I wanted what everyone else in my family had. Everyone else but Andrew. I hadn’t quite figured out what kept him single. He was a good-looking guy, objectively speaking.
“We can talk it over with Dad. I heard you had a proposal for the Ramsey land as well.”
“Yeah, the stats came back super clean. I think just rotating the plants like we do now would be enough to keep it enriched. One season of cattle grazing, one season of soybeans, then we can plant the corn.”
“And how does Owen feel about this?” he asked, as I made my way down the steps to the main floor.
“What do you mean?”
My stomach clenched at the thought of tearing up his family's land, but it needed to be done. The soil was rich with nutrients, his father must’ve just mishandled everything he planted. But it wasn’t my job to tell him his mother sold it to us. Not that she’d had much choice. Thank goodness my father swept in when he did, because Jim Ramsey had been close to making the entire property a nightmare for Beverly and Owen, from the grave.
“I heard you two were seeing each other.”
“We’re… dating, if that’s what you’re inquiring about.”
“And does he know we own his family’s land, even after he’s been sending money to his mother for the last four years, ever since he went pro?”
“No. I just…. I think he needs to talk to his mom first. There’s a lot he doesn’t know,” I said, twisting my fingers together in front of my clenching stomach.
“I agree, but don’t let it get back to him that you knew all along and said nothing. He’ll blame you, regardless of if you were the instigator.”
Andrew was right. Biting my lip, I snatched his beer from my coffee table and took a hearty sip.
“I should tell him.”
“No, you should explain to Beverly that you need her to tell him.”
Nodding, I gulped down another mouthful before setting it back on the table.
“I like him for you, you know.”
“Really? I thought you hate all guys we date.”
“As a generality, yes, but Owen’s a good kid. I can’t tell you how many nights I stayed at the ballpark watching him from the bench with Coach Rudicell long after the practice ended, and then he’d practice with a few younger kids who showed interest.”
In my head, I wondered if it was because he hadn’t wanted to go home.
“Yeah, he loves baseball.”
“Anything he sees worth in, he loves. Sad to hear about his wedding though, but in the end, everything works out, it seems.”
“You’re being awfully calm, knowing I have a boyfriend.”
He shrugged and chugged the rest of the beer. “Mom’s making chicken pot pie, and I don’t want to be late. You ready?”
“Yeah.”
When we arrived at the house, there was a slew of extra place settings, plus an extra table extended off our normal dining table. This wasn’t completely abnormal. We always fed the workers and their families during the harvest. And as the groups started to arrive, the space in the open-concept dining and living rooms dwindled into practically nothing.
The workers gathered in clusters. My siblings, their husbands, and the kids collected near the large fireplace, and my parents stood together in the kitchen, watching everyone mingle.
Andrew and I stood off to the side like the outcasts we were. Even though we were together, it felt… lonely.
Mom called out to everyone that dinner was ready. The groups started gathering around the tables. Once we were all settled, I noticed two extra seats, one of them being next to me. Andrew and I locked eyes across the way. I wasn’t sure who else we were expecting to dine with the family that evening.
“Sorry we’re late,” a gentle voice called out as she entered the dining area, Beverly’s eyes twinkling with happiness.
Quickly, I spun around in my chair to look at the main hallway. Owen walked in behind his mom, chin tucked toward his chest, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.
“It’s nice to see you again, Owen,” my mom said as she gestured to the open seat next to me. “You can take the seat next to Aspen. Beverly, you can join me over here.”
Owen lifted his head, and our gazes locked as he walked toward the open chair and sat down. He greeted everyone in our area nicely, then leaned to whisper in my ear, “You’ve been ignoring me this week.”
I had been. Ever since our make-out session on Tuesday night, I made myself scarce. I avoided his calls, cringing whenever his name popped up on the screen. He even tried to track me down on the farm on Friday, but thankfully, I’d been away, negotiating the delivery and pickup schedule for the start of harvest this week.
“I have,” I whispered back, as Mom set out the rolls. Andrew snatched the basket off the table the second she stepped away and grabbed two handfuls of the homemade goodness.
“Why?”
Exasperated, I turn to face him, the tips of our noses nearly brushing against each other. “Because I was embarrassed, okay?”
“Nothing to be embarrassed about, cricket.”
Across the way, Andrew snickered. “Trouble in paradise?”
“Nah, all is good,” Owen replied before I could start verbally attacking my brother. He stretched his arm along the back of my chair, running his fingers along the exposed skin of my upper arm. My body immediately erupted in shivers.
“How’s your arm, dear?” Beverly asked from her spot six chairs down and on the other side. Her skin was no longer the ghostish pallor it had been a year ago when she began working for us. Her sunken features had plumped, and she looked the healthiest I’d ever seen her.
