Chapter 48 – Jude
Chapter Forty-Eight
JUDE
Avoiding Mabel has been easy since returning to the Farm.
Once Mason and I part ways, after eating lunch and chatting about his move and cafe for a few hours, I return home and head straight to the Bunk House.
It’s dinner time but I ate enough at lunch that I’m fine to skip it.
I take a hot shower, trying and failing to wash away the dirty feelings that’ve returned without the distraction of my best friend, and then fall into bed. It’s a restless sleep.
This morning, I head over to the office that Lola and I share and decide to write up my assessment of Mabel and her branch of the business. It takes me almost all day, I’m more skilled as a farmer than a typer.
Late afternoon, Lola joins me in the office. She’s got a plate stacked high with food that I recognize immediately as Mama D’s cooking. My stomach growls and I realize I haven’t eaten anything today, trying too hard to get lost in work.
“Brought you lunch.”
I nod in acknowledgement, not moving from my position until I’m able to save the document. “Thanks. Busy day?” I ask as I take the plate out of Lola’s hands.
It’s clear she’s been out in the fields today.
There’s dirt smeared on her face, like she tried to wipe it off but missed a bit.
Little blonde flyaways are plastered to her face, slightly darker from sweat.
It’s hot as hell this August. “Trying to help Gabe’s team get all this honey collected.
Zeke called out again. Didn’t want to leave the extra work to our good employees.
” Lola shrugs like it’s not a big deal but it is.
This Zeke guy is starting to become a real problem.
“Thinking we should let him go?” I wouldn’t be opposed to it and I’d be more than willing to get back out there and work with the guys again.
“I don’t want to let him go while we’re busy but once things slow down…” Lola leaves it open-ended, shaking her head side to side.
“Sounds like a good plan, boss.”
“What about Reese? Haven’t heard anything negative about him.”
My mouth is full of pasta salad but I nod.
Reese is a good kid and a hard worker. “Like him, would keep him around.” I try to keep it short and sweet, now that I’ve taken a few bites it’s quickly becoming difficult to ignore my empty stomach.
I shovel a few more forkfuls into my mouth as Lola moves to her desk, powering up her computer.
“That’s what I’ve heard. Working harder than some of the lifers.”
I snort at that. Some of these so-called lifers, who’ve been around since Lola’s dad was running things, have really started to show their ages.
Slowing down in ways that I don’t one hundred percent believe is just because of their ages.
Nothing concrete in my suspicions, I’ve been following Mabel around for too long to determine a pattern.
That’ll be something I should focus on now that I’ve ended my shadowing job.
I’ve finished off my plate and Lola’s typing away on her keyboard.
“I’m just finishing up my report on Mabel’s department.
I’d like to see how things have been running since I’ve been gone.
You’re working too hard.” Lola snorts a laugh at that.
We all know she’s been pushing herself to try and prove who-knows-what since she officially took over. It’s honestly bullshit.
Lola has done more to benefit the Farm than her dad or grandfather ever did.
My phone buzzes with a notification that I just received a text.
Ruth Jensen
Leeson would like you home before lunch, please make sure you and your friend arrive before 11 on Sunday.
Ah, hell. Talking with Lola has given me a break from thinking about this weekend, and what it’s going to mean once it’s over.
I type out a quick response to let my mother know we’ll be there before I return to my list of messages.
A small part of me wishes this get together was after the wedding, not the weekend before.
I need to text Mabel and let her know the time now that I have it but my thumb hovers over our text thread. I don’t want to read the messages between us.
There’s not much in each message. A place and a time is about it but it’s a reminder.
I silently scold myself for being so dramatic.
Mabel never made me any promises, it’s my own fault for turning it into more than it ever was.
With a small scoff, I click on our message thread and quickly type out the message, doing my best to make it sound nothing like our previous conversation, if you could even call it that.
Me
Need to be at my mother’s place by 11. Would need to leave by 10:30 at the latest.
Trouble
Okay. Can I bring anything?
Seeing the name I have her listed as is a stab in the heart that only serves to make me more upset with myself for being so delusional. Before I can respond, I get into her contact information and update her name.
Me
No. Leeson doesn’t allow guests to bring anything, he provides it all.
Mabel Warren
Okay, see you this weekend.
Giving her message a thumbs up is all I can offer in response. I’m shoving my phone back into my pocket, slightly more aggressively than is totally necessary, when Lola starts our conversation back up. “Speaking of hiring. An old employee reached out to me to see if we had any openings.”
Were we talking about hiring? “Oh, yeah? Good worker?”
Lola hums in response, taking time to choose the right words. “Good enough. She worked part-time helping Mabel out for a while. Left to go to school and now she’s back in town. Looking for something permanent, says she always loved working at the Farm”
“We could always use more employees who want to actually work here.” I offer. The conversation moving to Mabel is the opposite of what I need right now.
“Very true. I told her to give me some time to see what we might have.” Lola’s never been one to make decisions without thoroughly thinking them through, maybe my report can offer her some help in the decision-making process.
I was going to suggest hiring more staff, hiring someone who already knows the basics could be just what the Farm is looking for.
This former employee and Mabel could finish out the warmer months, work to refine the process for expanding and make a plan once the weather cools down to get started with a renewed sense of preparedness.
“I’ll get you my report before the end of the week, maybe it can help you make up your mind.” With that decided, I return my focus to my computer. Lola focuses back on her own and we work in comfortable silence for the rest of the day.