“Why can’t you do it?” Dad asks him.
“Because I’m doing these.” He points to his paper, his finger stiff like the rest of his body. “And running over there from Eckmans is stupid, especially when he’s already over by Criders.”
I watch Ella rub Jesse’s shoulders. I admire how much she can read him, how they both can read each other. They just know each other so well.
“I have an idea,” I interrupt. Jesse looks at me and I also get Cody’s unenthusiastic glare.
“I’ll check Rockmans,” I say.
“Ooh, I’ll go with!” Ella lights up, raising a hand. “Only if you want,” she clarifies.
I watch Cody, Jesse, and Dad exchange a look.
“Do you even know where it is?” Cody argues, pushing his chair out.
I cross my arms. “I’m not an idiot.”
“Ella knows where it is too.” Jesse pats his hand over hers.
She looks down at him in his chair. “I do?” she asks, brows raised.
“Yeah, we used to go there all the time.” He tilts his head up, meeting her gaze, and I swear it’s like they speak through their eyes.
Ella’s cheeks flush. “Oh…thatspot?” She giggles.
Jesse’s looks back down, struggling to hold back a laugh. “Yeah.Thatone.”
“Good grief,” Dad mutters, shaking his head and running a hand over his face.
“You guys are disgusting,” Cody adds, standing with his empty glass and heading out to the kitchen. They both continue to laugh.
“I don’t get it,” Mason mumbles with a mouth full of food. But a knowing smile breaks out after a second.
A little while later, Ella and I get in my car and set out to take the forty-five-minute drive out to scout Rockmans for geese.We don’t even have to stop, just do a quick drive-by to see if there’s anything on the water. Easy.
“So…I brought a bunch of snacks and some waters. Let me know if you want anything,” Ella says, adjusting the bag between her feet, her seven-month baby bump in the way. She looks great though; pregnancy suits her.
“I think I’ll be good, it’s not too far of a drive,” I say as I continue down the lane.
“An hour and a half total though? Girl, I’m going to have these snacks half gone before we even get there.” She laughs.
“Well, you just let me know if you have to pee.”
Her face goes slack. “Oh crap. I didn’t even think of that.”
I laugh at her. She pees every fifteen minutes, how could she forget?
Not even ten minutes pass by and Ella reaches to turn down the music. “So…” She takes a breath. “I need an update.”
I look at her, and the way she shifts in the seat seems to me like she’s nervous to even ask but desperate to know.
I can’t help but tease her a little. “On…?”
“Addison.” She cocks her head, her green eyes soft and lighthearted.
“I know, I know.Wes.” I sigh deeply, as if it’s been nestled down in my chest. Because it has been.
I haven’t talked to Wesley in two weeks. Not since he gave me a bunch of unsolicited advice over the phone and hung up on me. He wasn’t at church last week. None of his family was either, not even Blake and Sierra. It’s not totally uncommon they all miss church at the same time; it just means they were extra busy with the farm.
