"I have brothers and sisters from the same clutch of eggs, but we're not close," Farley said with a shrug.
I couldn't even imagine not being surrounded by siblings or cousins who were up in my business all the time. Did Farley like his independence? Or did he sound a little like he longed for what I had?
Then I was hit by the delayed reaction to what he said.
"Oh! You said eggs."
Farley smirked. "Did you forget birds hatch from eggs?"
"I never really thought about it," I admitted, scratching my head. "You already know I'm a fox and was born to a fox, so I was given birth to, not... uh... laid."
Farley snorted in amusement. "You didn't get laid, huh?"
I grinned. "Nope."
I imagined Farley as an infant—or a chick. Either way, he was adorable.
"What're you smiling about?" Farley asked.
"The mental image of you as a baby. I wish I could've seen pictures."
He grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Nobody needs to see that shit."
"Aw, come on," I teased as I poked his side. "I bet you had the cutest squishy cheeks and fluffy down."
Farley's cheeks turned red. "Did not."
I raised a hand to show him I was crossing my fingers. "Fine, youweren'tcute as a baby. Happy?"
"Extremely." Farley hesitated, then said, "Baby bird shiftersarepretty damn cute, though."
The image of yellow chirping balls of fluff was conjured in my mind. It was enough to melt anyone's heart.
My thoughts began to wander into potentially dangerous territory. Not of baby chicks in general, butourbaby chicks. Ones that hatched from eggs that Farley laid.
I bit my lip and glanced at Farley from the corner of my eye. His cheeks were still flushed, but was it from the sun's heat or something else?
"You sure you're okay?" I asked. "Want me to check for a fever?"
Farley's eyes widened and he choked. "N-no. Not necessary."
I raised a brow, not quite believing him. He was acting weirder than normal.
Farley quickened his step, striding in front of me while cursing under his breath, like he was trying to put space between us. I frowned. Did I say something wrong again?
"Farley, wait," I called out.
I tried to keep up with him but his legs were longer than mine and the terrain wasn't exactly running-friendly. A rock snagged me mid-step and I hurtled down with a loud yelp. Instinctively, my hands shot out, trying to break my fall.
Except Farley was right in front of me.
I crashed into him and he fell with a grunt. We landed in a dusty pile of tangled, sweaty limbs. Because of the way I tripped, I landed on top of him.
I groaned and shook my head, sitting upright. "Ugh, I'm so sorry. Why am I such a damn klutz?"
Farley didn't meet my gaze.
It was then that I realized I was straddling Farley's waist. And that something was poking me.
