“There’s some space in the barn,” Joseph said. “If it rains, you can sleep inthere.Deal?”
“Thank you, sir,” Andy said as he reached to shakehishand.
When Joseph shook her brother’s hand, she released a held breath. Maybe this would work outafterall.
* * *
Greg ledDaisy and her friends to the fields. Rows of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, lettuce, okra, onion, peas, pepper, radish, spinach, and tomatoes spanned the distance between the farmhouse and the lake. He and Aaron had done most of the planting in the late spring after the ground warmedenough.
The short growing season meant that they had to work fast every year. Their livelihood depended on it. Although they kept most of the food for themselves, they also sold canned fruits and vegetables to neighbors. The town grocery liked to buy most of their spinach, which was great because Greg couldn’t stand it. It tasted worse than grass, something his bear insisted on chewing like gum. Crazybeast.
“We have a process for picking the vegetables,” Greg said. “We only pick spinach and lettuce on Wednesdays. I drive it up to the market on Thursdays. I also do weekly deliveries to localfarms.”
“Do the farms pay you for the food?” Daisyasked.
“Sometimes they pay cash, but we also trade based on what they grow. The Drummonds grow fruit trees. Dad thinks they dabble in the dark arts because no one else can seem to grow fruit the way they do.” Gregchuckled.
“They’re probably a better explanation than hocus pocus,”Andysaid.
“I don’t know,” Meadow said. “Remember those witches we met in Reno? They seemed to have a lot more than they could afford. I think they worked some magic to get theirstuff.”
“Five-finger discount magic,” Andy saiddryly.
“He’s right,” River said. “I think they were stealing from the tourists in thecasinos.”
“Really?” Daisy asked. “They seemed so nicetome.”
“Sometimes you can be so naïve,”Andysaid.
As the group bantered with each other, Greg watched the dynamic. Andy seemed to be the most level-headed out of the bunch. River was off in la-la land and Meadow was only a hop and a skip behind him. Daisy, on the other hand, he hadn’t quiet figured out. But now that his parents had agreed to let her stay, he’d have time to get toknowher.
“Hey, Greg,” his brother Aaron called. “I just got home. Who are all thesepeople?”
His younger brother ambled over to them. At sixteen years old, he wasn’t quite a man yet, but he’d outgrown his gangly body. He was a lot stronger than he looked, which gave Greganidea.
“They broke down on the road,” Greg said after introducing everyone. “They’re going to be staying with us for a few weeks. They’ll be helping with theharvest.”
“Groovy,”Aaronsaid.
“Before it gets too much hotter, we should push the bus down to the barn. We can park it alongside it,”Gregsaid.
“Good idea,”Andysaid.
“You have a bus?” Aaronasked.
“Yeah,”Daisysaid.
“A hippie bus?” heasked.
Daisy looked at him as if to ask how much she should tell hisbrother.
“You’ll see,”Gregsaid.
He winked at Daisy who flashed a stunning smile. His gut clenched. She was even more beautiful when she was happy. He wanted to do whatever it took to keep that look onherface.
“How far is it?” Aaronasked.
“About a mile,”Riversaid.
