“Wait, wait, wait.” Dylan lifted a hand. “Let me make sure I’m getting this right.”
“All right.” Rowan folded her arms. She’d been perfectly clear. Dylan was merely ribbing her.
“So, she calls you in a panic. You go over. You stay all night while Ernestine’s goat has babies. And now she’s not mad at you anymore.”
“Basically.”
Dylan lifted the beaker of cider she was checking and gave it a swirl in the light. “That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard.”
Well, phrasing it like that sure did. But she didn’t want to give Dylan the satisfaction. And she’d already told Dylan that part when she walked into work yesterday looking like a zombie. “It’s not absurd. Stressful situations often bring people together. This was stressful and included the miracle of life.”
“The miracle of life.” Dylan used a pipette to collect a few drops of the cider and did whatever she did to test for sugar and alcohol levels, scribbling the results in the leather-bound journal she used in lieu of a computer. She didn’t bother to make eye contact or hide the sarcasm in her voice.
“Have you ever seen anything born?”
Dylan shuddered. “No.”
“You’re such a city kid.”
“I grew up in the suburbs of Buffalo.”
Rowan shrugged. “Same difference.”
“Whatever.” Dylan set the sample aside. “Back to the subject at hand. So, you have a moment. She bakes you brownies. You go over for dinner. You make up. And now she’s going to be our accountant?”
“You’re trying to make it sound ridiculous.” Which totally wasn’t cool since the end result would benefit them both.
Dylan tipped her head to the side. “Or maybe it is ridiculous.”
“No. We made up and I asked if that meant she’d let me help out again. You know, around the farm like I do for Ernestine. And I think she’s the kind of person who has a hard time with people doing nice things for her, so she insisted on trading something for it.” Since she’d done her best to set aside her attraction to Audrey at the time, she didn’t bother mentioning it now.
“Uh huh.”
“And she made a joke about asking if we needed an accountant and I said we did.”
“Only you, Rowan. Only you.”
She did have a way of connecting with people—in ways that turned out to be mutually beneficial—maybe more often than most, but it didn’t strike her as all that strange. “Are you saying you don’t want her help?”
“Oh, no.” Dylan shook her head with vigor. “I’m not saying that at all. I absolutely want her help.”
“So, maybe don’t give me such a hard time, then.”
Dylan pressed a hand to her chest. “But if I don’t, who will?”
“I’m pretty sure my siblings would be only too happy to step in.” They’d been harassing her long before she and Dylan ever met.
“Right, right.” Dylan, one of three, nodded sagely. “I’ll stand down. If for no other reason than I’m legit ecstatic you got us an accountant.”
Regardless of her arguments to Dylan, even she could admit it had come about rather strangely. Still, she wasn’t going to look a gift of financial expertise in the mouth. She’d just have to resist the urge to look too much at Audrey’s mouth. And think about what it would be like—taste like—to kiss her. “She’s going to come over tomorrow to talk with both of us.”
Dylan grinned. “Don’t worry, I’ll be charming.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about.” If anything, she worried Dylan might be a little too charming.
“Are you scared I’m going to ask her out?”
Teasing or not, the question cut a hair too close to the direction of her thoughts. “You can’t ask her out.”
“I know, I know. If anyone is going to ask her out, it’s going to be you.”
“No one is asking her out.” Not that she hadn’t thought about it. And a hell of a lot more.
“Blah, blah. Professional. Blah, blah.”
Because Dylan was egging her on, she shrugged. “One of us has to be.”
That did the trick. Dylan’s features sobered and her shoulders straightened. “I’m professional.”
Dylan had a maverick approach to cider making. It helped her make a name for herself but also raised the ire of some of the more traditional, established members of the cider community. It was a small enough world that it had gotten them snubbed a few times and Dylan took that to heart, even if she had no intentions of changing. “You are.”
Dylan frowned. “I trust you on this. You take the lead and I’ll follow.”
Trust was as implicit in their business model as it was in their friendship. Even when they goaded each other, she never lost sight of that—of how important it was and how much she valued it. “I think we’re both going to be following hers.”
“Doing what a smart, beautiful woman says? I can think of worse things.”
“Easy for you to say. She didn’t yell at you.” Apologies or no, she wouldn’t be forgetting the fire and brimstone anytime soon. She planned to stay clearly on Audrey’s good side.
“Be honest. You like ’em fiery.”
It was her turn to frown. “I don’t.”
“Kidding. I know you go for the soft and sweet any day of the week. It’s a good fit for your knight in shining armor routine.”
She’d dished it out plenty through the years, especially when it came to dating and relationships, so she accepted it was her turn to take it. Especially since Dylan wasn’t wrong. “I resemble that remark.”
“Seriously, though. You’re better with the books than I am, and you have the connection. It’s going to be your call.”
“That’s a low bar but thank you. We’ll see what she has to say.”
“Indeed we will.” Dylan lifted her chin. “You going out to baby the trees?”
She’d planned to do a visual inspection before the next round of microbe spray went on. Mostly an excuse to walk the orchard, but Dylan let her get away with it in exchange for not having to help with her proprietary brew that was organic and effective but smelly as all get-out. “I am.”
“Have fun, farmer. Give my best to the apples.”
“I will.” She headed for the side exit, grabbing her favorite ball cap from the hook by the door. And with a smile on her face—for her arrangement with Audrey as much as the task at hand—she walked out into the sunshine.
* * *
Audrey loaded an armful of hay into the hopper in the sheep pen. She gave Scooby and Shaggy each a pat on the head and a good morning before doing the same for the goats. Ozzie and Harriet trotted over, kids in tow. The kids had learned that feeding time for Mama meant a perfect opportunity to nurse. She shoved the hay in, then leaned her elbow on the fence. “Another day, you guys. Another day.”
Ozzie and Harriet bleated their agreement.
“No real news about Mama E, but your friend Rowan will start coming by again.”
“Maah.”
“I know. We made up. And I’m going to help her with something she isn’t good at, so it’ll be more even.”
This time the babies joined in.
“I know you don’t appreciate math or money, but they’re important. No money means no hay. No grain, either.”
She’d swear the bleats took on a level of urgency.
“Exactly. But you don’t have to worry. Your humans take care of all that and you’ll never want for anything. Except maybe an extra apple or two.”
“If I’m interrupting, I can come back later.”
The sound of a human voice made her jump. She turned to find Gretchen standing several feet away, a thoroughly bemused look on her face. “Hi.”
Gretchen grinned. “Hi.”
“I, um. I talk to the goats. To keep them company.”
“Sure.” Gretchen continued to smile.
“I started doing it to help clear my head. Now, I think it’s mostly habit. And to be fair, they’re pretty good at talking back.” Unlike the sheep. They seemed happy to listen, but their tendency to stare at her with big brown eyes and remain quiet left her too much to her own devices.
“See, that’s nice. I talk to my dog all the time and mostly she raises her eyebrows at me. I think she’s judging my life choices.”
Audrey laughed. “I’m sure she’s offering moral support.”
Gretchen pointed at her. “You haven’t met her. The rescue said she was a cocker spaniel mix, but I think she’s at least a quarter cat.”
“Oh, well, in that case. She’s definitely judging you.”
“Thanks.” Gretchen rolled her eyes and let out a chuckle. “Anyway. Am I interrupting?”
She thought of the chores waiting. Some were starting to grow on her, but even they remained chores. “Let’s call it a welcome interruption.”
“I’ll take that.”
“Can I offer you some coffee? Tea?”
“Yes, but not before you introduce me to the babies.”
Audrey folded her arms. “Is that really why you came over?”
Gretchen angled her head. “Maybe. But I come bearing gifts for you, so it’s not rude.”
Delight warred with the discomfort of receiving a gift for no reason. “What kind of gift?”
“I’ll show you after you introduce me.”
And with that single, borderline silly comment, Gretchen wiped away her unease. “Right this way.”
At the sight of a new human, the kids bounded over. Gretchen gasped. “Oh, my God, they’re literally the cutest things I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen a lot of cute things.”
Since she agreed, she didn’t argue. “They’re as entertaining as they are cute.”
“Can I pet them? Can I go in with them?”
“I can’t promise you won’t end up covered in dirt, but absolutely.” She’d gotten used to the dirt that came from sitting on the ground, letting them climb all over her and nibble her hair. She’d started to enjoy how earthy it made her feel. But she didn’t presume that about anyone else.
Gretchen waved off the warning. “Here, hold your present.”
Audrey unlatched the gate and took the tote bag from Gretchen’s outstretched hand. “Do I get to peek?”
“Go ahead. It’s not a real present. I just didn’t want to show up empty-handed.”
Gretchen’s attention turned fully to the goats and Audrey peered into the bag. It held at least a dozen skeins of yarn in varying shades and textures. Instinctively, she reached in to touch them and let out a sigh. She was still learning, but she knew enough to recognize it as wool and not the cheap stuff she’d picked up at the craft store in Rochester. “I can’t take all this from you.”
“Of course you can.” Gretchen was already cross-legged on the ground, with Bert climbing across her lap. “Besides, I need to get rid of it.”
“Get rid of it?” She couldn’t fathom why.
“I got my hands on some cashmere that was on sale and if I don’t clear out some space, Jenny is going to have my head. She’s made me promise that more yarn leaves the house than comes in.”
If she hadn’t spent the last several Saturdays learning the ins and outs of Gretchen’s yarn addiction, she’d question whether that was a sign of a healthy marriage. Since she had, she merely laughed. “Does that make me your knitting beard?”
Gretchen snorted. “I prefer to think of it as yarn rescue. I’m rehoming some of mine so it can be appreciated and cared for by a new owner.”
“You should at least let me pay you.”
Gretchen spread her arms. “Payment enough, friend.”
Even with all the work that went into tending the animals, she’d fallen hard for the whole pack. The kids simply took things to the next level. “I won’t argue but only because I don’t want to interrupt your fun.”
Ernie balanced his front hooves on Gretchen’s forearm and licked her face. “Yeah. Don’t interrupt my fun.”
After getting her baby goat fill, Gretchen extricated herself from the pile. Audrey smiled at the wistful glance Gretchen gave them as she let herself out of the pen. “I’d love you to stay for coffee, but I also understand if that was your real reason for coming by.”
Gretchen’s huff of exasperation was almost comically dramatic. “I came to see you, too.”
She wouldn’t have thought she needed that reassurance, but it was nice all the same. “I made blueberry muffins this morning. You can help me eat them.”
“Yes, please. You bake on random Tuesday mornings?”
She shrugged. “Well, since I’m not working right now, it’s not like I have anywhere to be, really.”
Gretchen followed her into the house. “Still. I think I’d put my feet up and read a book.”
“I do that, too.”
“Woman of leisure, eh?”
Audrey frowned.
Gretchen lifted a hand. “Kidding. I know you have a real job, and taking care of this in the meantime is plenty of work, too.”
She shook her head. “No, you don’t need to take it back. I was actually thinking about needing to find some things to occupy my brain as much as my hands.”
“I feel you. I milk every minute of summer vacation but if I didn’t go back every fall, I’d be bored out of my mind.”
“Yeah.” She’d sort of expected that to kick in by now. But as much as she wanted something besides manual labor to keep her busy, she hadn’t started to miss the office.
“Maybe you could help me. I’m setting up an online shop to sell some of my wares and the money part of it freaks me out.”
“I’d love that.”
“Okay. I’m not there yet, but soon.”
The idea, along with the work she’d be doing at the cidery, made her smile. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Awesome. Jenny will be thrilled, too.”
“Is she hoping it covers the cost of your yarn habit?”
Gretchen tipped her head. “Every little bit helps is what she says. Though I think it’s about yarn taking over the house more than money.”
“For the record, I’m starting to empathize with how that could happen.”
“Ha. I’m so telling her you said that. Speaking of domestic disputes, how goes the feud with the sexy neighbor? Still maintaining the cease-fire?”
Audrey sighed. She was glad to be back on good terms and was looking forward to her meeting at the cidery that afternoon, but she was a long way from sorting out her tangle of feelings when it came to Rowan. “Yes.”
Gretchen’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t sound sure. I’m really striking out on the conversation topics today.”
She laughed. “No, no. It’s not that.”
Just as quickly as her expression had turned serious, Gretchen’s brows lifted and her eyes danced with mischief. “Did you hook up with her?”
“No.” Her answer came a little too loud and a little too quick. She cleared her throat. “Why would you think that?”
“You seemed a little zingy at the bakery. I thought maybe you found some creative ways to make up.”
Relieved to be spared a line about protesting too much, she rolled her eyes. “It is not that kind of arrangement.”
Gretchen sighed. “That’s too bad. I’d hit that. Or maybe I should say, I wouldn’t mind getting hit by that.”
“Gretchen.”
“Relax with the stern mom voice. I’m happily married. And I was kidding. Mostly.”
She didn’t even know she had a stern mom voice. “Sorry.”
Gretchen merely laughed. “I’m just saying. It might, you know, smooth things over.”
“How can you make the most mundane phrase sound sexual?”
Gretchen shrugged. “It’s a gift. Largely wasted as a third grade teacher, I might add.”
She’d never call herself uptight—okay, maybe a little uptight—and she had friends. Mostly work friends, but friends. Even off the clock, when they were having drinks and talking about life and dating and whatever, it was never like this. Easy, but also like nothing was off limits. Strange, but nice. Liberating. “I’m really glad we met.”
Gretchen gave her a quizzical look, the kind the abrupt change of subject warranted, but then smiled. “Me, too.”
“Tell me about your latest yarn haul.”
Gretchen’s eyes lit up. “Oh, my God. It’s gorgeous.”
She hadn’t been desperate to talk about something else, but Gretchen launched into descriptions of the different colors and textures and Audrey was perfectly content to listen. She asked questions about choosing the right fiber for a project versus deciding what to make with an exquisite skein. She filed away the details, knowing she’d be able to pull them from memory on command. Like learning a new language, but one that clicked for her. Mentally at least. The actual knitting remained a work in progress. Her brain knew what to do, but her fingers were a bit slower to catch on. She lamented this fact to Gretchen as their conversation meandered.
“You’re probably thinking too hard.”
Well, at least she was consistent. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”
Gretchen nodded. “Like with your sexy neighbor.”
“What makes you think I’m overthinking that?”
“Are you going to hook up with her?”
“No.”
Gretchen lifted a shoulder and angled her head to meet it. “Remind me why not, again?”
The thought had crossed her mind. Rowan was gorgeous. And kind. And right next door. Between being friends again and having more free time than she knew what to do with, it had taken considerable effort to keep her imagination out of NSFW territory. “Because.”
“Because you get laid so often you’ve got your bases covered.”
Oh, and that. There was definitely that. “I wish.”
“Maybe you should consider it.”
She absolutely should not. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Gretchen smirked. “There you go with your thinking again.”
“I’m pretty sure thinking has kept me out of trouble more than it hasn’t.”
“Yeah, but sometimes a little trouble is what you need.”
Was it? No. Her life might not be the most exciting, but it was free from drama. Relatively speaking. That’s what mattered. Even if it left her feeling like a stick in the mud.
“Seriously, you’re both good-looking, consenting, single adults. Have some fun and let your married friends live vicariously through you.”
“She might not be single. I don’t really know.” Why did it sound like she was making excuses?
“You could ask. I’m guessing, if there was someone, you’d know it by now.”
Not that she was keeping tabs, but Rowan’s truck rarely left her driveway and never at night. And she’d never noticed another car. Hmm.
“See? You’re agreeing with me even though you won’t say so.”
Audrey shook her head. “Has anyone ever told you you’re relentless?”
“Mmm. Most people. You complaining?”
Whether or not she wanted to be nudged in Rowan’s direction, she couldn’t deny how lovely it was to find herself with the kind of friend who would do that sort of needling and nudging. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for the doors her answer might open—now or in the future. “No. No, I’m not complaining at all.”