"Thank you for noticing," I smiled crookedly. Nan took the tray from me again as I accepted a glass of lemonade and took a sip. It was shockingly delicious—not too sweet, ice cold, and refreshing.
Nan clicked her tongue as she glanced at her granddaughter. "That girl never stops. See if you can get her to sit for a bit."
"I don't think I can convince her to do anything she doesn't want to do," I replied with frankness. "She's a force of nature."
"Sheisnature," Nan said with the same kind of exasperation.
"Is that lemonade?" Tessa demanded from… above me? I jumped, jerking back just in time to avoid getting flattened by a child vaulting herself out of the tree. She landed unsteadily, crashing into my hip, and then righting herself just as quickly. "Oops, sorry, dude."
"Dude," I repeated blankly.
Nan held out the tray to Tessa like it was normal for her to lurk in trees. "Now that I've found you, don't you have math to finish?"
"Aw," Tessa grumbled, taking a glass from the tray, and then she was occupied with slurping the lemonade and gulping it down at a cartoonish volume. Today, she was wearing a blue tulle dress that was a size too small for her, and she'd paired it with dirty sneakers, tie dye leggings, and a beat-to-shit ballcap. She finished drinking and sighed loudly before looking up at me. "I've been trying to figure out what you do all day, but you just tell people what to do on the phone and stare at Evie."
I lowered my glasses. "And what doyoudo all day?"
She grinned widely. "Whatever I want."
"Must be nice," I muttered, polishing off my own glass of lemonade.
"Take this back to the house," Nan instructed, taking my glass from me and setting it on the tray with the other empty one. "And finish that math sheet, or I'm confiscating your comics."
Tessa released a guttural gag of distaste but took the tray and bowed to me like a butler. "Your servant, sir. As you were with your standing and such."
"Big fan of whatever is wrong with you, kid," I said dryly.
"Says the creepy girl-watcher," she shot back before leaving.
Nan shook her head. "I can't tell if my weird rubbed off on those girls or if it was the other way around."
I checked my watch again, noting that it was well past lunchtime, and I really should encourage Evie to take a break. "If it helps, from an outsider's point of view, you're all very entertaining."
"I'm glad to hear that," Nan chuckled. "After what they've both been through, I'd say a few quirks are a fair price to pay." I slid a look to the older woman as she watched Evie work, wondering if I should ask her to elaborate. She saved me the trouble by adding, "Be gentle with her, Benjamin."
I slid my hands into my pockets. "It's a professional relationship, Mrs. Hathaway."
She squinted a shrewd eye my way, turning to leave. "Sure it is."
I could have denied it harder, but as she gave me one last, knowing look, I left it at that. Who was I kidding, really? I liked Evie. She was amusing, she was interesting, and she was sweeter than her Nan's lemonade. What wasn't to like? I wasn't here for work, either. I was here because somehow, the bee nymph had engendered me to her plight. She'd stirred feelings in me I hadn't experienced in a long time. She'd endeared me tocare,which wasn't like me at all—I hadn't thought that was possible anymore.
After years of floating from one dalliance to another, surrounding myself in safe circles of amusing acquaintances, I’d been as cold as my last name for a long time. But then pure sunshine had burst through the barricades I'd erected. And Evie was, I decided as I glanced over to her, pure sunshine. Maybe I was just trying to bask in it for a little while. It wasn't permanent, but I could enjoy the novelty while it lasted.
Nan shuffled away, and I returned my attention to the slight woman in overalls and a puffy-sleeved, yellow blouse. She glanced back at me, apparently assured herself that her grandmother was gone, and then lifted the netting off her face. "You okay?" she shouted.
I pretended ignorance, putting a hand to my ear. "What?" I mouthed.
She made a question gesture by shrugging her shoulders. "Are," she pointed to me, "you," and then she made a thumbs up, "okay?"
"Huh?" I asked, lifting my hands stupidly.
Evie sighed in exaggerated disgruntlement and stomped through the tall grass toward me. She was wearing brown, knee-high boots over her jean overalls, and she removed the hat and veil as she approached me. "I said," she repeated, marching up to me, "are you okay?"
I met her in the field, hooked a hand through the back of her overalls, and dragged her toward the fence. "Are you done working? I'm going to start eating the bark."
She let out a surprised "eep," and struggled to keep her footing as I towed her. "I was only trying to avoid Nan. She'll go make tea and read for the afternoon now."
"Cool. I'm starving." I could have let her go, but it was a little fun to haul her perfectly round ass in those overalls to the fence.
