Page 68 of The Apple Tree

Kyle playfully nudged me back. “No. I don’t assume you’re experienced. I’d like to think you’ve beenselective.”

“A virgin?”

“Judicious.”

I laughed. “You’re such a nerd.”

“Let’s get this done before it gets dark,” my dad said as we stepped into the clearing just beyond the bend in the path.

“My hut!” I gasped at the pile of sticks.

“Darling, I told you it was going to come down.”

“No, Dad. You said itshouldcome down. And I said it shouldn’t. Period. We weren’t done discussing it.”

When I looked to Kyle for help, he rolled his lips together and shrugged.

“Did you help him tear it apart?” I pressed.

“Eve, we don’t have time to discuss it. What’s done is done,” Dad snapped.

I kept my expectant gaze on Kyle.

He returned the tiniest headshake as if he didn’t want my dad to know that he was absolving himself of wrongdoing.

While they took down the last dead tree, I dragged limbs and branches to the burn pile. My thoughts were all over the place. One minute, I was composing a long spiel I planned on giving my dad about the hut, the next, I was thinking about my lack of experience with blow jobs. It made my head hurt because thoughts of my dad didn’t belong anywhere near blow job contemplation.

“That’s good, Eve. I’ll finish up with the rest tomorrow,” Dad said, gesturing toward the path back home.

On the way up the hill, he and Kyle discussed widening the path between our two properties so Gabby and I didn’t tear uphis grass when riding the four-wheeler or Anikan, the horse we inherited from Sarah’s boyfriend.

I hung back a few feet for a bit of privacy while I pouted.

“I’m going to say good night to Josh,” I told my dad so he didn’t question why I was heading toward Kyle’s house instead of ours.

“Thanks again, Kyle. See you at church in the morning.” My dad veered to the right as I followed Kyle toward the orchard.

“See you in the morning,” Kyle replied.

After my dad was out of earshot, Kyle slowed down and waited for me to catch up. “I told him the hut didn’t need to be torn down, but he didn’t want a storm to blow it into the creek,” he said.

“And you told him that was highly unlikely, right? Then you told him that Josh loves the hut. Right?”

“Sure.”

“Liar.”

He laughed. “It’s not the end of the earth.”

“It’s not the end of the earth,” I parroted mockingly.

“I miss thewomanfrom last night.” He shot me a look with one eyebrow raised.

I was being a woman. An irritated, pissed-off woman.

“I miss the man who stands up for me, protecting me and my things at all cost. My knight in shining armor. Oh,” I smacked my forehead, “that’s right. I’ve never met that man.”

“Ouch. You haven’t given me a chance.”

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