Page 5 of The Apple Tree

I wanted to stay and help Kyle and Adam. If I left, who was going to keep an eye on Kyle’s nice ass?

“Would you mind?” Kyle asked, glancing at me while they carried the chair to the front door.

I plastered on a smile. “Not at all.”

“Josh, follow Eve. She’s going to get you a snack.”

“Gummy bears?” Josh looked to his dad for confirmation.

“I don’t know. Just go see, andpleasebe good.” Kyle replied, disappearing into the house while my mom followed them.

Josh hesitated to take my proffered hand, doing his shy chin tuck before resting his little hand in mine. He didn’t know we were about to be best friends because I had an instant crush on his daddy.

CHAPTER TWO

EURYTHMICS, ANNIE LENNOX, DAVESTEWARD, “WOULD I LIE TO YOU?”

Eve

“Do you like applesauce?”I asked, leading Josh down the grassy hill and up the next to the orchard.

He replied with a slight nod.

When we reached the modest orchard, I hoisted him up. “Pick that one?” I pointed to the apple with the reddest skin.

He wrapped his tiny fingers around it.

“You have to tug at it. Pull hard.”

It made a snapping sound, and Josh grinned as he held the apple. After I set him on his feet, I nodded toward the tree. “Can I pick some apples?”

He returned a blank stare for a few seconds before giving me a tiny nod. I felt proud of myself for getting permission, and I smirked while gathering at least a dozen apples, folding up the front of my shirt for a makeshift basket.

When we reached the house, I deposited the apples into a big bowl and lifted Josh onto the kitchen counter. “First, we’re going to rinse off the apple,” I said, quickly washing it and drying it with a towel. “Then we peel it.”

He watched me with wide eyes as I peeled the apple, leaving one long ribbon to toss into the compost bin by the trash.

“Now we shred it.” I retrieved the cheese grater and a bowl and pulverized the apple using the fine side of the grater. “Do you want to try it?”

Josh shifted his gaze to me and slowly nodded.

I held my hand over his and helped him move the apple along the grater until it approached the core.

“Okay,” I said, wiping his hand with a damp washcloth. “Now we add some cinnamon and sugar.”

He grinned. All kids grinned when they heard the word sugar.

Mom had a special shaker with the two already mixed together, so I handed it to Josh.

“Can you shake that over the bowl?”

He nodded and shook the bottle a couple of times.

“Keep going.” I grinned. “These apples might be a little tart for you, so shake more onto it.”

His grin doubled as he continued to shake it.

“Perfect,” I said, taking the bottle from him and plucking a spoon from the silverware drawer. “Do you want to stir it?”

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