Page 200

I glared at her, and I could have sworn she glared back. But then one of the massive bugs flew by and distracted her. She wriggled to get out of my grip and chased it around the yard. It was one of those years when the cicadas were everywhere, and no matter how much time I spent outside, I still didn’t like the way they flew at me every few seconds. The chickens wouldn’t do much, but it was fun to watch the few we’d brought out chase and try to eat them.
“I should have brought Moosley out here. She would have eaten some.”
“She would have chased me around until I went inside,” Cain said.
I walked over and grabbed the saw. “Okay, let me try again.”
Following what Cain had demonstrated, it was much easier to get a cut through the tough wood.
“Did you know you look hot as hell doing that?”
“Not as much as you. I don’t have your muscle.”
He laughed. “You’ve gotten a lot stronger since you arrived. And it’s hot as hell.”
I wanted to disagree, but he was right. In more ways than one. I was a completely different person—one I wanted to be.
“Your compliments have gotten better too. I’d keep it up, but we can’t open in time if I don’t finish this.”
“I need to give the cows some hay anyway.” He kissed me on the cheek before walking away, but he didn’t leave my mind, even as I put together my rough stand.
The second I wasn’t in crunch time, I would reward myself with jumping my hot farmer’s bones.
But unfortunately, I had to be responsible for now.
I got a good thirty minutes of work in before my phone rang. I let out a groan and hoped it wasn’t someone else from town asking when I’d be open.
Instead, it was Mom.
My annoyance turned into anxiety as I answered immediately.
“Hey,” I said. “Is everything okay?”
“I was just about to ask you the same question,” she said. “Your dad is here too.”
Both of them? Oh no. I was in trouble. “Hi, Dad.”
“Hey, Mollie-bear. Feeling okay?”
“At this very moment my arms feel like noodles, but overall, I’m great.”
“Even afteryou-know-who?”
“You mean Trevor? You can say his name.”
“Speak for yourself,” Dad muttered.
“Last time we talked, you were going back to deal with the drama,” Mom said. “And I didn’t hear from you after that.”
“I thought you didn’t wanna watch me make this choice.”
She let out a sigh. “Well, yes, but I still want to know.”
“That’s not what you said.”
“I told you we could have called her at any time,” Dad said.
Mom shushed him. “So, what happened?”