Looking Real Good

by C. Morgan

  Before breaking away to join the others, I spotted Winifred snapping pictures of Lukas with Angelica. There was no doubt in my mind that people would find him an easier man to connect with after seeing those pictures.

  The kids loved picking apples. Some filled their buckets so full they could hardly carry them and adults had to carry them on their behalf. Lukas ended up carrying two buckets and complained about how heavy they were to any child who would listen. Even as I worked and talked to the kids about nutrition and how important it was to do our best to make mindful and healthy choices where we could, I was distracted by him.

  He poked fun at those he knew could take it and spoke warmly to the ones who seemed a little more sensitive. He plucked pretty leaves from trees for the littlest children to play with and got down on their level as they scoured for bugs in the dirt.

  He was softening before my eyes. I saw nothing of the gruff, tough, broody man he’d been just days before. His behavior touched and impressed me and I found myself pulled to him. Wherever he was, I wanted to be, and I wasn’t the only one. Some of the other parents seemed to like being around him, too. His energy was magnetic. Compelling. Warm.

  Trouble, I told myself. He’s trouble.

  And he was off limits. We were working together which meant there would be no indulging in any hanky-panky. More importantly, I had Lisa to think of.

  Lisa.

  What would she think if she knew I was drooling over her brother like this? She’d probably call me weak-willed or something like that and remind me that Lukas was an ass. She’d tell me I deserved better or something along those lines. Or perhaps she’d be happy for me.

  I gave my head a shake. That was a preposterous thought. Lisa would not want me falling for her brother.

  Falling?

  Stop it, I thought sharply.

  My mind was getting ahead of itself and I was thankful when the hour in the orchard ended and we all piled back in the wagon with twenty pounds of apples to our names. We rode back to the barn where our lunches were waiting for us, along with my surprise pie delivery.

  I shot Lukas a glance as he tried to steal a couple of apples from Angelica’s bucket. She was having none of his shenanigans and slapped his hand away every time he got close. Lukas glanced up and we locked eyes. He flashed me a devilish smile before leaning back and draping his arms over the sides of the wagon.

  Trouble indeed.

  We arrived back at the barn and everyone moved to the picnic tables on a grassy spot beside the building. Guardians brought out lunch bags filled with sandwiches, vegetables, fruit, and milk cartons, and all the kids sat down to eat.

  Meanwhile, I moved through the rows of tables and talked to them about the nutritional value in their lunches. I asked them to hold up their vegetable, whatever one it may be, and explained the importance of making sure vegetables were always on their plate during a meal. Some kids had eaten their veggies already and held empty fists in the air.

  This made Lukas chuckle and it was hard for me to keep a straight face as I continued my educational part of the day. When I spied him cutting the crust off Angelica’s sandwich, I almost melted. By sheer will alone, I kept going.

  I was saved by the sound of a truck arriving. I glanced at the dirt road where a delivery van had just pulled up and I grinned.

  “All right,” I said, clasping my hands together. “Do you remember when I said I’d arranged a surprise for later? Well, this is it.”

  The driver got out of the van and opened the back doors. Inside, stacked upon plastic crates, were boxes of freshly baked apple pies from a local bakery down the road.

  The kids bristled with excitement as the pies were passed around to the tables along with plastic cutlery and paper plates.

  “So there’s something special about these pies,” I said, continuing to walk up and down the rows of picnic tables. All eyes were on me, including Lukas’. “All of these apple pies were made with apples from this orchard. So the apples you picked today are the very same ones in these pies. Pretty cool, huh?”

  I was met with a chorus of excited agreement.

  I glanced at Lukas. He was cutting slices for everyone at his table and passing them around. Winifred was off in the far corner, snapping pictures, and I knew Lisa would be thrilled to see them all. How long had it been since she saw this version of her brother?

  Lukas cut off a piece of pie and took a bite.

  I watched out of the corner of my eye as he chewed and savored the morsel. He closed his eyes for a moment, like he had when he was a kid eating the pies my mother brought home from her bakery. Then he swallowed and nodded. The moment was entirely his own. He went in for another bite, and another, and each one brought the same look of pleasure and contentment to his face.

  It was making me think naughty things. Very naughty things.

  Licking my lips, I forced myself to turn my back on him. This was not the time or place to have sexual fantasies about my best friend’s older brother.

  While everyone ate their pie, I shared information about the Doherty farm and how many generations had worked it. We talked about the apples and the cider they made there and how not all farms made money from animals. We talked about the changes in the seasons and what that meant for farmers.

  Within a half hour, I was done with the discussion. I knew I couldn’t hold the children’s attention for much longer, and I didn’t want to bore them to death, so we ended the day with the kids dispersing amongst the nearest rows of apple trees to play and have fun before we headed back into the city.

  I sat down to rest my feet after cleaning up the plates and lunches.

  Lukas came and found me. He had a plate of pie in one hand and wore a cheeky smile as he took the seat beside me. He put the plate down and slid it toward me. “You were working so hard this afternoon, I noticed you never sat down to eat lunch.”

  My stomach growled and I hoped he didn’t hear it. “It happens more often than it should.”

  He nodded at the pie. “It’s delicious. I snagged it for you. Angelica tried to wrestle me for it but I’m bigger and stronger. So, you know, you’re welcome.”

  I giggled. “Wow, I’m impressed. Way to stick it to an eight-year-old.”

  He laughed.

  Chapter 13

  Lukas

  Art had dozed off with his seat reclined in the Rover. I approached the SUV with a smile and rapped my knuckles on the driver’s side window. He woke with a start, looked around with blurry eyes, and frowned at me before turning the ignition so he could roll the window down.

  “I didn’t mean to startle you,” I said.

  “It’s no bother, sir. Are you ready to go back to the city?”

  I glanced over my shoulder at the group. Most of the kids were making their way back to the bus they’d arrived on. Kayla was outside the bus doors doing a headcount while parents and legal guardians boarded. The only person not getting on the bus was the photographer. Winifred had already gotten in her own car, a red Volkswagen Golf, and driven off.

  “I think I’m going to stay behind and ride in on the bus,” I said.

  Art blinked and peered past me at the faded yellow bus. “Are you certain, sir?”

  “Yes. Thank you. Enjoy the ride back into the city, Art. At least you won’t have to listen to me typing away the entire time.”

  Art grinned and fiddled with the touchscreen. “I think I’ll listen to my audio book then.”

  I stood back with my hands in my pockets as he pulled away and the tires kicked up dust. I lingered there at the edge of the road, my ruined shoes stained from the grass and the dirt.

  The view was incredible. The sky was still vibrant and blue but some clouds had rolled in, threatening to rain later this afternoon. The apple trees varied in colors of red, orange, yellow, and green. I’d seen oil paintings this colorful but it had been a long time since I noticed such beauty in nature.

  I’d been cooped up in the city for too long. Sure, I had great v
iews from my office, but they were nothing like this. I stared out at a vast jungle of concrete and glass every day. It smelled of carbon emissions, takeout restaurants, and garbage. Occasionally, I caught the whiff of fresh-baked bread from a cafe down on the street but those moments were few and far between. The sounds of traffic drowned out other more pleasant sounds. Like the sounds here on the farm of birds chirping, children laughing, and leaves rustling in the gentle autumn breeze.

  Yes, I needed to get out of the city more often. Maybe I’d been working too hard for too long. I’d forgotten how to take time off—forgotten how good it felt to breathe fresh air.

  The bus honked its horn and I turned around.

  Kayla waved me over. “Are you coming or what?”

  I jogged over to the bus and she laughed at me. “What’s so funny?”

  Kayla shrugged and got on the bus ahead of me. “You running in a suit and loafers on a farm,” she said pointedly. “That’s what’s funny.”

  I followed her up the three steps and we took a seat side by side in the front row. She looked over at me in surprise. “What?” I asked. “Is this seat taken?”

  She shook her head and kicked her feet up on the bar in front of us. “Nope.”

  The bus driver closed the doors, and seconds later, we were rolling away from the farm and down the dirt road. Kayla checked over her shoulder that everyone was settled in their seats.

  I nudged her hip with mine to get her attention. “I think your day was successful. It looks like everyone had a great time.”

  She smiled and settled lower in her seat to get comfortable. “I think so too. I know Angelica certainly enjoyed herself.”

  “Cute kid.”

  “She’s a troublemaker.”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. “She’s an angel.”

  “Because she liked you and you were giving her a lot of attention.”

  “Isn’t that what all kids want?”

  “Yes,” Kayla said with a knowing smile. “But unfortunately, it isn’t what all kids get. Today just might have been the highlight of the entire fall season for her.”

  I frowned. I didn’t like the sound of that.

  Kayla sighed and closed her eyes. “She’s one of the children on the school lunch program I work with. A few of the kids out here with us today are. It’s been a struggle to make sure we have proper funding to feed the children who are sent to school with no meals from home.”

  “Her parents don’t have the means to feed her?”

  Kayla shook her head and cracked one eye open to peer over at me. “A lot of these kids’ parents don’t. That’s why they’re in this group. Sometimes, all they have to eat in the day is the food the lunch program provides. It’s important that we keep up with the demand. Otherwise, children go hungry.” She stifled a yawn and gave her head a shake. “Sorry.”

  Kayla was obviously exhausted.

  “It’s all right,” I said. “Rest. We have a long drive ahead of us.”

  Kayla nodded and closed her eyes.

  I gazed out the window as we left the dirt road in favor of the paved one. The drive became smoother and Kayla nodded off. She slumped sideways in her seat until her cheek found my shoulder. I hid my smile and continued gazing out the window as the apple orchard gave way to fields of hay and rolling hills of grass.

  It felt good to have her so close. It was a kind of intimacy I hadn’t felt in a long while. Years, even. Her hair smelled like her shampoo, citrus and honey, and there was a lingering scent of hay around her that wasn’t at all unpleasant.

  For the rest of the drive, I considered what she’d told me about Angelica and the other children who were part of the lunch program. It didn’t sit well with me that there was such a high risk of these children going hungry for days if there wasn’t proper funding.

  I could do something about that.

  I would do something about that.

  The ride became less enjoyable as we arrived in the city. We made more frequent stops at red lights and the children were becoming unsettled. They wanted to get out and stretch their legs, and truth be told, so did I. I’d barely moved the entire drive for fear of waking Kayla up and spoiling the moment.

  When we finally pulled up in front of the Good Fellow’s office and the doors opened, everyone got to their feet. Children started brushing past us and Kayla woke. She sat up straight and rubbed at her eyes before shooting me an apologetic and timid glance. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I’m sorry. That’s so embarrassing.”

  “Nothing to be embarrassed about. You had a big day today. And I’m sure you were up at the crack of dawn.”

  Kayla nodded and put a hand on her stomach. “I’m looking forward to a cold drink and a warm meal,” she admitted. “That pie feels like it was a long time ago.”

  We got off the bus last. Kayla thanked the driver and handed him a folded white envelope she fished out of her jean pocket. He thanked her as we stepped out onto the sidewalk, waved, and pulled out into traffic.

  “What was that?” I asked.

  “A tip,” she said as she waved goodbye to the children and their parents as everyone began making their way to their cars or the normal public transit bus stop up ahead. “He drives his bus for the school district but offered to take us out to the farms today for free. He’s our driver a lot of times, and if I have spare money in the budget, I like to throw a little something his way. He thinks it’s from all the parents and guardians. Otherwise, he’d never take it.”

  Did her generosity have no end?

  Her stomach growled loud enough that I heard it. She groaned pitifully. “Oh my goodness, I’m starving.” She turned to me. “I’m glad you came out today. Lisa will be thrilled to hear how well everything went. And I’m looking forward to seeing Winifred’s photos. I bet she captured some great moments.”

  “Come to dinner with me tonight.”

  Kayla blinked. “Sorry?”

  That might have been a little forward. I chuckled and rubbed the back of my neck. “You’re hungry. I’m hungry. I know this great place just a little ways down the street. We could walk over and be there in less than ten minutes. The food is great. Trust me. Let me treat you to dinner. It’s my way of thanking you for a good day out of the city.”

  Her eyes danced back and forth between mine, and for a moment, I thought she was going to say no.

  “I’m not sure, Lukas,” she said slowly.

  “I want to talk business. I did some thinking on the drive and want to talk to you about some ideas I have.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “Strictly a business dinner, then?”

  “Strictly.”

  “All right,” she conceded. “Fine. You lead the way. And you’d better pray this place doesn’t serve fancy little portions. I want something big and heavy. Like pasta. Or a burger.”

  I laughed as she fell into step beside me and we made our way down the sidewalk. “You can order anything you want. I own a portion of the business.”

  “Of course, you do,” she said with a knowing eye roll.

  “It has its perks.”

  Dominion, the restaurant in question, was an elegant steak house positioned right on the street corner. It had a gothic edge to it with dark, moody decor, plush red velvet fabric accents, and ambient lighting. Kayla shot me a look when we walked through the front doors.

  “This place is way too nice for me to show up in jeans and sneakers,” she muttered.

  I leaned toward her. “Another perk of owning the place? You can wear whatever you want and nobody bats an eye.”

  “I thought you said you owned a portion.”

  “I was being humble.”

  She wrapped her arms around herself and looked around at the customers in dresses and suits.

  I shrugged out of my jacket, loosened my tie, and popped the first three buttons of my shirt open. “There. Now we’re both messes.”

  Kayla smirked. “You are so out of touch if you think loosening a coupl
e of buttons make you look like a mess.”

  A server saw us to our table in a private room at the back of the restaurant. Kayla said nothing about the personal service and dining area but she seemed to relax once we were secluded from the other customers. We were given menus and brought glasses of water. Kayla polished hers off in a matter of minutes as she scoured the menu. I didn’t interrupt her decision-making process.

  When she put the menu down, we locked eyes.

  “So you said you wanted to talk business?” she said.

  I clasped my hands together over the table. “Yes. First and foremost, I’d like to fund your school lunch program. To be clear, I’d like to fund it one hundred percent—annually.”

  Chapter 14

  Kayla

  My tongue had become glued to the roof of my mouth. Lukas sat across from me and wore what seemed to be a mix between a satisfied smirk and a proud smile. He waited for me to say something—anything—in response to his generous offer, but I was rendered speechless.

  “This is a good thing, isn’t it?” he pressed after several beats of my silence.

  I nodded and reached for my water. Finding it empty, I frowned.

  Lukas slid his across the table to me. I tilted it back, drank greedily, and set the glass back down on the table. I watched moisture slide down the side of the glass.

  “Are you sure?” I finally managed to ask.

  Funding the entire lunch program for a whole year wouldn’t be a small tab. He was biting off a serious expense. He could afford it, of course. He could likely afford anything he wanted. But that wasn’t the point. Regardless of how much money a person had, it was still a staggering amount for one person to throw at a good cause.

  “I’m positive,” Lukas said. “And by annually I meant every year.”

  I drank more water.

  “This makes you happy, right?” he asked.

  I nodded as I drank. Water dribbled out of the corner of my mouth, rolled down my chin, neck, and into the collar of my T-shirt. “Uh huh,” I said before swallowing and setting the glass back down. “It makes me happy. It’s a little overwhelming. I didn’t expect you to want to be so…”