Page 28 of The Apple Tree

“I can carry those home for you,” I said.

“Josh is eating. You can’t leave him alone. I’ve got it.”

“I haven’t paid you.”

She descended the porch stairs. “Think of it as a trial run that didn’t work out. A free trial.”

“Eve—”

I wanted to follow her, but she was right. Josh was eating his applesauce, and while it was unlikely that he’d choke on it, I couldn’t risk it.

I touched her leg.

Could I have been a bigger creep?

CHAPTER SEVEN

MICHAEL JACKSON, “THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL”

Eve

Erin wasmy biggest competitor in cross country, which meant she was always willing to run with me when I needed to burn off frustration. After depositing the leftover lasagna and bag of ingredients at home, I drove straight to her house because I had a lot of steam and so much to share with my best friend.

“He touched my leg!” I said for the hundredth time after telling her the events.

We jogged our usual route in the field on the south side of town.

“Maybe he had to touch it to get your foot into your shoe.”

“No. It was after my shoe was on and tied. And he just … teased the back of my leg with his fingers. I nearly dropped everything I was holding, and I had to bite my tongue because I almost moaned.” I slowed down to let her catch her breath because she was giggling so much.

“That’s so inappropriate,” she said.

I didn’t respond.

“Right?” she prompted.

“Yeah. Of course. I mean, it’s not like I’m a minor. And he’s older but not old enough to be my dad.”

And I grinned after he did it.

“He has a child, Eve. And maybe this age difference later in your life wouldn’t be a big deal, but I bet your parents would die. I’m serious. They. Would. Die.”

“Sarah dated an older man.”

“As old as Kyle?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t asked his age. And it doesn’t matter anyway,” I said, feeling winded. It had been a while since I’d felt the need to run that hard. “I totally just quit on him. I can’t go back now and beg for my job back like nothing happened.”

“Can you just imagine if he would have done more? Like, what if he would have kissed you? What would you have done? I would have died.”

I knew what I would have done. I would have kissed him back because I had been thinking about kissing him since the day we met.

“I might have dropped the lasagna and bag of groceries. That’s for sure.” I laughed.

“He’s lonely. He has to be lonely.”

I lightly body-checked her.

---