Her mouth watered at the sight of the red fruit. Was it as sweet and juicy as it looked? With monumental effort, she resisted the urge to pop the berry in her mouth, but the temptation only grew stronger with each one she picked.
"What a beauty!" Alice held up a perfectly shaped, ruby-red strawberry. Then she stuck it in her mouth and bit it off below the leafy top. She tossed the stem into the middle of the strawberry patch then grinned at Eden as she chewed. She held up a finger. "The rule is: for every strawberry you eat, you have to put five in the bucket."
Eden's face split into a grin. She liked that rule.
Who knew picking strawberries could be so fun.
True to Alice's words, the mosquitoes came out as it turned to dusk and drove them into the house, carrying multiple overflowing bowls of strawberries. Eden didn't know what Alice planned to do with so many strawberries, but she looked forward to eating more, even if she did have to pick them first.
While Bill and Alice used the kitchen sink to wash up, Eden headed to the bathroom to do the same. She couldn't remember the last time she'd played in the dirt and with plants.
Have I ever?
She walked into her bedroom and through the open bathroom door and slid to a stop.
Rudy knelt on the floor, fitting a new knob into the door on his side. "Sorry, I'll be done in just a minute."
"It's okay. I'm just washing my hands." The whole time she scrubbed her hands she was aware of Rudy only a few feet away and his clean masculine scent that hung in the air. Would she always feel so attracted to him? If so, living here would be torturous.
She leaned her hip against the counter and studied him as she dried her hands. Maybe she just needed to familiarize herself with him. Then he wouldn't make her so uncomfortable.
"What?" he asked with a laugh.
She should have felt embarrassed for staring, but she was too fascinated by the way his t-shirt stretched across his bicep and the flexing of his forearm as he tightened the screws into the shiny new doorknob.
She lifted her gaze to his and gave a small smile before narrowing her eyes and tilting her head. "Why didn't you ever replace the locks before now?"
Rudy shrugged. "Didn't need to. It's not like Scott and I required that much privacy." He dropped his hands and his gaze for a moment before looking at her. "I don't think I ever apologized for walking in on you this afternoon. I'm sorry. I should have respected the closed door. I just wasn't expecting..." Rudy's ears grew red again.
Eden tried to imagine how shocking it must have been for him to find a naked woman in his tub.
Probably as shocking as having a man walk in on you when you're in said tub.
"I know," Eden said. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have gotten snippy with you."
Rudy pushed to his feet and jiggled the new knob. "Well, now our only problem will be remembering to unlock the other door before we leave the bathroom. I may as well apologize now for forgetting. Because I can't ever remember a time in my life when the locks worked."
"I'm not sure I'll remember either. I've never shared a bathroom with anyone other than Kennedy." Like Rudy and Scott, she and Kennedy hadn't bothered locking the door. It never failed that one of them needed to get in to brush their teeth or do their hair while the other was in the shower.
Rudy's gaze flitted over her then jumped around the bathroom. "Okay, well... I'll... I've got things to do." He motioned over his shoulder with a thumb before stepping back into his room and closing the door between them.
Eden grinned. She recalled Kennedy telling her how awkward Scott was when they first met. But the first time she met Rudy, he was cheerful and talkative. The opposite of his quiet brother. He usually acted so confident and self-assured. Until tonight.
Was he uncomfortable because they'd seen each other half naked, or did he feel the same powerful magnetic attraction she did anytime they were in the same room?
Deciding she was better off not pondering that topic, she returned to her room and changed into pajamas. The cow-print shorts and tank top with the word "Mooody" across the chest were her favorite pajamas. After a whole week of sleeping poorly, she looked forward to an early night.
She returned to the bathroom, locked the door on Rudy's side and started her nighttime routine. She'd been too self-conscious to do a facial mask in front of Scott last week, so she took time to apply one tonight.
Soothing and hydrating avocado. Exactly what I need.
She returned to her room and slipped her ear buds in before selecting her ambient music playlist. Then she laid down on the floor to do some stretches and meditation. The muscles in her back ached after bending over picking strawberries for so long.
Several minutes later, a knock sounded on her door, breaking her concentration and relaxation.
She pushed up off the floor and pulled the ear bud from one ear before opening her door.
"You forgo—" Rudy jerked back, wide eyed and shuddered. "Ahh!"
