Page 40 of Truly

“Yay.”

“Come on,” he says, bumping me with his elbow. “This is going to be so much fun.”

“Luke, let me share something with you. Some things are fun, and others are not. Things that take place involving horse shit are not in the fun column. Ever. Okay? Let it go.”

“You’re testy this morning.”

I glare at him as he opens the doors to the barn.

“Being mean isn’t going to make this go any faster,” he says.

“Trust me. I know. For the past twelve hours, I’ve thought very mean things about you, and they’ve dragged on.”

His eyes sparkle as he walks me back until my backside touches the wall. I refuse to let him think he’s breaking me.

His hands are planted on either side of my head, caging me in. He’s so close that I can smell the toothpaste and coffee on his breath. I lift my chin in defiance.

“Why are you so mad, Pumpkin?” he asks, teasing me.

“Don’t call me that when you’re being mean.”

“I’m not being mean.” He grins. “I told you I just wanted to give you a little space. It’s the right thing to do.”

“No, Luke, the right thing to do would’ve been to fuck me so hard that I stop thinking about all the crap that happened this week. But thank you so very much.”

The grin twists into a darker smile. It sends a shiver down my spine.

That’s it. This is where I want you.

“That’s not why I’m mad at you, though,” I say, pretending to fix his shirt so I can touch him. “I’m quite capable of taking care of myself. I do it all the time.” I act like I dust something off his shoulder. “I’m just a little unhappy about having to get up so early, and I really hate horse shit. So why don’t we?—”

“No.” He pushes away from me and heads toward a storage room. “You’re cleaning these stalls with me.”

“Luke,” I whine. “Come on. Let me cheer you on instead.”

He hands me a really big rake-like thing. “Have you done this before?”

“Are you listening to me?”

“No.”

“Red flag.”

He tries not to laugh.

“I’ll sing for you,” I say.

“No, Laina.”

He plops several other tools into a wheelbarrow and starts toward the stalls.

“Dude, people pay me to sing, and I’m willing to do it for you for free.A full concert. I won’t stop as long as you’re working.” I follow him. “You’re getting a hell of a deal.”

He opens the gate. “See the piles of poop?”

“This is so freaking gross.”

He grins. “See them?”