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Charlie grinned. “We should get some bunnies. They’d have fun on the farm, and Ella would love them.”
Olivia shook her head. “Unless you want to be a full-time bunny farmer, I think we’re full. I don’t know if rabbits could add anything useful to the farm.”
That turned the conversation to how the animals and birds on the farm all helped—biodiversity, food chains, and the circle of life.
Maybe not a typical dinner conversation for some families, but it matched this group perfectly.
As he ate the excellent meal and helped with the cleanup, he watched Rissa. She listened avidly and contributed when asked a direct question.
Burke wondered again about her life since he’d last seen her. She’d mentioned she hadn’t gone to college, and he’d bet that was money-related. He could have helped with that, although he doubted she would have accepted his money.
What had she done when she turned eighteen? Had she stayed with her father or gone out on her own?
He wondered how she’d supported herself and where she’d lived. He hoped she had a group of friends she spent time with—friends who supported each other and had fun.
He also wanted to know how she created her own job and what lessons she’d learned. He hadn’t checked out her website or her social media yet. Setting up his office in the library had come first, but keeping on half his clients meant he now had time to investigate. Time to dig into her past and see what he could discover.
He assumed she wasn’t currently in a relationship. That would have come up by now, but he’d ask directly soon.
He wanted to know it all.
Burke wanted her to stay so that they could get to know each other as adults.
It was ridiculous how easy it was to picture them as a couple now and in the future. Easy to see them helping out on the farm and preparing lessons decades from now.
If there were any chance she was thinking along the same lines, he’d work his ass off to make it happen. He’d always been great at achieving his goals. This might be the most important one yet.
Chapter 8
A Question Of Taste
Rissa suppressed the urge to cry. She closed her eyes and drew in a few deep breaths to hold herself together. “Why in the world did you take the Q Lab’s engine apart, Lawson? I need to drive it to school in the morning. I’m not breaking my contract.”
Lawson shrugged, regret on his face. Her Q Lab sat directly in front of his barn, and half of her engine lay on tarps surrounding the RV. “I’m sorry, Rissa, but you know that with the timing belt needing to be replaced and the spark plug issue we found, it’s not safe to drive. I ordered the parts, but I don’t know when they’ll arrive. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to dig in deeper. I don’t get to play with engines like this very often and might have gone a little overboard.”
She closed her eyes again and thought through her options. She doubted there were rideshares or taxis in the area. Could there be a car rental agency in Phail? She didn’t remember seeing anything like that. They wouldn’t be common in small towns. What was the closest big city, and how could she get there?
She couldn’t break her contract, couldn’t ruin her reputation over this. Once Lawson headed back to the cottage he shared with Dani, she would cobble the engine together, ensuring it was safe enough for her and Frizzle for the morning.
Lawson cleaned his hands on the rag he’d left on the bumper. “You don’t have to break your contract. It’s not a lesson on how the Q Lab operates. Just gather up whatever you need and one of us will drive you there in the morning, then pick you up when you’re done.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I can’t ask anyone to use up that much fuel and time to get me to my job. I’ll figure it out myself.”
Lawson frowned at her. “It’s not a big deal, Rissa. We help each other out all the time.”
Her voice ratcheted higher. “It’s a huge deal. I’m already in your debt. Your family’s given me a place to park the Q Lab and invited me in for meals. I won’t ask for this as well. I won’t.”
Frizzle barked her welcome bark, and Rissa looked up to find Burke frowning at her. He cleared his face of his frown and bent down to greet Frizzle before looking at her engine parts on the tarps. “More car trouble, I take it?”
Even as she replied in the negative, Lawson shrugged. “I’ve ordered a few parts. Rissa’s RV won’t be drivable until they arrive.”
Embarrassment crawled up her throat. “It won’t be a problem. I’ll get it fixed by morning.”
Lawson frowned and opened his mouth, but Burke beat him to speaking. “Let me drive you. I’ve wanted to see you and Frizzle in action, but if that makes you uncomfortable, I’ll drop you off and pick you up.”
“I can take care of myself.”
To her shock, both men chuckled. Lawson tossed the rag and closed the engine. “No one doubts that, Rissa. You’re probably the most capable person I know, and I grew up in this one’s shadow. Please don’t drive this until we get it fixed properly. You know as well as I do that it’s not safe.”
