Page 19 of If It's You

Jayce laughed without looking. “That’s just his face.”

Something thumped under the table and Jayce cursed.

Christian lifted his eyebrow, daring his best friend to challenge him.

“What did you just say, young man?” Grandma waddled over to the table and pinched Jayce’s ear, pulling him up to her.

“I didn’t say anything,” Jayce squirmed and shot Christian a death glare. But Christian seemed to find this whole ordeal entertaining.

I’ll show him entertaining. He wanted a battle. I’ll give him one.

“Actually, Grams, it was Christian.” Maizie put her most innocent smile in place, and Christian’s face paled.

Grandma turned her anger on him. “Young man, I don’t know how you do it in the city, but on this farm, we don’t curse. Heaven knows we have enough curses to last a lifetime.” Grandma said then retreated into the next room.

“She can’t hear me when I come into the house, but she can hear a swear word from a mile away,” Jayce muttered, still massaging his ear.

“I heard that!” Grandma called from the living room, and Maizie and Jayce cracked up.

Christian was as stone-faced as ever.

“Aw, what’s wrong city boy?” Maizie teased. “Did you get in trouble?”

Christian’s jaw was hard, but she thought she saw his stone features crack just a bit.

“So is that how we’re playing it?” Christian leaned over the table, and Maizie leaned back. His captivating eyes and broad shoulders were more than a little intimidating.

She shrugged, “If you can’t take the heat, leave.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me.” Christian gave her a bone-melting smile. “Game on.”

He stood up from the table and left the kitchen as if that was the end of that.

“Playing what? What just happened?” Jayce asked.

“Don’t worry about it.” Maizie watched Christian’s retreating frame, her eyes narrowing as she thought of all the possible ways to torture him this summer. Were snakes in his boots too much? She’d definitely make sure he got to know the manure spreader.

“You guys are way too much alike,” Jayce said under his breath.

“No, we aren’t.”

“Okay, then tell me how I’m going to win over Lindsay?” Jayce asked as he shoveled another helping of dessert onto his plate.

Maizie studied him then motioned toward his torso, which was clearly fine. “You got a six pack under all that?”

“Shut your mouth.” Jayce scooped the whipped cream off the top of the dessert and smeared it on her cheek.

“Hey!” She yelled and reached for the cream herself, but he sprinted from the kitchen. “I’ll get you back.”

“Go ahead and try.”

She was definitely putting snakes in someone’s boots this summer.

Six

Christian tied on his running shoes and headed out of the farmhouse. A bright pink caught his eye against the fading sun and he shielded his eyes.

“Oh, hey.” Maizie sidestepped him.