Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Amber
T he rumble of the school bus bouncing down the gravel road to Livesay’s Orchard reminds me of my childhood field trips. I smile at the thought as I sit at the front, arms crossed, and gaze fixed out the window. Mrs. D—always a planner and enthusiast for the outdoors—had been the one who scheduled this field trip, and while I could appreciate her eagerness, I’m not entirely sold.
Mostly because I still harbor anger toward Sharon and her negative voice, which still lives rent-free in my head. And this is her family’s orchard. Her parents were no nicer than she was.
Katrina is sitting in the seat next to me. She looks over at me and then reaches over to put a hand on my arm.
“This is the highlight of the month for the younger kids,” she insists, grinning. “They’ve really put a lot into this place. It’s a family-friendly experience and educational, too. Sharon is no longer there to torment you.”
Sharon despised the orchard anyway. She always talked about how the first thing she was going to do when she turned eighteen was run away to the city and never look back. Looks like that didn’t happen.
How did Katrina know that was the problem?
“Her parents are, though.”
“They’re not really around a lot,” she says.
“Alright.” I shrug. “I’ll admit I’m curious to see how they’ve transformed it.”
She gives me a nudge, her eyes sparkling with excitement as we pull up to the orchard’s main entrance. I make a mental note to relax, let the kids have fun, and not overthink this. And besides, I have other things to worry about—like Casey. She is absent today, and it’s gnawed at the back of my mind all morning. I should reach out to her dad again, though I wonder if he’s still upset after our tense conversation.
The bus lurches to a stop, and the kids practically vibrate with excitement as they line up, eager voices chattering as they press their faces to the windows. Katrina and I step off the bus first to help them file out, and I freeze when I scan the entrance. Casey, Eric, and Derek are standing right there as if they’ve been waiting for us.
I turn to Katrina, confused, and gesture toward them. “Katrina, why are Casey and her dad here already?”
She follows my gaze and then lets out a short laugh. “Oh, Sharon’s parents gave the orchard to her and Derek to run.”
“She hated this place.”
“Things change when you marry a man who is an organic farmer with a business degree,” she whispers with a giggle.
My brain stumbles over itself for a second. Okay, so now I’ll have to be around Derek and his attitude all day long. I’m not going to keep quiet if he’s being rude to me in front of my students, though. I don’t want them to think that behavior is okay.
But there’s no time to let it sink in. The kids stream off the bus and straight into the arms of the orchard, all laughter and chaos, which thankfully covers my surprised expression.
Derek steps forward, greeting us with a surprisingly…genuine smile. I push down my shock and manage a polite nod as Katrina chats animatedly with Casey and Eric, who clearly know their way around. It’s a little surreal, but seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces is enough to make me take a breath and loosen up. After all, they’re what this day is about.
The orchard is more extensive than I remembered. When I was younger, it was only the apple orchard and pumpkins sometimes.
We make our way to the main grove, where rows and rows of apple trees stretch in every direction, heavy with bright red and golden fruit. The kids are allowed to pick their own apples, and it isn’t long before little shrieks of joy fill the air as they climb up on tiptoes or hop to reach the lower branches.
Derek moves around the group, giving pointers and teaching the kids how to twist and tug the apples just right so they don’t damage the branches. I watch him as he demonstrates. His rough hands are surprisingly gentle with the small branches as he hands an apple to one of the children.
“Here,” he says to Josh, who’s struggling to reach an apple. Derek crouches down beside him. “Give it a little twist like this.” He demonstrates again, and Josh watches, wide-eyed, before giving it a try to beaming when he gets it. Derek’s laughter is warm and unguarded.
I catch myself smiling.
He’s really handsome when he’s smiling and laughing like this. It’s like he’s a pod person, and I only get to see the jerk side of him.
“Amber, come on! You have to try one of these!” Katrina hands me a small golden apple, her eyes bright with the joy of a kid herself.
I take a bite. The crunch is satisfying, and the taste…is crisp and tangy, with just enough sweetness to make me want another bite. “Okay, okay, I’m impressed,” I admit with a smile. “It’s really good.”
As we continue exploring, Derek leads the group to a large barn with two enormous slides built inside. The kids squeal, dashing off in excitement, and I laugh as they climb up and then come flying down the slides, their faces lit with delight. Derek stands beside me, arms crossed as he watches them, his face relaxed and open, and for the first time, I see him without the frustration and tension that had underscored our last conversation.
“It’s…nice here.” I glance at him, testing the waters a bit.
He gives a small nod, his eyes still on the kids. “Yeah, it’s home.”
He doesn’t seem so on edge here, and it’s like he’s in his element and a totally different man.
I like this side of him.
“We used to come here when I was a kid just to pick apples. It definitely didn’t look like this. Back then, the Livesays allowed people to come out near the end of the season to get what was left. My mom makes some of the best apple pies in the world, so Teddy and I would help her pick as many apples as possible.”
And I hated every minute of her forcing me to come out here with her. Sharon would follow us around, being overly nice to my mother before making passive-aggressive comments to me when Mom wasn’t paying attention.
“Oh, you got your hair cut? Short isn’t a good look on you.
“Those shorts are…nice. Are they your brother’s?”
“I’m well aware of how good your mom’s pies are.” He chuckles. “Some of the best I’ve ever had, for sure.”
“It’s nice to see the games and the family-oriented parts of the farm. What a nice thing for Hicks Creek to have.”
“Yeah, I’ve made a lot of changes. It’s a family farm, so it only seemed right to do this. My wife hated that I opened it up to the public, but it’s really helped us branch out our sales, too.”
“The animals are a nice touch,” I say just as two giant Great Pyrenees walk behind Casey. “Are those Casey’s dogs?”
“Well…” He chuckles. “They were originally supposed to be guardian dogs for the animals, but they only guard her.”
“She seems to have a way with the animals. I noticed that she really opens up when she talks about them, too. This is the most talkative I’ve seen her.”
“That she does,” he says with a proud grin.
Man, that smile makes my knees weak.
My eyes go to his mouth, and my body remembers exactly what it felt like when he kissed me. I bite the inside of my lip as I watch him bend down to help one of the kids stand after going down the slide too fast.
One of my students calls for my attention. I make my way over to see the sculptures they’re building in the sandbox. The place is magnificent, with a rock-climbing wall and a jungle gym. It’s a child’s paradise, for sure.
“Do you guys want to pet the animals?” Eric asks the group. He has a wide grin plastered on his face as the kids answer with a resounding cheer.
The first time I was around him at the Meet the Teacher night, he seemed like a quiet, shy kid, but he looks in his element out here, too. He is confident and patient with all the kids as he puts his arm around one of the smaller boys struggling to keep up.
We walk out of the play area and follow Eric to a small pen. Derek is already there, petting two fluffy alpacas chewing hay, looking mildly amused at the commotion.
“These two,” he says, pointing, “are Popcorn and Pebbles. They’re friendly, but don’t try to feed them anything. They’re on a strict diet.” He glances at me with a wink as if sharing a secret.
I suck in a breath at the gesture, my stomach doing an excited little flip.
“What’s the diet?” I ask, amused.
He shrugs, still grinning. “Popcorn thinks he’s an escape artist, especially if someone feeds him food outside of the fence. He’ll spend all day following that person and trying to find weak spots to get out.”
The kids all giggle at that.
“Where does he go when he gets out?” Deja asks.
“To the kitchen window.” Casey giggles from behind us. “Or Dad’s bedroom windows.”
“Yeah, he’s a menace.” Derek chuckles. “It still makes me jump when I see him sometimes staring at me in the mornings.”
Next, Derek points at the pasture where a dozen horses lazily grazing on grass. He gives a small history lesson at the same time.
“Can we ride them?” one of the kids pipes up, her eyes wide with hope.
“Not today,” Derek answers. “They’re very particular about who they let on their backs.”
A few of the kids pretend to pout, but he manages to coax smiles out of them with a story about how one of the ponies, Dusty, once tried to eat his hat. They laugh, and I watch, surprised by how good he is with them—how patient. He puts his arm around Casey, and I see her look up at her dad adoringly.
My stomach flips again, and I see Derek in a different light. I thought he was a jerk to her, too, but it doesn’t seem that way. The way he’s so good with all the kids makes me rethink my negative thoughts.
We spend nearly half an hour with the animals, moving from the ponies to a pair of Highland cows with shaggy red coats and gentle, curious eyes and then to a group of piglets that snort and squeal as they run around their pen. The kids are entranced, feeding them bits of apple and giggling as the pigs sniff around, eager for treats.
Derek moves to stand beside me as the kids feed the pigs, crossing his arms with a slight smirk on his face. “So,” he says casually, “what do you think?”
I raise an eyebrow, tilting my head. “Honestly? I’m impressed. You weren’t kidding when you said you’d made it family friendly.”
He nods, looking pleased and full of pride. “It’s good to see it bringing people together,” he says softly, almost to himself.
It’s strange seeing him like this—unburdened and at ease. The tension from our last meeting still lingers, but it’s softened in this setting. And as much as I hate to admit it, I enjoy his company.
We return to the orchard’s main area later, where picnic tables are set up with snacks for the kids. Casey giggles as she points at one of the dogs running around with a bucket on his head.
“She really is a different child out here,” I say with a small sigh.
“Yeah, she’s a tomboy and an outside girl,” he replies.
I take a step forward and feel his arms around my waist. I suck in a breath, the touch sending shock waves through my body.
“Sorry,” he says as he quickly lets me go. “You were about to step in something.”
I glance down quickly to look at what he’d saved me from, but also because the brief contact with him has my face bright red with embarrassment and something else. I can still feel where his arms were around me for a split second, and I’m sad that they’re no longer there.
There’s a pause, a moment when we stand in comfortable silence, watching the kids munch on their snacks. The orchard stretches out around us like a quiet, open space where all the worries from before somehow feel…distant.
“Amber,” he says. “About our last meeting…I didn’t mean to—”
A shout of laughter rings out as one of the kids decides to go down the slide backward, their friends cheering them on.
“I’m sorry about how I was in that meeting,” he continues as he leans closer to my ear.
I can feel heat pool between my legs with him being so close. I inhale slowly, not wanting to show that he’s making me uncomfortable in a good way. I nod. I’ve never been good at accepting apologies, so I quickly put up my hand.
“It’s fine.”
I walk away, needing to put a little space between us. I don’t want him to know that he’s got me flustered.
Casey remains at one of the picnic tables, slowly eating and watching quietly as everyone runs around. I walk over and sit down next to her.
“I guess it’s not as exciting of a place when you live here,” I say lightly.
She nods but doesn’t look up.
“Hey, Casey,” I continue as I bend closer to her like I’m sharing a secret. “Don’t be alarmed, but I think two polar bears are following you everywhere. I hear they like cheese. Maybe they'll go away if I give them some.”
She giggles as she turns around and gazes lovingly back at the dogs. They both pop their head up at the word cheese , which makes her smile brighter.
“They love cheese,” she replies quietly.
“What are their names?”
“Ziggy and Marley.”
“Oh, I love that.”
“Daddy says they match my bracelet.” She smiles.
She raises her arm and shows me a black leather twine bracelet with a silver plate that reads “Every little thing gonna be alright.”
“I didn’t peg your dad as a Bob Marley fan.”
“He is. We listen to it in the car all the time,” she answers.
I figured him for a man who drives in silence or has NPR on constantly. I guess you can’t judge a book by its cover after all.
“What’s it like living out here with all the animals? The alpacas seem really cool.”
“They are, but Popcorn has a crush on Dad. At least, that’s what Eric teases him about. Dad’s bedroom has double doors that lead to the back porch, and Popcorn is always poking his head in there and scaring him.”
“That’s hilarious.”
“Dad pretends to get mad and says he’s going to make Popcorn into a coat or something,” Eric interjects from behind us. “But we know he’s kidding.”
“He’s a closet softy, huh?”
“Very much.” Eric smiles.
I watch as Derek interacts with the other kids, who seem to be having a blast. I’m more focused on Casey, though. This little conversation seems like the breakthrough that I needed.
It’s nice to see all three of them in their element, so confident and happy.
Derek is so handsome. That smile of his is something else. I find myself looking for him when he’s not near, then wishing I was close enough to touch him. This field trip has opened my eyes to him and made me realize that he is not such a bad person.
I’m not sure my heart is ready for those thoughts, though. After Tommy’s betrayal, it’s hard for me to want to put myself out there again.