Owned by the Ex

The sound of a fiddle echoed across the orchard. It was the night of the Oakhaven Harvest Dance. Silas stood in the guest cottage and looked at his reflection in a small, cracked mirror. He wore a clean flannel shirt that June had left for him. It was stiff and smelled of lavender detergent. He rolled up his sleeves. He saw the blisters on his hands were finally turning into calluses. He looked at his face. The sharp lines of the city were still there, but his skin was tan from the Georgia sun. He looked less like a CEO and more like a man who worked for a living.

June knocked on the door. She did not wait for him to answer. She walked in and stopped. She wore a dark green dress that reached her knees. Her hair was down. It fell in soft waves over her shoulders. Silas felt his breath hitch. She looked like the girl from his memories. She looked like the woman who could destroy him.

"The town is here," June said. She looked him up and down. "You look like you belong here. Try not to ruin it when you open your mouth."

Silas stepped closer. He could smell her perfume. It was light and floral. "I know how to play a part, June. I have spent ten years convincing investors I am a visionary. I can convince a few farmers I am a husband."

June reached out. She straightened his collar. Her fingers brushed against his neck. Silas stayed perfectly still. He wanted to reach for her. He wanted to apologize for everything. But the look in her eyes was sharp. It was a warning.

"This is for the loan, Silas," she whispered. "Nothing else. If the bank manager sees us together, he will approve the expansion. If he thinks this is a lie, I lose the orchard. My mother loses her home. Do not forget that."

"I understand," Silas said.

They walked out into the cool night air. The main barn was lit with hundreds of small white lights. Hay bales served as benches. A local band played on a makeshift stage. Silas saw Bea standing near a large bowl of punch. She watched them with narrowed eyes. She did not look convinced. She looked like she was waiting for him to fail.

Miller was there too. He stood by the entrance. He wore a western jacket and polished boots. He watched Silas and June walk toward the barn. His expression was hard to read. He nodded at Silas, but his eyes stayed on June. The way he looked at her made Silas want to punch something. It was a look of ownership. It was the look of a man who had been there when Silas was gone.

The music shifted to a slower tempo. The bank manager appeared. His name was Mr. Henderson. He was a thick man with a friendly face and a sharp suit. He walked over to them. He asked how Silas was enjoying his return to his roots.

Silas put his arm around June's waist. He pulled her flush against his side. He felt her stiffen for a second. Then she relaxed. She leaned her head against his shoulder. It felt natural. It felt dangerous.

"It was a long time coming," Silas said. He looked at June with a smile that felt far too real. "The city is fast. This is where life actually happens. I am glad June gave me a second chance. I realized that twenty billion dollars is not worth much if you do not have someone to share it with."

Mr. Henderson smiled. He looked impressed. He said it was good to see a local success story. He told them to enjoy the dance. He promised to call June on Monday about the loan.

The band started a slow song. It was a song they had danced to at their high school prom. Silas led June to the middle of the floor. He took her hand in his. He placed his other hand on the small of her back. They moved slowly. The wood floor creaked under their feet. The air was thick with the smell of hay and sweat.

"You are a good liar," June said. She did not look at him. She kept her eyes on his chest.

"Is it lying if I mean some of it?" Silas asked.

June finally looked up. Her eyes were bright. They were full of a decade of pain. "Don't, Silas. Don't try to make this something it isn't. You are here for a signature. You are here because Julian is trying to steal your chair. Do not pretend you missed me."

"I did miss you," Silas said. His voice was low. "I missed this. I forgot what it felt like to be a person instead of a stock price. When I am in the city, I am always thinking about the next move. Here, I only think about the next tree."

The music ended. June pulled away immediately. She looked at him with a mixture of fear and anger. She didn't say a word. She turned and walked toward the barn doors.

Silas stood alone in the middle of the dance floor. He felt the eyes of the town on him. He saw Bea shaking her head. He saw Miller moving toward June. He felt the weight of his phone in his pocket. It started to vibrate. He walked outside into the shadows of the orchard to answer it.

"Silas," Julian's voice was sharp. "The board just saw the photos. You are at a barn dance. You are dancing with the ex-wife you claimed was a legal error. They think you are compromised. They are moving the vote to tomorrow at noon."

"I told you I have it under control," Silas snapped.

"You don't," Julian said. "The Globex CEO called me personally. He wants to know why his future business partner is picking apples in Georgia. If you are not in this office by morning, I will take the vote. I have the proxies, Silas. I have been talking to the investors. They like my vision better than yours."

Silas looked back at the barn. He saw June through the open doors. She was talking to Miller. Miller had his hand on her arm. He was leaning in close.

"Do what you have to do, Julian," Silas said. He hung up.

He didn't go back to the cottage. He walked back into the barn. He walked straight to June and Miller. The conversation stopped as he approached. Miller stood taller.

"June and I are going home," Silas said. His voice was firm.

"I am not finished talking to Miller," June said. She looked at him with a defiant stare.

"The bank manager is still watching," Silas lied. He looked toward the corner of the room. "He is talking to his wife. We need to leave together if we want this to work."

June looked at Miller. She looked back at Silas. She sighed and grabbed her sweater. Miller watched them leave with a look of pure hatred.

They walked back to the main house in silence. The crickets were loud. The air was getting colder. When they reached the porch, Silas stopped.

"Julian is making a move," Silas said. "He wants me in the city tomorrow. He has the board on his side."

June stopped. She looked at him. "Are you going?"

"No," Silas said. "I told you I would stay for the harvest. I keep my word."

June laughed. It was a bitter sound. "You didn't keep it ten years ago. You left a note on the kitchen table and disappeared. Why should I believe you now?"

"Because this time I have something to lose," Silas said.

"You have twenty billion dollars to lose," June said.

"I am not talking about the money," Silas said.

He stepped toward her. He reached out and touched her cheek. June didn't move. She didn't pull away. They stood there in the dark for a long time. The tension was a living thing between them. It was a choice. It was a risk.

"Go to bed, Silas," June said quietly. She turned and went into the house.

Silas stood on the porch until the lights went out. He knew he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. He had chosen an orchard over an empire. He had chosen a woman who hated him over a world that feared him. He walked back to the cottage and started to plan. If Julian wanted a war, he would give him one. But he would do it from the mud of Oakhaven.