Chapter Twenty-One

DAKOTA

Lori dropped the grocery bags onto the granite-topped island in the middle of the kitchen. “So, Dustin and the guys are moving stuff into the barn?” she asked. A tie-dyed bandana covered her hair, and she wore jeans instead of her normal long skirt.

“Yeah.” Dakota watched the movers stack boxes almost to the ceiling. “I’m going to put all of Tommy’s furniture and as much as we can box up safely in there. Then the movers can put Bryce’s mom’s stuff in the house.

Two guys from the co-op entered the house, grabbed some boxes, and, with a nod to Lori, left again.

“It was cool of them to help on such short notice.”

“They’re still your friends even though you’ve become a hermit.” Lori opened the fridge and frowned at the empty shelves. “What has this guy been eating? There’s no food.”

Dakota shrugged and busied himself unloading a bag.

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” Lori said, her tone setting off alarms in Dakota’s head. “But weren’t you two supposed to be deciding on what to do with all Tommy’s things before the movers got here.”

“They’re early,” Dakota answered, not untruthfully.

“Uh-huh.” Lori slapped a hand down on the canvas grocery bag, trapping Dakota’s arm inside it. “You’ve been pretty stingy with information about this guy. You even told me not to come over. ‘Give him a chance to get settled.’ And yet…” she looked pointedly around the foodless kitchen. “It doesn’t look like anybody’s been living here. So, what’s going on? Did you chase him away?”

Dakota checked behind him to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. He leaned in closer to Lori. “Can you keep a secret?”

Eyes sparkling, she freed Dakota’s arm. She jumped up onto the counter, heels kicking against the cabinets. “Tell me everything.”

Lori sat on the counter, scrolling through Dakota’s phone at pictures of Bryce. He hadn’t realized he’d taken so many. There were pictures of Bryce in the house, on the farm, with the dogs, and, Dakota’s favorite, holding Clarice. He took the phone from Lori and made that one his screensaver.

“Oh my god,” Lori squealed. “You’ve seen this guy naked?”

Dakota nodded. “Oh, yeah. Several times.”

“Does he have a huge dick?” Lori looked up at him. “Please tell me he has a huge dick?”

“Does who have a huge dick?” a voice asked from behind them.

“Your mom,” Lori answered.

“Hey, Dustin.” Dakota shoved Lori. “What’s up?”

Dustin frowned at Lori. “That doesn’t even make sense.” He held a large photo album.

“And you’re surprised by that?” Dakota asked.

Dustin shrugged. “Guess not.”

“What’s up?” Dakota liked Dustin a lot. A tall, skinny guy with piercings in his lip, eyebrow, and nose, and wide gauges stretching out his earlobes, he ran the food co-op that bought a lot of Dakota’s produce and was one of his oldest friends.

Dakota had a suspicion he and Lori hooked up on a semi-regular basis, but she would neither confirm nor deny the charge.

Dustin handed Dakota the album. “Found this under the couch. I figured the barn wasn’t the best spot for it. We’re finished with the living room. What do you want us to do next?”

Dakota took the album. “I don’t even know. There’s so much stuff.”

“I was thinking we could move the kitchen and dining room tables out on the front porch.”

Lori hopped off the counter. “Good idea. We’d have to do it for Friendsgiving anyway. Might as well do it now.”

“Are we doing that this year?” Dustin asked. “I wasn’t sure. We hadn’t heard from you in a while.”

Dakota paled. Oh man. He hadn’t even thought about their annual Thanksgiving celebration. It would be his first one without Tommy.

Traditionally, it was the biggest event of the year. They lined the closed-in front porch with tables, invited everyone they knew and then some, and cooked and ate for two days straight.

Hadn’t Bryce said something about his family coming for Thanksgiving? Damn it.

“Of course we’re having it,” Lori answered, as Dakota stood frozen like a deer in the headlights. “And Pizza Prep Party, too.”

Dustin shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded. “Sweet.”

“Thanks, man,” Dakota said. “I’ll be out in a minute. I’m gonna order some pizza and food, pick up some beer. You have any requests?”

Dustin waved his hand. “You know what I like. I trust you.”

Lori waited until Dustin was out of earshot, then turned back to Dakota. “So, your new stud?”

Dakota sighed and flipped the photo album open. He knew Lori well enough to know she wouldn’t let it drop. “Yes. He has a big dick.”

“Awesome.” She craned her neck to look at the album.

Dakota rolled his eyes.

“Don’t even roll your eyes at me. You’re a size queen. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it.”

“Everyone?”

“Ok.” She jumped off the counter. “Maybe not everyone.” She pointed at a photo of a young Dakota sitting on the seat of a green tractor. “Aw, look how cute you were.”

“I’m still cute.” Dakota turned and leaned against the cabinets. “You can’t let him know you know about us.”

Lori frowned, eyes narrowed. “Did he tell you that?”

Dakota knew she was thinking about Kyle and the way he’d made Dakota hide their relationship.

“No. He didn’t. But, come on. I’m the first guy he’s ever been with. And it’s been a week. Give the guy some time to process. Let him come out to his family at his own pace, okay? Plus, it doesn’t matter. He’s leaving in a few months anyway.”

Lori sighed. “Fine.” She looked back at the phone and her eyebrows raised. “He’s rich, your boy.” She turned the phone so Dakota could see an old article.

Bryce had apparently signed a multi-million dollar five-year contract a few years ago. Dakota felt like he was invading Bryce’s privacy, even if it was public information. “Give me that.” He took the phone back.

Lori, of course, went right to the question that had been burning at the back of Dakota’s mind all week. “Do you think he can save the orchard?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. Based on zero information, he thinks he can. He’s very…” Dakota stared at the ceiling, searching for the right words. “Very confident and determined.”

“That’s not a surprise. So have you told him any of your ideas?”

“No.”

Lori grabbed his hand. “They’re good ideas. I think they could work.”

Dakota wished he had her confidence in him. “I don’t know. What do I know about it?”

“More than anyone else.” She pointed at the photo album. “You’ve lived here your whole life. You’ve been managing the orchard alone for the last year.”

Dakota scoffed and flipped a page. A picture of Tommy and his mother laughing at the camera and raising their glasses in a toast stared out at him. He shut the album with a sigh.

“And look how that turned out. We’re hemorrhaging money. You know I only have a GED. I’m not smart enough.” He looked down at the closed album, running his thumbnail along the ragged edges of the page. “Much as I hate to say it, maybe Kyle is the best…”

“If you say that name again, I will punch you in the throat,” Lori said, shoving him. “I will burn this place to the ground for the insurance money before I let him back on this property.”

Dakota couldn’t stop the smile spreading on his face. He grabbed Lori in a tight hug. “You’re a very violent tiny woman,” he told her. “I’m glad you’re on my side.”

She hugged him back just as tightly. “Always, big brother. Just remember that if your big-dicked, rich stud muffin decides he misses…”

Dakota slapped his hand over her mouth before she could end that sentence the way he knew she was going to. “So, pizza. Beer. I buy, you fly?”

She nodded.

“Technically, Bryce is buying.” He pulled out the cash Bryce had left.

“Nice,” Lori said, plucking the money from his hand. “I cannot wait to meet this guy. We have so much to talk about.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”