“This is amazing,” Adalynn said.
Danny swept his awed gaze over the garden slowly. “It’s like a supermarket, but outside.”
“This is a garden, Daniel. The sort of place from which a market receives its goods,” Merrick said. “And you may now consider yourself a farmer.”
“I’m hungry just looking at it all.”
Adalynn laughed. “You’re always hungry. And you just ate.”
Danny grinned and rubbed his stomach before flexing his arms. “I’m a growing boy, sis. Gotta get my manly muscles somehow.”
Merrick snickered. “You need to have some muscles before they can become manly. You’ve a long way to go.” He placed the baskets he was carrying down on the muddy ground. All the vegetation glistened with droplets of moisture in the morning light.
“Hey! I have muscles!”
Adalynn picked up one of the baskets and thrust it into her brother’s arms. “Good. Then put them to use and start picking squash and cucumbers.”
Danny took hold of the basket’s handles and trudged away through the mud, muttering to himself about bossy older sisters. Adalynn watched him with a grin before bending to pick up a basket for herself.
“It looks like the raspberries are finally ripe,” Merrick said as he took up a basket and a three-pronged hand cultivator. “Would you please start there, Adalynn?”
Adalynn’s grin widened; she absolutely loved raspberries. “Oh, I don’t know. Only half of them might actually end up in the basket.”
“I’ll only allow that if you make sure Danny doesn’t see you. He’ll devour half the garden if he thinks he’s allowed to eat while he works.”
She laughed. “Deal.”
She made her way through the garden, around batches of peppers and rows of carrots, toward the fencing along which the berries grew. Her feet sank into the soft ground, and she had to battle the hungry mud’s pull each time she lifted a leg, being careful to ensure the oversized boots didn’t slide off. Still, she was glad she didn’t have to put her own boots through any more punishment today.
The raspberries stood out like clusters of rubies amongst the green leaves and vines, beckoning her. She picked the biggest, plumpest one, wiped it on her shirt, and popped it between her lips. Its juices burst across her tongue when she bit down.
Sooooo good.
She worked her way from one end of the long row of bushes to the other, selecting only the fully ripe berries and remaining mindful of the thorns throughout. Of course, she couldn’t avoid all the thorns, and ended up collecting a few minor scrapes on her arms, but her gloves protected her from the worst of it.
Most of the clouds dissipated as the day went on, and the sun shone hot and bright overhead. Danny and Merrick conversed as they worked. Adalynn glanced over her shoulder to see Merrick crouched down, working in the dirt. He lifted a mud-clumped root and showed it to Danny. The boy watched, attention rapt, hanging on Merrick’s every word as the man explained what the root was.
It was then that Adalynn knew Danny would thrive here. Merrick would teach him, guide him, and keep the boy safe.
Merrick would do what she couldn’t.
It was a bittersweet realization, but it was what Danny needed. Everything she’d done since the Sundering had been for him. They were here because of him.
“Well how am I supposed to know which ones are weeds?” Danny asked. “They’re all green.”
Even from several yards away, Adalynn saw Merrick roll his eyes.
“Because they are different than whatever is planted in that row. Really, Daniel, it isn’t complicated,” Merrick said.
“Just because you’re old with more worldly experience, doesn’t mean I’m dumb. Just means I’m inexperienced compared to you.”
“I did not say you were dumb, but you are being deliberately obtuse.”
“I don’t know what obtuse means, but you’re still old.”
Chuckling, Adalynn carried her berries over to the baskets Danny had filled with cucumbers and squash, setting her basket beside them. As she was bending down to retrieve an empty basket, a spike of pain—as sharp as an ice pick—hammered across her temples. It came and went in an instant, but that was more than enough time for her to halt, her body tensing. She held still for a moment to await the next wave of pain, but nothing came.
Maybe I just bent down too fast.
Once her tension eased, she grabbed the basket, slowly straightened, and started toward the tomatoes.
Danny jumped to his feet and hurried over to her, his brow furrowed. He extended his arms as though to take the basket from her. “Why don’t you take a break, Addy?”
She swung the basket out of his reach. “I’m fine, Danny. I want to help. I don’t want to sit around being useless.”
“You’re not useless, Addy, you’re sick.”
“I’m fine. Really. It’s been days since I’ve had a headache or any symptoms at all.” She glanced at Merrick.
He was staring at her with an indecipherable expression on his face, his eyes veiled. There was an almost guilty cast to his features; she couldn’t imagine why, couldn’t be sure if it was just her imagination.
“Take a break, Adalynn,” Merrick finally said. There seemed to be a hint of strain in his voice. “You, too, Daniel. There’s some water in one of the empty baskets. You’ve both been working hard, and it’s a hot morning.”
Though she knew Merrick was right, she couldn’t help but feel as though he was calling for a break only because of her; having Danny also stop was a way to lessen the blow. Merrick had been pulling weeds ceaselessly since they entered the garden—which felt like hours ago—and she’d not seen him stop or slow the entire time.
Adalynn and Danny sat on a stone bench in the shade of a pear tree. As soon as Adalynn allowed herself to relax, every one of her muscles protested; the longer she was still, the sorer her body felt. It was wonderful. She hadn’t pushed herself like this in so long—at least not by choice—and she’d forgotten what a good workout felt like. The dampness of sweat on her skin, the fire in her muscles, and the thumping of her heart were all the sweeter because she’d chosen to work, to contribute. The rush of having to flee or fight for one’s life was a wholly different experience—one she’d rather do without.
While she and Danny rested—mopping sweat from their faces, drinking from the water bottles, and nibbling on bits of their harvest—Adalynn found herself watching Merrick.
He wasn’t dressed like a man toiling in a garden—he wore black dress pants and a white button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to just above his elbows. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail with loose strands hanging around his face. The strangest part, however, was that despite the smudges of dirt on his clothing and the tall rubber boots on his feet, he pulled off the outfit. He looked dignified.
Her eyes drifted to his strong forearms; toned muscles played beneath his skin as he worked.
He pulled off that look very well.
Danny elbowed her. It caught her so off guard that she nearly toppled backward off the bench and into the mud; she stopped herself only by extending her legs and digging her heels into the ground.
Once she’d regained her balance, Adalynn turned her head to glare at him. “What the hell, Danny?”