Page 31 of Peach Blossom Hollow

She smiled and snuggled deeper into the warm leather. She was familiar with the old game, and was pretty good at winning. “You’re going first? What do you have in mind? Animal, vegetable or mineral?”

“No, not that version.”

Her muscles tensed. At the girls-only engagement party they’d thrown for her friend Jackie Moorhouse, they’d played a version of this game. It was like a dirty adaptation of Truth or Dare, just no dares. And all questions about experiences with men. Her friends had hooted with laughter, each one comfortable being an open book, while she’d wanted to melt into the floor.

“If we’re going to hang out, you need to relax and trust me.” Leo’s tone was amused and he gave her knee a quick squeeze.

“I trust you,” she squeaked.

“You totally do not.”

“I’m trying.”

He studied her for a moment. “Fair enough. But you hardly ever tell me stories about you. You’re very private.”

“It’s something I’m working on.”

“Twenty Questions is a fast way to get to know you.”

“Um…” She wasn’t so sure about this.

“Trust me!”

She unclenched her fists from where they were bunched in her lap, and exhaled slowly. Violet couldn’t believe she was agreeing to this. It was going to be humiliating and embarrassing just asking questions, let alone hearing the answers or giving them.

“Your first job?” he asked.

Her mind went blank and her cheeks went hot. She wasnotgoing to talk aboutjobs. She peered out the window, wondering how close they were to the store. Surely it wasn’t that far from Leo’s apartment.

“In high school? Babysitting?” he prompted.

She wanted to die. Just keel over, maybe be resuscitated. Maybe not.

Wait.She glanced at Leo, taking in his meaning.

“Do you mean like…work?”

“Yeah.” He was watching her, head tilted, mouth quirked in a curious smile.

Now she could die. He didn’t mean something sexual like hand jobs or…other kinds of jobs. What was it about this man that sent her mind down all sorts of crazy avenues?

Answers flew from her mouth, one on top of another. “Dog-sitter, paper route, tutoring, lifeguard, more tutoring.”

“Lifeguard? That’s cool. In Sweetheart Creek? No. You grew up somewhere else, right?”

She nodded. “And what about you?”

“The ranch. But it wasn’t paid work. Does that count?”

“Yes. But question one, subsection b is what was your firstpayingjob?”

He paused for a second, a grin spreading across his face. “Pulling cars out of the parking lot at an outdoor concert after a big rainfall. The lot was just pasture, and it turned into this massive mud pit. All these cars kept getting stuck, and the more they spun their tires the worse it got. So I drove over there with my dad’s 4x4 and started towing people out of the mud for ten bucks.”

“How old were you?”

“Fourteen. I made over a hundred dollars.”

“Fourteen! That couldn’t have been legal.”

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