He studied her. “Are you going to puke?”
“Maybe. I honestly can’t tell.”
“Do you want me to take you home?”
“No,” she said. “If we turn around now, the corn’ll get ruined.”
“So? Who cares?”
She gave him a level look. “Daddy.”
“What?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Come on. I care a lot more about you than I do about corn.”
That seemed to bring some color back into her cheeks. She smiled. “Just drive faster. I’ll get a ride back from Megan, if that’s okay. You and Aubrey can unload together.”
He quelled a sigh. Him and Aubrey. Of course. “Sure, Peanut. You’re the boss.”
When they pulled up, Aubrey stood in the barn doorway already, eyeing the sky.
The sight of her hit Nick like a wrecking ball to the chest. She looked different today. No earrings, no makeup. She wore a cozy-looking red flannel over jeans, and had traded her impractical heeled boots for a pair of white sneakers she’d clearlyjust bought, since they didn’t have a single scuff. The front half of her hair was pulled into a bun, the fringed ends radiating outward like a flaming halo.
Her survey of the sky complete, she lowered her eyes and met his through the windshield.
His gut bottomed out. Fuck. She’d never looked as compelling as in that moment. Never looked soreal. Like a woman he wanted to burn down worlds for. Maybe he even wanted to burn down himself.
The slam of Paige’s door brought him back to reality. He shook off his daze and emerged just in time for a fat, icy raindrop to splat against his forehead.
“Hey,” Aubrey said as they approached. “It’s great to see you, Paige. Did you talk to your teacher yet? About math club? I’ve been thinking about what to discuss, and—”
“Sorry, I’m not staying today, actually.” Paige smiled apologetically. “But I’m excited about math club, and I promise I’ll text you soon. Have you seen Megan?”
“Oh.” Aubrey frowned. “Um, I think she’s around back.”
“Great.” Paige wandered off. “I’ll see you later, Dad.”
Aubrey’s green eyes turned questioning as Nick jogged to the doorway and scanned the barn’s interior. The corn could go over in the corner, next to the rebar.
“Is she okay?”
Warmth flooded his throat. Aubrey had only met his daughter once, but had clearly paid enough attention to realize something was amiss.Andshe cared enough to ask.
“She’s not feeling well,” he said. “But Megan’s going to have to take her home, because right now, we’ve got eighty-eight twenty-five-pound bags of corn to unload, and about ten minutes before it starts pouring.”
Aubrey blanched. “Twenty-two hundred pounds of corn? In ten minutes? Is that all?”
He paused, startled. “Did you just... multiply eighty-eight by twenty-five in your head?”
“I’m a mathematician. So... yeah. That one’s easy, anyway.”
“Easy? How’s that easy?”
The corner of her mouth kicked up. “Because. Multiplying by twenty-five is the same as dividing by four and adding two zeros. Anyone can do that.”
Another raindrop slapped his temple, but he ignored it. He’d never have thought to do it that way. Yet he saw why Aubrey’s method worked, and even he could appreciate its elegance.
