Evie sniffs delicately. “No. Not really.” She’s tapping away on her iPad, constantly multitasking. That’s part of what makes her good at the job. Hiring her hadn’t been a sure thing, but now, I know it was the right move.
She’s excellent—and she’s good company, too.
I halt and turn to her with my hands on my hips. “Stop and smell the pine trees, Evie. Come on. The email can wait.”
She lowers the device. “Can it really? It’s from Harvard.”
“It can.” I lift a finger. “One good whiff. That’s all I ask.”
She inhales deeper this time, her eyelids fluttering shut. The wind blows through her blonde tresses. “It’s… fresh. Right?”
“Exactly.” I turn back around, pleased. “Come on. It’s only going to get better.”
We’re not the only ones here. Most of my employees, from the marketers to the accountants, are scattered through the forest with me. A few people stay back at the office to focus on daily operations, but anyone who can come does. This is an important trip. It’s about more than the work; I’m here to make a mark on the earth, and my employees care about it, too.
My other reasons for caring about this trip are selfish. When I’m out here, I’m moreme. Even though these woods are new to me, nature itself isn’t. I’m at home whenever my hands are in the cold dirt.
I’m always the first one to plant a tree. It’s a tradition.
I dig my shovel into the dirt, precisely on the spot the forester told me to, uprooting a chunk of dirt. Each time I push the shovel in, there’s a polite round of cheers—but never loud enough to disturb the forest. I taught them well.
“You never want to make the hole deeper than the plant,” I say. “But you want it to be about three times wider.”
The forester works alongside me, and we quickly prepare the perfect hole. As I place the tree, I inspect the roots, breaking up the circular pattern. I look at the forester to get his approval, and he nods.
“You need to break up the roots if they look like this,” I say. “If it’s bad, come to me or Heino.” The forester. “This is to aid in new root development.”
In some cases, we may need to use a hacksaw, but that’s something I won’t have my employees do on their own.
Heino and I cover the roots with dirt, and I lovingly pat out the air pockets, tamping my gloved hands against the earth. I can’t hide my smile any longer. It’s cold outside, but I’ll stay in the chill as long as I need to if it means I can be here.
“You want to eliminate the air pockets,” I say. “And then… you water it.” I’m still smiling when I stand up.
The thrill of victory runs through my body as I look around the small crowd and see they’re all grinning, too. My eyes fall on one person in particular—Evie. She stands with her hands clasped together, gazing at me with affection I don’t know how to accept.
My smile grows.
I’mbone tired when we end our first day. Evie is already back at the cabin, taking calls, and I know what to expect when I open the door and drag my feet inside. She’ll want me to remove my dirty shoes, and I do, leaving them by the door. I’ll be using them again tomorrow, anyway.
This may be exhausting work, but it’s exactly what I need. Trips like this help break up the monotony of working in an office every day. Christine is handling everything at the office, and I know I can trust her to do a great job.
All I have to focus on is giving back to nature. From a young age, I knew I wanted to do something to save the planet. I considered politics, but I never had much taste for it. The science world wasn’t for me either, despite my forestry degree.
Even getting into business was something I felt strange about. There are enough shitty businessmen out there, and I don’t need to become another one of them. I try not to, but even being in business adds a few points to my asshole scorecard.
I don’t feel that way about my work on days like this. Today, I’m doing exactly what I want to. As I walk through the cabin, I’m as happy as can be—but Evie is not. She sits on the couchwith her phone to her ear and a steely look on her usually sweet face.
“As I mentioned, Mr. Roche is out of the office on an important trip. He won’t be available for three weeks. I can schedule you for something then.”
I tilt my head, watching her; she barely pays me any mind.
Evie has changed since she started working for us. I still remember her nervousness back then. She used to tiptoe around the office and apologize for no good reason. Now, she doesn’t offer a single apology to whoever she’s talking to, and I swell with pride.
There’s something more, too, a feeling that isn’t pride. Seeing her more confident, so strong-willed, it’s… attractive. She’s always been beautiful, but this is something else. I absentmindedly rub my chest as I sit next to her—not too close. Never too close.
I don’t say anything until the call ends.
“Who was that?” I ask.
