She grabbed a net and a long stick then ushered us outside.
“Keep those upright,” she ordered, handing me the bottle.
Then she and Alfie went out into one of the fields.
I paced nervously on the edge. Were they catching mice? What if Alfie was bitten?
“Get it! Get it!” Amy yelled then whooped. “Nicely done, Alfie!”
They proudly trooped out of the fields. In the net were two big, shiny beetles.
“What are those?” I asked apprehensively. “Are those bugs? Alfie, you are not bringing those in the house.”
“Relax,” Amy said with a laugh as Alfie shook the beetles into his biodome. “We’re going to hot glue the top on. They’ll never escape.”
“I’m totally going to win the prize!” Alfie said happily. “The person whose biodome works the longest gets a pizza party in their honor.”
“I can’t believe you two were just out there catching beetles,” I said in horror.
“What can I say? I’m a country girl!”
21
Amy
Sebastian still seemed a bit dazed as he waved goodbye to his brother as he rejoined his class.
“Does poor Sebastian need a drink?” I asked with a laugh when he came back into the barn. I handed him a glass of champagne with a raspberry in it.
“You have anything stronger?” he asked.
I rummaged around in my purse.
“Have the special Amy blend!” I poured Sebastian a generous helping.
He took a sip then coughed.
I thumped him on the back.
“What is that? It’s nasty.”
“It’s all the leftover alcohol from last weekend’s wedding. It’ll put hair on your chest, and it’s free!” I said cheerfully, hooking two fingers around the collar of his starched white dress shirt.
His skin was warm on the backs of my fingers.
He reached out and settled his hand at my waist. He pulled me closer to him, and my heart started hammering.
“You know,” he said in that deliciously deep voice, “I wish I had kissed you the last time we were alone.”
His hands moved down to cup the curve of my ass.
“I thought we didn’t like each other,” I whispered then licked my lips. “You think I’m messy, and I think you’re an uptight asshole.”
“Unfortunately, all I can think about is how messy you’ll be when you come on my—”
“Amy?”
I jumped away from Sebastian as my grandfather clumped into the room, his old beagle doddering behind him.
