Page 40 of Grit
“And I can make money.”
“Yes, you can, tiny capitalist.”
Abby’s eyes gleamed. “And with all my money, I can buy more goats.”
Melissa couldn’t stop her laugh. “Nice try. But no.”
“Cary thinks my goat-soap idea is great too.” Abby’s face pinked with pride. “He says it sounds really smart.”
Melissa felt her heart beat a little faster. “That’s because Cary is also very smart, and smart people recognize other smart people.”
“But Uncle Devin thinks goat soap is stupid.”
Melissa said, “Uncle Devin is a shitty person and you shouldn’t listen to him.”
“Mom!”
“What?” Melissa realized what she’d said. “Oh. Right. Don’t use that word.”
Abby was shaking her head sadly. “I think I need to report you to Grandma.”
“You better not, you snitch.” Melissa swung her arm over the seat and managed to land a pair of fingers in Abby’s armpit, tickling her daughter until she wiggled away, laughing. “Don’t forget, I know where you sleep.”
Abby was panting and laughing. “I know where you sleep too.”
“Truce then.”
Abby let out one last giggle. “Truce.”
Melissa hoped her mom wouldn’t talk too long. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and imagined Cary half-naked, climbing Halsey Rock. Mmmmm. That wasn’t a bad way to pass the time. Was that legal for “friends who kiss?” Would Cary like that she was imagining him half-naked?
Allthe way naked?
Melissa felt her cheeks go hot. She was too old to be feeling teenage flutters when she nearly had a teenager herself, but Cary Nakamura made her feel like a goofy high school girl.
No, she hadn’t felt this kind of flutter even back in high school. In high school and college, she’d been focused on her future. On school. On getting a degree. On remaking the ranch.
Then she met Calvin and she’d been focused on building their life together. Not that they didn’t have fun, but her head was full of plans for the future. Graduate. Get married. Have a baby or two. Save for the future.
Everything had gone according to plan until nothing did.
In a split second, Calvin—and everything Melissa thought her life would be—was gone. Now Melissa had her own ranch. Her own farm. Her own family.
And along came Cary, promising… things. Kisses. Romance. Thoughts that left goose bumps all over her skin.
What was she doing?
She rubbed a hand over her face and glanced at the glowing church door. Her mother still hadn’t emerged. “So Abby, when did you tell Cary about your soap idea? At your birthday party?”
“No! A couple of days ago when he came by the ranch to talk to Stu.”
Melissa’s brain froze. “What?”
“Sorry. Mr. Hagman, not Stu.”
“No, when did you say Cary came by the ranch?”
“When I had that day off school. You were gone and he came by to talk to Mr. Hagman.”
