch her eyes light up, and damn it, I think I’d say yes to anything she said just to see them do that again. “Really?” she squeals as she jumps up and throws her arms around me, hugging me. But just as fast she jumps back. “OMG! I’m so sorry. I should not have hugged you…I…well, I’m just really excited.”
Her cheeks are pink and I smile. “It’s OK, Ariana. And I’m glad you’re excited. That old farmstand needs a bit of an overhaul. What do you have in mind?” I want to say that she can hug me anytime or that I liked her hug, but I know she’s embarrassed. Hell, maybe she’s embarrassed to have hugged some older guy. She’s closer in age to Kingsley than to me. I wonder if she views me as a big-brother type.
She grins. “You got a minute?”
“Absolutely,” I reply as I step back and motion for her to lead the way.
She practically skips over to the farmstand. We walk inside and I find Kingsley refilling a bin of vegetables.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hi, Kingsley,” Ariana replies with a wave. Then she looks back at me. “OK, picture this,” she says dramatically while waving her hands wide apart. “First, we add more space. I looked behind here and we don’t need that much storage. Then we add better flow. We start people walking in a circle. Most people naturally will turn to the right when they come in, so we should set up the produce accordingly. Sort of like a grocery store. We also want to add shelves here in between items that they probably want to get, the big sellers, with little things that aren’t as big of a seller but that we can price low and use creative displays to draw their eyes. Then the fridge sections along this wall here since its easy to access electrical outlets. Some big bins down the middle and then shelves at the end with all the cute little local items. We can expand them with local artisan crafts. Also, I thought maybe we could highlight some local food places. Like, Elisha told me the other day that you sell her apples that she uses in some of her apple breads and apple donuts. What if we had special events where she comes out and sells those here?”
I mull over all her ideas.
“Oh, and we need more color, better lighting, a window on this back wall so folks can see out on the farm. And some recipes that we give away either on pieces of weighted paper or with QR codes where the produce is located. We could even have a recipe of the week. And we can add a cute little photo op location out front with the farm’s name. People love taking selfies and it’s free publicity,” she finishes.
“Wow!” I say after a beat. “That’s…I like that. A lot. But…how much will that cost us?”
“Nothing,” she says.
“Nothing?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.
She places her hands on her hips. “Nothing,” she repeats. “Buck and Earl already said they would help Kingsley and me build some shelves with the spare wood out in the other barn. Your fridge units are alright for now, we can use some metal paints to freshen them up. And I found a local artist willing to do some painting in exchange for being able to sell some of her stuff here. And the rest is just rearranging things and using our printer.”
I’m skeptical it can all be done, but the look in Ariana’s eyes has me nodding with little thought. I want to give her a chance to spread her wings and fly. Her ideas are good ones and it’s more than what we’re doing now. If it doesn’t hurt the bottom line, then I’ll give her free rein.
“OK, do your worst. Go for it,” I state.
“Seriously?” she asks, her voice rising with excitement.
“Seriously. I think you have some really good ideas, and I’m looking forward to seeing the final product,” I admit.
She lets out a breath and smiles. “I won’t disappoint you. I promise. It’s going to be awesome.”
We turn to leave, and she stops me at the barn door with a touch to my arm.
“Eric?” she says.
I pause and look down at her.
“Thanks.”
I furrow my brows in confusion. “For what?”
She gives me a small smile and her cheeks pinken. “For trusting me.”
“Ariana, you have a lot to offer. Your ideas are amazing and I’ve seen you coming over to the office early and staying late. You work hard. We’re lucky to have you here.”
She bites her lip and I watch her tongue dart out to wet her lower lip when she releases it. I have to look away for a second because I shouldn’t be having these thoughts. I should not be wanting to kiss those lips.
“Thank you. That means a lot,” she says. And then she’s off skipping again back to the office like she doesn’t have a care in the world. This woman is a complete mystery. And I want to figure her out with every fiber of my being.
* * *
It’s Saturday and Kingsley is manning the farmstand. Earl and Buck are patching a fence today and I’m trying to get the hay from the loft down to the ground level. Why we thought to stack it up here, I have no idea. But I’m regretting that right now.
“You need some help with that?” I hear Ariana ask from beneath me.
“Careful, catastrophe!” I yell down. I’ve been teasing her this last week about all her klutzy moments. But mostly, I’m just worried she’ll get really hurt. She’s like a fish out of water around here, but she’s catching on, very, very slowly.
“Hey! I helped cut down that tree this week and I still have all my limbs!” she protests, holding out her arms as proof.
I laugh. “OK, climb on up. Just be careful. The closest emergency room is back where you came from,” I warn.
“Seriously?” she asks as I see her head emerging while she climbs the ladder.
“Yep. One time Earl got pinned by a backhoe and they had to life-flight him because our ambulance would have taken way too long to get him to the trauma response team,” I say grimly as I attempt to not remember that day.
“Wow! Poor Earl! No wonder he’s a grump,” she says with a grin.
“I think Earl was born grumpy,” I offer. “So you can grab those hooks, hook the sides, and then toss it down into that container. We’ll hook it up to the tractor and get it moved out to the fields.”
“Easy enough,” she says as she hooks the side of the hay and attempts to lift it. I don’t even think she’ll get it off the ground. That hay probably weighs more than her, but she can figure that out for herself, and then she can go feed Mooman instead. I watch in horror as she manages to lift the hay and then her entire body goes with the hay over the side and into the container.
“Ariana!” I call out as I scramble down the ladder and jump into the hay, pulling her free while supporting her head with my hand.
She blinks up at me. “Holy shit! I can’t believe I just did that,” she says as she looks into my eyes and giggles.
“Are you OK?” I ask, searching her body for injury.
She rubs the back of her head and winces a little. “I think I whacked my head on one of those hooks when I fell, but otherwise, I’m fine,” she tries to assure me as she struggles to climb out of the hay.
“Oh no you don’t,” I state as I pick her up and pull her against my chest. Cradling her, I carry her into the office and down the hall.
She pushes against my chest. “Eric! What are you doing? I’m fine. I swear,” she grumbles as she squirms in my arms.
“Nope. I’m calling Dr. Brighton to come take a look at you,” I state as I manage to get the door open. Joy doesn’t work on the weekends, which is a good thing because she would be mother-henning the hell out of us both.
“Eric. Put me down. I’m fine,” she protests.
I get her into the living room and gently set her on the sofa. She attempts to get up and I can tell something hurts because she teeters on one leg and then sits back down.
“Do you have like a wrap or something? I think I twisted my ankle,” she mutters as she runs her hand over it.
I’m already on my phone. “Jasper? Any chance Doc can come over? I have an employee who fell and want her to take a look,” I explain.
“Sure thing. Kristen! Eric needs you at the farm!” he yells. I hear mumbling in the background. “She’ll be over in about twenty minutes.” I hear more mumbling. “She wants to know what’s injured?”
“She hit her head and twisted an ankle,” I state.
He relays the information to his wife. I hear their daughter squealing in the background. “OK, she’ll see you shortly.”
“Thanks,” I say as we disconnect.
“Let me get you ice for the ankle,” I state as I go to the kitchen and grab two ice packs. One for her head and one for her ankle. I get her propped up with the ice.
“Eric, you are totally overreacting. I promise you, I’m fine,” she argues.
I can tell she’s not one hundred percent because she pulls away a bit when I place the ice on the back of her head. I can already feel a small lump there.
“I’d feel better if we got you checked out,” I declare as I sit down next to her feet. I pull her shoes free and place a pillow under them. She rolls her eyes. “Humor me,” I add.
“Fine,” she mutters as she crosses her arms. I fight a laugh because even injured she’s a little spitfire. Damn, she reminds me of Tori. I look away and stand as I feel emotion wash over me.
“Are you…alright?” she asks. I glance back and she has a worried look on her face.
Swallowing back down the feelings that I never let bubble to the surface, I nod. “Yep. I’ll go let Dr. Brighton in,” I say quickly as I hurry off to the side door. I wait outside for five minutes, wanting to keep a little distance between me and Ariana until I can get my emotions in check. Kingsley pokes his head out of the barn, and just like that, my damn thoughts go straight back to his older sister.
“Hey, I’m going to close up soon. I think the afternoon rush is over,” he says and then frowns. “You OK?”
Jesus, are my thoughts written on my face in neon lettering?
“Yeah. I’m fine. Go ahead. Ariana had a little fall from the hay loft. Dr. Brighton is on her way to check her out,” I say.
“Oh. Shit. Uh, is she OK?” he asks as he walks toward me.
Nodding, I motion back to the house. “I have her lying down with some ice on her head and ankle, but I think she’ll be OK.”
He swallows and nods as he shoves some pebbles around in the driveway. “She’s…good for you, Eric. Good for all of us. Her ideas are going to change this place, you’ll see.” He looks up at me on the last word.
“She’s my employee, Kingsley, and nothing more. But I agree, she’s been good for Windsor Family Farm. I’m glad I hired her,” I agree.
“Eric, you can’t?—”
The crunch of gravel under a car stops him as we turn to see Dr. Brighton pulling up. Thank God because I can’t have this conversation right now. Kingsley has been urging me to move on for years, and each time, I shoot him down. I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to move on. Maybe I’m just a one-and-done person. Maybe, when Tori died, my heart died with her.
“Hey, where’s my patient?” Kristen asks as she gets out of her car.
“In here,” I state as I motion to the door. “’Night, Kingsley.”
He nods and heads over to his car. One that I helped him get about two years ago. I glance back as he drives away. Kingsley is a good kid. When Tori made me promise to look after him, I never thought it would lead to him working here straight into college, but I’m glad it did. And their parents are thankful too. They don’t come out here very often, and I miss them, but I imagine their sense of loss is even worse than mine.
“Hey, I’m Dr. Brighton,” I hear Kristen saying as I lag in the hallway. I hurry up and find her leaning over Ariana.
“Ariana, but please, call me Ari,” Ariana replies. Ari? Does she prefer that nickname? I consider this while Kristen begins to speak.
“So tell me what happened,” Kristen says as she takes a seat next to Ariana. Ariana tells her the short story of her fall. I watch Kristen examine her ankle and her head.
“Well, I think you just twisted the ankle. Rest it, and take some over-the-counter pain medicine if you need it. The ice is a good idea, but don’t leave that on for too long. As for your head, you might have a mild concussion. You certainly have a good bruise forming back there. I’d keep it iced and rest for the next day or two. If you experience any other symptoms at all, blurred vision or nausea, please call me immediately, alright?” Kristen says as she stands.
“Yes. Thank you,” Ariana replies.
“I’ll leave you a wrap for your ankle, but otherwise you should be good to go in a day or two,” she adds as she turns to me. “Let me know if her symptoms worsen.”
“I will. Thank you,” I state.
“It was nice meeting you, Ari. I love the new website. It looks great. I even voted on a name for that lamb. I can’t wait to see which name wins,” she says with a smile.
Ariana grins. “Thanks. Just wait till you see what we have planned out here. It’s going to be a great spring and summer on the farm.”
“I’m sure. I’ll see you later,” Kristen adds as she turns to me “I’ll see myself out. Take care of our newest resident, OK?”
I chuckle. “Will do.”
The door closes and I turn back to Ariana. “Let’s get you upstairs. I’ll make some soup and bring it up for you.”
Her eyes widen. “I’m sorry. What?”
“You can’t sleep at your place. I have to watch you for symptoms,” I explain as I walk over to her. I remove the ice packs as I lean down and slide my hands under her back and knees, lifting her easily into my arms.
“Eric!” she screeches but quickly wraps her arms around my neck. God, I like that. I shouldn’t like it, but I do. She smells so good and she feels warm against me.
“No protesting. I have like five guest rooms upstairs,” I explain as I carry her to the one I think she’ll like best.
I kick the door open and she looks around as I use my elbow to turn on a light.
“It’s a nice room,” she states as I place her on the giant four-poster bed.
“It was my sister’s room,” I say as I motion to a small painting with the name Alicia above it that hangs over a desk in the corner.
“Do you miss her?” she asks as I pull covers up over her.
“I do. England is far away,” I state. “I’ll be back up in a minute. I’m going to warm up the soup I made last night.”
“Eric, this really isn’t necessary,” she protests.
“It is. Stop arguing,” I growl.
She rolls her eyes. “Fine,” she pouts.
I grin as I walk back downstairs and microwave a bowl of soup. I bring it back up on a tray and set it on Ariana’s lap. She’s found the television remote and has an old romantic comedy movie playing.
“Aren’t you hungry?” she asks.
I shake my head. “No. I ate a lot at lunch.”
I settle myself in the old, oversized chair in the corner, propping my feet on the ottoman. Ariana finishes her soup and sets the tray to the side while continuing to watch the film. I watch her eyelids grow heavy until she finally falls asleep. I don’t know how long I sit there watching her, wondering what it would be like to be on that bed with her, pressing her little body against mine as we both fall asleep.