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“How come?”
“You keep asking me like you don’t know.”
She laughed, setting herself right. “I don’t know what it is about you. I swear to you, I’ve never said or done such things.”
“That vacation pussy is wild.”
“She is, and starving to death, apparently.”
“New topic. Because I want to take you somewhere before I give that hungry cunt of yours the attention it deserves, and if you keep it up, I’m not making it another mile.”
“Fine, fine. Have it your way. Let’s see, new topic. Oh, I did learn a bit about Annie.”
“Mmm,” was all I could muster.
“They went to grad school together, as he said. They’ve been friends ever since, and she lives in Nashville, so he asked her to join him as his date. She’s staying with him and everything.”
I noted happily that she didn’t seem too upset by the fact. “So he was bent out of shape all day?”
She rolled her eyes. “Mostly, he just wanted to talk about how upset he is by the thought of me with you. Hopefully he got a good look at your hands on my bum. I’d love for him to know just how much you enjoy me.”
“Not as much as I would,” I said, enjoying the chuckle I earned. “And how about your mom?”
“I already hate staying with her, not only because I’ll be with her, but because I won’t be with you. I’m absolutely furious she’s just shown up and whisked me off when I’d finally won our bet.”
“You did not win.”
“Oh, yes I did. Twice.”
“Did not. What’d your mom say about everything?” And by everything, I meant me.
“Did too.” She sighed, sagging a little again. “Nothing, really. She criticized my clothes and was appalled that the wedding is in a barn. Honestly, I can’t wait for the photos. Everyone will die when they see her with a champagne flute in her hand, feathered hat on her head, in a barn. Outside of stables, I’m not sure she’s ever been in a barn, never mind eaten a meal in one.”
“Sounds like it’ll be a night to remember. If she doesn’t want to go, why not bail?”
“Because she’s already shown up and offered to pay for the caterer. She’d make an arse out of herself to leave now, and God knows she’d never do that intentionally. So she’ll stay, and she’ll smile, and she’ll have all her meals prepared by the private chef in whomever’s silly house it is we’re staying in.”
“Silly, huh?”
“The toilet had buttons and meters all over it. It’s not so complicated a device that one should need instructions to use it. I did rather enjoy the heated seat, though.”
I spotted the derelict driveway I was looking for and pulled in, slowing to adjust for the forest that’d reclaimed so much of it. The shade was deep, and Jessa peered outside with her lips parted.
“The forest here is like nothing I’ve seen,” she said with reverence I felt in my heart of hearts. “Where are we?”
“You’ll see.”
The driveway opened up to a clearing acres deep, walled in by encroaching woods. At the end stood an abandoned house, its windows busted, the glass just maws of jagged teeth. I drove us around the house, stopping in the shade beneath the canopy of a cluster of trees.
“This place used to be a strawberry farm,” I started, cutting the engine. “Old Murphy died a few years back and his kids have been arguing over the land ever since. Funny, ’cause by the time they figure it out, it won’t be worth much anymore.”
An excited smile spread across her face and lit up her eyes. “Are we going to pick strawberries?”
I reached into the back for a bucket and handed it to her.
She honest to God squealed as she took it.
“Come on,” I said on a laugh. But she was already halfway out the door.
