Page 22 of Butter You Up
Alex’s gaze moves over me, and his eyebrows drop. “Let me make some calls.”
I give him half a smile. “Thanks. Also…” I glance over at the other men, but they’re deep in conversation about—baseball, I think? “You don’t have to tell me any details, but like…you didn’t come to Sunday dinner. Is your family…bad?”
“Bad?”
“You know, like narcissists who you’re better off being no contact with? Emotionally abu?—”
Those brows drawn down even farther. “No.No.” He says the second one so emphatically that Kit glances over. We eat for a few moments and Alex says in a low voice, almost under his breath. “I just don’t fit in there.”
CHAPTER13
MOLLY
I didn’t wantto pry, so I let the topic drop, but the words echoed inside me for a while.
Meanwhile, Alex puts me in touch with an electrician who comes out on Thursday to look at Vaniel.
Quinn crawls all through the van with me, poking her head in to look at the batteries and the wiring. It’s after work, and the sky is darkening, but we have headlamps.
Finally, Quinn hops out and dusts her hands off. She’s fit and tall, wearing jeans and a fitted tee, her blonde hair in a ponytail. “It’s a fun project,” she says. “I can definitely do it.”
“Awesome.”
“However, I’m going to have to put in the time on the weekends.” She grimaces. “I’ve got a pretty full slate of projects during the week. Does that work for you?”
“I work weekends here on this farm, so I’ll be nearby but working. Nights might be easier.”
Quinn shakes her head. “Commuting from Here and back means I can’t come after my main job.”
“From here and back?” I ask, confused.
She laughs. “Here, New York. You know Kit, right? That’s where he’s from. I work for his best friend, Booker, during the week. It’s an hour each way.”
“Oof, that’s a long drive. I hope it’ll be worth it.”
Quinn lifts her bag of tools into the back of her truck. Now, I’m worried about paying for her mileage and drive time, on top of the work.
She laughs again, seeing my face. “Don’t worry. My rates are very reasonable, and Alex mentioned that if I come down, he has a few small jobs for me, and you can split the travel costs.”
“Okay, that’s better.”
“Plus, I’ll get to see Kit.” She grins. She smiles a lot, and I like her.
“Are you two…?”
“Definitely not. Kit’s fun, but he’s not my type. Fortunately, I figured out he wasn’t early on, because that man leaves a trail of broken hearts everywhere he goes. But he’s good to have a drink with, and I like Alex too. They might even let me spend a few Saturday nights at the big house, so I don’t have to drive back.”
I wonder what Alex is like when he’s relaxed and with friends. Does he open up? Do he and Kit balance each other out? Or is Kit where everyone’s attention goes, and Alex fades into the background?
Quinn heads out. When she emails me with the estimate, it’s slightly over what I agreed to with the electrician who ghosted me. But, as much as the Bedd family—on both farms—is feeding me, I think I can make it work.
* * *
I sell so much at the farm shop on Friday that in the afternoon, I have to call Alex to let him know we’re almost out of eggs and whole milk. He doesn’t answer. I mentally kick myself for not getting Kit’s number, as often as we’ve been hanging out.
Another commuter comes in and buys eggs, so I call Alex again. Still no answer. Frustrated, I slap a “back in ten” sign on the door and lock up.
I wish I could whistle, like Kit did to get Alex here the day I came for my job interview. Maybe I should carry a whistle with me to get Trixie’s attention.
