Page 21 of Pick Me
I mean, not that I’d know. Not that I’d made a whole mental catalog of his smiles.
Damn it.Had I?
“I, ah… I can stay out here and keep you company, if you want,” Knox offered. “I’m not tired.”
“Neither of you guys have to. I’ll watch over Stella,” Em said.
Both of her brothers looked at her dubiously, and she rolled her eyes. “I promise, I’m a fully functional human capable of exercising good judgment, despite my ovaries and lack of beard. And there’s no school tomorrow, remember? And how old were you the first time you were expected to help with chores around here, Knox? Webb?”
Knox and Webb exchanged a look. Knox shrugged, and Webb sighed, “Alright, then.”
“So what are you naming it… uh. I mean,her,” I wondered, gesturing at the calf.
Em straightened and gave me that brilliant smile of hers—the one I’d started to fear. “I thinkyoushould name her, Gage.”
“Me?” I shook my head. “Heck no. I’d give her a ridiculous name. Like Stanky. Or Monster. Or Kow-tnee Kardashian.”
“All of those are cute,” Em shot back, calling my bluff. “So which will it be?”
“I…” I blinked down at the calf, whose legs were like matchsticks and whose body was shaking like a leaf. Her eyes were the same brown as mine. Like maybe we shared some ancestors way, way back.
I cleared my throat. “Not Monster,” I said grudgingly.
“Right,” she said brightly. “Well, you think about it and tell us in the morning, then. I’m gonna go grab a sweatshirt. Back in a second.”
“I… feel like I’m being managed by a teenager?” I said to no one in particular after Em ran toward the house. “Why is she so diabolical?”
“After nearly eighteen years of living with this many stubborn, grumpy, know-it-all Sunday men?” Marco pursed his lips and shook his head sadly. “A person’s got to adapt to fit their environment, son. You know, once upon a time, folks called me charming. Then I moved next door.”
Knox’s lips twitched.
“Folks said that? What folks?” Drew demanded, managing to sound stubborn, grumpy, and know-it-all all at once.
“See?” Marco demanded.
I snort-laughed, but he wasn’t wrong. Notat all. After two weeks, I’d found myself in the same boat. And clearly, I didn’t want to be saved very badly since Istillhadn’t gotten on Grindr.
“And on that note, I think I’m going to bed.” I swung around so I could jump down on the safe, cow-free side of the railing. “See you in the morning, folks. Oh, Webb, I might need to borrow your truck sometime this week to fetch the equipment I need for the irrigation system.”
“Sure,” Webb agreed. “Let’s talk tomorrow.”
I nodded, and after exchanging waves with everyone, I pulled out my phone as I walked across the chilly yard to the gift shop barn. It wasn’t late, technically. I could still get on Grindr, and in twenty minutes I could…
“Hey.” Knox jogged a couple of paces to catch up, then walked alongside me. “So, your first calf birth and you hardly fainted at all, Goodman.”
“Was this your plan?” I demanded. “Were you hoping it would get me over my fear? Or make me faint and decide to leave Vermont for good?”
“Yes,” he said blandly.
I rolled my eyes and walked a bit faster. “Well, joke’s on you, because I’m not doing either,” I bit out.
“Shit. Wait. Goodman, wait. I was kidding.” Knox jogged to catch up to me again, and I couldn’t imagine why he was hurrying since we were going to the same place. “That wasn’t the reason at all. Webb was leaning on me pretty hard over the Jack thing earlier today, and I wanted him to get a taste of what it was like to be a victim of someone else’s hard sell, so I didn’t want to give him an excuse to cut out of the dance early. And I brought you with me because… because I needed to talk to you.”
I blew out a breath and stopped short. “Fine, then. What is it this time? Did I hang the toilet paperoverwhen it should have beenunder?”
“No.” Knox ran both hands through his hair and looked uncharacteristically uncertain. “Fuck. Look, I… Look. It’s come to my attention that I might inadvertently have been… less kind to you than I could have been.”
“Inadvertently.” I slowed my steps and folded my arms over my chest. “That came to your attention.”
