Page 20 of Finding Basil
Herb loved Basil’s sister, who sat with them the whole evening. She glowed when she was around her brother. They were indeed as close as Basil had told him.
When Basil was fetching her some pie, she told Herb, “I’m supposed to be the sister who warns the guy to be good to her brother, but since you guys aren’t officially together yet, I guess I can’t. Besides, I think you know to be good to him.”
“I’m surrounded by reminders that I’m up against a literal army if I weren’t,” Herb said to her, laughing. When he grew serious, he confessed to her, “I’ve never in my life met someone and felt such an instant connection. It’s like I’ve known him for years, and it’s been a week. Less.”
“He’s that way. He makes friends instantly, and he’s never had a boyfriend that beat around the bush for long. That guy knows what he wants, and he gets it. He could be anything, do anything in the world, and he wants to be a farmer. He wants to take over the family business when the rest of us run from it, mostly, anyway. I mean, we all have some part of it, but none of the other kids wanted to actually grow things.”
“And he does.”
“He does.”
She absently rubbed her flat stomach protectively as she spoke of her family. “There is nothing in the world he’d love more than to teach everyone how to grow. He’s a big proponent of everyone having their own gardens, of using farming for trade too.”
“I can tell. He lights up when he’s in my greenhouse and looking out at the fields.”
“It’s in his blood.” She smiled at him and laid her hand over his. “You really do like him.”
“What’s not to like? Handsome, smart, sweet.”
“He’s got a temper,” she warned, laughing. “And he’s one to give silent treatments. It’s mostly because he couldn’t raise his voice to anyone if he tried. So, it goes the other way. He went for a week not speaking to me once. It killed me.”
“I’ll try not to piss him off.”
Basil took his hand when the food was cleared away and the tables pushed back to dance. They weren’t alone, dancing. His parents danced close as one of Basil’s cousins played a slow, lovely tune on his guitar, and the white twinkle lights left a soft glow over the couples.
Basil smiled as he said, “Were you finding out all my secrets?”
“From your sister?”
“Yeah.”
“Just the important one.”
Basil stopped moving as he asked, “Want to go for a walk? I’ll show you the orchard.”
“Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
That smile produced a dimple near the corner of his mouth. “Shush.”
Being led to the orchard was big, and that fact didn’t pass Herb’s attention. It was the part of his family business that drove Basil and sharing that with Herb wasn’t a small thing.
The night was beautiful, and the soft strumming of the guitar faded only a little as they left the yard and started down the small field toward the trees.
“Smell that air,” Herb said, taking in a huge breath of it. “The city never smells this way except for maybe about a minute after a good rain. Clean, invigorating, you know, like you’re really alive and not in some dystopian movie where you live in a dome or something.”
Basil chuckled a little and commented, “Wow, great imagination.”
“Oh, that. I once had the desire to write novels, but talk about a pipe dream.”
“Why? I think you’d be great.”
Herb loved the compliment but doubted the thought. “It’s…a dream of pure fantasy.”
“Those are the best kind, aren’t they?”
Herb nodded in agreement. “I guess so, yeah. Still, it would be a chance of rejection I don’t know if I’m up for. This house was a bit of a dream too, and so far, it’s costing me a fortune as it falls apart around my head. Farming, well, I’m hoping it will go better, but it’s a big chance too. Lots of chances I’m already taking. Not to mention, I am pretty sure I’ve got a huge crush on this guy I just met.”
Though he was staring straight ahead as he walked slowly, Herb didn’t miss the blush. “Oh? Nice guy?”
