That was the damn truth.
“But people around here invest in shit, too,” he went on. “And Drew can take the bookkeeping back once he’s healed, especially if we move stuff online?—”
“Good luck with that,” I murmured. “I offered to tutor Drew on the software myself, and he won’t hear of it. I guess he enjoystoiling over his ledgers with his feather quill by the light of a single candle.”
Webb snickered. “He’s notthatbad. But my point is, once you’ve caught up on the backlog, you’ll have time to do other stuff. Maybe open some kind of financial consulting place here?”
I shook my head. Everything in me flinched at the idea. It would be like serving myself a steaming plate of failure. It would be shrinking my life down to meaninglessness. My job was who Iwas.“Let’s just see how things go, okay?”
In other words, let’s see how fast Drew got better, and how fastIgot better, and how quickly I could escape back to the city.
He coughed. “In the meantime, maybe you could help us set up retirement accounts for our employees? Gage mentioned the idea offhandedly the other day. I thought?—”
“Ofcourseit was his idea,” I said flatly. I finally flipped open the menu, though I couldn’t make myself concentrate on the words.
Webb threw up his hands. “I don’t get why you dislike him. It’s… there’s no logic to it, Knox. He’s a nice guy. Areallynice guy.”
“I don’t dislike him… exactly. He’s just annoying. He’s got a brain like a demented chipmunk, and he chirps at me constantly. No one should be that cheerful. I lived alone for a long time, you know? And now he’s… in my space.” Wearing nothing but ramen-printed boxer shorts slung low over his hips as he walked through the living room on his way to the bathroom in the mornings, so I could almost feel the warmth and sleepiness coming off him. I cleared my throat. “And? Not to be Debbie Downer, but he’s fucking expensive, too. My buy-in money paid off all the orchard’s debts, and you’ll be turning a decent profit, but if you want to do those irrigation updates and regrade the roads up to the back of the property, you can’t go crazy.”
“But the updates Gage is doing will improve yields and save money in the long term,” Webb interrupted.
“No, I know, but?—”
“I look at Gage and see someone young and ambitious, just like you were. His professors say he’s smart and reliable, he just needs room to run. I like him, Knox. He fits. He brings an energy to the place—or at least he does when you’re not side-eyeing him and putting him down. Give the guy a chance, would you? Just… be friendly. The last thing I want is for him to walk out before he finishes the work because you’re being an asshole. Thatwouldbe expensive.”
“Yeah.” I rolled my lips together. “You’re right.”
“I’m not saying you have to be besties.” He snorted. “I mean, he’s half your age.”
“Right.”
“He’s almost the same age as Porter.”
“Yep.”
“Your driver’s license is older than this guy.” Webb snickered. “You probably lost your virginity before he even?—”
“Yes! Yes, thank you, Webb, I’m aware of how ages work.”
“Just sayin’, I know you won’t be friends, but you can be friendly. And if he’s in your space too much, move back into the farmhouse.”
God, wouldn’t that be great? The icing on the failure cake. “Sure. Maybe you and I can sleep in bunk beds like we used to.”
Webb snorted. “No way. You snore.”
Not anymore, I didn’t. These days I didn’t sleep long enough to snore.
“Hey, you guys.” Hawk slid onto the bench beside me in a fluid motion, still wearing his Panini Jack’s T-shirt and half apron, knocking into my hip. The Brother Code compelled me to shove his head until he squawked. “Nice of you to let me know you were here. D’you order yet?”
“I figured you’d find us when it was time for your break.” Webb grinned. “And no.”
“What’s good?” I demanded.
“Panini of the day. Havarti and apple with honey mustard. Smells delicious, and I’ve been dying for one all day. I might even have two,” Hawk said.
“Done.” I closed my menu. “I’ll have the same.”
But the two sandwiches comment had made me think of Goodman, who’d been heating a burrito when I’d left the office at noon, and that made me say acerbically, “Webb’s such a softie I bet he’ll be getting his favorite employee a couple, also. Pretty sure Goodman only had two breakfasts and elevenses before lunch. He’ll be wasting away.”
