Running Wild

agreed to take over the place.”
“I agreed to nothing.”
What friendliness had been on Ri’s face disappeared, to be replaced by a suspicious frown as he stated the obvious: “You’re here.”
“That I am. I had no idea Zachariah was giving me this farm and its property. I heard by mail, after his death. He never mentioned leaving me the farm when he was alive.”
“Ah.” Ri nodded like he understood, brow clearing. “He must have feared you’d say no.”
Seamus could still say no and sell it, but he kept that to himself. “I have no idea. We weren’t in touch these past couple of years, unfortunately. I feel bad about that. He didn’t seem to want me to visit.”
“No. I was around too much.”
Seamus squinted, feeling like he was missing something.
“He was quite protective of me.”
“So therefore…” said Seamus, encouragingly. It would be helpful if this guy talked .
“He probably didn’t want you to meet me.”
“Why not?”
“Uh…” Ri grimaced. “Hard to explain.”
“Like so much else.”
“Yes.” Ri’s dark eyes widened in a way that Seamus found alarmingly appealing. “He told me to trust you. Which I’m trying to do.”
“Are you succeeding?”
This time he smiled, and the self-deprecation in the smile was disarming. “Hard to say.”
Seamus held up a hand, in part to halt his own reaction to Ri. He did not want this attraction here and now. Not when he was likely being played for God’s sake. He was adamant that his next attempt at a relationship, any kind of relationship, not become yet another mistake.
“Okay, wait.” What Ri had said was quite illogical, probably bullshit. “Why would Zachariah protect you from me yet at the same time tell you to trust me? That doesn’t make any sense.”
Ri pondered this for a moment, casting a glance at Seamus. “Trust is always limited.”
This seemed to be some kind of axiom, and an unenlightening one. Seamus changed tack. He had to assume Ri hadn’t been offered the farm, or else he’d have it. “What about you? Did you say no to taking over the farm?”
“Oh, no.” Ri snorted and pulled a face as if he considered this idea preposterous. “He wouldn’t offer it to me. I’m not capable of running a farm.”
All right, no denial there.
Ri continued, “Zachariah wouldn’t leave it to me.”
Seamus scratched his jaw, at a loss in the face of, well, he hesitated to say apparent honesty, but Ri wasn’t puffing himself up here. Yet Seamus hesitated to tell Ri that Zachariah had never mentioned him. It seemed insensitive, even if it was something Seamus would like to understand.
Ri held out his hands then, almost in supplication. “Look, I’m starving. I know it’s rude for me to ask…”
“Sure,” said Seamus, relieved to focus on something to do rather than something to say, given the awkward way the conversation had gone. “Let’s put together a lunch.”
The idea of Ri being some kind of threat had evaporated by this point. Ri was odd and unexpected, yes, but there was a wariness to his stance which made Seamus think Ri would choose to bolt before he attacked anyone.
Ri retreated from the small kitchen to allow Seamus to pull out sandwich bread, cold cuts, cheese. He sliced some tomatoes. As they put their sandwiches together, he noticed Ri avoided the meat.
“I’m vegetarian,” Ri said around his first mouthful and promptly vacuumed up four sandwiches and all the extra cheese. Seamus managed two sandwiches, then offered Ri apples, and he ate three, as well as some grapes.
Okay, hungry vegetarian guy.
When they were done eating, Ri looked more relaxed, like he’d narrowly avoided starvation. He placed both hands on the table and regarded them as he pulled in a breath.
Seamus waited.
“Can you tell me how my grandfather died?”
It surprised Seamus how hard it was to say, but straightforward was the best approach. “Stroke. A neighbor found him two days after he’d died.”
Ri winced as he stared at his hands and spoke in a low voice. “I should have been here. I didn’t mean to be away so long. I lost track of time.”
Well, he should have been more attentive, and losing track of time was a weak excuse at best, but it was over and done so Seamus said nothing. Casting further blame would accomplish nothing.
“Excuse me.” Ri pushed away from the table, strode out into the yard and kept going.
By the time Seamus followed him outside, Ri had taken off at a run, disappearing into the trees.
“What