by Annie Evans
“I meant the food too,” he said.
“Another thing I learned from my nana.”
Eli sipped his water, thinking. “How is that your last name is the same as Doc Haile’s if it was your mother’s side of the family that lived in Serenity?”
“Easy. My mom and one of her sisters married brothers.” She wiped her mouth with a napkin. “The former Doc Haile is my uncle. He and my aunt Margaret decided to move here instead of staying around Americus. Currently they’re ensconced inside an RV somewhere near a Florida beach. Come summertime, they’re heading to Alaska.”
“I see. So he just turned everything over to you, lock, stock and barrel?”
Her eyes clouded over with some unnamed emotion like they’d done that night outside her hotel room, before she blinked it away. “Pretty much. Said he’d seen enough animal asses for one lifetime and he was done. Which reminds me, how are baby Clover and Momma doing this morning?”
He couldn’t help but grin at the reminder of when they’d met. “Fine. The calf nursed, mom ate and…” He didn’t want to talk about nasty stuff while they were eating. He waved his fork in a circle. “You know. Did what she needed to do.”
Bellamy’s bright, open smile made his skin warm, as if he’d been dipped in pure sunshine. “Good. Any more births yet?”
“No, but soon I imagine.”
She pushed her plate aside and propped her arms on the table, giving him her full attention. “What made you decide to calve in the fall versus the spring?”
“Different things. The southern climate is milder and not as wet in the fall. Calves have a better survivability rate. Come spring, they’re old enough to graze. Grasses are healthier that time of year, so they tend to have heavier weaning weights. When we sell them in late summer, they’ll bring higher prices at market. There’s also less to do this time of year farming-wise, nothing to plant or harvest, which leaves us with more free time to spend on the new venture.”
Bellamy stood and took their empty plates to the sink. The action prompted Eli to get off his ass and help with the cleanup. “Sounds like you did your homework ahead of time.”
Eli pulled a wry face. “As you saw last night, reading about stuff pales in comparison to the real thing. It’s a learning process, same as anything else. We bought the entire lot at auction and turned them out in a pasture on a hope and a prayer. My brothers and I are natural-born farmers, not cattlemen. I wish I knew someone local who’s been in the cow business for a while and would be willing to share some practical knowledge with me. Around Serenity, everyone farms or raises smaller animals, some cows too, obviously, with the dairy just down the road, but not for beef production.”
“I’ll keep my eyes and ears open for you when I’m out on calls.” She stopped him when he started to toss the last pancake in the trash. “There’s a fox living in the woods behind the house. I toss it a treat occasionally as a thank you for rodent patrol, even though as a vet I should know better.”
Every minute he spent with her, Eli found something else to like. Already the list was long and varied, from the smell of her skin to the fact that she took care of animals for a living. He suspected there was only more to come.
While Bellamy washed the dishes, Eli dried, stacking them on the counter next to the sink. Their banter was easy, comfortable, once she’d thawed over him showing up unannounced.
They could be friends probably, but Eli didn’t want to be just her friend. He wanted more than casual, more than sex. Definitely more than casual sex. He had a feeling he was done with that aspect of his life for good, no matter what the outcome of this attraction he had for Bellamy.
Not a one-time thing.
Eli had never courted a girl before. Never wanted to. Never had to, really. In the past, a “date” with him consisted of meeting a woman (or two) in a bar or someplace else, maybe grabbing a quick bite for sustenance, then fucking off the calories they’d consumed. Occasionally he shared a girl with Sage or their friend Tucker, and once he’d joined Kai and Fritz for a threesome—an event that would forevermore remain a secret—but that was the extent of his social interactions with the opposite sex. And Bellamy damn sure wasn’t someone he wanted to share, ever, unless she were to outright ask for the experience.
The woman standing beside him made him restless with a feeling he couldn’t name, an odd ache in the pit of his stomach that started three weeks ago when he came back to an empty motel room. It had yet to go away, or even ease up for that matter. He wanted to get closer to Bellamy Haile, learn everything there was to know about her, but how did he go about doing that when he had no experience with the premise?
When he’d dried the last piece of silverware, he handed her the towel to dry her hands. She folded it in half, draped it over the sink, and turned to face him. “Thanks for your help with the dishes.”
“Thanks for breakfast,” he said, not wanting to end their visit just yet. “What’s on your agenda for today?”
“Vaccinating a herd of goats for the Millers.”
“They can’t do it themselves?”
“Mr. Miller said they used to handle everything, but he’d rather pay me to do it now.” She shrugged. “It happens. People get older, lose their patience with the task. Eyesight and mobility gets worse, things like that, but they’re not ready to part with the animals yet.”
“You like goats?”
She laughed. “I like all animals, some more than others, but goats are pretty easy to deal with. You just have to watch them closely because they like to nibble on everything.”
Right then Eli wanted to nibble on her full lower lip and things farther south.
“Can I see the rest of the house before I go?”
She hesitated, swallowed so slowly he watched her throat work. “There’s not much to see.”
“It’s yours,” he said simply.
Her gaze drifted to his mouth, down his neck, to the open collar of his shirt. He forced himself to stay put, not crowd her against the sink and kiss her lips sore.
“Follow me.”
She led him out of the kitchen and into a large open room spanning the centermost part of the house, with heart pine floors, scuffed and scarred but clean, and more than likely original. The moldings around the windows, doors and ceiling were thick and square, painted stark white like the bare walls. Long casement windows allowed lots of natural light into the big space, and with them open, there was a nice occasional cross-breeze.
He smelled a hint of wood smoke clinging to the room. A brown brick fireplace took up a good portion of one wall, fresh ashes in the bottom of the grate, and a few small logs stacked on the wide hearth. On the floor across from it sat a lone mattress—no frame—with rumpled flannel sheets and pillows atop it, a folded blue blanket on one corner. There was a short lamp near the head of the bed, a few books stacked beside it. Several cardboard boxes sat in another corner, with a two-drawer filing cabinet nearby.
It appeared as though she lived in this one room, except it was more like camping out with a better tent and hot running water.
“There are two bedrooms and one bath down the hall there, with three more bedrooms upstairs, along with another bathroom.”
“No TV?”
She shook her head. “I sold what wouldn’t fit in my car before I left Athens, bought the necessities once I got here and gained access to a truck. In the evenings, I sit outside on the porch and read if the weather’s nice, maybe listen to the radio, or I do paperwork at the kitchen table. To be honest, I haven’t missed television all that much.”
“What about your parents? They couldn’t help you move?”
“They caught the same bug as my aunt and uncle. Took a four-week RV trip out west,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “My mom and dad have never been the…overly involved type of parents. They love me and helped me get through school as best they could, but they’ve always stressed independence and finding my own way.”
Eli tried hard not to
frown at that notion too. How did a parent shove their kid out of the nest without teaching them how to fly first? Without being there to help if they faltered or fell? Must be a difficult thing, not having the built-in support system of a close-knit family, with only yourself to rely on. It sounded sort of lonely and frustrating. He supposed he was lucky in that respect, maybe even spoiled. And he was certain he took it for granted as well.
That uncomfortable feeling was back, digging craters into his chest wall. The scene before him looked sparse and temporary, but in what way? Until she could buy furniture and settle into rooms? Or until she decided Serenity held no future for her and she fled to greener pastures?
Admittedly, the house was huge, too big for one person to live in alone, too much expensive updating and maintenance required, if it could be done at all. He could tell she felt at home in the kitchen, peaceful and happy, a place that held memories of precious time spent with her grandmother. Why not everywhere else?
“It’s not as sad as it looks, Eli.” She smiled softly when his gaze swung to her. “I can see the concern on your face, but it’s just me here. I don’t need much more than food and a place to sleep and get clean.”
“You’ve used the fireplace?”
“A few nights ago when we had that brief dip in temperatures. The house doesn’t have central heat or air, so the fireplace is the only source of warmth. There’s a stack of dried wood behind the shed.”
“Snakes, Bellamy. Snakes like woodpiles, especially old ones that haven’t been touched in years.”
She tipped her head toward the corner nearest the bed, where an older model shotgun was propped against the wall.
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
“I can take care of myself,” she said. “This isn’t the first time I’ve lived alone.”
“But I bet it’s the first time you’ve lived alone at the back of an eighty-acre field with no neighbors and a gate that doesn’t close. You’ll recall I walked right up to your back door today without you even knowing I was anywhere on the property.”
He took it as a good sign when all she did was sigh instead of telling him to mind his own damn business.
He crossed the room to the fireplace, then squatted down and craned his neck so he could peer up the chimney. “Did you have the fireplace checked out before you used it? Creosote can build up inside the flue over time and cause a fire.”
“It was three small logs and a few scraps of newspaper. The smoke went up the chimney, not out into the room.”
“That just meant you had the damper open. You probably smoked out a few bats in the process.”
“I could’ve done without hearing that.” She shuddered, rubbing her arms.
Eli straightened, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Was the power ever turned off?”
“No. My mom kept it on so the house wouldn’t have to be re-inspected by the power company.”
Because if they did inspect, they would’ve turned the house down for outdated wiring. It wouldn’t have met current electrical codes. “What about the well? Did you drain the tank before you started using the water?”
Bellamy bit her lip, her gaze sliding away.
He brushed his hand down her arm, and even that much contact was too much temptation, so he pulled it away and stuffed them both in his front pockets. “I’ll stop nitpicking, but if you have questions about anything, ask me. I’ll help, okay?”
“The place is fine. Yes, it’s a bit shabby and in need of a lot of work, but it has good bones.” She peered around the room, an appreciative expression on her face. “My grandpa built this house himself.”
“I’m not knocking the house, Bell. I can’t help it if the thought of you poking around in a woodpile or falling asleep with a fire burning makes me uneasy.”
“Would it make you feel better if I said I’ll look into finding a chimney sweep?”
“Not looking into it—hiring one.” His phone chirped from his hip. He snapped it out of the case and read the text message. It was from Fritz. “We have another cow in labor. I gotta go check on her.”
She followed him to the back door. “I shouldn’t be long at the Millers. If you need me, call.”
“Not that I wouldn’t like having you there, but I hope it won’t be necessary this time around.” Some of her hair had come loose from its clip to fall forward across her cheeks. It reminded him of crow feathers, soft and so black it was almost blue. On impulse, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. Her hand opened like she wanted to touch him before she curled it against her chest. “I’ll see you soon,” he said.
Without giving her a chance to reply, he walked out the back door.
When he reached the end of the drive, he put the truck in Park and climbed out. Grabbing a shovel from the back, he worked the mailbox post back and forth in its hole until he’d loosened it enough that it would stand up straight. Then he scooped a few shovel loads of dirt around the base, packing it down with his boot as best he could.
Satisfied for now, he tossed the shovel back into the bed of his truck, climbed inside the cab and headed for the barn, with everything he’d just seen weighing heavily on his mind.
In that noble, ancient goliath of a house, surrounded by few material items but tons of memories, Bellamy still had no roots. Eli’s ran as deep in the Georgia ground as the oak trees in her backyard.
He grinned to himself. If there was one thing Eli knew well, it was that in order to make things grow, it never hurt to add a little fertilizer.
Chapter Five
Driving through downtown Serenity late Friday afternoon, Bellamy decided she had a newfound appreciation for goat ranching and all it entailed.
What she’d thought was going to be a simple, one-time trip to the Millers’ farm for vaccinations the previous Saturday morning turned out to be anything but simple. Instead of being on the verge of giving up on goats altogether, the Millers were going to start making cheese. Every spare minute she’d had over the past week was spent helping them evaluate the health of the animals they owned in preparation for the new operation. Inspecting, tagging, sorting and tailoring the vaccines to the specific needs of the herd, dictating until she became hoarse while Mrs. Miller scribbled down notes about every buck and doe they owned.
And each night when she’d gotten home, she broke out the textbooks to refresh her knowledge, pouring over pages until words blurred and she nodded off to sleep at the kitchen table.
Her body ached for a long, hot, well-deserved soak, but first she’d earned herself a different sort of treat before she left town for home.
She eased the truck into a parking spot in front of Homegrown at Carters’ Corner, the cartoonish sign over the front door making her smile like it always did. She kept meaning to ask Kai if the waving farmer on the green tractor was meant to be Fritz, as she suspected. Hand on the door latch, she lifted the front of her shirt to her nose for a deep whiff. Deciding she didn’t reek of eau de goat, she checked the soles of her boots for poop. Good there too, so she climbed out of the truck and walked inside.
Kai was bagging up a customer’s purchases at the register. When she saw Bellamy she waved, smiling brightly, then pointed toward the café tables near the front window of the store. Bellamy sank down in a chair, stretching her tired legs out in front of her.
“Hard day?” Kai asked while she busied herself with something else behind the counter once her customer left.
“Hard week.” She sat up straight, rubbed the back of her neck with both hands then retightened her ponytail. “I think you’ve inspired another local to try their hand at artisan production.”
“Oh yeah?”
“The Millers are going to start making goat cheese.”
“Ooh, nice,” Kai said as she breezed around the counter, a large wooden cutting board balanced on her palm with an assortment of small, food-filled cups atop it. She placed it on the table in front of Bellamy and myriad delicious smells wafted up her nostrils, making her b
elly stir with interest. “I’m not currently carrying any goat cheeses, but I’d like to. I wonder if they’ll do specialty flavors.”
“Mrs. Miller said they would once they got the ball rolling. She’s not a novice cheese maker, but they’ve never tackled production for resale.”
Kai sat down opposite Bellamy. “Tell them I’m interested when they’re ready.”
She nodded absently, her mind and empty stomach now focused on the samples. “What do we have here?”
Kai went into full-on demonstration-girl mode—spine stiff, hand sweeping over the cups, adopting a true pitchwoman’s voice. “What we have for you today, Miss Haile, are four delicious new items to tempt your refined southern palate. First, we have a rich, creamy pimento cheese. Not too sharp, not too bland and boring. Next, we have a freshly made tomatillo salsa, but fair warning, it’s spicy—thus the reason for the sampler of sweet peach wine. And last, a smooth, decadent apple butter.”
Bellamy grinned, cocking an eyebrow. “Did you rehearse that spiel, or was it totally off the cuff?”
“A little of both. Dig in.”
She’d scrubbed her hands before leaving the Millers’ place, so Bellamy had no qualms about being germy. She shoved a chip full of pimento cheese into her mouth. No surprise, it was indeed delicious. While she loaded another chip, she decided to broach the subject of Eli. “Eli paid me a visit last Saturday morning.”
Kai winced. “I hope you don’t mind that I mentioned to Fritz where you were living. He must’ve relayed that information to Eli.”
“Of course I don’t mind. It’s not like it was some big secret.” Bellamy tried the salsa on a tortilla chip then gulped down a swallow of the wine to cool the fiery sting on her tongue. Both of those items were good as well. “He used the excuse of bringing me my fee for pulling the calf.”
“Why would he need an excuse to come see you?”
Bellamy sighed, feeling in her gut that she could trust Kai. “We slept together a little over a month ago during the rodeo in Perry.”
A sheepish look from Kai. “I already know. Eli told Fritz. Fritz told me. But please don’t be upset with us for sharing that amongst ourselves. It won’t go any further, I swear. And for the record, Eli didn’t divulge any sordid details, just said the same thing you basically did, and that he was disappointed when he came back to the room and you were gone.”