Page 82 of Against the Clock
“Me!” The toddler on the ground throws a flower at me, and I grin at him.
“Are you guys ready to get some apples?” I ask them, charmed by the three of them and their happy parents.
“Yes,” Layla tells me seriously, her dark eyes huge in her face. “We’re going to make apple butter. It makes the whole house smell good, right, Mommy?”
“That’s right, honey.”
“That sounds really nice. You know the best trees with the most apples on them are all the way back there, right, Daniel?”
Daniel’s staring at me, and his throat bobs before he answers. “That’s true. The ones with the most apples left were definitely further back.”
“Damn it,” Darius says, then laughs.
“Daddy!” Layla scowls up at him.
“Another quarter.”
“I’m keeping track.”
Shara shakes her head, biting her lips as the baby tugs on one of her braids. “Hey, do you two want to come over for poker night on Friday? We’ve been talking about it for a while, but we keep forgetting to invite anyone.”
I glance up at the white clouds dotting the sky, trying to remember my plans. Cameron and I have brunch Saturday, as usual, but as far as I can remember, I’m free.
“I’d love to,” I tell her.
“You like poker?” Daniel asks.
“Texas hold ‘em,” I say, grinning at Darius, who’s rubbing his hands together in excitement.
“You any good?” Darius asks, squinting at me. “We only play for jelly beans.”
“Sour Patch Kids,” Shara adds. “You know, the good stuff.”
“I love that. I’ll bring Reese’s to bet with,” I say.
“Reese’s,” Daniel echoes. “Those your favorite?”
“Who doesn’t love peanut butter cups?” I ask, amused at his interest.
“Last call for apple picking!” the man on the tractor yells, and Layla scampers off, up into the trailer.
“We better go,” Darius says. “Doing the farmer’s job for them, if you ask me.”
“Good thing no one asked you,” Shara says, sighing.
Darius picks up little J from the ground, swinging him into his arms.
“It was nice meeting you, Kelsey. You better bring Junior Mints and Peppermint Patties. It’s about to go down.”
I snort. “You got it. It was nice to meet you both, too. I’ll come hungry for Sour Patch Kids.”
“Oh, is that right?” Darius calls out from the trailer. “Your new girl thinks she’s going to come in and clean house, huh? Well, we will see about that, Kelsey.”
The family of five take their seats as I laugh, excited about Friday.
“I haven’t played poker in ages,” I tell Daniel, hefting my bag of apples in my arms. He’s staring down at me, silent, and I bite my cheeks.
“What happened? Did I say something wrong? You have a weird look.”