Page 92 of The Rebel

I couldn’t understand why they were running this place with only two employees.

“Can I be of any assistance?” I asked her.

“If you could chop more tomatoes and an onion?—”

“I’m on it.” I immediately grabbed a board and a knife from the dish rack. She’d already put all the vegetables on the counter.

“So, you and Daisy… We didn’t know anything about it.”

“It hasn’t been going on for long.” I didn’t want to give her too many details. Daisy probably wanted to have this conversation with her mom herself.

“And yet you came here with her and offered to help us.”

“Of course. And I meant it. If there’s anything I can do to make the situation easier, like hiring more help for around the house or with your husband or the animals, just say the word.”

“That’s very kind of you, but we like to do things on our own.”

I nodded. “My offer still stands in case you change your mind.”

“What are you two chatting about?” Daisy asked, appearing in the kitchen. “And someone woke up very early.”

“I couldn’t sleep,” I explained.

Her gaze fell on the tomatoes I was chopping. Her mom was already cracking eggs.

“I’m getting my favorite omelet!” she exclaimed.

“Of course, dear,” Rosalie replied.

“Is Dad awake?”

“No. He took a pain pill about two hours ago, and it knocked him right out.”

Daisy bit the inside of her cheek. “Was the night terrible for him?”

Her mom pressed her lips together, focusing on the eggs. “The pain pills are great.”

“What do you want me to do?” Daisy asked, glancing at the chopping boards.

“Anthony and I have got this,” Rosalie replied.

Daisy looked at me with an impish smile, then waved. She’d woken up in a good mood.

Once the omelets were done, Rosalie plated everything, and we ate breakfast very quickly. After her last forkful, Daisy said, “I’ll go out to the animals.”

“I’m coming with you,” I said.

“You don’t have to do that. You can just keep Mom company.”

“Let’s all go,” Rosalie said. “That way you can show me how to use all those things.” She seemed visibly stressed out. “I need to get the hang of operating the machines. I can’t ask poor Annelise to come every day.”

Daisy’s expression darkened as she nodded.

How hard could it be? Surely she’d pick it up if Daisy showed her how to do things a few times…

It turned out I was wrong. I’d been used to everyone picking up technology quickly. Even my grandparents managed their own tech stuff. But Daisy hadn’t been joking. Rosalie truly couldn’t grasp it. Daisy showed her about seven times how to start the milking station, and yet Rosalie did it wrong every single time she tried. At one point, she attempted to write down the instructions, but even then, she managed to list them out of order.

“Mom, don’t fret,” Daisy said. “I’ll talk to the Tanner boys?—”