I grunted, still too raw from my father’s appearance last night to engage in Noel’s lighthearted teasing. I took a big bite of pie, finishing off my plate, then stood. “I better hurry. Got a busy day ahead. You okay to open the shop, Maggie?”
Noel straightened. “Actually, I’m going to run the shop for Mom today.”
“You are?” Maggie said, sounding surprised but pleased.
“Yep!”
“You are,” I echoed. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
He shrugged. “Well, it’s my family’s farm. Seems only right.”
Maggie nodded. “It’s a busy day. It’ll be good to have some extra help, Hopper.”
Noel beamed. “See, Hopper? Youneedme.”
I scowled, wanting very much to tell him how much I didnotneed him getting in my way on the busiest day of the year. Buthell, Maggie looked pleased as punch, and it wasn’t as if I had much say in the matter. I was an employee, not an owner.
Noel had been away for years, but he had more say about what happened at the farm than I did.
I carried my plate to the sink. “Let’s get on with it, then. We’ve got a lot to do.”
Noel followed me outside and across the yard, tugging a beanie over his messy bed head. Damn, he was cute.
Cinnamon came out with us, eager to romp in the little bit of snow that clung to the ground. We hadn’t had a big snowstorm yet. Might not, with the way the winters had gotten milder these past couple of years. Too bad. The farm looked gorgeous when it was blanketed in a fresh new layer.
Today, the ground was more of a muddy slush.
“Where’s the arbor for the entrance?” Noel asked as he followed me to a stack of cut trees I’d piled by the side of the old barn we’d converted into a store.
“Gone.” I grabbed the rope binding the limbs of a Douglas fir and tugged it upright. “Grab me the shears from inside the store.”
“What do you mean,gone?”Noel went to the big wooden door and waggled the padlock on it. “This is locked.”
I leaned the tree against the barn and unhooked the carabiner holding my keys from my belt loop. I tossed them toward him.
They dropped into the snow at his feet.
Noel glared at me.
“What? You were supposed to catch them.”
“Fucking jocks,” he muttered under his breath as he snatched up the keys and fit the smallest one into the padlock. “Why is the arbor gone?”
“Well, long story short, someone placed it a little too close to the bonfire one year.”
Noel whipped his head toward me, eyes wide. “You didn’t.”
“No,” I said slowly. “I didn’t.”
“Damn it.” He shook his head. “I should have realized they were getting too old for this.”
“It’s been a while since you visited,” I said, keeping my tone neutral. “Time has a way of getting away from us.”
“That’s a nice way to put it.” He turned away to pull open the heavy barn door. “But I know I got too caught up in my career. I worked such long hours, and there was never enough time—” He stopped short. “I’m not making excuses. I should have done better.”
“I know a little something about long hours,” I said, wanting to toss him a bone.
He smiled. “Yeah. Dawn to dusk. Try dawn to midnight.”
