Page 19 of Take My Love

“Doubtful, but you can try.” She smirks, pouring the liquid mixture into a mold before swirling it around with the other scent. Since it has to cure for four to six weeks, we’re already working on fall-themed scents.

“Yes, okay? He’s Warren’s best friend. I’ve known him for years, but I’ve avoided him for several years now.”

“That sounds juicy…” She cocks a brow. “Keep talkin’.”

“Hard pass.”

I put on my work goggles and gloves so I can add the lye to the frozen goat milk. It’s one of the first steps we have to do before we melt the oils and mix them together. Since the soap has to stay in the mold for two to three days before cutting it, we’re always making more batches to stay stocked.

By the time we finish at five, I’m ready to call it a day. Amaya and I worked nonstop to get things ready to package and ship out orders. Sometimes we stay a couple extra hours when we’re behind, but I try not to make it a habit. Adding a third person would help speed up the process, but for now, we have things down to a science. We maneuver around each other and keep up without getting in each other’s ways. Training someone new would take more time than we have right now.

“Posey?” Silas calls out.

“Back here.”

“Oh damn, it reeks.” He wrinkles his nose. “What is that?”

“A little bit of everything,” Amaya responds. “Pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon apple cider, and lavender oatmeal.”

Silas coughs, pulling his shirt up to cover his nostrils.

“Seriously?” I deadpan, staring at his muddy boots. “You smell like shit. Literally.”

“Yeah, but I got used to that after a few hours. This is like being hit in the face with ten candles at once.”

“That could be arranged.”

Amaya snorts. “You get used to it.”

He glances at me. “Doubtful.”

“Suck it up ’cause I’m sure my house smells the same.”

“Wait, he’s goin’ to your house?” Amaya asks, and I wince at the slip of my tongue.

“He’stemporarilymovin’ into my spare room,” I explain.

“Oh really?” If her grin were any wider, it’d stretch off her face. “You forgot to tell me that little interestin’ tidbit when we were talkin’ about him earlier.”

And now I want to smack her.

“Y’all were talkin’ about me, huh?” Silas smirks.

“Only about how annoyin’ you are, so don’t be flattered,” I say before Amaya puts her foot in my mouth any deeper. “Are you ready to go?”

I already sanitized the work tables and washed up, so I grab my bag and walk toward him.

“Well since she’s not gonna introduce us, I’m Amaya.” She holds out her hand, and he happily accepts it. “Nice to meet you, Silas.”

“The pleasure’s all mine,” he drawls.

I roll my eyes at the way his accent thickens.

“Great, now y’all know each other and we can leave.” I push Silas into the hallway. “See ya tomorrow, Amaya!” I singsong, knowing she’s going to have a million more questions for me.

“My suitcases are at Warren’s, so can I meet you at your house? I should probably clean up first, too.”

“Is that all you have with you?” I ask, walking through the barn and waving goodbye to everyone. There are a couple workers who start later in the day and stay through the evening so the day crew can leave before dinnertime. They also work the weekend shifts so the goats get milked on schedule.