Page 137 of Keep My Heart
‘I came to make you an offer.’
‘An offer? For what?’
I grab a chair and pull it up next to his bed. ‘I’d like to apply for the job.’
‘What job?’
‘Taking your place on the orchard until you’re better, or until you think I’m ready to take it over for good.’
‘Nick, if your mother put you up to this—’
‘She didn’t. This is what I want. It just took me until now to figure it out.’
‘No.’ He shakes his head. ‘I’m not letting you do this. You didn’t spend all that time and money going to school to be a farmer. Your life is in New York and that’s where you’re going to stay.’
‘I don’t want that life. I’m tired of it. The only time I’m happy is when I come home, when I’m out working in the orchard, breathing the fresh air. You taught me everything I know, and if I forgot anything, you’ll be there to help me.’ I look him in the eye. ‘I want to do this, Dad. And I’m not doing it because you can’t. I’m doing it because this is what I want.’
His brows furrow. ‘Are you sure about this?’
‘A hundred percent.’ I stand up. ‘I can send you a resume and we can schedule a formal interview if you have other candidates you need to consider.’
He smiles a little. ‘How much do you expect to get paid?’
‘We can settle that later. For now I need to know if you’ll consider me.’
He looks up at the ceiling, a trick he uses to keep himself from crying.
‘You sure you can handle the job?’ he asks, still staring at the ceiling. ‘It’s a lot of hard, physical labor.’
‘I’m looking forward to it. It’ll save me from paying for a gym membership.’
He clears his throat and extends his hand to me. ‘Congratulations. You’re hired.’
I smile. ‘You won’t regret it.’
‘I better not,’ he says, trying to hide his smile.
‘There you are,’ Sawyer says, coming into the room. ‘We couldn’t find you.’
My brothers walk in, along with Mom and Uncle Mitch.
‘I had an interview,’ I say, laughing a little.
‘For what?’ Brody asks, sitting down in the chair.
‘I’m officially the new manager of Kanfield Orchard.’
‘You’rewhat?’ Sawyer asks.
Mom gasps and looks at Dad.
‘What could I say?’ he says to Mom. ‘The kid wanted it. I couldn’t really tell him no.’
‘Holy shit.’ Sawyer walks up to me. ‘You’re moving back?’
‘I have to. I can’t run the place from New York.’
‘Oh, Nick!’ My mom races up to me and hugs me. ‘Thank you.’
