Page 130 of We Redeemed the Rain

“No, fine. I’ll take the monthly pay.”

“Alright then. A month first, then I’ll pay bi-weekly. If you last that long.”

He opened his mouth then shut it. He dropped his gaze to the hay and his tone softened. “Is…food included?”

Food.

A lot of unwanted memories flooded my brain. Cooper hungry. Me holding his hand walking to the nearest convenience store. The clerk asking where our parents were. Us counting down hours until the school lunch.

“You know…” I took a deep, tight breath. “In the last few years, you’ve really pissed me off more than I ever thought you could. But you’re my brother. And I’ve always done everything I can to make sure you don’t go hungry.”

Cooper’s gaze hesitantly sought out mine. He looked like my mother. Smaller stature, wide mouth, crinkles at the corners of his eyes.

“I’m not sure what we’ll do about usin’ the kitchen. I need to think it through. For tonight, I’ll bring you a plate. You can use the barn toilet and sink. You have soap?”

He nodded.

“Good. You know where the hose is. It’s like bath water this time of year.”

He touched his lip and winced. “Thanks.”

“I don’t want your thanks. Just show up.”

“Okay.”

We finished mucking in silence then rounded up the horses as the sun set.

Later on, I took him a plate. Bea had made salsa chicken in one of Gran’s ancient crockpots. We ate it on flour tortillas with guacamole. When I delivered a plate to Cooper’s makeshift barn room, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

His low whistle spoke for him. He pulled off the plastic wrap and dug straight in. While I was inside, he’d pushed the boxes, broken tack pieces, and random farm do-dads onto the right wall, and rolled out the mattress pad and sleeping bag against the left. His backpack was unzipped, and an array of personal items were meticulously arranged. A shave bag, a tiny stack of clothing, a Sports Magazine, and…a fancy camera with a zoom lens?

I leaned against the doorframe as he ate. Pointed to the camera with my boot. “Where’d you get that?”

“Bought it a while back.”

“For what?”

“Pictures?”

“Obviously. But, what do you need a huge camera for?”

“Hobby, I guess.”

“That’s cool.”

He shrugged.

“How's your lip?”

“It’s alright.”

An awkward moment of silence stretched between us before Coop chimed back in. “You don’t have to stand there. I know you don’t want to be anywhere near me.”

“That’s not true.”

“You sure?”

“I just don’t like bein’ taken advantage of.”

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