plows. Noah waved his hand at it all. “Jessie was always after me to move this junk into the barn. But I kept telling her that’d mean moving the other junk out of the barn to make room for it. Never got around to it. Wish I had. She always wanted a flower garden out here.”
He pointed out to the orchard. “I have to hire people to do my work for me,” he said. “Can’t do it myself anymore. Hardly ever even get out into the orchards. Keep meaning to saddle up the old horse, but I keep not doin’ it. I’m too damn creaky and I get tired pretty easy.” He sighed deeply. “I love growing apples, and I love eating them. But since I lost Jessie, I don’t have much heart for it.” He shrugged.
There were some wicker chairs on the deck. He dropped heavily into one of them. I took the one beside him.
“Susannah mentioned that you were thinking of selling the place,” I said.
He waved his hand. “I just say that to put the idea in her head. I ain’t going to sell. The way I see it, it ain’t mine to sell.” He turned to me and touched my arm. “They tell me if I’m lucky I might last another eighteen months. They say only the last month or two will be bad.”
I started to speak, but he held up his hand. “You don’t need to say anything.” He smiled. “When I was a boy, I figured I’d live forever. When I got a little older and came to understand that I was going to die someday, I was afraid of it. But then it got so I was mainly just curious about it.” He shook his head. “I’m okay with it. Kind of a relief, actually, knowing. Problem is, Susannah don’t know, and I got to tell her.”
“I understand,” I said. “I’m sorry, Noah.”
“My daddy lived to eighty-six,” he said. “And Gramps was just a week shy of ninety-one. I always figured…” He waved his hand. “It don’t matter. But I worry about Susannah.” He turned to face me. “I told you I wanted to ask you something, Brady. I need some advice.”
“Sure,” I said. “Legal problem?”
He shook his head. “Personal.”
“Why me?”
He shrugged. “You got nothing at stake. You don’t know me well enough to lie to me. Anyways, I can tell you’re a truth-teller. You’re smart, and I believe I can trust you. I don’t know many smart people I can trust. Seems like only the dumb ones are trustworthy, and that’s because they’re too dumb to know better.”
“What about Paul?”
Noah nodded. “Paul’s a nice fella. Damn smart, all right. Loves Susannah, I guess, and he sure tries hard with her. I ain’t sure how much she loves him, though. She kind of tolerates him, far as I can see.” He cocked his head and peered at me. “Anyways, he’s just a boy.” He waved his hand, dismissing Paul Forten.
“Well,” I said, “I don’t know how smart I am, but you can trust me.”
He nodded, then drained his martini and set the glass down on the deck beside him. He lifted his hand and waved it in the direction of his orchard. “Hollingsworths have had this for almost a hundred years,” he said. “My grandfather planted it when he was a young man, and he grew apples until the day he died. My old man kept it going, and now it’s been mine for over thirty years. After Susannah, Jessie couldn’t have more kids. There’s just her. You see?”
“You’re worried she’ll sell it,” I said.
He shook his head. “No, Brady. I’m worried she won’t. Or if she does, I’m worried she’ll only sell it to someone who’ll promise to keep the apples growing, and I know damn well she won’t get what the place is worth that way. Susannah’s smart, all right, but I worry she won’t act smart after I go. I guess she can be a pretty crafty businesswoman. But she’s got a sentimental streak in her when it comes to me and this place.”
“You’ve got a will, I assume?”
He nodded, still gazing out at his apple trees. “It’ll all be hers, of course. Susannah don’t think I’m much of a businessman, and
He pointed out to the orchard. “I have to hire people to do my work for me,” he said. “Can’t do it myself anymore. Hardly ever even get out into the orchards. Keep meaning to saddle up the old horse, but I keep not doin’ it. I’m too damn creaky and I get tired pretty easy.” He sighed deeply. “I love growing apples, and I love eating them. But since I lost Jessie, I don’t have much heart for it.” He shrugged.
There were some wicker chairs on the deck. He dropped heavily into one of them. I took the one beside him.
“Susannah mentioned that you were thinking of selling the place,” I said.
He waved his hand. “I just say that to put the idea in her head. I ain’t going to sell. The way I see it, it ain’t mine to sell.” He turned to me and touched my arm. “They tell me if I’m lucky I might last another eighteen months. They say only the last month or two will be bad.”
I started to speak, but he held up his hand. “You don’t need to say anything.” He smiled. “When I was a boy, I figured I’d live forever. When I got a little older and came to understand that I was going to die someday, I was afraid of it. But then it got so I was mainly just curious about it.” He shook his head. “I’m okay with it. Kind of a relief, actually, knowing. Problem is, Susannah don’t know, and I got to tell her.”
“I understand,” I said. “I’m sorry, Noah.”
“My daddy lived to eighty-six,” he said. “And Gramps was just a week shy of ninety-one. I always figured…” He waved his hand. “It don’t matter. But I worry about Susannah.” He turned to face me. “I told you I wanted to ask you something, Brady. I need some advice.”
“Sure,” I said. “Legal problem?”
He shook his head. “Personal.”
“Why me?”
He shrugged. “You got nothing at stake. You don’t know me well enough to lie to me. Anyways, I can tell you’re a truth-teller. You’re smart, and I believe I can trust you. I don’t know many smart people I can trust. Seems like only the dumb ones are trustworthy, and that’s because they’re too dumb to know better.”
“What about Paul?”
Noah nodded. “Paul’s a nice fella. Damn smart, all right. Loves Susannah, I guess, and he sure tries hard with her. I ain’t sure how much she loves him, though. She kind of tolerates him, far as I can see.” He cocked his head and peered at me. “Anyways, he’s just a boy.” He waved his hand, dismissing Paul Forten.
“Well,” I said, “I don’t know how smart I am, but you can trust me.”
He nodded, then drained his martini and set the glass down on the deck beside him. He lifted his hand and waved it in the direction of his orchard. “Hollingsworths have had this for almost a hundred years,” he said. “My grandfather planted it when he was a young man, and he grew apples until the day he died. My old man kept it going, and now it’s been mine for over thirty years. After Susannah, Jessie couldn’t have more kids. There’s just her. You see?”
“You’re worried she’ll sell it,” I said.
He shook his head. “No, Brady. I’m worried she won’t. Or if she does, I’m worried she’ll only sell it to someone who’ll promise to keep the apples growing, and I know damn well she won’t get what the place is worth that way. Susannah’s smart, all right, but I worry she won’t act smart after I go. I guess she can be a pretty crafty businesswoman. But she’s got a sentimental streak in her when it comes to me and this place.”
“You’ve got a will, I assume?”
He nodded, still gazing out at his apple trees. “It’ll all be hers, of course. Susannah don’t think I’m much of a businessman, and