“But we have crowd-funding to fight back now,” someone else says.
“And Daphne,” a third person adds. “She still hasn’t gotten to use any of her connections in the city since she moved here.”
Ryker whistles, and every goat in the park—including Thirteen—immediately turns toward him and runs.
“I’ll have your farm for this!” Lucinda yells.
Her hair has fallen out of its bun, and her white vest top is stained with mud or dirt.
She must’ve fallen when I wasn’t looking.
How unfortunate.
Bea slips her hand into mine as Molly heads toward Lucinda. “Wanna get out of here?”
“Lesswant, more necessity.”
Butch has gathered our yoga mats.
“Though I will definitely be booking a private class,” I add. “I remain fascinated by how this works.”
Bea squints at me as she falls into line with Butch and me.
“Oh, dear. Have I breakfast left over on my face?”
“No, it’s just—you really like to learn about things.”
“Keeps life interesting. And I have a whole list of potential careers to try instead if I ever find myself in a position of needing to wait tables between gigs.”
She’s still watching me as we slip out of the gate, making sure to not let any goats out with us. “Can I see it sometime?”
“The list?”
“Yes.”
“Certainly.”
“It’s just—I don’t know if I’m doing what I really love, but I also don’t know what I want to do, and having to come home and take care of my brothers when everyone else my age was getting jobs or going to college and figuring out what they wanted to do with their lives—I still sometimes feel lost. Especially now that Hudson’s in college and basically running his own life. So I don’t know if my burger bus is forever, but I also don’t know what I want to do, and I don’t even know what’s available.” She freezes and looks at me. “And you didn’t ask any of that.”
I slip an arm about her waist. “Yet I enjoyed listening to every word. Have you had tea at this tea shop? I’ve only purchased loose-leaf to go for home. But I suddenly have an extra hour on my hands, and I believe you do too.”
That smile.
I would do nearly anything to have that smile aimed at me regularly.
“Ilovethe tea shop.”
“Excellent. Then let us have tea.”
And stolen kisses.
And a hurried tryst in the loo.
Though when I say it in my head like that, it sounds far less romantic and sexy than I believe it would be.
“You’re thinking about being naughty again, aren’t you?” she whispers.
“I simply cannot help myself.”
