Lacey

ALEX HAD CHANGED PRETTY much overnight. He’d been avoiding me and acting like I didn’t exist and after my weekend away he was now... nice. I guessed that worked too, but I was wary. I liked the guy—like not just in a 'rip his clothes off and have him pound me into the headboard again' sort of way—I liked who he was. He was serious and a hardworker but he also had this commanding tone with employees twice his age. He ran the place with a respect that not many people could muster, and he also did a stellar job of raising two kids, although they weren’t his own and one was less than willing to co-operate. Also, he wasn’t a kissass; he didn’t look at me like I had the answer to all his problems in my panties and he didn’t try to charm me. I was sick of men who saw what I had to offer outside before even bothering to scratch the surface. I was also sick of subservience.

I also had an inkling that before all this shit with his family and before his girl left him or whatever, he was fun. He made the odd joke from time to time and Johnny was a little crazy, so his best friend wouldn’t have stuck around if all he did was bark orders. I saw a guy in Alex who was trapped and burdened, and I wondered who the hell he would be if that guy were allowed out. He was drop dead gorgeous also, which helped. I glanced at him as he drove us and the kids into town. He flexed his biceps as he turned the corners and it sent shivers to my sex reminding me of when he hovered over me naked.

The car was noisy. Sara was yelling at Logan for something and Alex kept shouting out periodically for them to shut the hell up. I smirked from my seat and he looked to me rolling his eyes, “Betcha didn’t realize how noisy kids could be, huh?” he shook his head.

“Oh God, I know how noisy kids can be, my best friend has two and my brother was THE worst,” I cut my hands in front of me to indicate how awful. “I babysat him until he was sixteen because my parents couldn’t leave him alone. Firestarter.” I whispered the last word and Alex raised an eyebrow at me. 

“Right,” he nodded.

“Alex, can you tell Logan that he is not going out on some overnight perimeter check with you,” Sara whined, “he’s been talking about it all day.”

“I am too, Alex tell her.” Logan yelled in his tinny small person voice.

“Um,” Alex glanced over at me, “Eric mentioned it to him a few days back and he’ll never forget.” He whispered but looked exasperated with it.

“You can’t take him?” I whispered as he turned the music up to drown out our grownup chat.

“Can’t leave Sara,” he sliced his hand under his neck, “firestarter and sociopath.” He smirked, and I laughed. She was so none of those things, he needed to meet my brother ten years ago.

“Mabel?” I mouthed in question.

He winced, “Eric offers but they’re old and she’s,” he sucked in a breath, “challenging.”

“Me?” I asked, patting my chest. “I’m qualified already.”

“Um,” Alex kept his eyes trained on the road but didn’t answer. I liked that he didn’t ever feel the need to lie or say something that he hadn’t yet decided.

“Thanks,” he said after a few moments, “I’ll think about it.”

“What are you guys muttering about?” Sara shouted over ‘Despacito’ cranked to a significant volume.

“Nothing, I thought you liked this song?” Alex grunted out, his eyes now straight ahead and the hand not on the wheel rubbing the scruff of hair on his chin. His profile was strong and determined, both things that suited his personality so well. His nose was a little pointed but not big, his lashes were thick and more than a girl would be pleased with and his skin was tan and worn from his time out on the farm.

“I liked it two weeks ago, now it’s overplayed,” Sara added, and I glanced back to see her turned and looking out of the window. Teenagers really were a handful. You couldn’t please them, and I noted that Alex didn’t even try, he just fielded off her snarky moves like a champ.

We parked up alongside a couple of other cars. Seeing as the fourth was the next day the place was busy I guessed. People would be off work but whereas in Richmore there would be planned events, in Celebration Falls there were no posters up. Perhaps it was too small to warrant it. We all stepped out and Logan ran ahead to the store as Sara walked between us.

“That kid has far too much energy,” she pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows at me and I smiled back.

“He’s ten, Sara, cut him some slack.” Alex said with the weariness of an older brother.

In the general store we took a cart and the lady who ran the place smiled a quick hello. Of course she knew the Millers and the strange new woman in town. “Y’all might have missed all the bargains for the holiday.” The lady added.

“Awww that’s okay, Jen, we’re just gonna pick up what we can get.” Alex said. She held an old-fashioned pricing gun, the likes of which I hadn’t seen for decades and sidled up to where we began to push the cart into the snacks aisle.

“So y’all having some sort of party?” she asked with a grin. She was obviously pumping Alex for information and I noticed how his mouth pulled into a tight line at her intrusion. He was warring with politeness and the need to move away.

“Just a small something,” I told her with a smile. Alex pushed the cart ahead and Jen didn’t follow.

“You all settled in out there, Miss?” she asked me. “I know Edmund was glad of the work although some were a mighty bit peeved he put your job before theirs.”

“Oh, I’m sorry about that,” I shouted over my shoulder and followed the Millers down the aisle. I caught up to them and Sara gave me a wry smile.

“Jen will keep ya talking if you let her.” Sara laughed and grabbed at the chips.

“Whoa,” Alex told her, “only a few bags, we’re not filling up on snacks.”

We made it round the place with enough bread, meat, potato salad, actual salad, chips, coleslaw and marshmallows to feed a small army. Alex added a case of beer and I grabbed a bottle of wine; it wasn’t the best wine but it sure would do. When we reached the checkout, we both tried to pay.

“My treat,” I shrugged as I tried to walk before him past the conveyor belt. He stepped before me and blocked my path.

“No treat needed,” he gave me a look that said, really?

“It was my idea,” I tried to step past him again as the kids loaded the food on the belt.

“I’m feeding a tribe and you don’t eat,” he raised an eyebrow and blocked my path again.

“I’d like to pay,” I shook my head and gave him an irritated smile that may have ticked a little.

He smiled, “I see you hate being overruled.” I let a frustrated breath out.

“I just want to pay,” I smiled to cover the anger. I was a master of covering my feelings, but it seemed Alex was seeing through that this time.

“Lacey, I’m paying,” he nodded, and I shook my head.

“Fine,” I sighed, “pay.”

“Whoa,” Jen added from behind the register. “I wish all my patrons were as willing to pay.” She started to move the goods through the register. An older gent appeared at the end to start packing. “Had someone in the other week who wanted to pay with livestock.”

She continued to chat away, and I moved to the end of the conveyer belt to take the bags as they were packed and move them into the cart. The kids followed me, and Alex waited to pay. On leaving he nodded his goodbyes to the staff.

“I can’t wait for one of those huge marshmallows,” Logan said, “can I eat one in the truck?”

“Sure,” I said, just as Alex said, “no.”

“Which is it?” Sara chuckled as we left the cart at the door and all took a couple of bags each.

“Let’s all have one,” I elbowed Alex, and he looked over at me, so I smiled.

His face relaxed, but he didn’t add an automatic grin. “Fine,” he conceded, and victory owned my face.

“I like junk food as much as the next guy,” I told him as we walked back to the truck behind the kids.

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” He added.

 

When we got home, the staff were all taking off and Mabel was already in the kitchen. “I brought desserts,” she said with a smile, wiping her hands on a dishcloth as we all set the bags down on the kitchen table. “What did you guys get?” she walked to check inside the bags. “Eric is setting up the grill.”

“We got everything,” Logan added happily. “We’re gonna be stuffed.”

“Hey Loges, go get the docking station and we can have music,” Alex instructed, and the little guy ran off. “You wanna set the chips up outside, Sara?” he asked his sister. Bear was, as usual, on her heel. She sighed with sass but poured the new chips into bowls, feeding Bear as she did.

“I’ll go find Eric,” Alex added, loaded up with packages of meat to get the old guy started.

“Alright, what can I do?” I asked with a shrug.

He smirked and turned back to me as he walked out the back door, “look pretty?”

I frowned at the back of him, “I can prepare the salad.” I nodded and walked to the kitchen, opening cupboards to find a chopping board.

“I see you managed to get a smile out of Alex,” Mabel added, turning to look at me as I threw open various cabinets. She was stood at the counter slicing a homemade loaf of something that looked delicious and sticky.

I nodded and gave her a tight smile, “I guess he relaxes sometimes?”

I found the chopping board and opened a drawer to find a knife.

She glanced behind her to see if anyone else remained in the kitchen, but Sara had gone outside and Logan was still upstairs. “He’s always so serious and it’s nice to see someone enticing a genuine smile out of him,” she nudged me with a wink as she walked past me and towards the door, carrying her treats outside.

Just then Logan appeared in the kitchen having thundered down the stairs, a little out of breath. He carried a large docking station and was scuttling outside. “Hey, should I help?” I asked the little guy.

“No,” he shook his head, looking determined, “Alex asked me to get this.”

“Right,” I nodded and gave him a serious face. “You’re doing a great job.”

I found myself in the kitchen alone, so I searched for plastic bowls, serving spoons and settled to chop the salad ingredients that we had bought at the store. At some point Bear came back inside, panting, and took a big drink from his bowl.

“Hot out there, sweety?” I asked the damned dog. The place was driving me crazy if I was now engaging a dog in conversation. Bear looked up at me with his chocolate brown eyes and it was enough to melt your heart. He obviously decided that since I was speaking to him we were now buddies as he then dragged himself from the bowl and collapsed about my feet. He laid there covering up my bejeweled sandals that I had changed into after the ride and sighed heavily. I took my time preparing the salad and making it look pretty, mostly because I didn’t want to have to move old Bear.

Not long later Sara walked back into the kitchen and Bear’s head shot up as he saw her. She glanced down. “Bear,” she sighed, dropping to pet him, “I’m sure Lacey doesn’t want your stinky ass lying all over her expensive shoes.”

“He’s fine,” I told her, “you get the chips organized? You want to take this salad out and I’ll grab plates?”

“Sure,” Sara nodded, leaning to take the bowl of salad. “Come on, Bear!” she urged the older guy, and he followed her outside. I walked back to the cabinets to find plates.

“Knock, knock.” I turned to see Johnny entering through the back door with a blonde girl. She had a bob and wore glasses and a friendly smile. “Hey, Lacey. This is my girl, Violet. Everyone calls her Vi.”

“Hey,” I smiled broadly, it was great to see a female about my age around the place. “Lacey,” I walked over to her and held my hand out for a shake.

“We brought beer, wine and snacks.” Johnny held a bag up and held a crate of beer on his shoulder.

“Great,” I grinned, “I’ll get glasses.”

“Johnny wanted to bring more beer, but I told him to take it easy,” Vi patted his arm, “we’re here for a night not a week.”

“I guess you can never have too much beer,” I grinned. I moved to the cabinets and opened the top ones, reaching up on my tiptoes to see if I could see glasses. I felt a presence behind me and turned to see Alex striding toward me.

“Here,” he grunted out, leaning behind me to reach up to get some glasses. I felt his strong body behind mine and his scent was now a mixture of himself and charcoal from the grill. He placed some glasses down next to me on the counter then placed his hands briefly on my shoulders and gave me a gentle squeeze.

“Just ask next time, shorty.” He strode back to where Johnny stood, who was looking on at the whole exchange amused. I smiled awkwardly and grabbed a couple of wine glasses.

“You need a glass, Johnny?” I asked him, recovering myself.

“Nah, I‘ll stick with the bottle."

“Here,” Alex took the case from Johnny, “I’ve set up an ice bucket.” They walked outside and Vi held out a bottle of wine for me. 

“Thanks for inviting us,” she said sweetly.

“My pleasure,” I said, taking the bottle and setting about finding a bottle opener. Alex had definitely warmed up to me over the time I’d been on the farm, the awesome sex was a great example of that. However, since my weekend away it was as if he’d decided that showing everyone else how much he’d warmed to me was now a cool idea. I was not on board with it. I liked the guy, and I liked the way he boned really well but I didn’t want people thinking we were having some seedy affair when I was trying to get Bishops Hill straightened out.

The bottle was already chilled. It was a nice, dry rosé, exactly what I liked. I poured two glasses, and we walked outside to join the others on the tables where the staff meetings usually took place. Music was playing and Sara and Logan were sat at the table diving into the chips. Sara had invited her friend, but she couldn’t make it. Mabel was fussing over arranging the food on the tables and making a trip back in the kitchen to bring more out. The barbeque was set up further back in the yard towards the staff offices, near where a brick built garage sat. Eric was working up a storm there, Alex and Johnny stood by him holding a beer.

“I’m sorry the wine is pretty cheap,” Vi said, “we didn’t have time to shop out of town and I bet in New York, you’d be drinking champagne.”

I laughed, “God no, I love dry, rosé, and any wine really.” I pursed my lips into a smile, “I don’t live some celebrity lifestyle you know?” I told her, “I work a ton and so everything I get is usually bought for me.”

Her eyes went wide, and she looked at me a little funny like I had two heads, “You don’t do your own shopping?” Oh God, I just realized how that sounded, like I had an entourage.

“I live in catered apartments,” I told her, trying to explain, “it’s all part of the package and I’m always working.”

“Wow,” she smiled, “sounds pretty fancy so I doubt you’ll like the wine.”

“I’ll love it,” I looked down to the glass and took a huge glug, I had said enough. I wanted this girl to think I was normal for God’s sake.

We took a seat at the table. Sara babbled to us both about the unfairness of being stuck at the farm all summer without her friends. Vi told us about her job in the nearby town where she was a social worker and I was impressed that this remote region even warranted them. Showed how much I knew. Logan ran with Bear behind us playing ball and I told the girls about my weekend in The Hamptons.

“So your best friend is married to Thomas Devereux’s brother?” Sara asked, her mouth agape.

“Yeah,” I shrugged. I guess it was no big deal. Tom had done really well for himself, but he was still the oversized oaf who always lived next door to my best friend growing up. “He’s a clown, always has been.” I smirked. “Those Devereuxs were nothing but trouble our whole lives and my friend only went and married one.”

“Are they all as hot as Tom?” Sara asked, taking a chip and chewing it slowly as her eyes remained fixed on me.

I shrugged, “They all look the same but Tom has an edge when it comes to muscle tone.”

“Oh my God,” Sara swooned, “do you know who he is Vi?” Sara grabbed her cell phone and scrolled for pictures of him on Google.

“He’s just a human, Sara,” I sighed, sipping my wine, “and not the most gorgeous guy I’ve seen close up before.” I added.

“Here,” she turned the phone to Vi, who gasped. It was a picture of him walking off-field, having pulled his shirt up to wipe his sweaty brow, revealing his ripped abs. Guy was huge, all the Devereuxs were, and his dark good looks did make him the catch of the county. I’d never tapped that but as a teenager I had spent many a night fantasizing about it. These girls didn’t need to know that though.

“Wow,” Vi sucked in a breath and gave me a swoony smile, “he is pretty gorgeous.”

I laughed, “well...”

“What you girls gossiping about?” Johnny asked, coming up behind Vi and leaning over her shoulder to see the picture. “What you showing my woman? Unrealistic body goals?” he smirked.

“This,” Sara took her phone back and pointed to the screen, “is the football god that Lacey spent her fourth of July weekend with.”

I tittered nervously, noticing Alex in the vicinity, not that it mattered what he thought about me spending the weekend with a hot, football player. “He is my best friend's brother-in-law,” I clarified. “I’ve known him forever, and he got engaged at the weekend to his very hot, toned, beautiful fiancé.” I nodded my final point to ease any doubt.

“So, did you see him in his swimming shorts?” Sara asked, leaning forward, discounting every word I just said.

“You are fourteen, right?” I gave her wide eyes and a crazy grin, “when I was fourteen I’m pretty sure I was playing with Barbie dolls and had no idea about football players.”

Alex sat next to me on the bench and swigged his beer from the bottle, “Kids nowadays know too much about everything,” he grunted.

“Oh please, when you were fourteen you used to trawl the net for anything with boobs.” Sara sighed.

“Sara,” Alex gave her a warning glare, “when I was fourteen I worked my ass off on this farm and had hardly any time for video games let alone the internet.”

“Oh God,” Johnny cut in, placing his hand on Vi’s shoulder, “we’ve heard this sob story so many times, next you’ll be telling us you only ate gruel and your grandpa used to keep you locked in a cage.” Johnny grinned and Alex loosened up.

“Nah,” he stood and gave Johnny a sideways grin, “he let me sleep in the barn.”

“Your grandpa was the nicest man I ever knew,” Mabel said, placing a tray of warm bread rolls in the center of the table. “That man wouldn’t have let a wounded bird sleep outside let alone his darling grandson.”

“Ahh we’re only joking, Mabel,” Johnny said, reaching forward to grab one of her hot rolls. “Now sit down will you and chat with the women. I think me and Alex should show Logan how to throw a football.”

“I better help Eric,” Alex protested.

“No, I’ll go see Eric,” I told him, standing, so I was flush against his body. He stepped back to give me some space, and I smiled up at him shyly. “You play.”

The guys placed their beers on the table and I heard them shout out to Logan who was already bouncing around like a lunatic. I walked slowly to where Eric stood by the grill, flipping burgers, lamb steaks, pork loins and sausages.

“Hey,” I said on approach, “you need some help?”

“Girlie, I don’t know where to begin,” his eyes crinkled as he smiled, and I laughed out loud. “How about get me a refresh beer and that can be a good start?”

Half an hour later we all sat around the outdoor bench table, eating off the platters full of food and passing sauce up and down the table. I sat next to Vi and opposite Sara and Mabel. The guys had the other end of the table where they were laughing and talking. It was relaxed and happy as the day turned to night and the air around us chilled. This bunch of people was a complete mish-mash of old, young, new, established, friends and family, yet it worked.  Eric looked at Alex and Johnny with wonder like they were his own sons. Mabel threw her arm around Sara and rubbed it gently like she were soothing her own granddaughter. Logan sidled up to Alex like he had the answer to all of the little boy’s prayers. I saw in them all, relationships that although were unconventional, really worked.

As the night darkened further, Johnny and Vi made their excuses and Alex told Eric and Mabel not to clean up as they had done enough. We waved goodbye as they walked around the front of the house to make their way home. I helped bring the rest of the trays and plates inside and loaded them into the dishwasher as Alex tidied away the leftover food and other things that had been left out.

“I’m going to bed,” Sara announced, yawning, as Alex wiped down the dining table in the kitchen.

“Can you tell Logan to get in his pajamas?” he asked her, and she nodded sleepily. It was only just past ten, but life started early on a farm and so ten was late.

He turned after she walked out and gave me a tight smile, “you want me to walk you home?”

“Erm,” I looked to the ground, “how about a drink on the veranda?” I pushed and watched closely for his reaction. I had no idea why I wanted to get him alone. Okay, I had an idea why I liked being alone with him but it certainly wasn’t like me. I didn’t have to chase guys and force them to spend time alone with me. I liked to date, I liked to have sex, a lot. I liked to be chased, but it had been a long time since I had wanted to be on my own and chat to a guy.

“Okay,” he nodded but his face didn’t automatically light up with glee. I had no doubt that Alex found me attractive and I couldn’t help but notice that he was less frosty to me this week, but I doubted he wanted to make small talk with me. I was the annoying city girl who shot his farm to shit.

He poured me another glass of wine and grabbed himself a beer, “We’re gonna sit out front for a bit,” he shouted up the stairs, “I’ll be there if you need anything.”

No one answered, but he didn’t seem bothered. We made our way out front and he sat on a wooden paneled recliner on one side of a wooden table and I sat on the other. He sighed and looked out onto the dark horizon, only lit by a low light from inside the house and hundreds of intense stars that seemed endless from this vantage point. All we could hear was the hum of electric from inside the house and the chirp of crickets. 

“It’s beautiful out here,” I said quietly. To use the depth of my voice felt wrong at that moment.

“Sure is,” he uttered back.

“I see you’ve forgiven me for seducing you,” I whispered. He was so quiet for so long that I wondered if he’d heard.

“Lacey,” he sighed, leveling his mossy blue/green eyes on mine. “It wasn’t like that... I.”

“I know,” I smirked and looked away. “It was wrong and unprofessional and I’m glad we can put it behind us.”

“I ...” he sipped his beer and swallowed hard, running his hand through his wayward hair and looking out onto the horizon. “I’m not great with women and I’m too stubborn to admit that things could improve round here.” He grunted.

“You were good with women that night,” I teased and looked over to him to see a hint of a smile lace his lips.

“Lacey...” he began again, “I want you to help me invest that money. I want to show you what I do.” He glanced over at me and my stomach clenched at his intense stare. “You are a special person, you know that? I’d be a fool not to accept your help... all of it.”

I nodded slowly and pulled my top lip into my mouth, “I’d love you to show me your side business and I swear, Alex, the changes I want to make will only increase profit for when you buy me out.”

He looked out onto the horizon again, “Lacey, you may have fast become the only business person I truly trust.”

“Maybe that’s because I already fucked you,” I said crudely, leaning forward on the table onto one arm and taking my wine glass, “so you know how dirty I play.” I kept my face stern, but he didn’t react.

He threw his head back in a laugh, “Nah,” he shook his head, “it’s ‘cos you're a bitch when you want something. I like that.”

“I’m hurt,” I covered my heart with my hand.

“Were you with a football player at the weekend?” he asked out of the blue, turning to face me, his eyes cast downwards to mine. My heart leapt at the sudden U-turn in conversation.

“He’s Jessa’s brother-in-law, he’s engaged and I’ve known him my whole life. He’s a friend. They were all friends.” I clarified and smirked at his query. “Why you so bothered, country boy?”

He turned away from me again, “Just protecting my investment.” He added, and I don’t know why but that made me grin a mile wide.