Page 62 of Hand Picked
He giggled, and I held him tighter. He’d been a little clingy with me all week after the pond incident but in a sweet way, sitting with me after spelling bee practice and asking me questions about my mom and what it was like growing up in North Carolina. And his journal entry last Monday had been so good, I’d encouraged him to share it with Webb.
“Did you tell your dad about what you wrote for your assignment?” I murmured.
Aiden shook his head and blushed. “No.”
“What assignment?” Webb asked.
Katey delivered a pot of coffee, and Webb poured me a cup.
“Aiden wrote a journal entry about his favorite hero last Monday.”
“Oh… Did you pick Thor?” Webb surmised. “He’s got that hammer.”
“See?” Aiden gave me a speaking glance.
I huffed. Sundays bred true, anyway.
“No, he chose a real-life hero,” I corrected.
Aiden squirmed in his seat. “I maybe wrote about you saving Mr. Williams from the pond. How you knew just what to do and made us all feel safe. It was kinda awesome.”
I had never seen Webb look so poleaxed. Not when the mayor had read the scroll to us. Not when he’d had sex with a man for the first time last weekend.
“Wow. That’s… Thanks, Aiden. I don’t know what to say.”
“He’s a very talented writer,” I said softly. “And he sees a lot of things clearly.”
“What are we talking about here? I used to be a good writer,” Knox said, only hearing the last part of the conversation. “Wrote some poetry. Back in the day.”
“Shut it,” Webb said darkly. “Your poetry is not family-friendly.”
Knox took a sip of his coffee. “There once was a man who liked apple picking…”
Webb groaned.
Knox grinned. “Who was in need of a really deep dic—”
“Oookay.” Gage clamped a hand over Knox’s mouth as Marco and Drew snort-laughed. “I think we’ll save your poetry for later, baby.”
I covered my mouth with my hand to hide my giggle. “So, where’s Hawk this morning?” I ventured, trying to change the subject.
Webb shrugged. “Mayor York is assembling a committee to study the site plan, and Hawk signed up. He stayed home to study up.”
“Maybe you should sign up, Luke,” Marco suggested.
“Me?” I shook my head. The last thing I wanted to do was upset the delicate new reputation I seemed to have earned in Little Pippin Hollow. “Nah. I don’t know enough about it.”
“Which is why you’d actually be great,” Drew said consideringly as Katey set out our food. “You’re objective, and not a lot of people around here can say that.”
“But you’d have to speak your mind,” Webb challenged softly.
I bristled. “Hey. I speak my mind just fine when it matters.”
Of course Katey set my platter of spinach and eggs in front of me at that exact moment.
I stared at the plate of contradiction.
After a beat, I forced myself to smile hugely. “This lookswonderful,Katey. Exactly what I wanted and didn’t know I wanted! Thank you so much!”
