Berry on Top (A Farm Fresh Romance Book 6) Page 4

  He chuckled, but it sounded a bit harsh. “You hit upon the very reason it might be my business, little sister. I could’ve cut the tension between you with a knife, and that’s not even including when Mason and I came in at the folks’ place yesterday. You looked like you’d seen a ghost.”

  And she’d thought he hadn’t noticed. “We didn’t part on the best of terms back then, okay? But it’s all fine now.” Liar. “A lot of water has gone under the bridge.”

  “Is he the reason you went to Thailand and never came back?”

  “Hey!” She poked Zach in the arm. “I came back. I’m right here.”

  “You’re trying really hard, Liz, but you’re not fooling me. Could you just answer a straight question?”

  No?

  The truck trundled across the bridge. Snow swirled toward the headlights in a mesmerizing way. Why had she returned to Idaho in winter? But she’d loved the snow as a child. Loved building snowmen and making snow angels. She hadn’t had to drive in it.

  “I’m waiting, Lizzie.”

  “Zachary, in case you hadn’t figured it out, I don’t want to talk about Mason or about high school. I’m an adult, and I don’t have to if I don’t want to. So can you just drop it already?”

  “Did he hurt you?”

  Like nothing in her life before or since. She stared out the passenger window.

  “Sis, I didn’t know you had a history with him. He asked to rent the farmhouse. He seems like a good dad, but I know he had a bit of a reputation back then. I know from personal experience that a guy can go astray, and God can forgive him and restore him.”

  She managed to get the words out without spitting. “I didn’t say we had a history.”

  Zach sighed. “Just because I’m male doesn’t mean I’m blind or stupid. I won’t push you, since you obviously have no intention of telling me anything. Combine a good memory with a good imagination, and I can add up the parts you’re not saying.”

  Protesting now would get her exactly nowhere. And silence was no better an option.

  “I need you to know a few things, Lizzie. One, I believe Mason is a changed man. Two, I think God brought you home for a reason and, three, if you ever decide you need someone to talk to, try me or Jo, okay? We’re here for you.”

  Tears stung Liz’s eyelids and she blinked them away even as the snow-covered fields outside the vehicle blurred. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she choked out.

  “That’s all I’m asking of you. I’m making the rest of my requests to God.”

  Wasn’t that the way it had always been? Her brother had been a steady force in the church youth group all through school. Would he really understand if she dumped the whole sordid tale on him? Not likely, but it was nice that he noticed and cared enough to try.

  Changing the subject would be good. "So tell me about the Border collie I saw. Is he from Mom's dogs?"

  Her brother's face brightened. "Yes, Domino is from Sadie's last litter. He's such a good dog, great with the kids and helpful with the stock."

  Good. Let him talk dogs for the rest of the way back to the farm.

  Chapter 5

  Liz sat across from her mother in The Sizzling Skillet. The atmosphere hadn’t changed a bit since last time she’d been here, but the food was better than she remembered. There were only so many times she could mention that, though, and they’d already exhausted discussing Dad’s struggles with Guillain-Barré Syndrome. There were some things she just didn’t want to know about how her parents had dealt with things.

  “I’m so glad you’re home.” Mom reached across the table and captured Liz’s hand before she could pull it away. “I only wish you were staying.”

  Liz forced a smile. “Do you say the same thing to Heather and Cindy when they visit?”

  Mom let out a little sigh. “Sometimes. We enjoy having Maddie and John close by so much it’s hard to think what all we miss in our other grandchildren’s lives when they live so far away.”

  Liz had missed everything since Heather’s daughter had been a baby. All her nephews had been born while she was in Thailand. When she thought about Heather’s son and Cindy’s stair-step boys, pangs of regret dug deeply. It had been easier not to think of them often. Now, seeing Zach with his children reminded her of all she’d missed.

  The choice seemed the only option at the time. Maybe it hadn’t been, but it was too late to redo those years.

  With a start, she realized her mother was still talking. “Cindy said she wished they could come for Christmas to see you, but they were just here at Thanksgiving, and Tom is preaching at their church that weekend. It’s not easy for them to get away.”

  The perfect family and in ministry, too. Her parents’ sun had always risen and set around their eldest child. “I understand.”

  “She asked for your new cell number, and I gave it to her. She wants to invite you to visit them in Denver sometime soon. Maybe she can help you find a job.”

  “That would be nice.” Yeah, right. Denver wasn’t on her short list of places to visit, let alone relocate. All she needed was to be reminded every day about all the ways she didn’t measure up.

  “So, tell me what kind of position you’re looking for, Lizzie.” Mom stirred honey into her tea.

  “I still love teaching ESL, but I’ve taken all my courses for a Bachelor of Education online. Getting a practicum is a bit trickier because I was overseas.”

  Mom stared at her. “I didn’t know that.”

  Liz shrugged. There was plenty her parents didn’t know. “Then I’d like to get my master’s and teach at the college level. But first things first.”

  “That’s what Allison has.”

  “Allison?” Oh, right, the tall, thin woman who’d made up her bed last night.

  “She heads up the school at the farm.” Mom’s eyes widened. “Maybe you could teach there.”

  As if. “I’m not credentialed.”

  “Neither is Sierra, although I suppose she has some degrees.” Mom brushed that aside with her hand. “The thing is, I know they’re looking to expand, and their courses don’t all require a ton of experience.”

  “Who is Sierra?”

  “Oh, I suppose you haven’t met her. She married Gabe Rubachuk after Bethany died. You remember Gabe, don’t you?”

  Liz nodded. Her brother’s best friend since she could remember, Gabe had been in and out of the farmhouse practically daily. She’d had a crush on him as a preteen, but even then she’d known it was no use. Liz had been way too young for him, and he’d only had eyes for Bethany, anyway. “It must have broken his heart when she was killed.”

  Mom nodded. “He went off to Romania to work in the orphanage at the same time as Dad and I went.”

  Right. They’d gone to Eastern Europe when Dad was convalescing, not to the Far East where their youngest daughter lived. Liz had no one to blame but herself. She’d done a really good job of pushing her family away.

  “When he came back, he and Sierra got together.”

  “And she teaches at the school.” Was that where this conversation had started?

  “Yes, and Gabe administers it. They’ve gone to Portland to spend the holidays with Sierra’s family. Chelsea and Keanan went, too.”

  If Mom had mentioned these people in her emails, Liz didn’t recall much. She’d been guilty of a lot of skimming, but she supposed she’d better get up to speed now that she was home, at least for a while. “And who are they?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Chelsea is Sierra’s sister. She is an event planner and keeps other farm activities organized. They cater weddings and the like.” Mom’s hand swept those details aside, as well. “Her husband does a lot of the farm labor, along with Noel, whom I’m sure you’ve met.”

  “Claire’s husband.” The good-looking man with the tousled brown hair who’d looked as at home in the kitchen as his wife, the chef. Liz had always gone for the blonds. Gabe. Mason.

  She refocused on her mother, trying to get all the farm inha
bitants straight. That didn’t include thinking about Mason. He lived next door. In the house where she’d grown up. Maybe one of his kids slept in her old room, but probably not. It was the smallest of the four bedrooms.

  “Anyway, Allison was saying they could use another teacher next term,” Mom said triumphantly. She’d finally brought the conversation back around. “You should talk to her about it.”

  Liz let her eyebrows rise. “And teach farming? An instructor should be at least a half step ahead of her students.”

  “You grew up on the farm. You know more than you think you do.”

  Still wasn’t happening. “I was thinking more of an immigrant-rich city, where I could put my cross-cultural skills to use.”

  Mom bit her lip. “I understand, though it’s not as different as you might think. Many of the students at the farm are from inner cities. They’ve come to understand how vital food security is, but the realities of the physical labor and the mental adjustments aren’t easy.”

  Liz stared at her mother. Those words didn’t sound like the woman who’d been a farm wife all Liz’s growing-up years.

  “Why, Rosemary! How good to see you.”

  Liz glanced up at the woman who’d appeared at the end of their table. She caught her breath as she locked gazes with Mason’s mother.

  Emma Waterman frowned. “Liz?”

  “Yes, Lizzie is home for a visit.” Beaming, Mom leaned across the table. “Isn’t that wonderful?”

  Liz managed a smile, but no words came out.

  Emma gave her a once-over.

  What was she thinking? Mason’s parents had attended Galena Gospel Church back then, though Mason had rebelled and quit going as a young teen.

  “So you’re back and ready to settle down?”

  The words it’s about time hung silently in the air, or maybe Liz’s over-active imagination added them. And what business was it of Emma’s?

  “I’d love to hear all about Thailand sometime, and what your plans are for the future.”

  If Liz knew, she wouldn’t mind telling everyone. As it was, she forced a smile to her lips. “Thank you.”

  Questions flickered in the older woman’s eyes as she glanced between Liz and her mom. “I look forward to it.”

  What was all that about? Did Emma Waterman know? Liz’s gut plummeted. There was no way Mason had told his parents. He wouldn’t have.

  * * *

  Mason settled into a chair about as far as he could get from the big screen TV, but close enough to see and hear. He needed to know what Liz’s life had been like in the intervening years. He needed it with desperation.

  Allison found the HDMI connector, enabling Liz to plug her laptop into the screen. For someone who stood in front of classrooms on a daily basis, she looked pretty nervous. Maybe it was because he was present. But, no, her unease wasn’t limited to him. Zach had said emails from her had been few and far between, even to their parents.

  If only he could go back and do it all over again. The pang in his heart stabbed him anew. If only.

  “So, I lived in Bangkok for the first few years, teaching at a British academy. Here’s a picture of that.”

  A beautiful Oriental building flashed onto the screen, and Mason focused on the display.

  “This is my apartment.”

  “Looks pretty nice,” said Jo. “Did you have a roommate, or did you have it to yourself?”

  Mason doubted anyone else would notice the twin pink dots high on Liz’s cheeks.

  “They came and went.” She shot him a glance so short he almost missed it. So. Male roommates? Lovers? Why should it even bother him, with the life he’d lived?

  He knew. Because she hadn’t been that kind of girl before. It had been his life during high school and for years afterward, but not hers. It was his fault she’d walked away from everything she’d ever known. Ever believed. He’d found his way back to faith, but she hadn’t. Not yet.

  Mason breathed a prayer, one of thousands. Perhaps millions.

  Liz showed image after image of Thailand’s capital city, its beaches and surrounding countryside before detailing her move to Chiang Mai, further north. Had anyone besides him noticed that her photos were devoid of people? Oh, there were plenty that contained hurrying crowds, but none of friends smiling into the camera. None of her.

  Had she been that alone? Or had she carefully sorted out which parts of her life to share with those on the farm? He’d bet there were thousands of other image files on her laptop. Of course, there wasn’t time to run through them all in a couple of hours. He got that.

  Allison and Brent asked more questions than anyone else, in preparation for their upcoming trip.

  A glance around the room showed Liz’s dad with tears in his eyes. The Guillain-Barré had brought Steve’s emotions closer to the surface, but Mason didn’t know what the tears meant. Joy at his daughter’s return? Sadness for the years lost? Or had he sensed some of the same things Mason had?

  A snowball slammed the window with a loud splat, and Mason headed to the door, Brent right behind him. Those boys were going to wreck something yet.

  * * *

  “Christopher!” hollered Mason from outside just as Brent yelled, “Finnley!”

  Allison and Jo surged for the window, Maddie and Avery crowding beside them.

  Whew. Liz glanced at the few photos she’d copied to this folder but still not shown. They didn’t matter. She shrugged. “That’s about it, anyway.”

  “Thank you, Lizzie Rose.” Dad’s gaze met hers. “You’ve had so many adventures.”

  And she’d only displayed the family-friendly version. Dad didn’t need to know about all the relationships, all the men who’d gone through her apartment. About Sanun, who’d lasted the longest, but of course had to marry a Thai woman in the end. That had been the last straw.

  “I think I’ll make hot cocoa for the kids.” Jo turned away from the window. “Anyone else want some? Or hot apple cider?”

  The sweet treat from her childhood sounded appealing. “Cider sounds good.”

  Claire hopped out of the love seat, where Noel sat cradling their sleeping son. “There’s a gallon of juice that should be thawed by now. I’ll come give you a hand, Jo.”

  How long had it been since Liz had really belonged to anything? Even her family hadn’t been like this when she was a kid. Cindy and Heather had been a team, always older and always making sure Liz knew she wasn’t wanted. Zach had been the typical rough-and-tumble boy, climbing trees and playing hard with Gabe. Had the tree house the boys built disintegrated over the years?

  They’d all left tail-end Liz to fend for herself, and she’d been doing it ever since. But a place — a group — like this, where a bunch of friends lived and worked together? It could almost be tempting.

  Almost.

  Boots stomped on the deck outside before the door opened and the men and boys came in. Mason unzipped his son’s jacket as Christopher kicked his boots into the corner. Then the boy pulled off his snow pants while Finnley did the same. Both boys’ cheeks were rosy, their hair tousled, and their eyes bright.

  Wintertime on the farm was good for kids.

  His father pointed at Christopher’s boots, and the boy straightened them, sighing. Then he and Finnley dashed down the corridor to the bathroom, where splashing sounds soon ensued.

  Mason glanced up and caught her staring. A slow smile creased his cheeks below those intense blue eyes.

  Liz’s cheeks flushed as she turned her attention back to her laptop. She might have been tempted to put action to her mother’s idea about teaching at the farm school, but Mason had arrived first. This was his community, not hers, no matter that it was her family involved. She’d abdicated, and he’d stepped in.

  No, she’d email the recruiter in Vegas again tomorrow, and be out of Galena Landing as early in the new year as possible.

  Chapter 6

  “Thanks for inviting us to dinner, Mom.” Mason shrugged out of his jacket in the farm
house entry.

  Christopher parked both fists on his hips, blocking the doorway. “I want to play with Finnley.”

  Nudged him out of the way, Mason tousled his son’s hair. “Tomorrow, buddy. Aunt Allison said you can come play all day.”

  Avery looked up from the kitchen table, where she had colored pencils and markers spread across the surface. “Hi, Daddy.”

  “Hi, princess.” He leaned over her. “What are you making?”

  The paper in front of her had a man and two children that likely represented him and the twins. But she was busy coloring another figure off at the edge of the paper. This one appeared to be female, but had blond hair like the others.

  Avery ran her fingers over the drawing. “Why don't I have a mommy?”

  There wasn’t much Mason could say to that. “I’m sorry, princess.” And he was. Sorry for so many things he’d helped set in motion and then couldn’t control.

  Dishes clattered a few feet away as Mom unloaded the dishwasher. “Have you heard from Erin lately?”

  Mason straightened, rubbing his daughter’s shoulder. “Not for a couple of months.” He tried to catch Mom’s eye, but she wasn’t looking at him. Did they have to talk about Erin in front of the children?

  Avery sighed. “Maybe you could get us a new mommy.”

  He narrowed his gaze at the drawing. The woman off to the side had straight blond hair. She also wore navy pants and a blue top. Wasn't that what Liz had been wearing the other day?

  A sucker punch landed in his gut. Avery hadn't drawn Erin. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Maybe someday,” he said lightly. “Jesus knows you want a mommy.” And that Mason wanted a wife. A woman who loved him and cared for the twins like they were her own. It wasn’t likely to be Erin, that was for sure. “Now it’s time to clean up the art supplies so we can set the table.”

  Avery gathered a handful of pencils and dropped them into the tin. “Can I take my picture home, Nana?”

  “Sure, sweetie. You made a nice one for me yesterday. See? It’s on the fridge.”