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"Hey, Brit." George gets to his feet to hug her. Then he shakes the hand of the man with her. "Henry, good to see you, man."
Brit says hellos around the table, then stops next to Dani. "I called Henry to have a look at the barn. The cousins do good work, but Henry knows where to go for permits and he's a good back up if Deacon and Sloane have to go back to North Carolina." I've learned from spending time with the family today that Deacon and Sloane own a construction business in North Carolina and are the brains behind the barn construction.
Dani smiles at her cousin. "That's great, Brittany. Thank you." She stands and shakes Henry's hand. "Dandelion Weston. Would you like to have a meal? Or dessert? It's about to come out."
"I actually need to get back to my son," Henry says. "I hate to interrupt your meal, but if you could point me toward the—"
"Do you have any actual experience constructing a barn?" Goldy appears from seemingly nowhere.
Next to me, Dani tenses, her shoulders hunching forward. "Goldy, I am fully capable of asking those sorts of questions." She rolls her shoulders out. "Thank you for coming by, Henry, but I'm afraid I can't afford to hire a contractor right now."
"I'd like to offer my services for free. Brit tells me your cousins can get all the materials and can do most of the work themselves. I'd just be here to offer a hand when it's needed." Henry turns to Goldy. "And I've built twelve barns and three houses. Would you like the phone numbers of my clients?"
Goldy stares Henry down for a long moment, then sniffs. "That won't be necessary. I suppose I know you well enough to take your word for it."
"I'm glad to hear that." Henry beams at her like she just paid him a compliment.
"Dani's right, anyway." Goldy looks anywhere but at Henry. "This is none of my business, so long as this side job of yours doesn't pull you away from the work you're doing for Brit at the preschool."
"As I've told you before, Goldenrod, the preschool is my priority."
"My name is Goldy." Goldy turns and walks away.
Henry watches her until she takes her seat.
We all watch him watching her. Their whole interaction was so odd.
Brit looks like she's ready to break into song.
When Goldy takes her seat, she glances back at us and flinches when she notices Henry still watching her. She frowns and turns to the man seated next to her.
Henry turns back to us.
"I can show you the barn," Brit says. "At least what there is of it so far."
"What was that?" I ask as Henry and Brit walk away.
"That was Goldy interfering in my business." Dani glares at her sister's back across the table and picnic blankets between them. "She thinks I'm going to fail at this sanctuary farm and she's going to be left picking up the pieces."
I'd been wondering about the obvious tension between Goldy and Henry, but Dani's anger is more important. Not just anger, I realize as I study the side of her face, but hurt. My family has never been anything but supportive of me and my dreams. I can't imagine how much it would hurt if they weren't.
Having never been in her situation, I have no idea what to say to Dani to make it better, so I take her hand, balled into a fist on her thigh, and wrap mine around it, giving it a squeeze.
She turns her glare on me and I have the feeling of weightlessness, of being caught in a moment that could change everything if I make one wrong move. Probably the way Dani felt with her toes hanging over the edge of that cliff.
"You'll prove her wrong," I say with every bit of the confidence I feel, because I believe in her. This is a woman who created a job for herself at Lazy's bookstore. She is power and sheer stubbornness of will, and I can't imagine anyone or anything standing in her way.
Her face crumples and her eyes go glassy. "What if she's right? What if I let down Mari and the pigs and Honey and your sister and—" She shakes her head and looks away, swiping at a tear that drops. "I'm not a businessperson and if I lose again, I—" She jerks her hand free from mine and pushes her chair back. "I'm going to talk to Henry about the barn."
I let her go because she clearly wants to escape me and I'm not her boyfriend. As far as she seems to be concerned, I'm barely her friend, and she's obviously in no mood to open up or tell me what's really got her so upset. Maybe if I hadn't been an asshole to her for the better of the day, she'd be more trusting.
"She'll come around." Clover pops into Dani's seat, dried mud on her cheek, her ponytail loose and messy. She's rolled the sleeves of her t-shirt over her shoulders to reveal toned, tanned arms. "Don't give up on her."
"She doesn't even like me," I say before I can think better of confessing to Dani's sister.
"Dani likes everyone. You're good for her."
I can't explain why, but another of Dani's sisters speaking so confidently about what's best for Dani annoys me. "I think that's for Dani to decide."
