Page 48 of Home in the Country
Biting his lip, he turns and walks back toward the garage, and once again I’m left watching his glorious backside walk away from me.
15
OTTO
Lifting my shirt up, I wipe the sweat from my face. It’s hotter than Hades out here today, and we haven’t taken a break all day. Case reaches in the cooler and tosses me a water bottle before cracking open one for himself.
“What do you think? Two? Maybe three days left?”
I nod as I take a sip. “I think three just to be safe. We’re still waitin’ on those bags of mulch, and I want to make sure we’ve got enough time to get it all cleaned up.”
We talk a little more about logistics and the pros and cons of tradin’ out the bushes on the far end when my phone rings.
Pulling it from my pocket, I smile before answering, “Hey, Cullen, what can I do you for?”
“Otto, I’m glad I caught you. I know you and Case are busy, but I was hopin’ to talk to you guys about refreshin’ the landscape over at the farm. Gwen and I were talking, and she has some really good ideas.”
My smile stretches ear to ear as I listen. “You and Gwen, huh?”
“Is that the only part you heard?”
“Naw, I heard the rest, but that’s the part I wanna talk about.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re exhausting?”
“At least one person already today. But seriously, I think you’re great for her. Gwen is a real special girl, and I’m just glad to see her finally happy.”
He clears his throat. “Well, I appreciate that—feels like I’m finally doing things right this time around.”
“I’ll talk to Case and then see when we can make it over there.”
“Sounds good, Otto. Thank you.”
“Bye now.”
Hanging up, I turn to my brother who is starin’ at me with an expression I’m not quite sure how to read.
“Cullen wants to know when we can get over there and give himand Gwenan estimate for updating the farm. Said she’s got some real good ideas.”
I grin and he does too before clapping his hands together and rubbing them back and forth.
“Finally! I’ve been dyin’ to get my hands on that place since we did the work the last time.”
Harry Aubergine, whose name Isla finds hilarious for some reason, had hired us before the decals had been smoothed out on our truck. He’d been real good to us over the years, letting us change out flowers for the season, but as the farm changed, he’d focused on areas other than landscaping.
With Cullen Andrews at the helm now and Gwen workin’ her magic on him, the possibilities seem endless.
After making a plan, Case and I finish out our day, and he heads over to Montana’s farm to grab a couple things while I head over to meet Cullen.
I’m hit with a sense of nostalgia as soon as I step out of the truck. Darling Farms was basically my backyard growing up, and there’s not one bad memory attached to the orchard.
Cullen meets me in the gravel driveway with the smile of a man enjoying retirement.
”Hey, Otto, thanks for coming.” Cullen shakes my outstretched hand with a firm grip. Dude must have been a force in the boardroom. I totally see where Isla gets her boss status from.
I love the shit out of her, but she’s a pint-sized version of “don’t fuck with me” in expensive packaging.
“What’s the smile for?” Cullen asks.
