Several days had gone by since Ali and he walked around the farm, then had dinner with her mother afterward. Had it been awkward? Yeah, it had.
Belinda was treating him more like a potential suitor for Ali than the new owner of her family business.
On one hand, it was fine with him; on the other hand, this was business too. And business always came first for him, but he was starting to rethink, considering his mind was wandering down the “Ali” path more than the “orchard” path.
And for as much as he felt uncomfortable, he knew Ali felt it a hundred times worse.
He’d actually lost count of the number of instances her face had turned red over something “innocent” her mother had said. If boasting about all of Ali’s good qualities was considered innocent. He concluded Ali didn’t appreciate Liam knowing she could climb an apple tree faster than any employee by the look on her face. He found it funny, but she didn’t even crack a grin, not even a lip curl. Though her eye did start to twitch.
Here he was a few days later in the store with his mother out back with Belinda. The two women were hitting it off and talking baking and recipes. He was thrilled his mother was still so excited about everything and her energy seemed to be rubbing off on Belinda too. He could hear them laughing back there like two long lost best friends in elementary school.
So far the business transition seemed to be going smoothly. Now if only he and Ali could take a page from that book.
The mothers were banging things around while his stomach grumbled with the scent of sweetness and cinnamon all around him as he took measurements on the windows in the store. They had to be replaced. Not only were they drafty, but they weren’t secure either. The utility bills had to be huge here.
He’d already installed the new security locks in this building, which Belinda hadn’t even batted an eye at, so that was a plus. He was going to be doing that at the house as soon as he was done here.
Snapping his tape measure back and putting it on his tool belt, he grabbed what he needed, then walked out back to see the two women engrossed in measuring flour. “I’m going over to the house now, if it’s okay,” he said to Belinda. It was still her house, so it was only the polite thing to let her know.
“The door is open, Liam,” she said, grinning at him. “Are you hungry? Help yourself to anything you want.”
Wonder if she caught him staring at the stash of goodies back here. He grabbed a donut and then a muffin, sent Belinda and his mother a wave and walked out the back door across the property to the farmhouse.
By the time he’d gotten to the porch, his donut was gone and half his muffin had followed suit. Belinda sure did bake like a dream. He wondered if Ali did. Nah, she had other talents, or so her mother boasted.
With his muffin gone and everything out of the box for the security locks he’d dropped off earlier, he set about getting this done and moving on to a few other things to tinker with in the house.
He was all set on the outside of the house and moved inside, silently working and losing himself in his thoughts of Ali and what she might be doing tonight. It was getting close to when school would be out and he wondered if she’d be interested in dinner.
He hadn’t seen her in four days, then had dinner after she walked him all over the orchard and schooled him on the different types of apples, when some were ready and when some tasted the best. At this point, most of the trees were picked bare. She acted like she didn’t know all that much about the farm, but she knew enough.
Then he’d met some of the farm hands that helped out. There was one full-timer, Jim, who was in his early fifties, Liam was guessing, and a few part-timers. He and Jim would be talking soon about the possibility of relocating here to the farm and running the day-to-day operations.
Again, a conversation for another time.
He was just finishing up when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and turned.
No way. He had to be dreaming.
He took his electric drill and pressed his finger on it, heard the buzz and knew he was awake.
Shit.
“What’s the matter, boy?”
“You’re not here,” he said to Anthony Michaels.
“Why wouldn’t I be in my own house?” he asked, smirking.
Liam looked around, a chill spreading up his back and down his arms. There was a faint ringing in his ears at the same time. He started to speculate if he was losing his mind and knew there was no one he could even ask. Not that he would because he really was terrified the answer would tell him he was.
“What do you want?” he asked, hoping his voice was calm, but knowing it most likely wasn’t.
“Take her out tonight. Show her a good time. Let her know it’s not about the farm.”
“Ali?” he asked.
“Of course Ali. Not Belinda. She could be your mother. Though if I had my guess, she’s got a sweet spot for you too.”
If it was possible to blush while thinking you’re going insane and talking to a ghost, he did it. “I don’t need any help with Ali, thank you very much.”
Anthony laughed. “I like you, boy.”
Liam was just getting ready to tell Anthony he had a name and boy wasn’t it, but he heard a sound to his right and turned to look. Whatever it was, was gone, just like Anthony was when he turned back around.
He took a few deep breaths and pulled his phone out. He was going to text Ali, because he wanted to, not because he was told to.
***
Ali was thrilled when class had been let out for the day. She had some papers to grade but wanted to get to the barn and try to start moving things around and get them set up for the haunted house. There were only three weeks until Halloween and she was more excited over this year than any other.
She should be sad since it was the last year she’d be doing this, but Liam had offered to help and had some great ideas since he was such a big fan of Halloween. She was looking forward to this when everything else around her might not be going so great.
That wasn’t true though. Things weren’t going as bad as she thought or even imagined when this all came about weeks ago.
Her mother was happy and healthy.
Ali was happy and healthy as well. Well, happier than she was when her mother dropped the bombshell on her.
Though she knew darn well she’d get more upset about everything as the time got closer to when her mother would sign it all over to Liam.
But deep down, there was a weight lifted off of Ali’s shoulders right now. As much as she’d always wanted to keep the farm in the family, she did wonder how she would have made it all work. How she would have pulled it together with time and money when she had so little of both.
At least she’d know the farm would be carrying on everything her grandfather always wanted.
When the last student was out the door, she took her phone out and saw a text from Liam. Just the person she’d been thinking about all day.
She was missing him. Sure, they’d texted back and forth every day for the last four days, but they only talked once and she hadn’t seen him since they parted ways at the farm. He hadn’t even kissed her when he left because her mother was there watching.
Ali didn’t remember a time when her mother watched as much as she did that night, and it was both annoying and frustrating.
She typed back a quick reply to Liam that she’d love to have dinner tonight. It didn’t take long for him to say he’d pick her up at five at her house.
She wanted to tell him she had plans, if it could be later, but she decided to let it go. She just wanted to see him so much and there was time yet for the haunted house.
Once she’d left the school, she drove home and showered, then changed her clothes. With an hour left before he was due to show up, she pulled out pictures of the haunted houses of the past and looked at all the things she’d done prior.
She must have been looking through them longer than she thought because the next thing she knew there was a knock at the door.
She jumped up and opened it to see Liam standing there smiling away...until he got a good look at her face. “Why are you crying?”
She lifted her hands to her face, noticing they came away wet. “Sorry. I didn’t even know I was. I was looking at old pictures.”
“Of what?” he asked, moving in and then giving her a little cuddle. It was exactly what she needed right now without even knowing she actually needed it. Or craved it so much.
“Pictures of the haunted house from years ago. I pull them out and look at my notes before I get ready to do things. There were several in there from when I was a kid with my grandfather. I guess I lost track of time.”
“It made you upset?” he asked, knuckling a tear that was escaping.
“Actually, no. I didn’t even realize I was crying. I know I was smiling. I guess they were good memories, but kind of sad too. I just love doing the haunted house. It was mine and my grandfather’s thing. I came up with the idea and he dove right in like he always did when he got his teeth into something.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Yeah. It’s one of my fondest memories of the orchard. How the trees were even spooky leading to the barn. Whatever you guys did, it worked great.”
“I usually rent a smoke machine and have it all around the outside and inside. Nothing like getting people worked up before they get to the barn.”
“And the tombstones? Those things were eerily real.”
She laughed. “I’m an elementary school teacher. I’ve got all sorts of tricks up my sleeve for decorations.”
“You made all of them?” he asked.
She felt some pride in his reaction. “Most of the stuff outside is my doing. Even inside. I’ve got a good hand with paints and makeup even though I’m kind of plain myself when it comes to makeup. My grandfather did a lot of the heavy lifting and constructing of it.”
Just the memory was making her smile rather than be weepy. This was definitely the best send off she could get for turning the farm over.
“Then I can be the one to step into your grandfather’s shoes.”
“He had some big shoes to fill, but if anyone can do it, you can.”
She leaned up and kissed him quick.