Page 13 of Wolves & Watercolors
“Yeah.” I have to clear the grit from my throat. “We’ve got a lot of people to provide food for.”
“I bet it’s great quality compared to the grocery store, right?”
I nod. There’s more to it than that, but I sense she understands.
“We have a chicken coop and two milking goats in the back,” I say, gesturing to the sloped buildings on their side of my storage shed. A few larger fruit trees block most of them from view.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.” I rub the back of my neck, feeling awkward. “Do you want to see them?”
“No,” she says quickly. “Um, not today, that’s okay.” Her posture curves inwards, her confidence wavering. Interesting.
“So what are you working on this morning?” she asks, changing the subject smoothly.
“I’m prepping to plant some seeds.”
“Do you mostly plant from seed?” Those honey eyes study mine, and I turn my trowel over in my hand nervously.
“Mostly seedlings, but some things are better from seed.”
She steps closer and I smell something floral under the scent of paint. Her eyes alight, mouth quirking into a smile. “Okay, let’s get to work!”
“You don’t need to.”
“Just let me. When I get bored, I’ll go paint.”
Hands propped on her hips and her bottom lip jutted out, she looks so much like Hazel and yet so different. Hazel is rarely obstinate and never enjoys arguing. I have a feeling Aurora would love some verbal sparring.
“Alright.”
“So what are we planting?” she asks, her hands sweeping out.
Picking up my tote, I sigh. “This part of the bed is going to be radishes, and the rest will be carrots.”
“Great!”
“Here, I’ll dig a small trench, and you drop the seeds in. Space them out about an inch apart, and we can thin them later.” I place the jar of radish seeds into her waiting hand.
“Cool, let’s do it.”
She grins at me while I crouch and drag my trowel through the dirt. Three rows fit across the open space before I move over and start on the next patch. I can’t help but peek at Aurora. With her tongue against her upper lip, she delicately sprinkles seeds along the lines I left behind.
“Does that look good?” she asks, meeting my gaze again.
My eyes drop to the dirt in front of me. “Oh, yeah. Perfect.”
A low laugh tumbles out of her. “Glad I can manage dropping seeds in a hole.” I’m not a fan of the sarcasm edging her words. It’s a little too self-deprecating.
Standing, I shake the hair off my forehead. “I.” My voice catches, and I have to clear my throat. “I’m getting my hoe for the next bed. It’s a lot bigger.”
Aurora pops up, one eyebrow raised. My words echo back to me, and I could burrow into the soil and die. “You know, a garden hoe, like a little shovel.” My face is flaming.
Aurora grabs my shoulder as her head dips and she struggles to breathe through her silent laughter. Her nails prick my skin through my shirt, making my back straighten.
She comes up, her face a beautiful pink. “Did you seriously just say you’re getting your hoe for the bigger bed?”
Scoffing, I fold my arms over my chest. “Yes, because I’m not thirteen years old.”
