Page 13 of Call It Love (Sterling Mill #5)

Chase

I rolled out of bed before dawn. The house was dark and quiet. Too quiet.

Anna had been here for nearly two weeks. And while she seemed to settle into a rhythm, I was feeling more and more off-kilter.

I could tell she’d spent some of her time in the main house while I was out in the fields.

Colorful new pillows were scattered across the furniture, and fresh flowers filled vases I hadn’t seen used in years.

The scent of something soft, like warm vanilla and lavender, lingered in the air. Subtle changes, but unmistakably Anna.

Even now, as I pulled on a fresh pair of jeans and a T-shirt, the scent of fresh coffee drifted down the hallway because she’d set it up the day before for me. All small things that reminded me I wasn’t alone here anymore.

Lately, I found myself making excuses to not linger in the barn, tinkering with equipment, or working on my hobby of cross-pollinating flowers in the greenhouse like I usually did.

Instead, I tried to catch her before she went back to her cabin and persuade her to share a light supper with me, but more often than not, she was gone before I got back, tucked into the quiet of her cabin.

Most mornings, I lingered in the kitchen every morning, hoping to catch a glimpse of her as she took Jack outside to take care of his business.

Watching her laugh as Jack bounded across the yard to fetch a ball that I “happened” to leave in the yard.

Never mind the fact that I’d gone into town and come back with several toys and dog bones.

Even Jack was a welcome addition to Silver Creek.

I tried to convince myself I was doing it to check on her from a distance.

To make sure she was truly doing well, not just putting on a good face around me and the guys.

But the truth crept in during these quiet moments at the beginning and end of each day.

I didn’t just want to make sure she was all right.

I wanted to see her.

To know she was still here.

To know that she hadn’t slipped from my grasp again.

I tried convincing myself it meant nothing. But I’d never longed for Marta’s company. Never wished my sisters and their families lived here. Never felt this restless in my own home.

But here I was, wishing Anna weren’t in the cabin but living inside here instead. With me.

She wasn’t just a temporary employee. Not to me.

But she’d been through hell. She needed space, not pressure.

Already, I was seeing the subtle change in her.

She no longer ran menus past me. She didn’t ask if I wanted the flowers or pillows.

She was quietly reclaiming her life, and in the process, she was breathing a little of it back into the house as well.

I ran a hand across my face and exhaled. The farm had always given me peace. Purpose. Now I was grateful for the physical labor that kept me too tired to go where my heart wanted.

Today, I was working in the nursery where the humidity cloaked me like a wet blanket.

I started checking on the rows of saplings that were ready to transplant.

This was the straightforward part of the job.

Caring for the seedlings in the controlled environment of the greenhouse was relatively simple.

Once they were transferred to large outdoor containers or the open field, they were subject to an array of threats, including pests and diseases, storms, and temperature swings.

But that was part of the process, and thankfully, we rarely lost plants to any of those risks.

I spent much of the morning culling the weaker plants, separating the ones that looked to have the best chance of thriving. My crew would then handle the transplanting.

I was almost done when the sound of the door opening made me look up. Anna stood just inside the door, a wicker basket dangling from her arm.

I brushed some of the dirt from my hands and offered her a smile. “What have you got there?”

“It’s a warm day. I know the guys have water coolers down at the field, but I thought maybe you could use some cold water, too.”

I wiped the sweat from my brow and grinned at her. “You’re amazing.” I walked over to her and grabbed the bottle she offered, twisted off the cap, and drank half of it in one go. The cold water was a relief. I hadn’t realized how warm it had gotten, nor how long I’d been at the job.

She shifted slightly, hesitating before holding the basket out again. “Then I hope you’ll really like what else is in here.” Her lashes lowered, and she pulled a blue-checked cloth napkin away, revealing two muffins. “They’re nothing fancy, but… ”

That hesitation again. That uncertainty I hated in her eyes. I forced myself not to react to it. At least she hadn’t sought my permission before making them, but even so, some remnant of whatever the hell Mason had done to her lingered.

Damn that Mason. If he wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him.

I took the still-warm muffin she offered and ate half of it in one bite. A touch of cinnamon and apple flooded my taste buds. “Damn. This is perfection in a muffin. You should make these more often.”

“Really?” Her face brightened.

“Definitely.”

The smile on her face lasted only a minute.

The hesitation I hated came before she spoke.

“I know Jordan is coming back this afternoon after school. It’s long after lunch is cleaned up.

I wondered if it would be okay if I made dinner at the main house?

I don’t know his circumstances or why he’s here, but I have a feeling he could use a good meal before he goes home.

Or if you prefer, I can do it in the bunkhouse.

I just didn’t want the other guys to know he was getting special treatment. ”

The part of Anna I once knew and loved—the compassionate and instinctive nurturer—was still present beneath the surface. She didn’t even know Jordan, but she sensed what he needed.

I nodded. “Of course.”

I filled her in on his circumstance that brought him to be working for me.

“He’s living with some other relatives just outside of town, but I don’t know them.

But you’re right. It doesn’t feel like it’s the best situation, so we’ll try to do right by him while he’s here.

Make whatever you think a kid his age will like best. ”

She beamed. “I hoped you’d say that, but I wanted to make sure. I know it’s outside of what the farm provides for the hands, but?—”

“We take care of them no matter when they’re here. And you’re right. I think he needs looking after more than the others. Once school’s out and he’s here full time, we’ll figure things out as we go.”

She nodded, then turned to leave.

“Anna.” She paused and looked over her shoulder at me. “Feel free to make whatever you want, whenever you want. Even if it’s just for yourself. Okay?”

Her lips parted slightly, then she dipped her head. “Thank you,” she answered softly, then slipped out the door.

I watched her go, exhaling slowly. Someday, I’d get her to tell me what the hell life had been like living with Mason. But for now, like Jordan, she needed someone to look out for her. And I was feeling more than up to the job.

I glanced at my watch while I waited near the barn to meet Jordan.

He was already nearly thirty minutes late.

It wasn’t really a surprise. He was obviously here grudgingly.

But I thought— hoped —maybe I’d made a dent in his tough veneer; sparked a slight interest in our operations.

Apparently not. He saw this more as a punishment than an opportunity.

I was about to head back out to the fields when I spotted a figure slowly coming up the long driveway on a bike.

I leaned against a porch rail, crossing my arms as he rolled to a stop in front of me.

I inwardly grimaced at the condition of the bike, a slightly dented frame that was too small for him .

“You’re late,” I announced as he reached me.

His only answer was a scowl as he swung his leg over the bike and let it fall to the ground as if it had personally offended him.

“How come you didn’t take the school bus?” I knew Reid had made arrangements for it to drop him off at the end of my long driveway.

He turned his head to the side, avoiding my eyes.

“I asked you a question,” I said evenly.

A muscle twitched in his cheek. “I got kicked off, okay? I had to walk to my house and get this stupid bike.”

I studied Jordan for a moment, taking in the tension in his shoulders and the way his fingers curled at his side. He was holding something back. That was clear. But he’d still shown up, despite the extra effort it took. That counted for something. Probably more than he realized.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.” His voice was clipped, and his posture was rigid.

He looked like he was about to blow, so I waited him out. Sometimes silence was better than demanding answers. Finally, he jerked his attention to me, his eyes blazing in defiance.

“This morning some jackass thought my shirt was too ‘girly’, so I tripped him. He fell and busted his lip.”

I glanced at his shirt. The logo was faded, but I recognized it—an old rock band that had been around for decades. The black fabric was soft from wear, like it had been a favorite shirt, but the pink lettering still stood out. Definitely not worth being singled out.

I studied him, noticing first his defiance, but underneath, there was something else. Frustration, maybe. Definitely something raw. Something deeper than just a stupid comment on a bus.

“You like that band?” I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral.

He shrugged, but there was something guarded in his expression. “Yeah. So what?”

“I like them, too. Who gives a damn about what some kid on the bus thinks?”

He raised his eyes to me as if my answer surprised him.

“People are always going to have something to say,” I continued. “You either let them get to you or you don’t. So ask yourself, was it worth it?”

I thought he’d come back with a defensive answer, but then his lips twitched. “Maybe just a little. He’s an asshole.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle, not feeling like correcting his language. It was accurate. “Remember that when you’re huffing and puffing up that stretch of road tomorrow then.” But even as I said it, I knew I’d be meeting him in my truck after school.

Jordan rolled his eyes just as Anna stepped onto the porch.

“I know you have work to do,” she said in her easy way. “But I thought a snack might give you more energy to get it done faster.” Her attention zeroed in on Jordan’s shirt, her expression lighting up. “Hey! I love that band! Where’d you get that shirt? It’s classic!”

I had no idea if she’d heard our conversation or not, but it was definitely the perfect thing to say with incredible timing. Jordan’s entire demeanor shifted, and he looked at her with something close to adoration.

“It was my mom’s.”

The words hit me like a rock to the gut, but Anna didn’t miss a beat .

“She had great taste, and apparently, so do you.” She held out a sandwich and a bottle of water.

Jordan accepted it eagerly, taking one huge bite after another as we watched, before washing it down with the water. He wiped his hand across his mouth.

“Thanks.”

Anna watched him closely, concern creasing her brow. But she merely said, “You’re welcome. Since you’re not here for lunch until school is out, I thought maybe you could stick around just a little longer and have dinner here. Unless, of course, you’re expected at home.”

Good job, Anna. Fishing for answers without being obvious.

He barely glanced up. “Nah. No one’s waiting for me,” he answered before shoving the last bite into his mouth.

Anna’s expression barely changed, but I saw the way her hands tightened as she crossed her arms in front of her.

Jordan probably wasn’t even aware of what he’d revealed, but it was enough that I’d be having a follow-up conversation with Reid.

I clapped him on the back, trying to ignore how thin his frame felt beneath my hand. “Come on. Time to work.”

Jordan groaned, but he followed with a little more pep to his step than when he arrived. I’d take that as a win.