Page 76 of Protect My Heart
‘The orchard,’ he blurts out. ‘Mia was there last fall with her friend.’
‘Nora,’ I say. ‘Mom, you remember Nora. You met her last summer.’
‘Yes, the professor with the big hair and big glasses.’
‘Yeah, that’s her. Anyway, we went to the orchard to pick apples and Jason was there.’
‘I was driving the tractor,’ he says. ‘Taking people to the fields.’
‘You can drive a tractor?’ my dad asks, sounding slightly impressed. He used to be an engineer, but he grew up on a farm in Vermont. He talks about it all the time. Sometimes I think he would’ve been happier being a farmer than an engineer.
‘I’ve been driving it since I was a teenager,’ Jason says. ‘My brothers and I always had to pitch in at the orchard in the fall. We still do.’
‘That orchard is quite well known,’ my mom says. ‘Even our friends back in Boston had heard of it. They saw it mentioned in some of the travel magazines.’
Jason nods. ‘Yeah, we get a lot of media coverage, especially in the fall.’
‘Your parents are still running it?’ my dad asks.
‘They help out, but Nick, my older brother, took it over last summer.’
‘We’ll have to meet your parents while we’re here,’ my mom says. ‘Maybe today!’
Jason gives me that look again, the one that says this is getting out of control.
‘They aren’t feeling well,’ I say to my mom. ‘Jason talked to them this morning and it sounds like they might have the flu.’
My mom frowns. ‘Oh, that’s a shame. Perhaps they’d be up for a phone call.’
‘You ever been to Boston?’ my dad asks Jason.
‘No, I never have.’
‘Hope you’ve saved up some money. Houses there are going through the roof.’
‘Walter, don’t be so negative,’ my mom says. ‘I’m sure they’ll find something that’s more reasonably priced.’
Jason clears his throat, like he’s signaling me to tell them wehaven’t decided we’re living in Boston. But why tell them that? It would just upset them, and it’s not like any of this is real. When our fake engagement ends, I’ll go to Boston and Jason will stay here.
Two women race up to Jason, a younger woman with blonde hair and an older lady with dark hair.
‘Is it true?’ the blonde woman asks. ‘Are you really getting married?’
‘Um, yeah.’ Jason sits up straighter, giving me that look again.
‘When did this happen?’ the older woman asks.
‘Recently,’ I answer. ‘We haven’t told many people yet.’
The older woman laughs. ‘You don’t have to. In a town this size, everyone will know by the end of the day. And you’re the lucky lady, I assume?’
‘I am. Mia Daniels.’
The waitress comes back with our food. ‘Can you believe it?’ she says to the two women who remain next to Jason. ‘Another Kanfield boy, taken.’
‘There’s none left,’ the blonde woman says. ‘I heard Sawyer’s going to propose to Gina soon. Brody will be after that.’
‘Can we eat without all this chatter going on?’ my dad says.
