Page 108 of Waking Olivia

“Yeah, but they could use more, and this is a perfect test case. Your father needed to switch up the crops he was growing a few years back, when demand for corn decreased, and he didn’t. The school wants to use the farm to teach students how to change out a field, plant a new crop entirely, work out the profit/loss estimate for the first few years until it flourishes. They’re willing to pay your mother far more to lease it than your father ever earned off crops in his best year, and she’ll get 25% of the profits to boot.”

“And once we’re up and running, they’ll end the lease?” I ask.

“Not necessarily, but that’s okay either way because I’m looking to retire in a few years and I thought I might try my hand at farming.”

“So you want to buy the farm?”

“No,” he says. “Not exactly.” He hesitates. “What I’d like to do is marry your mother.”

I blink at him, momentarily speechless.

I guess I can’t call it “shocking” after everything I’ve seen happen to Olivia, but yeah, it’s still pretty goddamn surprising. It takes me a minute to process the whole thing. “Don’t you think you ought todatefirst?” I finally ask.

“Will,” he laughs, “I’ve been seeing your mother for over a year now.”

“Buthow? I mean, when did this all take place?”

He shakes his head and looks a little sheepish. “I guess you’re not the only one who fell in love behind everyone’s back.”

I’m feeling pretty good about everything until I get back inside and find Brendan with his arms around my girlfriend. Brendan’s smile fades when he sees me over her shoulder – possibly related to the fact that I already want to hit him and I’m guessing it shows on my face.

With an exaggerated sigh he releases her. “Chill, dude. I was just saying hello.”

I glare at him. “Just use words next time.”

“But Olivia gives such good hugs,” he counters, glancing at her chest. “She’s got to be at least, what, a D cup?”

“That was your last hug, asshole,” she says with a laugh, wrapping her arms around my waist.

Olivia’s mood is slightly more forgiving than my own. She’s told me that Brendan was never interested in her and was only trying to bait me before, but it’s going to be a while before the memory of him kissing her stops pissing me off.

“It’s the middle of the week,” I say, struggling to sound civil. “Shouldn’t you be taking finals?”

He shakes his head. “The school let me take them early. I thought you might need some help around here.”

Brendan hasn’t given a shit about the farm since the day he was born. When he was little he used to come home suggesting non-farm jobs to my father, as if possibly my dad just didn’trealizehe could be a pilot or fireman instead. “Help?” I ask, my voice rife with disbelief.

I wait for the punchline but it doesn’t come.

“Yeah,” he says. “It means ‘providing assistance to.’”

“I know what it means, asshole. Are you sayingyoucame back to help with thefarm?”

He shrugs. “Unless you want me to help take care of your girlfriend, which I’m also open to.”

For the first time ever I am almost able to smile at his reference to Olivia. “This will surprise you, but no, I’m not really open to that.”

“Then I’ll just help with the farm. The school said I can take next semester off if I need to. I could even complete my coursework from here.”

“You don’t need to do that,” I argue. “You’re nearly done.”

“I’ve got my whole life to finish school, but my family needs me now. And by the way, if you’ve clung to your girlfriend long enough, you probably should go check on the horses. They’ve eaten more than their fair share of Hamburger Helper this week.”

“They aren’t supposed to eatanyHamburger Helper.”

He grins. “Oops. Then you may want to hurry.”

Ihead to the stables, feeling a little shell-shocked by how much has changed in a few short days. Peter is in love with my mom. Brendan is actually trying to be helpful. And Olivia – she’s safe and she’s home and most of all she’s mine. I’m not sure I’ll ever get my head around that one.

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