Chapter 3: Chapter 3

WREN

I tell Puck to stay on the porch while we enter the house, which is already filled with delicious smells. Meredith is at the large kitchen island with a pile of potatoes.

“You’re late,” she says.

“Oh, uh…” I look to Lance to see if he’ll bail me out, but he just smirks at me. “Sorry about that,” I say.

Lance’s smirk widens. “It was my fault,” he finally offers as he leans down and kisses her on the cheek. I glare at him for taking so long to explain.

“Ah, I should’ve known. And I see you’re in a better mood!” Meredith says to him, giving me a wink.

“Yeah, don’t ruin it,” he says.

She slaps him on the arm. Then she grabs my hand and puts the peeler in it.

“Here you go, dear. I’m going to go see how the chicken is coming along,” she says, and disappears out the back door before I know what’s happening.

As I begin peeling the potatoes, I hear a bottle open. Lance places a bottle of beer in front of me and sits opposite me at the island. He takes a long swig of his own beer while he studies me.

“What?” I ask, annoyed.

He just tilts his head like he’s questioning something about me, which makes me more uncomfortable.

“Hey, Lance! Did you find out whose dog that was?”

Suddenly another blond-haired guy with bright blue eyes comes into the kitchen followed by a brunette teen. Both resemble Lance and Jeremy, so I assume they’re also Teller brothers.

“He belongs to Wren here. Mom hired her behind my back,” Lance says as he takes another swig, never removing his eyes from me.

“Oh man, I bet you two went at it then, huh?” the brunette asks.

“They did, but it was nothing like last weekend,” Jeremy adds as he walks in. “Hi Wren! Where’s Puck?”

I nod my head toward the porch with a smile.

“Can I give him a treat?” he asks, picking up a few carrot remnants from the cutting board.

“Sure, but make him earn it, okay? Tell him to speak or high five or something.”

Jeremy’s smile spreads across his whole face as he takes off toward the porch.

“Wren, nice to meet you. I’m Chris,” the blond brother offers. He steps close to me and gives me a wide smile. I see his eyes flash down to my mouth. I offer a polite smile back and nod.

“Nice to meet you too. How many more Teller brothers can I expect to meet?”

Chris leans on the counter in front of me as I continue to peel potatoes.

“It’s just the four of us, but I’m the cutest,” he says with a wink.

Lance grabs the back of his shirt.

“Easy there, Romeo,” he says as he forces Chris into a chair next to him. “And that one behind you is Devin.”

I turn around and Devin smiles and nods from the sink where he’s peeling a mandarin orange.

“Hi,” I offer before turning back to the task at hand. I finish peeling potatoes and begin cutting them into smaller chunks. “Do you all live here?”

“I am just home for the summer. I’m going to Duke,” Chris says.

“Duke, huh? Hell of a basketball team,” I say.

“Yep. I never miss a game.”

I return Chris’s smile, then look back down at my hands to make sure I don’t cut a finger off. I see a large pot of water on the stove and assume that’s where the potatoes are going.

“So where are you from, Wren?” Chris asks.

I look up and see him and Lance watching me carefully. Devin sits down next to them. I grab my beer and take a swig before answering.

“All over, really. My dad was in the military so we moved a lot,” I say.

Lance narrows his eyes at me.

“Where are they now? Your folks?” Chris asks.

“My mom lives with my sister in upstate New York. Dad’s in a military cemetery in Washington,” I say.

I see Lance blink a few times, like his mask slips slightly. Then his stone-faced demeanor falls right back into place.

“Sorry to hear that,” he says.

I nod in acknowledgment and keep cutting.

“Hey Dad, hey Grant,” Jeremy says as two men walk into the room.

Mr. Teller is the spitting image of his sons but with more gray in his sandy-colored hair, a short beard, and bright blue eyes. He wears a cowboy hat and a dusty button-up shirt tucked into jeans.

Grant is younger, maybe late 20s, early 30s. He has short, dark hair and brown eyes, with short stubble covering his tan face. He flashes everyone a big, white smile before his eyes land on me.

“Hey guys! Smells good in here,” Grant says. “And I see we have a new face, are you a temp?”

Grant’s eyes lock onto mine as I place the lid on the large pot of potatoes.

“She’ll be doing machinery work with me,” Lance says before I can respond.

Even though it was devoid of emotion, it feels nice for him to acknowledge that we’ll be working together without blaming his mom.

“That so?” Grant steps toward me. “Well, nice to meet you, Wren. I’m Grant, the farm manager.” Grant sticks his hand out.

I grab it and am surprised by how his warm fingers wrap around my hand. I offer him a smile in return. His hand lingers a bit longer before gently releasing mine.

Mr. Teller steps forward as well and tips his hat as he shakes my hand.

“Welcome aboard, Ms.—”

“Just Wren, sir. It’s nice to meet you as well. Your farm is incredible, Mr. Teller,” I say.

“Thank you, it’s been in my family for a few generations. And please, call me Leonard.”

He offers me a warm smile, and for some reason, I instantly trust this man.

I turn back to the pot and add salt to the water from a nearby shaker before returning the lid.

I turn around, grab my beer, and head to the other side of the kitchen as the men all begin chatting around the island.

“Chicken’s almost done! Jeremy, Devin, set the table please,” Meredith says as she returns to the kitchen from the side porch.

The smell of smoked chicken follows her from the set of grills just outside the back door. I set to work making mashed potatoes while Meredith whips up a gravy.

Before long, we’re all sitting at a long, beautiful wood table under a farmhouse chandelier. Delicious smells, laughter, and clinking dishes fill the air.

It feels like I’ve stepped into a Thanksgiving commercial.

As everyone tucks into their plates, the conversation slows.

“So, Wren, what kind of mechanic experience do you have?”

I look up and see Grant looking at me quizzically. I will myself not to blush as I feel all the Teller eyes land on me.

“You know, Grant, I did already interview her,” Meredith says with a chuckle.

“I was just making conversation, my dear.” Grant smirks at Meredith. I look over and see Lance roll his eyes and stab a piece of chicken with his fork.

“Um, my first job was in a mechanic shop when I was fourteen. We moved around a lot when I was a kid, but there was always a mechanic shop wherever we landed,” I say.

Grant nods his head as he takes another bite. I savor the silent acceptance that follows my answer.

“And what have you worked on?” he asks.

I take a sip of water and swallow the bite in my mouth.

“I have a ‘76 Chevy that I’ve managed to keep running despite its best efforts. I’ve spent more than a few nights in small towns across the country thanks to her,” I say with a chuckle.

As my eyes scan the table, I mainly see curious eyes and polite smiles.

“Most recently, I stayed in a fire camp in California where I worked on their vehicles and water trucks.”

Grant nods again and continues. “And why all the traveling? Are you a nomad?”

I figured he’d bite on the fire camp. I didn’t expect him to ask about my lifestyle…

“That’s enough, Grant,” Lance snaps. An air of awkwardness descends on the room.

Grant glares at Lance. “I’m simply making conversation, Lance,” he says coolly. The way he says Lance’s name doesn’t sit well with me. These two clearly hate each other.

“She doesn’t need to give her life story to someone she barely knows.”

Despite the fact that I’ve never felt more uncomfortable in my life, pride blooms in my chest at the thought of Lance sticking up for me.

Still, I’m praying for an earthquake or maybe a bolt of lightning to put me out of my misery. I’d rather be anywhere but this room.

“Will you two cut it out? We haven’t even officially opened the season and you are already at each other’s throats,” Meredith says before turning to me.

“Don’t worry, dear, it’s not about you. These two just act like cats and dogs with each other.”

I offer a tight-lipped smile. “Erm, no problem,” I say.

“I thought about doing wildland firefighting for a summer job, but Mom wouldn’t have it,” Chris says. I look at him and he gives me a warm smile and another small wink.

“Sweetie, they don’t let you roll out of bed at eleven a.m. for work,” Meredith says with a chuckle, then turns to me for confirmation. The table lights up with laughter.

“Ha, yeah, we were usually up at dawn if they didn’t stick you on night shift,” I say. “Speaking of, I don’t want to be late for my first day so I should probably go get settled in.”

My chair legs scrape the floor as I get up and offer to gather up plates from others.

In the kitchen, I get to work on the dishes despite Meredith’s pleas to leave them. Honestly, I enjoy the social break and solitude of cleaning.

Suddenly, I feel a presence behind me.

“I apologize if I made you uncomfortable, Wren. I’m just interested in people’s stories,” Grant says.

I look over at him and he offers me a sheepish grin with his hands in his pockets like a little boy who was caught being mischievous.

“Oh, no worries,” I say as I dry my hands on a dish towel and lean against the counter.

“If, uh, you need anything, you can always ask me, okay? Whether you need a beer or help with your timing belt,” he says.

I smile, but something catches in my chest.

Timing belt? Did I tell him about needing to replace that on my truck or did someone else?

“It’s dark out, want me to walk with you to Big Red?”

I raise an eyebrow.

“That’s what we call the barn you are staying in,” he says, laughing.

“Oh, ha, no, that’s okay. I have Puck.”

He tips his hat to me and dips out of the kitchen.

I am still wiping down counters when Meredith comes in and physically removes the sponge from my hand.

“Out! You go get settled now,” she says.

“Thanks for dinner. See you tomorrow?”

She smiles sweetly at me. “Of course. Sleep well.”

Back in my little apartment, I go to close the curtains on the bank of windows just in time to see Lance kiss his mother good night on the porch of the main house and head toward the small guest house to the east.

I let out a heavy sigh. I’m both nervous and excited for my first day tomorrow.