Page 7 of All of You

I now owe her thirty hours of volunteer work at her shop. The humidity in her greenhouse is damn near unbearable and I have to spend thirty hours there sweating my goddamn balls off when I should be swimming or floating in the river with the guys for the last two weeks of summer.

Fucking Anderson.

Vivianna was pissed about the plant he demolished. I don’t even know how he does it. How he can manage to run down Main Street and accidentally run into a giant potted plant on display. At least he wasn’t hurt. That would be a real issue. Mom would freak. But still, I didn’t have cash for the cost of the plant.

Scratch that…therareplant…and to get Vivianna to shut up, I offered up myself as free labor. Anderson better be a goddamned angel for the next week.

I finish the apple, wipe the juice from the corner of my mouth, and toss the core into the trash bin next to my bed. There was one intriguing outcome though. Anderson’s little accident put me in the right spot at the right time to catch sight of the most beautiful girl I’ve set eyes on. When I saw her I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Green orbs, wide and innocent, bored straight into my soul. I swear I stopped breathing. Milky, soft-looking skin framed dark, long lashes. She was the stuff wet dreams were made of.

At least for me.

My pants grow uncomfortably tight just thinking of her face. Sure, in the summer the town got its fair share of tourists, but generally those people were all over thirty. I grinned like a cheesy townie at her and waved.

What the fuck was a wave going to do?

And the stunner slipped down into her seat so far that I couldn’t see her. I almost laughed, but then the driver waved back. I assume it was her mom but maybe an older sister? I didn’t get a good enough look at her to know for sure. Heat crept up my neck and I’d grabbed Anderson’s hand and yanked him away while mumbling to Vivianna that I’d see her Sunday when she opened.

“Langdon! Anderson! I’m home.” Mom’s voice wafts up the stairs. “Come help me make dinner.”

I squeeze my eyes shut. “Coming,” I holler back.

She’s turning him around, scouring Anderson’s body with laser focus. I sigh.

“Mom, it’s just dirt. He’s fine.”

“Well, how’d he end up dirty, Langdon?” She says, narrowing her eyes at me.

“He’s a twelve-year-old boy.” I shrug. Anderson squirms out of mom’s grip. “Hey, so Vivianna said she needs some help at the shop. I told her I had some time to help out. I start Sunday.”

“Sunday, we have dinner at the orchard, Langdon, you know that.”

“You don’t need me there. It’s only till school starts for Viv.”

Mom shoots me a look as she pulls ingredients from the fridge. “You’re coming.Viv’scloses at four on Sundays.”

Shit. Busted.“Right. Okay. So see, not an issue.” I shrug.

“When’s Dad home?” Anderson asks. He scoops up a pile of silverware for the table.

“I’m right here buddy.” Dad drops his keys in the bowl near the door and strides over to Anderson, scooping him up, and squeezing him tightly. Not gonna lie, there are days I wish I was still small enough for him to do that to me.

“Put him down, James, he’s covered in dirt.” Mom’s voice is playful yet tight. A tone she’s mastered over the last couple of years.

Dad holds Anderson’s gangly body at arm’s length to inspect him. “Gross,” he laughs.

“Anderson, go wash up,” Mom says.

I get a manly slap on the shoulder as Dad passes by to give my mom a peck on the cheek before disappearing down the hall.

“So Vivianna just happened to mention that she needed help?” Mom asks.

“Yup,” I answer.

“Where?” she pushes.

“In town.”

“You were in the shop?”