Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. Seems like bad timing. Get out of here, Adam. “No, please, stay. Kyle knows you’re more than welcome here. I’ve told your folks the same thing. Ben’s been collecting wild artichokes for years down by the river and I hear the mushrooms are pretty good too. I’ll never use them so it would be a shame for them to go to waste.”
She smiled but it didn’t reach her pale blue eyes. He could see pain there and on her forehead in the creases of pale skin. Break ups sucked as he well knew. Sometimes it was easier to remain single than go through the angst of separation just when you thought you were settling down for life. Luckily for Adam, his own break up saved him a heap of grief down the track. His girlfriend had been involved in fraudulent business dealings. His father had found out and taken over, as Adam was still in law school ready to sit his exams. Not letting anything get in the way of his son attaining greatness, his father had insisted he not have any more to do with her or the case, but to concentrate on his finals and let him deal with it.
Sally had moved out without a fuss and he’d never heard from her again. Adam often wondered if she regretted what she’d done, but that was now water under the bridge and if nothing else, looking back and wondering didn’t achieve anything.
Would Lena and Kyle be able to not look back and wonder what could have been if they’d managed to keep the family together?
Say something awesome to keep her attention. “I’ve eaten in your restaurant a few times.” She turned away at his words. Well that worked.
“It’s not ours anymore.” Kyle walked back to his mother and put an arm across her shoulders and looked at Adam with regret in his eyes.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It was nice to meet you, Adam. Thanks for letting us continue to forage here.”
Right. He knew when he was being dismissed, but he had to give her time to get over her breakup. “Hey, no bother. If you ever want like a tour around the farm, give me a shout out. Deer are an amazing animal, so funny sometimes and interesting to watch.” Leave a trail of crumbs and maybe she’ll follow.
“And they taste good.” Kyle winked at his mother. “Especially with red wine, eh Mum?”
Lena smiled and this time it reached her eyes. “Yes, especially with red wine and wild mushrooms.” She took a breath and looked over at Adam. “Thanks, that would be interesting, I’d like that. Maybe you can tell me then what you plan on doing with your herd. Right now I need some time with my boy. I hope you don’t mind.”
I’d be a cad if I did. “Not at all. Just shout out; your Dad has my phone number. Nice to meet you.” Adam turned away, climbed over the fence, and walked back up to the shed. Lena intrigued him. There was something fragile about her that instantly brought out the protective side in him, but under that frail shell he could see the determination was still there even if she didn’t know it. She was hurting and had come home to lick her wounds as you would if you had parents like Ben and Sophia. They were two of the most supportive people he’d come across.
The judge had been furious when Adam announced he’d brought the farm and was intending to run his own business and throw away the job in law. Greedy lawyers, judges who made deals he would never have supported, and criminals who ran their lives as a business not caring who they hurt along the way, had ruined his idea of what society should be like.
He opened the tub of deer nuts and poured a couple of scoops into the feed buckets he had started to prepare earlier. He counted out the handfuls to add to the mix. Should he have told Lena he was invited for a meal with them tomorrow night? It didn’t seem to be the right time to say anything when she was obviously taking the time to sort out things with Kyle. No doubt Sophia was thinking of giving Lena no time to grieve over her loss, but wanted to introduce her to the new neighbor.
He mixed the feed with his hands seeing only her troubled blue eyes. How do you go about changing that haunted look?
* * *
“He’s a nice guy, Mum.” Kyle looked at the back of the man walking up toward the barn.
Sure he is. “It is kind of him, I get that. I just wanted to have some time with you so I can make you understand what’s happened. Last thing I want is you to find yourself lost or confused about what’s going on.” Because God knows I’m confused enough for the both of us. She kept her gaze on his trim figure as he walked away.
“What are we going to do for money?”
Ha, money. We dipped out there too unless you count the money he’s supposed to drip feed us. I wonder if he’ll do it without the courts leaning on him. Guess I’ll have to wait and see. “We have some, enough to get by for a bit anyway. If we’re careful it will be a good buffer until I find myself a job.” She crossed her fingers behind her back. I’ll do whatever it takes.
“I liked the one you had.” He turned and kicked the bucket, watching it fly over the long tufts of grass to land a few meters away. “Stinking rotten bastard.”
Lena walked over and grabbed him by the shoulders, spinning him around to face her. “That’s enough. What’s happened has happened and we need to get over it, Kyle. Cursing won’t
