Page 67 of Keepsake
I flipped him off, and Kieran laughed. “Do you feel different?” he asked in a campy voice.
“Who feels different?” a female voice asked.
“Nobody,” Kyle answered quickly. “What do you need, Aunt Ruth?”
My face heated immediately, wondering how much Mrs. Shipley had heard.
“Will Jude and Griffin be coming in for breakfast this morning? Or did they already go to work at the bungalow?”
“They wouldn’t miss breakfast,” Kyle guessed. “I’m pretty sure they only went to let the plumbers in.”
Ruth disappeared, and the others stopped ragging on me and went to work. With my head down, I began shoveling. Kieran had been kidding when he’d asked whether I felt different. But the truth was that I did. My body had a lazy easiness brought on by intense sexual satisfaction. But I also had the equally unfamiliar sensation that something good was just beginning for me.
I wanted more of Lark, and not just sex. I wanted Lark as a girlfriend. That was a word that felt unfamiliar on my tongue and sounded childish to my ear. But the vocabulary of relationships wasn’t something I’d ever had to think about.
It didn’t really matter what we called it. I wanted to feel Lark’s heartbeat against mine when I fell asleep at night, and hear about her day just before we fell asleep. I wanted to bring her a cup of coffee in the morning, and tug her closer for a kiss.
And I had no idea if Lark wanted the same.
As soon as possible, I’d have to stumble through that conversation. I didn’t want Lark to think that it had happened by accident, that I’d taken advantage of her out of lust and proximity.
Then there was Griffin to worry about. He’d warned us away from Lark.
I tipped a spade full of cow poop into the trench. Maybe shit patrol was actually kindness. The ammonia smell of concentrated cow shit was a pretty effective libido killer.
After the morning chores, it was time for breakfast. I was absolutely famished. We all headed towards the farmhouse, with me bringing up the rear. It was tempting to sprint ahead, towards the dual reward of food and Lark. But that would bring on all sorts of comments I could live without.
But Lark wasn’t in the kitchen, and when I carried my plate into the dining room, she wasn’t there, either.
Griffin and Jude arrived a moment later, plates in hand. When they seated themselves at the table, I risked a look at Griff, wondering whether he was going to chew me out later.The girl is off limits, still rang in my head.
But as his gaze settled over me, it was appraising, not angry.
It didn’t matter, anyway. I regretted nothing.
“Did the plumber arrive?” someone asked.
“Yep. He’s already on the job. Is there coffee?” Griff looked around. “Where’s Lark?” he asked, probably because she often took charge of the coffee.
“I’ve got it!” Ruth called from the kitchen. Then she came trotting in with mugs for Griff and Jude. She poured a warmer for me. “You look tired this morning.”
“He would.” Kyle snickered from across the table.
Mrs. Shipley, thankfully, had spent years around the men and boys and their jokes. She moved off with her coffee pot without so much as a raised eyebrow.
It was one of our quieter morning meals. Dylan was already on his way to Burlington for classes. May and Ruth brought their plates into the dining room, and then only Lark was missing.
“This is why I stayed overnight,” Jude said, lifting a piece of bacon. “My job is great, but there’s no midmorning break for a hot meal and coffee.”
“Good thing they pay twice as much as I do,” Griff pointed out.
“Good thing,” Jude agreed. He pointed his strip of bacon at me, and I knew what was coming next. “You going to call Marker today?”
“Maybe,” I grunted. “Have to think about it.”
“What’s this? Is there an opportunity for Zach?” Ruth asked, lifting her mug.
“Could be,” Jude said. “Marker’s thinking about starting a tractor maintenance service.”
