AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Carly
The engine turnsto a pleasant rumble, and Annie sweeps her hand across the horizon. Before I can ask what she means about this being our new home, she says, "All this land belongs to my family. We have over ten thousand acres, most of which is trees." The Hummer enters the forest, and white snow flashes in between dark shades of green.
She continues. "We harvest pine for lumber companies, grow Christmas trees, and collect sap to make our own maple syrup." The fir trees are now fading into bare-branched hardwoods, and light filters in. Bits of silver color make me notice small metal buckets attached to trees.
Sierra says, "Those buckets are for the sap, right?" I know she's asking for my benefit, and I smile in a silent thank you.
"Yes. It takes about forty gallons of sap for a gallon of syrup, and you get that much from about two trees." The road is uneven, and we bounce a bit as the truck progresses.
I say, "Wow, I had no idea."
Annie smiles and gives me a quick glance. "We have thousands of trees and are one of the major suppliers for maple syrup. I hope you like it, because we eat it year round."
She's focused on the road, and it occurs to me that there isn't enough room for more than one car. What happens if we encounter another? "Really? That's a lot of pancakes." Too bad I'm a bacon and eggs girl.
"Oh, we use it for much more than pancakes. I put it in beans, barbecue sauce, muffins, on squash, over ice cream, and we're even making vodka with it now."
My stomach grumbles, and Annie chuckles. "Don't worry, I'll feed you soon. Brady will be done with work by six, and you're invited to eat with us."
Wait, us as in Brady and Annie? Crap on a cracker, I'm lusting after her man? But why the sly smile when she saw my reaction to the scent of his jacket? Hell, I'm getting to the bottom of this.
I ask, "Is Brady your husband?"
Annie pats my leg with pink-nail-polished fingers. "Oh, no. He's my brother, and you'd better say yes to dinner or he'll be very disappointed."
Relief floods my body. "Oh, good."Crap, did I just say that out loud?I suppose I can ask probing questions now.
"What did you mean this might be our new home?" The dank smell of spring earth is coming through a vent.
"Oh, boy. I knew I shouldn't have said that." Annie sighs. "There's so much to be explained, and Brady wants to do it, but I can tell you we want you to live here and become part of our family business."
Sierra asks, "So you sent us the sign? Wouldn't it have been simpler to just advertise job openings?"
Annie shakes her head, and her hair sways, reminding me of my dream guy's shaggy appearance. I have no doubt he's Brady. "Again, I'm going to have to let Brady explain, but no. We need a specific kind of person, and the sign ensured only the right ones would come."
Sierra says, "So mysterious. I'm anxious to meet this Brady."
Annie says, "I don't think Brady is who you want to meet. Your ma–damn it." Her eyes flash to the rearview mirror to look at Sierra. "I'm sorry. What I meant is Keith is joining us for dinner too, and I think you might find him more attractive than Brady."
Sierra leans forward to be between the bucket seats. "Tell me more."
Annie snorts. "Let's just say I'm going to feel like the fifth wheel tonight."
I turn to look at Sierra, and she grins. That girl thinks about sex more than most men, and I wish I was as comfortable as she is with the prospect of hooking up with our dream guys. Unfortunately, experience is making me nervous, and the jitters in my stomach right now are more from fear of rejection than lust. I shake off the thought, because we wouldn’t have made it here if we weren’t destined to be with these men.
The end of the road appears bright, and I notice the forest clears up ahead. Annie says, "You're about to see my favorite place." We stop at a parking area by a lake. A sloped section leads into the water, and sand is spread out on it, making a small beach. Pine trees stand tall around the perimeter, and I’m fascinated by branches that are broken dead nubs until near the top. "This is our lake. Isn't it wonderful?"
Sierra says, "You have a lake. Yeah, this is wonderful. Can you skate on it?"
I look out and see what looks like a big piece of ice floating in the middle of the water, which tells me it's begun to thaw.
"Sure. When I was a kid we skated almost every day. All of us were great hockey players, and I was even on the high school team." She lets out a big sigh.
I say, "You sound sad. Don't you skate anymore?"
Annie shakes her head. "No, we all grew up, and without children around, the lake is quiet."
Sierra asks, "Don't your employees have kids that would like to play out here? I'll bet a company skating party would be fun."
