Page 47 of A Shared Mind

Clay pulled me closer and gave me a sweet kiss. “The cab of that thing is airconditioned if you wanna climb up.”

He grabbed the basket and climbed the ladder before he extended his hand to me. I’d never seen such a large piece of equipment in my life, but as I traversed the ladder, I was excited to see inside the cab.

Once I was in, Clay pulled down a seat to the right of the steering wheel before returning to his spot behind the controls. “So, what’s in the basket?” He lifted a lever and the steering wheel moved out of his way.

I opened the wicker lid and unloaded the food I’d packed with Pansy’s guidance. “So, these are meatloaf sandwiches and potato pancakes. There are apple hand pies for dessert, and two bottles of water."

Clay stared at me. “You didn’t have to do this, darlin’. I could have come to the house for lunch.”

“Yes, you could have, but I wanted to see how this worked. I mean, I can go back to the—”

“No! Stay. I like the idea of you seeing what happens here at the farm. It’s pretty boring but having you here makes it more fun for me.”

While we ate, he explained the harvesting process, which was very interesting. The wagon was attached to the harvester to load the sorghum so it could be taken to a drying barn where it would be picked up at a later date by the purchasing company to make into silage for livestock.

“It’s glamorous, isn’t it?” Clay hummed as he ate a potato pancake, signaling to me that he liked them.

“Well, it’s necessary, right? I mean, this all turns into feed for animals, right? That’s pretty necessary. Farm to table all the way, right?” It was a lot to process, but I was sure the longer I was around, the more I’d understand.

“Justin, this food is delicious.” He leaned over and blew a raspberry on my neck, making me laugh with a mouthful of meatloaf and bread.

Once I swallowed, I took a sip from my water. “Your mom stopped by with the fresh bread. She said she’d teach me how to make it the next time I come out.”

Clay grinned. “She loves to bake bread. She hasn’t made it for a while, so I guess she figured with you staying with me, it wouldn’t go to waste.” He crumpled up the wax sandwich bags and tossed them into the picnic basket.

I finished my food and tossed my bags into the basket before retrieving the plastic container that held the two hand pies I’d brought for him. “And these are for you.” I opened the container to show him its contents, and he gave me a big grin.

“Well, now. These look great. I’ll eat one now and save the other one for later when I’m feelin’ a little peckish.” He turned on that accent when he was trying to seduce me. He certainly didn’t have to try too damn hard.

“How’s your butt?” I chuckled a little as I asked.

Clay smirked. “Oh, darlin’ you were definitely there.” He then wiggled in his seat as he took a bite of the apple-filled crust, moaning the filthiest sound that reminded me of that morning when I fucked him from behind and hit his prostate without mercy. The man spewed everywhere, necessitating a change of sheets.

“Ho-ly fuck! That’s delicious. Oh, this is my favorite thing I’ve ever eaten in my life.” He spoke with his mouth full, crumbs spraying in the space between us and making me laugh.

I picked up my napkin and wiped the corner of his mouth. “You bring the apples and I’ll make you a pie every time I see you.”

I kissed his cheek and booped the tip of his nose. “I’ll get out of your hair so you can finish up. What time do you want dinner?”

It was so damn domesticated that we were talking about simple things like dinnertime. Was this a sneak-peek into what my life could be like if Clay and I could make a life together?

“I’m gonna stop for the day at five. I just need to take the trailer to the drying barn and spread the sorghum. I’ll pick up the rest of the job in the morning as soon as the dew burns off. Maybe have dinner ready around seven? That okay?”

“Works for me. I’ll see you then.” We gathered all the remnants from our picnic, and Clay carried the basket down the ladder for me.

He took my hand and walked me to the ATV. “Be careful going back. Feel free to come visit anytime you want, Justin. I love ya, darlin’.” He leaned forward and kissed me gently before he swatted my ass as I got into the vehicle.

If things like taking lunch to the field or soaking in the tub with Clay Fines were things I had to look forward to in the future, I needed to make some decisions regarding what it would take to see it through. But before I started daydreaming about making love in all the rooms of Clay’s house, I needed to take care of a task that was long overdue.

Maybe it was just because I’d fallen in love, but in my heart, I was sure Ramon Blanco was worth redeeming. I’d do everything I could to make it happen.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Clay

“Where to first?” I asked as I took the exit for North Kingshighway.

I’d been to St. Louis several times, sometimes to visit Hunter’s grandmother and sometimes on my way to somewhere else. I hoped we could wrap up this shit with Ramon Blanco and get on with the rest of our lives. Having Justin at the farm for a few days lit a fire inside me to make the arrangement permanent when he was ready. There were logistics to be discussed, so getting Blanco’s shit off Justin’s radar was my priority.