“Why birds?”
He drew a breath. “I’m…not sure. I just like them.”
I glanced up, running my gaze over the man before me. Nothing about him screamedbird watcher, but most of us weren’t what we first seemed. I knew I wasn’t.
“What’s your favorite type?” His question surprised me.
I twisted my lips in thought. “I’ve never really thought about it, honestly. I like the color blue. So, maybe bluejays?”
“Here.” He gently relieved me of the camera and squinted as he repeatedly tapped the back button. Then he turned it toward me again to show a picture of a blue bird with an orange breast atop a wooden fence.
“Wow.” I breathed out the word. “What is this?”
“That’s an Eastern Bluebird.”
“Amazing. The color is perfect. Do you have a favorite bird?”
“Hummingbirds.”
“Oh, they’re beautiful. What do you like about hummingbirds?”
He shrugged like he didn’t really know. “Nostalgia, I guess.”
“Did you get them where you grew up?”
He paused then turned toward the sink to peer at the clean dishes. “We didn’t have any feeders for them, but the guy who owned a market down the street had a hummingbird feeder out back. Tag always bought me candy there.”
“Candy and hummingbirds. Sounds like a great memory.”
“Not too bad.” He gave me a half smile. “Thanks for doing the dishes.”
“Yeah, no problem. Hopefully it makes up for my snooping.”
That made him breathe a chuckle. “It’s fine. Keep the pictures between us though.”
“Promise.” I crossed my heart and tried to ignore the fact that his eyes lingered on my chest after the action then quickly ran down my body.
He smirked, not hiding that he checked me out. “I should go. Jesse would tie me up with Breakneck if he knew I was in here with you.”
I stiffened, not sure what that meant. “Uh, yeah, I need to get back to the girls. I dropped some leftovers in the fridge.”
“Thanks.” As I left, he pulled the jug of tea out of the refrigerator. “Oh by the way, the food’s been good. Better than Bea’s.”
Halfway out the door, I stifled a giggle. “I’m going to tell her you said that.”
“Don’t bother. I already told her myself.” He lifted the jug straight to his lips.
After crossing the barnyard again, I found the girls where I left them. Playing on the porch with their Barbies.
“Mommy!” Nora shouted at me.
“Yes?” I climbed the stairs.
“Frienda is going to ride a horse today.” She held up a frazzle-haired doll with “make up” that constituted of black permanent marker streaks around her eyes.
“Is she? That’s cool. I hope Frienda has fun.”
A soft giggle sounded from the swing. Bea leaned against the chains on the porch swing with her bare feet tucked in beside her. She had a cap low on her forehead and her hair was pulled into a ponytailbeneath it, the strands tangled. Her hands clutched a bottle of red Gatorade in her lap.
