Free Reap (The Harvest Saga Book 1) by Casey L. Bond Page A

giggles. It was one of the best evenings I’d had in a long time. 
    When we were spent, we all took off in different directions, but somehow, Crew had gotten lost. His trail connected with mine. “You took a wrong turn back at the old dead tree.”
    Shaking his head, he grinned. “I’ll never figure out this maze of trails.”
    “You will. Maybe. I mean, you won’t be here long, right?”
    He stared at me. “Right. Well, thanks Abby. You could have let me wander around.”
    He turned to leave and I remembered how he’d treated me when I met him and Zander on the trail. Perhaps I should have given him bad directions after all.   
     
    ∞
     
    The next few days passed in a blur, but on Friday morning, a fierce red-streaked sky greeted me on the way to the orchards. My eyes were trained on the bleeding sky the whole way there. I passed Crew before heading toward Laney, and his eyes fell on mine and then sunk to the ground. He didn’t even want to look at me now. I guess Zander had done his job well. Crew and his family were staying at the Preston’s so I was sure Zander had divulged all sorts of information about our village. And, apparently about me.
    His skin was raw, bright red where it had been pale. And, I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Ky slapped him on the back. “You’re baked, dude.”
    Crew smiled back and then pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know, man.”
    “How do you pick cotton in the sun all day without frying to a crisp?”
    Crew’s smile dropped. He shifted his feet. I looked at Laney and she nodded back at the pair. “I...our healer mixes this lotion using a local bark that blocks the rays of the sun so we don’t get burnt. I’m one of the palest in our settlement, so I use most of the lotion she makes, though.” He smiled sheepishly.
    “Wow. I wish we had some for you. Looks painful. Here’s a hat, though.” He took the hat off of his head and tossed it to Crew. Crew put it on backwards, exactly how Ky had been wearing it. He looked up to see Laney and me looking at him and then quickly corrected the cap, the bill shading his face. But, I was pretty sure his neck turned a deeper shade of crimson for a few moments.
    “Did he seriously not know how to wear a ball cap? Cottons are so weird.” Laney looked at me from her perch in the tree, dropping the apples into my wire basket. “I heard Lulu had to take a trip to Olympus. Are you okay in the house by yourself?”
    “Sure.” I shrugged like it’s no big deal. “She has to go every so often. It’s not the first time I’ve stayed by myself.” I wasn’t about to tell her that Kyan had been staying in Lulu’s room overnight. Paige Winters would have me whipped within an inch of my life and Norris would no doubt be grinning as my blood spurted across his sickening face. I cringed at the thought.
    “Oh! You’re coming tomorrow night, right?” I looked at her blankly. “Oh, maybe I forgot to tell you. We’re having a bonfire party for those from the other villages who are helping.” She leaned down and dropped her voice conspiratorially. But her voice was so loud, I was sure everyone within a ten tree radius heard our conversation. “It’s going to be so much fun. It’s at the old park after dark tomorrow.” Her blonde curls bounced with her excitement as she clapped her hands together.
    “I don’t think I—”
    “Oh, no. No. No. No. You are coming with me, Miss Abby. Don’t even think about weaseling out of this. We never get visitors here and we are going to be most hospitable.” An evil grin erupted on her face and I suddenly wondered just how friendly she intended to get with these people.
    “Fine. I’ll go.”
    Laney squealed and climbed the tree a bit higher.
    “Abby?” Kyan called.
    I ducked around the tree and approached him. Crew was standing beside him, barely making eye contact with me again. There was no lukewarm with him. He was either friendly or avoided me completely. “I need you in the