CHAPTER 41
Harper
“Hello?” I say, surprised to get a FaceTime from my sister in the middle of the morning. “Lily? What’s up?”
“You gotta see this!” Steven says next to my sister.
“See what? Where are you?”
“In the street,” Maxine says.
My sister laughs, “Yup, gang’s all here.”
“In the middle of the morning? Who is at the shop?”
“We’ve got it covered, relax!” Steven says, “Plus, we all had to come for this show.”
I hear a bark that sounds a lot like Stuart and then finally my sister turns the camera around.
I…
“What am I looking at?”
“That is Aiden Vanderwell tryin’ to mow your lawn.”
Steven laughs, “But we don’t think he’s ever seen a lawn mower up close before.”
“You know I can hear you lot, right? I’m literally right here.”
Aiden
A hand goes to my chest involuntarily because I think my heart just stopped.
He looks gorgeous. And angry.
He stands from where he was squatting, I guess? Behind Dad’s mower? In my front yard? Oh, I forgot about the yard. I used to ask Braxton or one of the guys to mow it every couple weeks. Yikes, it looks terrible.
Aiden puts his hands on his hips and glares at Steven, “You don’t want to, oh, I don’t know, help?”
“And spoil all the fun for everyone?” Steven says.
“Well, I googled and it says you pull the cord but I’ve pulled the cord and nothing is happening!”
“Try again!” Someone says, Carl maybe.
Aiden turns and flips everyone off before pulling the cord. He’s frowning and sweaty and his undershirt is tight. His muscles bulge and shift as he pulls the cord over and over.
Everyone is laughing but I’m not. Ugh, he looks so good I could make out with the phone screen. I might be drooling.
“See I told you! It’s broken! Bloody old rusty mother f—oh,” Aiden spots the phone in my sister’s hand. He waves, suddenly looking sad and tired and adorably awkward.
“Do you want to talk to him?” My sister asks.
Yes, desperately.
“No.” I barely say.
“K,” she replies, “Do you want to keep watching the entertainment?”
