The Roots of Our Past

Chapter Twenty-Four

June 2001

"Good job, Kinsey, that's the last of 'em," Dad says as we fertilize the last batch of apple trees.

"Thank gosh! How is it so hot already?" I swipe my hand over my forehead, wiping the sweat that's formed there. It's not even noon, and it's already ninety degrees outside.

"Gonna be a hot summer," Dad comments. "You'll need to stay on top of watering."

"I will, Dad," I promise.

Judd took on a big housing project a few towns over and hired Hunter, leaving him too busy to help, so it's all on me to help on the farm this summer.

We've been having a lot of fun so far. Dad is thrilled I want to take over someday and has been teaching me so much. He loves saying, "They won't teach you this in school, Kinsey Girl."

We have been chatting about my apple butter shop a lot. Dad already has an idea where it could go. I can even envision it in my head sometimes. All grown up running the little shop, as my imaginary future kids run around the farm. I definitely want more than one. Being an only kid blows at times.

Luckily for me, I always had Olly growing up.

"Well, I'll set you loose for the day then. Looks like your little Olly is pulling up." My dad gestures. "You kids have fun. I'm gonna take Mama out for lunch to beat the heat."

"Okay, have fun, Dad!" I smile as he ducks off.

I see Olly parking his car alongside the field as he usually does. I still don't have a car, and this summer, date nights with Olly have taken over babysitting nights on weekends. So, it's looking like it's going to be even longer now.

It's three weeks into summer, and Olly and I are as inseparable as we were when we were little kids. Olly's two buddies are gone all summer for some sci-fi camp thing. Hunter's always working these days, Brandi's usually with Wade, and Zoe is in California visiting her dad. So it's mostly me and Olly, just like the old days.

"Hi, Olly!" I grin wide as he races over to me.

"Nice makeup, Love," he snorts with laughter as he gets closer.

"Huh?"

"You got a little dirt on your face."

"Oh! Crap! Stop looking at me!" I joke as I half-heartedly put a hand over my face. "I'm going to go wash up. Meet you in the barn."

"Okay, but hurry up," Olly demands. "It took every ounce of willpower I had not to read ahead today."

"You better not have!" I scold.

"I told you I didn't. But hurry! We left off on a cliffhanger."

"Going, going, hold your horses."

I skip off to the house as he heads over to the barn.

***

Less than a half hour later, I'm showered and changed into a light blue cotton summery dress. I don't bother with shoes as I race off to the barn.

Olly is already inside, sitting in the makeshift bed we made out of an old tractor tire innertubes my dad had stored in here, covered with a bunch of blankets.

Dad rarely uses this barn for anything other than storage now. He uses the shed closer to the orchard for his tools and stuff. Someday, he wants to build a huge garage for everything and take down this barn. Until then, it's me and Olly's special spot.

Since there aren't any windows and it's such a thick barn, it's cooler here, even on the hottest days. Olly and I lay in here, and he reads to me like we did when we were little.