I shook my head and started folding my slacks to put in my bag. “Why were you looking for me?”
“I wanted to see if you got the job,” he said as he moved to stand next to me. He picked up my blouse and laid it against his chest, as if to see if it would fit. “And I wanted to get a look at you in this get up.”
I smiled as I shook my head and snatched my blouse from his hands. The twins could always get a smile out of me.
He chuckled. “You’re gonna burn out there, Beautiful,” he reminded me.
I pulled my sunblock out of my bag and handed it to him. “I think ahead.”
He poured some lotion into his palm before stepped behind me. I pulled my hair into a high, messy bun. I held my hand over my shoulder so he could put some sunblock in my palm. I began rubbing it into my arms.
“So, did you get the job?” he asked.
I started rubbing lotion on my face. “Yep. Had to convince her though. And she told me I needed college-level art classes.”
“Oh, ouch,” he said.
“Not really. I just hadn’t planned on college,” I explained.
“Did she say you had to graduate?” he asked as I moved on to my chest.
I sighed. “No, she didn’t. But if I go, I might as well, right?” I tried sounding optimistic.
“I don’t know,” Ethan admitted as he stopped rubbing lotion into my back. “I’m not doing college.”
I turned, sat down and took the sunblock from him. “You’re not?”
He shook his head. “I know exactly what I want, and it doesn’t involve college. At least not right away.” I started rubbing sunblock into my legs and feet.
“Music, right?” I smiled.
He nodded. “Yep. Once we make a bigger name for ourselves. We've already started getting a following on YouTube. We just need to build on it; write our own music and get better. We’ll have to bust our asses, but in the end, it’ll be worth it.”
I met his eyes. “I really hope it happens for you.”
He grinned. “Me too.”
Zeke walked into the bedroom. His eyes shot to Ethan then to me. “What are you doing in here?”
“I was changing.” I pointed at my bag.
“And I was helping,” Ethan added. Zeke glared at him, his mouth a hard line.
“Relax, Zeke. He’s messing with you,” I told him. Zeke’s shoulders relaxed a bit. “I was putting on my sunblock.” I got to my feet and put my lotion in my bag.
“Out!” Zeke barked at Ethan. Ethan left, laughing. I put my flats in my bag and picked it up. “You can leave your stuff in here,” he told me.
I turned around and watched him plugging his phone in at his desk. “You aren’t worried I’ll go after your baby pictures?”
He set his phone down. “I moved them weeks ago.”
I walked to the door and set my bag down next to his desk. “Oh, a challenge.”
He walked around the desk and looked down at me. “Come on, we have gardening to do,” he grumbled. I snickered the whole way down the hall. Irritating Zeke was always fun.
Sylvie’s vegetable garden was on the right side of the house, and it was huge. It took everyone working in it to get the vegetables picked and packed for the farmer’s market tomorrow.
I was working in the squash section when my phone rang. I wiped the dirt off my hands and pulled my phone out of my pocket. It was Travis.
“Hey, Travis."
"Hey, I've got some info," Travis announced.
“What’s going on?” I asked as I sat back on my knees.
“The girls’ parents are leaving at five to go to a church support group they are running. They aren’t coming back until around midnight.”
“Um, when does the action usually start?” I asked.
“Around dark.”
“Okay, text me the address and I’ll be there around dark,” I told him before hanging up. Was I really fucking doing this? Everything that could go wrong ran through my mind. I shook my head. Worrying about it wouldn’t help a damn thing. Pushing it out of my mind, I went back to work in the garden.
It was peaceful work with the sun warming my shoulders; my hands were buried in the cool, rich soil. An odd kind of calm filled me. All my worries faded away. I don’t know how long I worked pulling weeds, but eventually the scent of limes met my nose. I smiled.
Isaac squatted across the row from me. Sweat covered his face and soaked the neckline of his tank top. “We’re calling it, Red. Asher and Miles almost have dinner ready.”
I got to my feet and dusted the dirt off my knees before heading back to the house.
“Travis called,” I told him. “I need to head over around dark.”
Isaac wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “We need to head over.”
“You’re sure you want to go?” I asked, wrapping my arm around his waist.
“We’re not letting you go alone,” he told me as we reached the front door. I opened the door and went in. I walked down the hall and used the bathroom to clean up. When I came out, Isaac was looking in Zeke’s room. I smacked him on the butt; he yelped and jumped.
He glared at me. “I thought you were Zeke.”
I snorted. “Zeke smack your ass often?”
He chuckled as he walked into the bathroom. I headed for the kitchen.
“How do you think he’ll do this year?” Asher asked. Miles was at a counter making a fruit salad while Asher was making hamburger patties.
“The last two years he was alright until the month of,” Miles said as he put washed berries in the fruit salad. “I think he’ll be alright until three weeks ahead.”
“We still need to watch him,” Asher countered.
Miles nodded.
I stepped between them and snagged a blueberry from the bowl. “Watch who?” I popped the berry in my mouth and went still. It was not a blueberry. It was sweet, but with an odd almond taste. “What did I just put in my mouth?”
They chuckled.
“That’s a Juneberry,” Asher explained. “They ripened early this year due to the heat wave.” It was tasty. I snagged another one.
“Nifty. Now, who were you talking about?” I popped the berry in my mouth.
“We can’t really say,” Miles said. “It’s… not our history.”
“Oh, okay.” I snagged another berry. “Are you sure you have enough of these?” I ate the berry in my hand and grinned up at Asher.
When I reached for another one, Asher shot me a look. “Not if you keep eating them.”
I giggled as Asher finished making the patties. “Take these to Zeke.”
“Why? So I can’t eavesdrop?” I teased.
“I don’t care about eavesdropping, I’m saving the berries from you,” Asher countered. I took the tray of raw meat and headed for the back door. Miles opened the door for me. I winked at him before heading out. Zeke was at the barbecue with his hand over the grill. I smiled. Tank and Kita were sunning themselves on the roofs of their dog houses nearby. One twitch and Tank was going to fall off.
“I come bearing meat to cook,” I announced as I set the platter on the barbecue shelf.
“Good timing,” he muttered.
I eyed him. “You okay?”
He nodded.
“Zeke?” My voice rasped. I winced.
“Have you heard back from those ghost hunting guys?” he asked.
“Yeah, I need to head over around dark,” I said in my damaged voice as I went to the cooler and pulled out a water bottle. “You want a drink?”
“Water,” Zeke answered.
I picked up another bottle then moved to his side and handed it to him. I took a drink to get my voice back. “Okay, Tough Guy, talk to me.” I wasn’t asking.
His jaw clenched as he seasoned the burgers. “I don’t like these guys knowing what you can do.”
“That’s why Miles had his lawyer draw up the confidentiality agreement,” I reminded him, trying to be patient.
“I still think it’s a stupid risk,” he told me.
“It’s a little girl,” I reminded him. “You saw the photos.”
He nodded. “I know. And I want you to do this.” He turned and met my eyes. “Doesn’t mean I like it.”
I gave him a small understanding smile. “Same here.”
His eyes ran over my face before he went back to the grill. "You need anything before we go?"