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Sebastian dropped down to her level. “I want to spend all of my time with you, too, but I have to work. We all pull our weight around the farm.”
“I want to pull my weight, too,” Ember insisted stubbornly.
“You’re too little. Why don’t you hang out with Ireland and Grandma in the shop?”
Her nose scrunched up. “It’s too busy in there.”
Sebastian stood and rolled his shoulders back. “She gets overwhelmed in the shop. There are so many people, and it’s so busy. It’s stressful.”
“I don’t blame her.” I had to be outside. It was busy, but the open space and fresh air helped. Emmett had to take breaks from the crowds. He’d work in the fields or stop by his house for lunch to get some quiet time.
“Is Hanna around? I think Marley said they were working on the blog in the craft room today.” It was the unofficial meeting room and office.
“You want to see Hanna?”
Ember’s eyes lit up.
“She loves Hanna. Do you mind if I take her to the office?”
“Not at all. Maybe you should think about asking Hanna if she could help you out and nanny. As a teacher, she’s off on the same holidays as Ember. Summers, too.”
“I want Hanna to babysit me.”
Sebastian sighed as he looked down at Ember. “We’ll see.” Then to me, he said, “I’ll be right back.”
I took over for him until he returned. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, she adores Hanna, and Marley, too.”
“What do you think about asking Hanna to watch Ember?” I asked him, gauging his reaction.
“Is that fair to her? She has a job.”
“It would only be evenings, weekends, and holidays when you’re working at the farm. Maybe the summer. Then you wouldn’t have to send her to so many summer camps.” I remembered him complaining they were expensive and Ember complaining it was like school without the homework.
“It’s not a bad idea.”
I wondered if Sebastian was worried about spending more time with Hanna. Or maybe he didn’t see that Hanna was into him. It was obvious to the rest of us, but it wasn’t clear how he felt about her. He went into hibernation when it came to relationships after Ember was born, and he was left to raise her.
“Think about it.”
“I will. I can’t have her running around the farm with people carrying saws. It’s not safe.”
“Hang in there. Things will get easier.”
Sebastian shot me a dubious look. “I’m a single dad of a girl. When is it going to get easier? When she’s a teenager?”
I chuckled. “That’s not what I’ve heard. Isn’t it more like girls get harder and boys get easier?”
He stretched his neck. “It’s tough being the one responsible for everything. I have guilt about working so much. But I want to do my part, and she loves the farm.”
I clasped his shoulder. “You’ll find the perfect balance, and we’re all here to help.
“I appreciate it. I’m sure it will be easier living here. I just need to figure everything out.”
The best part about working on the farm was that for the last few weeks, I’d been able to come home to Marley.
When we got into bed that night, Marley said, “I can’t believe I’ve been here for months.”
