Page 34 of Bales and Brawn

Need to talk?

I laugh at the responses of Griffin and Corbin, but how did my youngest brother get to be the wisest of us all? Maybe because he had to deal with three older, dafter brothers. Godwin has always been like that. He’s the academic of us, whereas Griffin and Corbin with their stonemasonry business are more practical. I’m neither. I’m just a drifter who likes to drive big trucks.

Me

Thanks, Win, probably later. Right now just taking it easy.

Griffin

So, you have to spill. Who is it?

Which is rich coming from a guy who clammed up after revealing he was seeing one of Godwin’s best friends. They’re pretty serious as well, from what I’ve gleaned from the chat.

Me

My boss

Corbin

No fucking way, man

Which is accompanied by a full line of laughing emojis.

I get similar from Griffin and I cut the chat for now. Maybe I shouldn’t have told them that part. I don’t want to talk to them anymore. I’m tired and I need some sleep, so I stretch out, reveling in how odd it feels to have the bed to myself after just a few nights sharing with someone else. I drift off wondering if Zane is okay and missing him after we’ve spent pretty much every minute of the last five days together.

Zane’s truck isn’t in the yard when I go out to open up the feed store the next morning. Tomorrow I have to be back in Sacramento, and I’m glad we weren’t away long enough to miss that. I don’t know what would happen if I missed a session. It would probably delay me getting my license back. Nova joins me within a few minutes.

“Where’s Zane?”

“Oh, he had to run some errands,” Nova says unconcernedly, so I put the worry out of my head. He starts to ask all about the trip to the cabin, asking for details of the repairs, whether the horses were well behaved, if I had a sore butt from riding all day. I tell him what I can, obviously leaving out all the details about getting closer to Zane and kissing him. He tells me about the times he went, including the first time when he was twelve.

“I used to beg to be taken with them from when I was about five.” He giggles. “But Zane always said no. He gave in eventually, he always does.” He smiles, his elfin face lighting up when he speaks of Zane that way. Now that I understand more of Zane’s story, I can see how hard he’s worked to give Nova a good childhood, even if he never got one himself.

Zane returns after a few hours, but he doesn’t come over to the store, and we’re busy with customers, so I don’t get a chance to seek him out until we close. I find him with the mower, bent over, tightening a bolt.

“I think I’ll start the cutting tomorrow,” he says as I approach.

“What did the doctor say?” I change the subject and Zane straightens up.

“He says I’m fine. It was a concussion and I should be okay, but to go back if I start feeling dizzy or get migraines.”

“That’s good, then.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve missed you.” I step closer, into his space. He tenses and moves backwards. “Zane, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I—” He peers past me out towards the yard. “I just haven’t mentioned anything to Nova yet, and I don’t want him to walk in on us kissing.”

“Nova’s in the house. He went over after we closed the store. But just tell him.”

“It’s complicated,” he says, twisting the spanner in his hands.

“Is it?” I say harshly, frustrated with him. He doesn’t answer, and I sigh.

“Am I to be discarded now we’re back? What happens at the cabin stays at the cabin. Is that it?” I spit out.

I don’t wait for an answer. I don’t even want to look at him right now, it hurts too much. I turn and walk away.