The next half hour flew by in a whirl of mixing, blending, sifting and beating. Alexis, who had never liked working in a messy kitchen, insisted that Georgia rinse and stack in the dishwasher every dish, measuring cup, and mixing spoon that they used, so by the time they had three lemon-flavored cake tins filled with batter and lined up in the oven, the kitchen was looking less like a bomb site and more like an actual kitchen.
Georgia’s attitude had warmed along the way, as it became clear that Alexis really could bake. As they closed the oven door she turned to Alexis. “You’re not that bad, you know?” Then she hugged her.
Alexis was so surprised she barely had time to react before Georgia pulled away.
By the time Mason arrived home, walking into the kitchen with his broad shoulders filling the doorway, the pair of them were icing the final tier of the cake with cream cheese icing and decorative curls of lemon peel and sugared lemon slices, picked from the small but heavily laden lemon tree out in the mini orchard behind the Quinn family mansion.
Mason’s eyes widened at the sight of the two of them smiling and laughing in each other’s company.
Then his attention turned to the magnificent three tier cake. “Georgie, is this what you’ve been working on all day?” He whistled. “Wow, that’s pretty impressive. I thought you would have given up long ago and bought one at the supermarket.”
Georgia’s face grew pink. “It was a bit of a disaster before Alexis turned up and saved the day.” She grinned widely at Alexis, who grinned back.
She’d offered to help without thinking: after all, the Quinns had been good to her when she needed help and she was glad to be able to repay the favor. She had seen another side of Mason’s sister this afternoon. Georgia was funny and friendly once she dropped her defensive demeanor. And a good person, volunteering her whole morning to help bake for a local raffle sale. Although Alexis really had no idea what Georgia had been planning to do when she was so lacking in any sort of ability in the kitchen.
She felt a small surge of pride. While Georgia might have grown up on a farm and understand more about breeding sheep and how to drive a tractor that she ever would, she could bake a cake worthy of any elite Manhattan bakery.
Mason turned his big brown eyes on Alexis and she blushed, looking down at the floor. “Thanks for helping Georgie out.”
“No problem at all,” she replied, looking down at the floor still. She couldn’t help but notice the size of his sock-clad feet. He had bigger feet than James did.
She mentally shook her head. What on earth was she thinking?
“What brought you over here today?” He looked at her curiously then grinned and winked. “Were you missing my fine company? Or have you managed to crash your car into a ditch and need the loan of a tractor to pull it out?”
“My driving is going just fine,” she retorted. “I haven’t even stalled the last few times I’ve driven.” She omitted to mention that she had, in fact, almost driven into a ditch when driving through the fields the other day and had given herself quite a fright.
“You do look a lot more confident driving now,” Georgia interjected.
Alexis gave her a grateful smile. She was amazed at how quickly Georgia’s demeanor had changed. Georgia sticking up for her? To Mason? Wonders would never cease. “I actually needed to ask you a favor.”
Mason leaned on the bench and leisurely reached his arm out, scraping a thick scoop of cream cheese icing onto his finger. “Shoot.”
She shuffled her feet on the floor. “I’ve come to a decision. I need to fire Nate. And the sooner the better, really.”
Georgia looked at her in surprise. “Well I had you pegged wrong. I thought for sure he’d be bullying you like he did Old Bert.”
Mason narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m not saying it’s not a good idea— who knows how he managed to cling onto that farm manager job for this long when he is a raging drunk and a thief—but you should be careful. He’s not a—pleasant—fellow.”
“I’m well aware of that. That’s why I came here.”
“You want me to go with you to keep you safe.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes. That is, if you don’t mind.” Alexis was suddenly nervous. “I can talk to him on my own. I would just feel more comfortable if I knew there was someone else with me.” And I don’t have anyone else to ask, she thought, although pride kept her from admitting this out loud.
She didn’t want to let him know how desperate she was to have him with her. Nate was a nasty piece of work, and she didn’t like him one bit. She wouldn’t put it past him to get angry at her, maybe physical even. And she had seen the way he cowed in front of Mason, like a dog when the head of its pack was around. Nate might not respect her yet, but he certainly would be more wary about his actions with Mason standing beside her.
“When do you want to do it then?”
“I thought today maybe?” She wasn’t sure when the best time would be but the sooner it was done, the better she would sleep at night knowing the farm was on the right track to getting sorted out financially.
“What will you do for a new farm manager?”
“I’ll handle it. Terry can take up the slack until I find someone.”
“I do want to check out the fair today.” Mason looked towards Georgia. “It was going to be to laugh at your cake when it went up for sale—”
He was cut short by a whack on his arm from Georgia. “It’s too soon to joke about it. I’ve barely stopped crying.”
“—but I can help you with this, then we can meet Georgia there.”
“Yeah, I need to head off soon to drop off our masterpiece and help Mrs. Hetherington set up.” Georgia swooped down on Alexis and gave her a firm hug. “You are a lifesaver. I’m going to wash up and head on over. I’ll see you guys there.”
Mason continued to lick the icing from the bowl and Alexis stifled a giggle at how much he had eaten. “That’s actually pretty good,” he admitted as he sheepishly licked the spoon. “My mother is a good baker too. I miss it when I’m away from home.”
“It’s a good feeling when people enjoy your cooking,” she replied.
He grinned back. “Well, whenever you want someone to help you feel good, I’ll be here.” He groaned. “That did not come out right. I meant the baking.” He waved his hand towards the cake. “Speaking of baking, I’m keen to get to the fair soon, they have some great food there. Should we go and get this over with then?”
She grinned at his discomfort over the accidental innuendo. If she’d been bolder, she might have replied with an innuendo of her own, but they had work to do.
“Sounds great. I can drive—”
“No, no, you drive too slow, it’ll take all day to get to Nate and then to the fair, and all the food will be gone. I’ll drive up.”
They headed out to his truck and she climbed inside, noting with a touch of envy how much nicer inside it was than her own tattered, secondhand pickup. The seats still had a faint new car smell to them, and there was very little mess inside. In fact, if she had not known he was a farmer, she might have thought this car belonged to a paper-pusher in an office who only drove a big car to intimidate people in the city. But it was clear that while he might come across as a little rough on the outside, he looked after the things he cared about.
She hadn’t taken this much notice last time she had been in his car.
Maybe she hadn’t cared so much about getting to know him last time she had been in his car.
“Do you know where Nate will be?” he asked, as they bumped down the driveway at a considerably higher speed than she would have done.
“Down in the—the sheep field. Third one from the house,” she replied, holding on to the edge of the seat tightly. The bounce of the car wasn’t the only thing making her hold the seat. She suddenly felt a wave of nerves at the thought of confronting Nate.
“I noticed you still call it ‘the house’ or ‘Bert’s place’, but not ‘home’, or ‘my house’.” H
is voice was soft and questioning.
She paused before answering. “I guess it still hasn’t really felt like home yet. It’s still filled with his stuff. I didn’t know him, and it feels like living in a stranger’s house still.”
“The oven is yours.”
“Yes, the oven is mine. Thank you for that.” She hadn’t forgotten how much she owed him for his help in getting her set up.
“But the farm—it looks like you’re getting the hang of running it?”
“Yes, I think so.” She didn’t want to admit how out of her depth she felt sometimes. “It’s a challenge, that’s for sure. But it feels great when I learn something new, or try something new, and it fits, and it feels like maybe it’s the right thing to be here. For now, anyway.” To tell the truth, she hadn’t really thought much about going back to New York recently. She’d have to decide sometime soon whether she would ask for more time off to stay longer.
She wasn’t sure the boss would give her any more time off. She was expendable, she knew that. New York was full of people who would be hungry for her job. She could be replaced in a heartbeat, and probably would be if she didn’t come back after her six weeks were up. Her supervisor had complained vociferously about giving her even that much time. She’d had to guilt him into it by stressing that her grandfather had died.
“I think I know what you mean,” he replied. “Jumping into something head first and not knowing everything about what you’re going to do or how things will turn out makes it more exciting.”
They both fell silent at this.
A few minutes later he parked on the gravel track outside the woolshed where she expected to find Nate working on fixing a fence.
He waited in the cab while she hopped out of the truck. Before she closed her door, he reached over and put his hand on her arm, locking his eyes with her. “Be careful, okay? I don’t trust Nate.”
“I will.” She stared into his eyes and felt a warmth in her stomach. He had her back. She would be safe.
“I’ll be watching. If he tries anything funny, I’ll be over there right away.”
She nodded.
She found Nate sitting in the woolshed smoking a cigarette.
He jumped up guiltily when he saw her and stubbed out the cigarette on the ground. On the wooden floor. Inside.
She ground her teeth in frustration. How many other reasonable and sensible health and safety rules had he been openly flouting while she wasn’t here?
“What are you doing here?” His voice was truculent and aggrieved.
“Nate, I need to have a word with you. Outside.” Her heart was hammering in her chest. Even in her job in New York she’d never had to fire anyone before. She once had had to have a word with an intern to tell him to pull his weight, but most disciplinary matters were handled by much more senior people.
“I’m right busy at the moment, got the fence to finish this morning. Just been having a rest as I’ve been on the go since 4 a.m.”
Alexis seriously doubted this, but now wasn’t the time to argue. She turned around and walked back out of the woolshed and stood next to the fence that Nate had supposedly been fixing and waited for him to follow. It looked as though he had been hard at work for all of five minutes before he’d stopped for a break.
She positioned herself so that Nate would see Mason’s pickup behind her.
Nate walked out slowly, kicking the ground as he came.
She waited until he walked right up to her before she began to speak. “Nate, I’ve been looking through the financial records. I need you to explain some things for me.” She was going to let him go either way, but if he had been honest in his dealings, she wanted there to be no hard feelings between them.
Nate’s eyes narrowed, and he folded his arms across his chest. “Bert did all the financials for this farm. I don’t know nothin’ about it.” His eyes flickered up past Alexis and she saw the recognition in his eyes as he caught sight of Mason sitting in the truck behind her.
“I know that, but I will need the receipts for everything that you have purchased over the past two years at least. The numbers simply don’t add up.”
Nate positively glowered at her. “I gave Bert all my receipts.”
She looked him straight in the eyes. “No, you didn’t. He had receipts for all purchases by every other staff member but not yours.”
Nate didn’t even bother to disagree. “Bert trusted me to look after this farm.”
“He might have trusted you, but I am having difficulty when I see that all your expenses have tripled over the past two years and you have no proof of what you have purchased.” Alexis took a breath and steeled herself. “I need the receipts from you, Nate. Today. Or I’ll have no choice but to let you go.”
Nate unfolded his arms and his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Alexis held herself still, willing herself not to flinch at the implied threat.
“Don’t think you can walk in here and take over like this, city girl,” he growled. In his voice, the nickname was a threat. He took a step towards her so that she had to look up to meet his angry gaze. His beery breath assaulted her nostrils. “You ain’t got no idea what it takes to run this place. I’ve been here for fifteen years and I ain’t leaving.”
Alexis folded her own arms across her chest and stood up straighter, making herself as tall as she could. She refused to take a step backwards. “Yes, actually, I can walk in and take over. I own this farm now, Nate, and I get to decide who stays and who goes. If you haven’t got receipts for your purchases to prove they were legitimate, then I’ll need you to leave. Today.” Her heart was still hammering in her chest.
His face was red with fury. “You’d let me go after this long? Kick me out of my job after fifteen years of loyalty?”
Her heart hardened. “You can stay if you have proof that you haven’t been stealing for years.”
He spat on the ground by her feet. “I don’t want to stay and work for an uppity little bitch like you.”
Alexis flinched at this. But she didn’t move her feet. Nate was not going to intimidate her.
“Then I will need you to leave today. You can drop your gate keys to the house on your way out. I’ll pay you out for the next month and any vacation pay that’s owing.”
Her heart was hammering, and she hoped her voice didn’t falter. “Is this understood?”
Nate glowered at her then nodded and turned to walk off. He took a couple of steps away then stopped suddenly and gave the fence that he was meant to be fixing a kick so hard that a piece of wood splintered off.
Alexis opened her mouth to tell him he was going to have to pay for any damage he caused before he left but before she could form the words Mason’s voice rang out from behind her.
“You better keep your hands and feet to yourself, mate.” Mason was striding towards them, his face black as thunder. “You’ve cost this farm enough. You damage anything here, then you’ve got me to answer to as well.”
Nate blanched. “So, she’s got you wrapped around her little finger now too, has she?” His scowl had deepened, and his voice was laden with resentment. “Never figured you for one to go soft just for a clueless city American.” He emphasized the word American, drawing it out and drawling it in a thick southern accent that sounded nothing like Alexis’s actual voice.
Mason stepped next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. She was grateful for his protective gesture, even if she had wanted to do this on her own. Nate’s face looked as though he had just swallowed a lemon. She already knew his nasty side and had no wish to be on the receiving ends of his calloused fists, should his temper end up worse than she expected.
“It’s none of your business, is it. Get out of here, Nate.”
With one last scowl Nate turned on his heel and walked away, but not before his parting shot. “You’re going to get what’s coming to you. You ain’t got what it takes to run this place.”
Mason’s arm tightened around her shoulders and he didn
’t let go until Nate was out of sight. He steered her back to his car and deposited her on the passenger seat. He walked around and jumped into the driver’s seat, slamming the door.
“Are you okay? That son of a—” he paused. “I heard what he said to you. It was uncalled for.”
She gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks for coming with me. I would have been a lot less confident on my own.” She was still shaking slightly, and she rubbed her hands together to warm them up.
“It’s not a problem. I’m glad I could.” His brown eyes met hers and he gave a shy smile. “I was tempted to give him a piece of my mind right then but thought I’d leave it to you. You did well not to back down.”
She gave a tremulous laugh. “I promised myself I wouldn’t be intimidated by a dirty old drunk.”
He stared at her for a second then shook his head and started the engine. “You’re full of surprises. That was brave of you.” He took off slowly down the road, this time taking much more care to avoid the potholes.
His words warmed her from the inside out and took away a lot of the nervous tension she had felt at dealing with Nate. He thought she was brave and capable. He had stuck up for her when Nate tried to have a go at her. She was more than just a clueless city girl.
Mason assured her on the way to the fair that what she was wearing was completely appropriate and no one would expect her to dress up, but she still felt unprepared as they headed to the town. She was still in her work clothes, ripped jeans and a slouchy sweater, now sprinkled lightly with the flour and icing sugar that she hadn’t been able to completely brush off after her earlier stint in the kitchen.
She wasn’t sure what to expect and imagined a small tired-looking crowd of dusty farmers strolling through racks of farm produce, maybe with a dingy stereo playing some small local radio station. At least it was an escape from Bert’s run-down old farmhouse and the endless exhausting, sheep-related farm duties. Working on the farm meant she was more physically tired than she had ever been before.
As they arrived at the site of the fair, the local high school grounds, she was pleasantly surprised to see larger crowds than she had expected, and some people were even dressed up for the occasion. Only about half of the crowd were in gumboots or work boots, and she even spotted a woman in high heels. Not the type of high heels that she used to wear every day to work—these only had a small wedge heel—but still, it was a good sign. A sign of civilization.
Head First (Quinn Brothers Book 1) Page 9