Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

JESS

I stood back and watched as massive diggers were brought onto the farm. Slate was directing them to set up around the site. The vibration of their engines and the shouts from Slate and the other guys pierced the usual quiet of the air.

Fat tracks had flattened the grass, and the mooing of my cows was completely drowned out by the man-made noise. Everything about this scene felt completely wrong and yet I knew it was what had to be done.

Sweat beaded on my brow and trickled down my spine, but I didn't head back to the house. Instead, I felt this almost morbid curiosity and it rooted my feet to the spot. All of this felt like it had outgrown Merrick Meadows in a matter of minutes, turning it into an industrial dig site rather than a dairy farm.

Did we make the right call bringing in a crew like this to gather the information about how much oil we have? Why do they need all this if they're just collecting data?

Trepidation crawled around in my gut as I watched them turn my family's life upside down. At least, that was what it felt like they were doing.

A little while after I'd arrived at the site, Slate spotted me and grinned. Waving, he came over. Wearing his new work boots, jeans that had lost that brand-new look thanks to a few washes, a T-shirt that also looked much softer than it had just last week, he almost looked like he belonged here.

There was a bit of scruff on his jaw today, but these guys had called early to ask for directions to the farm. That was probably why he hadn't shaved. On top of all that, he'd also donned a worn ballcap that used to belong to Austin and had been on our coat stand for the last few years.

I sighed, shaking my head at myself. How good he looks doesn't matter right now. All that matters is why these men are doing what they are.

As soon as Slate came to stand next to me, I ignored the fresh sweat and soap scent coming from him and told him my concerns. He listened patiently, then nodded and curled his fingers around the front of the cap to adjust the fit.

"It's just part of the process," he assured me. "I know it's daunting, but this is how we get the job done as efficiently as possible. Just try to ignore them."

I sniffed. That was easier said than done. Mom and Dad were standing just a little ways away, but the workers weren't paying me or my parents much mind. When I'd tried to ask them questions earlier, they'd seemed more bothered by me than anything. Like they didn't want to answer to some nobody farmgirl like me.

I realized these were hardcore oil guys, but jeez. A little respect and politeness never hurt anyone.

"Are you okay?" Slate asked as he started forward again. "I need to go talk to Jake about the original site, but you still look worried."

A bit put off by the whole deal, I exhaled heavily and gave him a tight smile. "I'm fine. Actually, I'm just going to go call Sophie and ask her if she wants to grab a bite to eat with me. Can't get much done with these guys crawling all over the place anyway."

Turning on my heels, I left him in the proverbial dust as I marched back to the house, wondering how long these people had to be here. When we'd first struck that oil, I'd never in my wildest dreams imagined it would go like this.

I didn't know what I'd been picturing exactly, but it certainly hadn't been turning our farm into a highway for heavy machinery.

After texting Sophie and grabbing the keys to my brother's old truck, I slammed the door behind me and spun away, a childish little jolt of satisfaction shooting through me. I knew I was too far away from the site now for anyone to have even seen my tiny act of rebellion, but I felt a little better just knowing I'd done it.

Leaving it all behind, I pressed my foot down on the gas and sped to town, only slowing down once I reached the built-up area. Somehow, Sophie still beat me to the sandwich shop and she even had two lemonades on the table by the time I walked in.

I frowned at her. "How the hell did you get here so fast?"

"Easy," she said with a devious smile. "I was already here when I got your message. I was picking up lunch for my dad. I dropped it off for him at the station real quick and then came back, but I put in our usual order before I left."

I chuckled, my head shaking as I sat down. "You're a freaking superwoman. I swear. How's the boutique doing at the market?"

"Is that why you texted me to have lunch out of the blue?" she asked, pushing one of the lemonades over to me. "I thought work was starting on the farm today. I wasn't expecting to hear from you."

"Work did start on the farm today," I said, grinding my teeth. "That's why you heard from me. I have no idea how we're going to survive this, Soph. It's terrible. You should see how much they've damaged the land already and they're so rude."

She winced. "I'm sorry, my friend, but no one ever said this was going to be easy."

"No one ever said it would be this hard either." I sighed. "It might've been okay if the teams operating the machinery were decent people, but they're not. They've hardly even spoken to my parents, let alone saying a word to me. They'll only talk to Slate and they're acting like we're an inconvenience."

Now that I'd started, I quickly got onto a roll, venting the morning of frustration to my friend like a geyser had burst deep inside of me. "How many machines could they possibly need to pull this off? They're just examining how much oil there is. It's not like they're planning on draining whatever is underneath the entire freaking state, but you should see them. They're so brash and arrogant, strutting around like they own the place and don't owe us any answers."

I took a long sip of my lemonade, swallowing before the words kept tumbling out. "It's like they don't even know or care who they're working for. Do you think they're always like this, or is just because they're doing it for us at a reduced rate? Because that's ridiculous. They agreed to that rate. I guess it's just kind of pissing me off."

"Kind of?" Sophie chuckled. "Yeah, I got that, but look. I wouldn't take any of it personally. Slate is the one who contracted them and they know him. He's also the guy with the know-how in the industry."

"Sure, but I'm the girl with the oil," I protested. "My dad is the man who owns the property and my mom has been married to him for forty freaking years. Show some respect, man. That's all I'm saying."

"Fair enough." She shrugged. "But hey, these guys are a different breed from small-town farmers. You have to let them do their thing."

I sighed heavily, staring into my drink and wishing I could drown them all in it. "I'm just so nervous now. I'm not even sure why, but I suddenly have this itchy feeling I can't scratch."

"To be fair, you had the same feeling when Slate first got to town, and that's turned out to be fine."

"I know." I rolled my lips into my mouth, thinking it over before I shook my head slowly from side to side. "It just feels like this incredible, life-changing thing is slipping through my fingers. Like it's not ours anymore."

"Maybe you should tell Slate your concerns," she said wisely. "Talk to him about how you're feeling and see if there's something he can do."

I scoffed. "We don't have that kind of relationship."

Sophie's eyebrows shot up. "Really? That doesn't make much sense, considering that's what he's at the farm to do, isn't it? He's here to advise you. To offer counsel. Oversee the project? If you're not happy, he's the one you're supposed to voice your concerns to."

"That is what he's here for, but things have taken a bit of a turn with us." I wrinkled my nose. "I'm not sure I'm in a position to go to him with something like this right now."

She frowned, her gaze flicking from one of my eyes to the other before she cocked her head. "What did you do?"

"I might've almost had sex with him in the shower last week," I mumbled, rushing it out before I lost my nerve.

Her mouth fell open. Then she rocked back in her chair like she'd been punched with the best gossip of her life. "You sneaky little hooker. I'm so jealous! How was it? Why are you only telling me about it now?"

"Can we stick to the problem?"

"That's what we're doing," she said. "The problem is that you haven't told me anything about this until right this minute and I'm dying to know. Was it hot? Was he all about taking charge again?" She fanned herself and leaned forward. "Did he get you off?"

Heat sped to my cheeks, setting them on fire until my whole face was burning. "Nothing happened. We just made out a little bit. My parents got home before it could go any further."

She let out a peal of disbelieving laughter. "No! I'm so sorry. That must've sucked. I need details of what happened before they got home though, girl."

"This isn't what we were talking about."

"You're right. It's so much more interesting hearing about the teams your folks hired to investigate the well actually showing up to do their jobs."

I sighed. "Well, when you put it like that…"

My head dropped back as I thought about the events of the last few days. My parents had gotten that loan from the bank. Slate had made some calls to people he trusted who were willing to work at a reduced rate for him and Mira. They had shown up to examine the area and determine exactly what we had. Those same people were being paid with the money my parents had borrowed.

Is it really that simple?

Now that she'd said it the way she had, I realized that perhaps it was. I didn't like how we were being treated, but my parents had everything riding on this. Not only on what these guys found, but that they did the job as thoroughly and efficiently as possible.

The sooner they got it done, the less we had to pay them. The less money we had to take from the bank, the better. I groaned as I peered at my friend. "It's amazing how much clarity a little context provides."

"Exactly." She waggled her eyebrows at me, smiling. She stuck her straw between her lips and spoke around it. "Now that's settled, let's move onto your afternoon delight with Slate. A guy who looks like him? I'd imagine it was super hot."

"Hotter than I ever dreamed," I finally confessed. "I've been thinking about it ever since too, which isn't great. Do you realize how uncomfortable it is to be eating breakfast with my parents, and suddenly, he walks into the room and my entire body lights up like a Christmas tree?"

She laughed. "You're lucky your dad isn't the one who's the sheriff. I'm not sure I'd get away with something like that with my dad."

I winced. "You're so right. My parents are pretty wrapped up in all this oil business, so I guess I should just count my blessings."

"Honestly, if I was you, I'd rather have been counting orgasms, but hey. What do I know?"

A lot more than you think.

Frankly, I'd rather have been counting orgasms too, but my dad was a farmer on the farm where I lived and my mother was always there too. Moments alone in that house were exceedingly rare, and now that the oil guys were on the property, I was willing to bet my folks wouldn't be leaving again soon.

Which meant I was shit out of luck trying to recreate what had happened the other day. I sighed. "How tacky would it be to rent a room at the motel for a couple of hours?"

Sophie giggled. "To be with Slate? I don't think it would be tacky at all, but you're not going to do it. Even if you should."

"Shit."

I was screwed.

Or rather, not screwed.

Groaning, I buried my face in my hands and tried to tell myself that it would all be okay, but in order for me to make it that way, I had to get over this lust raging through my system. And I had to do it really freaking fast.

Before breakfast, lunch, and dinner became a living hell of raging hormones with absolutely no place to go.