Page 51 of Hand Picked
“A week today since we were at the Bugle. That means there’s only seven weeks left of our, you know, handfasting.”
“Oh, wow. Right. Feels like longer. Seven more weeks of making a concerted effort not to go swimming together. It’s been rough.” Webb toed a line through the icy sludge of my driveway pointedly. “In seven weeks, we can go ‘drink sweet water’ side by side and celebrate not being betrothed.”
“Having a drink side by side was what got us into this mess,” I reminded him mock-severely.
Webb laughed out loud again. “Fuck, you’re funny.”
He pulled me against him more tightly… which was the precise moment when I realized that we’d remained standing, stock-still, with his arm holding me firmly to his side, even though Jerry had to be halfway back to town.
My heart stuttered. I doubted Webb even noticed he was doing it, and it was probably taking advantage or something for me to let it go on now that Ihad, but… God, it was so nice to be held like that. To feel someone’s arm around me. To be close enough to see the corners of Webb’s eyes crinkle when he laughed and to notice the little spot at the base of his jaw where he hadn’t shaved very closely. To feel… cherished.
But despite how badly I wanted to stay right where I was for as long as possible—or maybebecauseI wanted it so badly—I stepped away. There were certain things a positive attitude could not bring about, and Webb Sunday returning my feelings was one of them.
“Come meet Eliza and her sisters,” I said, pointing toward the rock wall where the sheep stood staring at us. “Webb, meet Eliza. Eliza, this is Webb. He’s taken an irrational dislike to sheep, but don’t lose hope. He might decide to be friends with you yet.”
“I changed my mind,” Webb said wryly. “You’re not nearly as funny as you think you are.” But he stood beside me and scratched Eliza under her chin. “And I’ll have you know that I have no problem with sheep under normal circumstances. I just don’t want to get all slicked up, sling them over my naked shoulders like a feather boa, and parade them through a sun-drenched field while giving you a come-hither look.”
I turned and gaped at him, slack-jawed. “That’s… incredibly specific, Thomas Webb Sunday.”
Beneath his beard, his cheeks turned red. “I… I may have seen your calendar the other day. Back in your trailer. The Barnyard Beefcake one.”
It was my turn to blush. “It’s called Farmers and Friends,” I said in a strangled voice. “It was a giftfrom mymother. Proceeds benefited the county animal adoption organization. And there was no… come-hithering. There was no hithering of any kind.”
“Oh, there was hithering,” he said decisively. “I felt very, very… hithered.”
By the big, sweaty men? And what had he thought about that?
I opened my mouth to ask, then shut it quickly.
“Okay, then.” I cleared my throat and tried desperately to turn the subject. “So. Wow. How about this weather, huh? Brr.”
Suave. So suave.
Webb made a sound of disagreement. “This is downright mild. And you’re gonna miss these temperatures when your car gets stuck on your own driveway come mud season,” he promised.
I laughed. “Great.”
“But first comes maple sugaring season. Warmer days, chilly nights.”
“Drew mentioned that when he picked Aiden up from spelling bee practice. He said you’re taking the Nature Scouts out this weekend.”
Webb rolled his eyes. “Murray and Olin’s mom, Maryanne, is one of the Nature Scout Herd Leaders, and she asked me as a favor, so I couldn’t say no. Besides, now that Amanda is taking Aiden to Nature Scouts, I haven’t gotten to be involved as much, and I miss it. Aiden begged me to take them all skating afterward on Pond Pond, too.” He pointed toward the water at the edge of his land. I’d never known the name of it before.
“It’s called Pond Pond?” I asked, amused. “Like, the Pond family’s… pond?”
“I come from a long line of very literal people, Luke.” He raised an eyebrow in mock challenge.
I grinned back at him. I couldn’t help it. He was bossy and sometimes surly, but goodness he wasfun.
“You should come,” he said suddenly, and I felt my smile falter.
“Oh, I don’t know. Me on skates…” I winced. I would take suave to entirely new levels if I got out on the ice.
“You might like it. Skating is always fun, but skating outside is just… better. Aiden would love it.”
“Yeah, he maybe invited me,” I admitted. “After school. He volunteered you to teach me.”
Webb grinned. “He’s probably hoping you’ll be on Team New Puppy and can convince me.” He pondered this for a second, then frowned. “Actually, you’d probably have some kind of convincing argument at your fingertips, complete with scientific research to back it up. So you’re Team No Puppy Until Spring, got it?”
