“What?”Is this a joke?
“I need to call you about your car.”
“Oh. Okay.” I should’ve known. I rattle off my number quickly and turn toward the door, not wanting to look at Matt’s repulsed face again. I’ve come a long way from the timid, easily offended girl he went to high school with. My grandpa and I are good people. We’ve worked hard, and despite every challenge the world throws us, we manage just fine. Sure, neither of us wants to live this way. But we do the best we can with what we have. My grandfather’s health is my biggest priority right now.
We pool Pop’s social security and my earnings from the food counter to pay for his medical needs, utilities, and groceries. And my friend, Char, has been a God send. Not only did she donate an old salon sink and barber chair so I could keep Pops looking good over the years, but she pretends to need an after-hours girls’ night in her salon every couple of months. She’s a terrible actress, pretending she wants company over a glass of wine while tidying up the place. Yet I know full well it’s a rouse to con me into sitting down and letting herplay with my hair.She’s not fooling anyone. But I’m grateful all the same.
But there is no play-acting happening here. Matt’s eyes are full of pity as he looks my way. It’s as if those old feelings of ridicule I tried to hide are creeping back in.
She’s so poor even her mother didn’t want to stick around.
Didn’t you wear that yesterday?
Knock it off, Jenn… she can’t help that she only owns two outfits.
Grandpa probably can’t make any money off the farm because fat girl’s eating all the profits.
What do you expect from a girl whose dad is going to rot in prison?
But things are changing. I’m going to win that Christmas in July prize money. I just have to stay positive and believe I can do it. This isn’t the time to let other people’s opinions bring me down.
“Ahhhhhh!” A high-pitched scream tears through the still, dark space right before Matt’s body slams into me, pinning me against his truck. What on earth? I start to look for what’s caused him to yell but get distracted.
Jeez, he smells good.It’s a heady mix of musk, spice, and years of temptation. I should be worried about whatever has him so spooked, but I’ve never been this close to him, and it’s doing some weird stuff to my head right now. I’m more interested in whether I could manage to lick that alluring small hollow in his throat without him noticing than what’s going on around us.
“Holy fuck,” he splutters, clumsily grabbing me and tossing me into his truck bed before jumping in with me.
“Ouch.” I rub my backside after landing with a thud.
“Shit, Ellie. I’m sorry.” He reaches over as if he’s going to help stroke the ass cheek that I’m sure will have a bruise later before abruptly stopping himself.
“What the hell, Matt?” I ask, trying to look around the vehicle to see if there’s a snake or something. Yet it’s too dark to see much of anything. He still has his arms wrapped tightly around me, the scruff of his beard tickling my neck as he holds me against his chest like the cowardly lion fromThe Wizard of Oz.
“Something was coming for me. I thought it was a gator, but we’re out in the middle of your farm. There’s no water anywhere around here.”
“A gator? Really?”
“It was big. Whatever it was,” Matt whispers, his mouth brushing against the shell of my ear. Given his behavior, I must be nuts not to be more alarmed, but I can’t think about anything beyond the vice-like grip of his strong arms and firm chest right now.
All of a sudden, the truck lurches as it’s rammed from the side, and Matt clutches me tighter. The feel of his heart thudding under my cheek matches mine but for a completely different reason. Because as I’m reveling in the delicious closeness of my long-time crush, it’s taking all I can muster not to laugh when I realize what has him coming unhinged.
Chapter 15
Matt
“Oh, my god.” Ellie laughs.
“This is funny?” he bellows. “What the hellisthat?”
“You mean, who.” Ellie shoves me off of her, pushing herself up onto her knees so she can peer over the truck. Despite my nerves, I have to fight not reaching out to touch the soft skin of her creamy thighs as she straddles one of my legs to examine what’s on the other side of my vehicle.
“That’s Jimmy Dean.”
“Who?” My mind is reeling, but I start to relax a bit, knowing this must be some sort of pet if she’s named the beast.
“He’s our pot belly pig. He’s probably hungry. Darn it. The leftovers from work are still in my truck.”
I’m trying to wrap my head around this conversation, but I cannot help reaching up to run my fingers over a tendril of auburn hair cascading down her spine. It dawns on me how quiet things have become, and I glance up, her lock of hair woven around my fingers, to find her staring blankly at me. “Sorry,” I blurt as I abruptly let go of her hair.
