“Of course you snuck around.” She rolls her eyes.
The corner of my mouth lifts and I say, “Well, my parents wanted me to go into the family business: insurance.”
She wrinkles her nose at that.
I laugh. “My thoughts exactly. I got on practice bulls until I was eighteen, then I moved out and joined the professional association. Got my ass handed to me the first couple years, but I figured it out as I went.”
“How’d your parents take that?” she asks before taking another bite of her breakfast.
“They haven’t exactly been supportive. We still talk every once in a while, and I visit during the holidays. I have two older sisters I keep in touch with. They think it’s cool that I ride, but we don’t really have anything in common, so we’ve never been close.”
“Of course you’re the baby of the family. So many things about you make sense now.”
“Hey, now,” I laugh. “Being the baby of the family isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. They are a lot older than me. I was alone a lot.”
“I know the feeling,” she says so quietly I’m not sure if I was meant to hear.
I don’t question her. I want us to stop avoiding each other. I like talking to her. The more I learn about her, the more I want toknowher—and that’s a problem. I’ve never slowed down enough to stick around and get to know someone, and as much as I want Jessie, I know I won’t be around long. The more I think about it, Knox is right: catching feelings for her before the summer run is probably a horrible idea.
Unfortunately, I’ve never been one to shy away from horrible ideas.
“So, were you climbing the tree or falling out of the tree?” This question earns me an annoyed look.Mission accomplished.
I like needling Jessie. Her sharp tongue might be my favorite thing about her.
Chapter 7
Jessie
Trey
Did you get me cherry tomatoes?
Jessie
I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Trey
Really? The bag of tomatoes from the farmers market with my name on it in your handwriting wasn’t you? Okayyy
Jessie
I was there. They were there. It’s not a big deal, don’t read anything into this.
Trey
....I’m going to keep my thoughts to myself.
Jessie
Probably wise.
I’m back on day shifts, and today is my first day off in almost a week. I went to the local farmers’ market and stocked my fridge, and now I’m dropping off a few things for Gran. She prefers local produce but can’t get around well enough to go to the market on her own.
And okay, I might have grabbed Trey the cherry tomatoes I noticed he loves to eat his weight in, but it’s not a big deal. I was already there, and heispaying a lot for rent. I didn’t buy them because I feel bad about avoiding him or anything. I’m not avoiding him; I’ve just been busy.
I pull in the drive and see Gran out front, sitting on a stool, tending the flower boxes under the front windows. I pause, remembering when we put those boxes up. I was maybe twelve or thirteen, and she let me pick out the flowers we’d plant into them. Each spring after that, she would freshen up the soil and plant the exact same variety of flowers. A few years ago, they rotted too badly to be hung again. They’ve sat in the small garden shed behind the house since then.
