Fearless The King Series Book One - By Tawdra Kandle Page 0,68
the plants and in the shop. Sometimes I hung out with Marly in the greenhouse, and other times I tagged along with Michael while he worked in the fields. And now I was not only allowed but actually encouraged to help with dinner prep and clean up. It made me feel warm and accepted. And because Marly, like Michael, seemed to be someone I heard with particular ease, I knew that she was fond of me, too.
The nursery was particularly busy right now, because their pumpkin patch was open. Each Saturday, they offered free hayrides to groups of children who would then choose their pumpkins. Michael sometimes got roped into being the driver, which he didn’t particularly enjoy. I’d ridden along a few times and laughed at his long-suffering expression as we waited for each child to select just the right pumpkin.
Today, he told me as we pulled carefully through the crowded lot to park near the cabin, he had only had to drive one circuit. His mother had relented and allowed him to work elsewhere until it was time to fetch me.
We watched the families milling about, buying fall decorations from the shop, while their small children struggled to hold onto the huge pumpkins.
“Strange to see so many people here, isn’t it?” I remarked.
“Yeah, and it’ll stay this busy through Christmas. I know it’s what keeps us going—we need the walk-in customers as much as we need the landscaping jobs—but I have to say, I kind of like it better when it’s quieter.”
“I understand.” I turned to smile up at him. “So what are we doing today? Do you have to work first, or can we talk?”
“I’m clear for the afternoon. I’m going to pull an extra afternoon shift this week to help out, in exchange for taking this afternoon off.”
I frowned. “Are you sure that’s okay? I don’t want your parents to get mad at us.”
He tousled my hair, which was still completely windblown. “No, don’t worry. They were fine with it. I thought maybe we’d pack a picnic and take it to our spot in the Christmas tree field.”
This was an appealing plan. I was hungry, and I loved that Michael felt as attached as I did to our little area between the pine trees and the citrus field. We blew through the kitchen at the cabin, throwing together sandwiches, chips, fruit and drinks. Michael’s idea of a small picnic was of course much different than mine. By the time we left, the basket was heavy, and we could’ve lived off that food for a week.
It was such a beautiful day. A light breeze fluttered the leaves around us and cooled us from the intensity of the sun. Michael spread a blanket on the ground, and we set up our lunch. He kicked off his work boots and stretched out on the blanket while I sat cross-legged in a corner, enjoying my sandwich.
“You’re going to eat more than just the one sandwich, right?” he questioned as I finished my lunch.
I shook my head. “I’m dress shopping tomorrow with my mom. Won’t you be mortified if you end up having to take me to the dance wearing a tent? I have to watch my caloric intake.”
“You look fantastic, you always do. You don’t need to diet. I already know I’ll have the most beautiful girl as my date.”
I decided it wasn’t worth arguing. Especially as I could feel the self-satisfied and relaxed vibes flowing from him, which meant he wouldn’t be moved anyway. Instead I extended my legs in front of me, rolled to the side and propped myself up on my elbow, facing Michael. He was still flat on his back, eyes closed, soaking up the sun.
“So…” I began, not wanting him to nod off to sleep quite yet.
He opened one eye and looked at me. “So?”
“So, are you going to fill me in on the history of occult practices in the town of King? You promised.”
“I know.”
“So…” I repeated, exasperated.
He rolled to his side, mirroring my own position, leaning his head on his hand. “Tasmyn, it’s not that I’m keeping something from you. If I’m hesitating at all, it’s because I’m a little afraid we’re making a lot out of nothing. What if I tell you all this—some of which I’m not really sure about—and it does turn out to be nothing?”
“Then we’ll do nothing. But how can we make that determination if only one of us knows the whole story?”