Page 87 of Apple of My Eye
‘Yeah,’ I hesitate, not knowing how much to reveal about my relationship with his little sister and deciding to air on the side of caution. I twiddle my thumbs. ‘So, what do you do when you really miss it? Hike?’
Linden laughs. ‘Hiking doesn’t really cut it for me.’ He gives me a shrewd look and I still underneath his calculating stare. Eloise told me he was smart, but not that he was so intimidating. I set my shoulders, not wanting to seem cowed. ‘I volunteer,’ he says after a beat.
‘That was not the answer I was expecting,’ I admit. ‘But I’m intrigued.’
‘With the Sausalito farming community,’ Linden explains. ‘I work in finance, and I help a lot of them apply for loans.’
‘That’s really cool.’
He nods. ‘I’ve gotta get back to work, but you seem business savvy—’ he glances at my backpack, which has a Stanford MBA logo emblazoned across the top ‘—so if it’s something you’re interested in, you should come to our next meeting.’
‘Yeah, definitely .?.?. that’d be great, man. I really appreciate that.’
Linden nods once before heading towards the door. ‘DM me. I’ll send you the details.’
‘Will do. Nice to meet you,’ I call after him.
Maybe creepily stalking my ex-girlfriend’s (am I allowed to call her that?) brother wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
I’m rebuffing Linden’s laughter when Harvey skirts around me, narrowly missing running straight into my chest and spilling the cocktails he’s carrying.
It’s a little after 9 p.m. and Linden and I are out at a bar after the Sausalito Farming Committee’s weekly meeting. Linden is in the middle of roasting me alive for buying a carbon copy of the outfit he was wearing last week.
‘But that’s thereasonyou have an Instagram,’ I remind him, ‘so that people will buy the clothes you wear!’
He’s still laughing at me when I clock Harvey.
‘Harvey—’ I tap his shoulder ‘—good to see you, man.’
‘Nick Russo,’ he returns, ever the businessman, grasping my hand in a firm shake. ‘What a surprise.’
‘What brings you to town?’
‘Oh, you know—’ Harvey shrugs ‘—this and that.’
‘This is Linden. Linden, meet Harvey. He’s one of the brokers for that Scott’s Orchards deal I told you about.’
Harvey and Linden greet each other with the practiced warmth of people who make deals for a living, but before Linden can explain he’s an Anderson, I ask Harvey if he’s heard from the Parkers. I’ve followed up with Betsy about once a week since I left, wondering what she decided to do, but as far as I know they’re still undecided.
Harvey shakes his head. ‘Still nothing. I don’t know what I expect from those hicks. They don’t know what’s good for them.’
Linden stiffens beside me. He’s not one for confrontation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he let a punch loose and caught Harvey square in the jaw.
I steady the anger roiling within me with a deep breath. ‘The Parkers are smart, Harv,’ I say, my voice low.
Harvey’s eyes widen almost imperceptibly, but he takes a step back. ‘Of course,’ he says, ‘I was just joking. I didn’t mean anything by it.’
The three of us are silent for a beat before Harvey mutters an excuse and leaves with his drinks.
‘Man.’ Linden runs a hand through his hair.
‘Look, I’m really sorry about that,’ I say quickly, ‘I didn’t know he was such a dick. I thought he made the Parkers a good offer.’
Linden sighs, his shoulders drooping. ‘He may have offered them money, but I can guarantee that isn’t the only reason they do what they do. Farmers are a hell of a lot smarter than assholes like him give them credit for. They could do something else if they wanted to make more money. But they care more about their communities, about doing something tangible and gratifying .?.?.’ He trails off. ‘Sometimes I wonder if I care more about that too,’ he admits. ‘But I can’t give up my eight-dollar morning lattes to save the world. At least not yet.’ He forces a chuckle. ‘Not that I’ve gotten Eloise to understand that.’
‘Yeah,’ I agree. But it’s hard for me to focus on what Linden’s saying when all I’m thinking is,Oh shit. If Harvey’s character is any indication, Eloise was right about Scott’s Orchards. Was I too blinded by my own ambition to see it?
Chapter Thirty-Nine
