Page 82 of Traces Of You

His father was smirking.

“I went into town for a few things,” Clay said. “Four times, people stopped me, and twice they asked about the woman you were with.”

“What did you say?” he asked.

“I didn’t answer. They should know better than to ask me that.”

His brother wouldn’t think twice about ignoring a personal question about their family or telling someone point blank it wasn’t anyone’s business.

“Your brother doesn’t know how to answer,” his father said. “But we know you spent the night with Reenie.”

He sighed. Ford expected this to be the reason his mother kicked him out of the house. He hoped Reenie wasn’t getting asked too many questions.

“Do you have a problem with that?” he asked, looking at his brother, then his father.

“I don’t care who you sleep with,” Clay said. “You can watch your back.”

He snarled, and his father moved between the two of them. “Don’t start fighting. Clay meant nothing by it.”

“Yes, he did.”

“I did,” Clay said. “I don’t think she’s going to drug you in your sleep.”

Ford took another step forward and grabbed his brother by the shirtfront. Clay laughed, his father breaking them apart.

“Don’t be an asshole,” he said, shoving Clay. His brother didn’t move. Didn’t even get off balance.

“I could have you on the ground and unconscious in five seconds,” Clay said, smirking.

He knew that but trusted his brother wouldn’t.

“What did you mean by your comment then?”

“You’re emotionally involved. Just like you were twenty years ago. We all saw what happened when she was gone. It’s going to be worse now and you know it.”

“It was going to be worse whether or not I slept with her,” he said.

His father looked at his brother and nodded. They’d been talking about him and, as much as he hated it, he expected it to happen.

“Clay will shut up now,” his father said. “You know what you’re doing and if you need our help you’ll continue to get it. Just like we know the reason you brought her out there today.”

“If Clay knew that, he’d be telling everyone so they’d know too.”

“No,” Clay said. “I’m not doing that for you. It’d look off and you know it. People expect me to tell them to fuck off.”

Ford laughed. “True.”

“The trees are coming along,” his father said. “You’ll be harvesting some good crops this fall.”

“Mom will be happy,” Clay said. “She likes baking with our apples and not what is shipped here on the off season.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing not having people come here to pick,” his father said. “It’d bring more to the barn and the bakery.”

“Is Mom worried the business is going to lose sales with us not opening the orchards up again?” Ford asked.

“She’s always worried,” Clay said. “But we’ll figure it out. It might do her well to not work as much. Last year she was caring for Dad and being slower worked out. This year we’ve got weddings planned along with events. Some of those events want us to provide food.”

“So you’re making Mom work more?” Ford asked.