I smiled despite myself. “I figured you were just better at it than the rest of us.”
“I’ve been paying attention,” she said. “The soil in the north section drains differently than the south rows. Some of the trees near the lower slope are stressed from runoff. I noticed the leaves yellowing earlier than they should.”
That got my attention. “You’re serious.”
“Very,” she said. “There’s a whole field called sustainable land management. Studying soil health, biodiversity, water movement. Helping farms work with the land instead of against it.”
I stared at her profile for a second, something clicking into place.
“You’d be good at that,” I said quietly.
She went still. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “I feel like I’m starting over.”
“So?” I said. “People start over all the time.”
She tilted her head slightly, looking back at me. “You really think I could?”
I didn’t hesitate. “Yeah. I do.”
Because the way she talked about it felt different. Like I was hearing the girl I saw laughing in the orchard with sun on her face and dirt on her hands.
“You know,” I said slowly, “I’ve been trying to figure out how to improve the land since taking over. I’m learning as I go. Maybe you and I could... figure some of that out together.”
Her expression softened. “You’d trust me with that?”
I huffed a quiet laugh. “Claire, I trust you with a lot more than my trees.”
She smiled for the first time since she walked through my door tonight.
“I love working outside,” she said softly. “Feeling like I’m part of something growing. Like what I’m doing matters.”
“It does,” I said.
She leaned her head back against my shoulder, quieter now.
“I lost myself somewhere along the way,” she whispered. “Chasing answers. Trying to fix something that couldn’t be fixed.”
I tightened my arms around her slightly.
“Maybe this is you finding your way back,” I said.
The water rippled gently around us. For a while neither of us spoke. Her breathing slowed. Her body finally went loose against mine. The tension that had gripped her earlier was fading. And as I held her there, warm and safe in my arms, I couldn’t stop thinking how right this felt. Like maybe the land wasn’t the only thing growing roots.
CHAPTER 28
Claire
I’d never had a real boyfriend before, so I didn’t know what to expect. Asher was more than I could have ever dreamed, like my very own Prince Charming. We got out of the bath, and I wrapped the bath towel around my body. Asher wrapped his around his waist.
“You’re very easy to talk to,” I noted.
He laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It is one, so that’s good,” I assured.
“You are too, Claire. Sophie was lucky to have you as a friend. I’m lucky to have you,” he said, causing my heart to pick up pace.
Our eyes locked. “I feel lucky too.”