“Shoot,” he said. Beside her, Pippa took a loud slurpy sip ofher tea and smiled, shyly, across the table. “Want some honey?” he asked her. She nodded.
Before he could pass it, Julia grabbed the honey from him and thunked it down in front of her sister. “Are you listening?” she asked him. “Because this is important.”
“Yes.” Wendell sighed. “Go on.”
“You’ve heard my aunt’s plan for White Pines.”
It stung, being reminded. Wendell nodded.
“And you liked working there, yes?”
“I do. I still work there.”
“Not for long,” Julia said.
He couldn’t argue that. She paused, glancing around the farmhouse kitchen. “This is… homey, I suppose,” she said in a tone that sounded like she was being generous.
Wendell frowned. “What does my house have anything to do with your being here?”
Julia lifted one shoulder. “It has potential,” she went on as though she hadn’t heard a thing he’d said. “Anyway, I know White Pines is your only job.”
“For now.”
“My father liked you. You’re a good caretaker. He never would have let you go from this, your one job.” Her blue eyes were steely with intention.
“Can you please get to the point?”
Julia glanced sideways at Pippa, whose head was tipped back, her nose in the teacup, as she drained it. “You know what ‘caretaker’ means, right?”
Wendell was losing patience. “Julia, I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”
She rushed on. “It means ‘taking care.’ How would you feel staying on at White Pines and taking care of it for good?”
“That sounds nice, but it’s not possible.”
Julia shook her head, a slow smile creeping across her face. “But it is. You can stay on at White Pines and continue to take care of it. With one condition.”
Wendell had a bad feeling. “Which is?”
She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “You take care of us, too.”
Wendell couldn’t help it. He laughed. Loudly. And as soon as he did, he found he couldn’t stop.
Julia’s expression soured. “What? What exactly is so funny?”
Wendell wasn’t sure if it was humor or relief or the two mixed together with the late hour and the frightening close call they’d all just had. But he couldn’t stop laughing.
“This is not funny,” Julia said, pushing her chair back. “This is serious.I’mserious.”
Wendell had to turn away, he was laughing so hard. “I’m sorry,” he managed finally. “It’s just… I don’t know. Ridiculous.”
Julia scowled at him. “Ridiculous? This is my life.” Gone was the decisive and demanding young woman who’d been seated across the table as if it were her house and she were interviewing him for a job. Her lower lip trembled. Sensing a turn, Pippa looked between the two of them anxiously. If he weren’t careful, her lip would start, too.
“Wait, I’m sorry,” Wendell said, pulling his chair back in. “I don’t think that at all. It’s just… I was your dad’s caretaker for a property. For barns and fields.”
“And orchards and trees and, to some extent, Radcliffe. All living things. Things that require taking care of.”
“Yes. But that’s not the same as people. Especially little people.”
