Ivy gave him a warning glare. “Then it’s the same thing as refusing the interview. You wouldn’t be doing what you promised your sister you’d do.”
He figured that. So it was inevitable. He stared at the screen, his insides starting some sort of revolt. “Fine,” he managed. “I just sign this line with my finger?”
“Yes,” she instructed. “It will ask for your thumbprint too, to verify that you’re the one who signed it, in case you tried to deny it later.”
Geeze. “I wouldn’t.” He wasn’t a liar.
“Then we’re good.”
Easton let out a defeated huff and squiggled his name across the screen. “There,” he said, attempting to hand it back.
Ivy pulled her hand away like the phone might burn her. “The thumb print?” she prompted.
“Oh yeah.” Easton rested his thumb in place and felt it pulse just beneath. A small beep sounded as a green checkmark filled the screen.Done.As in, too late to turn back now. That fact seemed to prod at parts of his insides. His muscles went tight. If only he hadn’t made that stupid bet.
But he couldn’t dwell on it forever. His stomach growled once more, reminding him of what he’d planned to do a moment ago.
“Now then,” he said, a bit relieved that was out of the way. “Let’s see what we can do about food, and maybe we’ll both be in a better state to talk this out. Sound good?”
She bit at her lip. “When you saysee what we can do about food…”
“I mean send you into the storm with a bow and arrow,” he finished for her.
She laughed over her response. “Perfect.”
Chapter 6
Ivy pulled a set of small, bamboo spoons from the water bin and rested them on the table beside the soup tins. It was warm enough that they should dry off quickly, as Easton promised.
“So you’re telling me that, even though you were with two brothersandan older sister,youwere the one to put the worm on the hook?” Easton’s eyes were wide with wonder.
“Ireallywas the one. They were all too grossed out by it.” She let out a chuckle as he shook his head.
“So what happened once you caught the fish? Who took care of that part?”
For a split second she contemplated not answering that question, but her curiosity won out; shehadto see his reaction to it. “We never caught anything.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he said, putting his hands out before him. “You had a pond with fish in it right next to your house.”
“Yep.”
“And all of this top of the line fishing gear…” he added.
Ivy gave him a nod. “Uh, huh.”
“And yet you never once caught a fish?”
“Never once.”
“Wow.”
She chuckled, appreciating his response.
“It almosthurtsto hear that,” he admitted. “We would have starved if I hadn’t known how to fish. Makes me glad I do what I do.”
“I’m sure it does.” She gestured to the wash bin. “Should we dump this out or just leave it here?”
“Leave it,” he said with the jerk of his head. “Let’s come over by the fire.” Easton led the way, snatching a jar of sorts from his backpack and heading over. He scooted the bench toward the wall before resting the big bear rug in front of the fireplace once more.
