Page 63 of Heartstring

Kay raises her chin. “I like steak too much. If I meet the babies, I’ll have to turn vegetarian. No thanks.”

I snort. “That’s my girl.”

Sylvie puts her arm around Kay. “Don’t worry, boys. I have plans for my girl. We’re going next door to pick some apples, and then we’re making an apple pie for dessert.”

Bastian groans. “Mom…”

“Yes, my child?”

“I went to the store yesterday and asked if you needed apples.”

Sylvie scoffs. “I don’t need store apples. I need organic apples grown where I can see them.”

“Fine.”

Bastian walks out so quickly I scramble to catch up to him.

“B, what’s up?”

“Nothing. Be careful where you put your feet. I let the cows out earlier but haven’t had a chance to clean up.”

I narrowly avoid stepping on a cow patty as he says it.

“That didn’t sound like nothing. What’s the problem with next door?”

“No problem. Just the unbearable, smug, impertinent, smart-ass, know-it-all owner of the apple farm.”

“You know some of those adjectives mean the same thing, right?”

“Yeah, he’s irritating in various ways.”

I snort. Bastian never gets like this, so the guy must really be getting to him.

“You’ve said the farm has been there forever. Maybe the guy will retire and sell soon,” I say.

“That’s my problem. The guydidretire. Him and his wife moved to Florida. His son owns the farm now.”

“Hmm.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he bites out.

“Nothing. Don’t chew my head off because you have a hard-on for the farmer next door.”

A small bale of hay hits me so hard that I fall on my ass.

“I don’t have a hard-on for anyone. Got it?”

I raise my hands in apology, although I’m not sure I’m all that wrong.

“Anyway,” he says, holding out a hand to help me up. “Now that it’s just us and the girls, do you want to tell me about the guyyouhave a hard-on for? And why is Kay working with him?”

“Fuck, Bastian, I don’t know anything anymore.” I rest my arms over the holding pen. The two cows inside stay on the far side.

“What do you mean? Has anything happened since the kiss in the rain?”

I tell him about Kay’s volunteering job, taking her there and finding out she’s working for him, the kiss in his office, and all the stuff he didn’t say.

“Wow. And you thought you’d moved to a quiet small town where nothing happens,” he says.