Page 21 of Take Me Home

“Mmm, true,” Brianna replied, curbing her excitement. “But there’s no harm if he wants you, right? Two consenting adults?”

“But what about the other people who work with us? I don’t want to make them uncomfortable. Plus there’s a lot I don’t know about him.” I was rambling because my brain malfunctioned when it came to Jake.

“I don’t know anything about him because you won’t tell me,” Brianna pushed.

“Fine. His name’s Jake—”

“Hot,” Brianna cut in.

“Yes, hot. He’s a TA in Eli’s engineering class. He’s getting his master’s in robotics at Marshall,” I said, drawing patterns on the seat next to me while I talked about Jake. “He’s really kind, and thoughtful, and goofy, too. Under normal circumstances, he’d be everything I want. And everything Rob wasn’t.”

“Where’s the but, Darcy? I’m not seeing an issue here.”

“But, I think he’s a lot younger than me, and he doesn’t know I’ve been engaged, and —” I struggled to articulate the reason why it seemed wrong.

“Darcy, you’re doing the self-deprecating self-deprivation thing again. Do you think you’re not good enough for him?”

“God, do you have sessions about me with my therapist?” I whined. “It gets worse, though.”

“Lay it on me.”

“He came up the house last night and I had been crying about the whole professor thing. He asked what was wrong and…I told him.” I covered my eyes with my hand at the memory, like maybe if I didn’t see anything it wouldn’t really have happened.

“Alright. No panic. Is that so bad?”

“Yes. I act like a complete bumbling idiot around him, spilling secrets and staying up too late analyzing what each exchange between usmeans,” I groaned. It was true. Tossing and turning were at an all-time high as I tried to figure out whether he really liked me or not. And whether I could do anything about it.

“Okay, yeah, you’ve got it bad,” Brianna said, pausing for a moment. “But why not give it a shot?”

“I can’t cross that line. And anyway, I don’t know what I’m doing with my life after this summer. Let’s say we did get together, then the summer ends. Then what?”

“You won’t know til you find out, will ya?”

Brianna had a point.

“What if I make a move and I’m wrong? Then he quits? Then I’m short a farm worker? Then I’m no better than Professor Upskirt.”

Brianna was quiet for a minute. “Are you done spiraling?”

I huffed. “Yes.”

“If you can keep your hands off him til I come this weekend, I’ll let you know whether I think he likes you. Maybe I can be your wingman.”

I cackled. Brianna was a historically horrid wingman, but she was good for offering. “Okay. I’ll do my best to keep my hands to myself.”

* * *

Wednesday wasthe first day Becca and I were to work at the Putnam County Farmer’s Market. I sent Jake and Caleb to town to pick up some supplies I’d ordered, a good cover to get them out of my hair for a minute.

It was late June, so a hair early for West Virginia peaches. The full, wet heat had set in over the valley, making me break a sweat just walking from the house to the barn. The air was almost viscous at that time of the year, and the flora around the farm thrived. I could pull 50 green paint chips and still not cover the color spectrum that surrounded me.

Uncle Bill had never done it, but I thought I’d try selling wildflower bouquets. When I called him at the rehab hospital to ask if that would be okay, he gave an enthusiastic yes. Selling things that already grow for free can never hurt, and it would give a chance to build excitement for the fruit to come.

Becca and I rode the four-wheelers out to a spot nicely coated with blooms, spying a sweet deer family on the way. I pulled out the radio and cranked it to the country station, The Chicks’ “Cowboy Take Me Away” playing.

“Turn it up!” Becca called, and I did. I handed her a pair of garden shears and we decided what would make the prettiest bouquets. The ditch lilies gave a nice pop of orange to go with the softer whites and yellows.

“Watch for snakes. Meadows are pretty, but snakes like ‘em, too,” I warned. Becca grimaced and pulled her socks up in her boots. “You ever worked a farmer’s market before?”

---