Ahri made a disgusted sound. “I wish you’d been here earlier this week. I’ve been struggling for days.”
“Didn’t Ma tell you?”
She thought back. “I don’t think she’s been out here with me since I started this part.”
“Where do you want me to work?” he asked.
“That section over there needs compost before we can till it in.”
“All right.”
Ahri watched while he went to the full wheelbarrow and dumped it before heading back to the pile of compost near the driveway for more. Since he’d spent years helping with the garden, she’d have expected him to want to start bossing her around. That was unexpected, a CEO who didn’t have to always be in charge.
She tried not to look at him while he worked, but she found herself glancing his way often. Rafe seemed to know what he needed to do and went right at it. From the way his back and arm muscles pressed against his T-shirt as he shoveled the compost, he must work out. Kayn had mentioned the complex having an employee gym. She didn’t know if the CEO would use it with everyone else. Maybe he had his own equipment in his apartment there. No one could lookthatgood naturally. For a man who spent so much time in his office, he was in really good shape.
Ahri frowned. She shouldn’t be admiring the way he looked.
“What do you like to do when you’re not working?” she asked to get her mind on something else. “I mean, besides helping your mother with her garden.”
“I game, of course.”
“Don’t we all?” Not that she’d played since coming to Francie’s.
“I read.” He glanced into the distance. “I write.”
Since she’d been looking at him again, she saw his neck darken, like he was embarrassed.
“You mean besides the champion lore?”
Rafe shifted his feet. Hedidwrite more than stuff for the game. How cool was that?
“What are you writing?” she asked.
“Nothing much. Just a story I’ve been messing around with.”
“Will you tell me more?” she asked.
“It’s a political thriller.” He didn’t look at her. “I wanted to try something different from the game fantasy. I don’t have much time to work on it. I don’t think I’ve opened the file in months.”
“How fun. Not the part where you haven’t looked at it lately.”Ahri sensed he didn’t want to say more, so she went back for additional supplies. A political thriller. That was so different from the fantasy lore that he’d been writing. She wondered what kind of research he’d have to do for something like that.
“What kind of music are you into?” she asked when he came back with another load of compost.
“Why do you ask?” Rafe watched her, his head tilted to the side.
“Just making conversation.”
“All right. I like all kinds now. I grew up with country but you can imagine how well that was received at Harvard. I broadened my tastes out of self-defense.”
Seeing this side of Rafe Davis was turning the image Ahri’d had of him upside down. The polished, almost suave, front man for REKD Gaming was very different from this version who was shoveling compost for his mother’s garden. She found him intriguing. Which was he, the country boy or the sophisticated businessman?
“What about you?” He wiped at his brow, now glistening with perspiration.
“Oh, me?” She fumbled with the parts in her hands, not realizing she’d stopped working. “I like a lot of different kinds too, but especially ones with girl soloists.”
“Girl power music?” he asked, a glint of humor in his expression.
“I guess, though I hadn’t really thought about it that way.”
