Until it occurred to him he should probably follow.
And damn, Daisy was fast. Even with his longer legs, she reached Luca a few breaths before he did.
He hung back when Luca squatted on his haunches to look her in the eye.
“Hey there, tiger.”
“Are you Luca?”
Luca nodded, giving Emerson a brief glance before returning his gaze to Daisy. Emerson worked to keep his face neutral. Not at all disconcerted by those eyelashes, here again, on his farm.
“I am.”
“I’m Daisy.”
“Nice to meet you, Daisy. I like your glasses.”
“Thank oo. What’s your favorite animal?”
Luca furrowed his brow as he thought. He wore a faded San Francisco Giants hat, his expression almost hidden beneath its brim. He looked so good that all thought escaped Emerson’s brain entirely.
Daisy waited.
“The octopus.”
Daisy gasped, loud and theatric, as if this was the bestanswer she’d ever been given. Having been witness to the answers to this question several times, Emerson was tempted to agree.
Luca laughed a little at the gasp, and it startled Emerson’s brain awake. Emerson had almost forgotten the way this man looked when he laughed. Like it was natural, like his mouth was always ready once he gave it permission, his cheeks made to be stretched in this exact way.
Emerson perhaps should have anticipated how it would make him feel, witnessing that smile being directed at his daughter.
“Theoctopus,” Daisy repeated.
“They’re pretty incredible,” Luca said.
“Mine is the cow,” she said. “Have you met ours?”
“Only briefly, from a distance.”
“She’s thebestcow.”
“Your dad seemed to think so, too.”
“She’s in the barn! Right now! Wanna come see?”
Luca stood. He glanced again at Emerson, readjusted his cap.
“I’m at the direction of your dad from here on out, I think. So wherever he wants me to go, I’ll go.”
Emerson turned his head, focused his gaze on the fields and the distant trees of the orchard beyond. Luca was wearing a plain black t-shirt along with his hat and jeans. A fine outfit for the farm. Emerson didn’t know why everything about him felt illicit. Why it made his ears burn hot, what Luca had just said.I’m at the direction of your dad.
Emerson had only ever wanted to hang out with plants. As it turned out, farming required a lot more authority over people than he had ever anticipated. Well—he wasn’t sure he held much true authority over Jansel. A blessing. But he’d directed Parker and Myriah just fine for the last two months. This shouldn’tfeel any different.
“We’re just about done at the barn. You and I can wrap up there ourselves, Daze. I was thinking for today I’d have Luca shadow Jansel.” With what felt like an award-winning amount of bravery, Emerson turned his head back to address Luca directly. “He should be over in the nightshades.”
Luca’s mouth quirked. He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Nightshades,” Luca repeated, almost a murmur to himself. For some reason, Emerson felt himself blush again. He didn’t know why he didn’t just say?—
