Page 39 of The Apple Tree

I giggled. “And you probably look at those centerfolds with great pleasure, huh?”

“Well, putting yourself out there like those women do takes a lot of courage. If that’s not admirable, then I don’t know what is.”

My side hurt from laughing so much. His gaze slid to my shoulder, and my breath hitched when his fingertips brushed my skin as he slid my bra strap up my arm and back onto my shoulder. Then he let his gaze slip to my chest.

I swallowed, lips parting to accommodate an audible breath. Either I was a total idiot, or he was attracted to me. But it scared me to assume anything because I didn’t want to be wrong and feel like a fool—a naive child.

“What’s next?” I whispered.

Kyle’s gaze lifted to mine.

“Target shooting with a gun or a bow?” I asked.

Something akin to relief washed over his face. “This weekend, I can get out my bow.”

I grinned. “Need me to find you a babysitter?”

“Nah. Josh has a bow too. Just come over early Saturday morning if you’re not working. Tell your parents Josh wants to show you his archery skills.”

“Should I feel guilty that you’re making excuses for me?”

He looked at my chest again and mumbled a “no” before wetting his lips.

It sent goosebumps along my skin, and I tried to control my breathing, but my heart ran wildly out of my control, chasing a feeling that I wanted to be real.

“It’s not an excuse. If I ask Josh if he wants to show you his bow and arrows, he’ll say yes.” He cleared his throat and jackknifed to sitting, running his fingers through his hair.

I sat up, too, and threaded my arms through my cold, damp shirt before standing. When he reached for me, my heart almost stopped. He gathered my long hair in his hand and pulled it out from the back of my shirt.

His gaze followed his hands like he was mesmerized by my long hair as he let it fall down my back. The way he looked at me felt intimate and sexy.

He never would have done that to a student. I don’t think he would have done that to Gabby, either. I wasn’t crazy. His subtle gestures weren’t simply kind; they were more.

“So I’ll see you in the morning,” I said before my knees buckled.

“In the morning,” he echoed.

“Thanks for letting me drive your boat.”

Kyle grinned. “I think I’m getting the better deal, but you’re welcome.”

“Because I spent more time watching Josh than you spent teaching me to drive your boat?”

“Sure.” He winked. “That too.”

CHAPTER TEN

FOREIGNER, “SAY YOU WILL”

Eve

“You’re glowing,”Grandma Bonnie said, adjusting her glasses with her arm while she crocheted from the recliner in her room.

Lillyann McDonald, a junior at the high school, played the piano in the foyer just down the hall from Grandma’s room. She was trying to get volunteer hours in for college applications. I closed the door for a bit of privacy and so Grandma could hear me past the piano.

“I think I’m on the verge of doing something stupid, but I don’t know how to stop,” I said.

Grandma Bonnie paused her hands and eyed me over the top of her glasses. “Well, my dear, I guess the question is, do you want to stop? And if you don’t, what are the consequences?”

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