Chapter 1956

Bringing trouble upon myself—yeah, that was what I originally thought. That night, after Hector took a bath, I helped him shave his beard. At first, I had mentally prepared myself to see a scruffy, down-and-out beggar. But as his features became clearer, I realized I was wrong. He was actually more handsome than Robinson. And I meant, Robinson without a beard. Lydia had never been an easy person to deal with. But when she saw Hector's face, something in her shifted. Maybe it was the lingering traces of youth in a woman past 50. For whatever reason, she changed her mind. She let Hector stay on one condition. Every day, he had to work in the fields shirtless. I could practically hear the gears turning in her head. Not that I blamed her. At her age, craving the sight of a well-built man was only natural. From then on, Hector was up before the roosters and got to bed long after the dogs. He was there through all my hardest days in the countryside. Hector was good—too good, in fa