Page 40 of A Country Kind Of Love

“I didn’t think it was in my cards, but now I’ve pulled a queen into my arms. I want a full house built for two. It’s just a stacked deck when I’m with you...”

Is she writing a song about...surely not.

It isabout Cleo.

It’s been a long time since the words for a love song have come so freely.

Is she falling in love? She barely knows her. It’s way too soon, but she feelssomething. This thing inside of her makes her want to stare at Cleo’s face for an inappropriate length of time. And the thoughts. How can one person take up so much room in a person’s mind? Peyton’s already paid the down payment on the huge piece of Cleo shaped real estate in her head. She won’t leave now; she’s adding accessories and changing the colour scheme.

It’s gettingout of hand.

The chorus feels right, but the final line halts her progress.

“Peyton!” Jesse yells. “Cleo’s here.”

She’s thrown back into the present moment as Cleo bounds through her bedroom door. Jesse follows. He leans casually against the door. His long body only just fits beneath the doorframe. “So...” Jesse flicks his hand back and forth. “What’s going on here?”

He already knows the answer because Peyton filled him in on everything that morning, but he finds the taunting amusing.

Cleo looks nervously at Peyton for a response.“Erm...”

“He’s just messing with you.” Peyton laughs, she’s used to her brothers being the ones to make a situation awkward. Now she has Jesse too; a lot of testosterone surrounds her life.

Cleo exhales. “Phew.” She wipes at her forehead in a cartoonish way. Peyton notes the gesture for the mental list she started the night before, titled:Cute Things Cleo Does—it’s not the most original, but it’s expanding bythe second.

“Right, well I’m going to leave you cool kids to it. I have a gig over in Clarksville. Don’t forget about meeting with Big Mac tomorrow. He said 3p.m. sharp.”

“Gotcha, thank you. Have fun tonight.” Peyton expects Cleo to comment, but her expression remains neutral, maybe she doesn’t know Marvinas Big Mac.

Jesse is already down the hall. “I will. Don’t wait up lovebirds,” he calls out.

Cleo’s only been gone about fourteen hours, but Peyton’smissed her.

“What are you doing there?” Cleo eyes the notebook.

“Just a bit of Saturday morning inspiration.”

“Oh yeah?” Cleo reaches for Peyton’s waist. “Who’s your inspiration?”Cleo teases.

“Nobody you know.”She laughs.

Peyton grabs Cleo by the hand and waltzes into the living room. “Do you know how toplay chess?”

“Erm, a little. Why?”

“Jesse has the coolest set.” She pulls out the drawer underneath the TV; inside she finds the black case. “He showed it to me the other day.” The case is in pristine condition. The pieces are all intact. One set is green and the other cream. The board is heavy. It feels expensive.

“I don’t know if I remember how to play,” Cleo expresses.

“Okay, what if I make it interesting?”

“I’mlistening.”

“For every one of my pieces you take, you get to ask me anything.”

“Anything at all? And you have to answer honestly?”Cleo grins.

“Yes. I swear.”