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“No way, Logan. That win was mine.”
“Who won?” I call down.
Both of our names are shouted back up to us, and declaring it a draw is never an option for Ryan. He wants a win and he wants a win that’s decisive. “We do it again.”
The way his eyes bore into me, there’s no doubt what he sees—me, his friend, the guy he hates losing to. “Fine, we do it again and I’ll kick your ass again.”
“Keep talking big, Logan, but we both know I got this
.”
“I got action to back me up.”
Ryan crouches on his branch and puts his hand on the trunk to steady himself. He looks out on the land and I have to admit, it’s a sight. Miles and miles of green on the ground and an infinity of blue in the sky.
“Can I ask you something?” he hedges.
“Shoot.”
“Is it going to kill you? The diabetes?”
I straddle the branch, letting my legs dangle and contemplate going for the nest that’s nestled at the far end of the tree as a gift to Abby. “People die from it, but odds are—no. As long as I take care of myself I should be fine. Dad says I’ll die doing something crazy with you before any complication with the diabetes pops up.”
“Considering we’re dangling at least two stories up a tree, can’t say I disagree.”
I chuckle and so does he.
“I’m going to have a lot of questions. We all are.”
And I’ll need to answer them. “All right.”
“You should have told me.”
“Yeah.” Guess I should have trusted our friendship more. “Just didn’t want anyone to treat me different.”
“Good luck with that.”
A low-level ripple of anger in my bloodstream. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ryan releases a grin that’s only a fraction of the crazy found in me. “Everyone knows you’re insane and not a thing is normal about you.”
The anger washes away and I nod, okay with being different.
A downy head peaks out from the nest and we hear a tiny screech. Wow. There’s actually baby birds in there. “Want a baby bird?” I call to Abby.
She shakes her head as she stares up at me. “They should stay with their parents.”
Yeah, they should and as I go to say something deep, Abby shouts up to me, “But I still want a bunny! Stuffed ones don’t count!”
“She’s a bit demanding,” Ryan says.
“Yeah, but I like her.” More than like and by the smile on Ryan’s face, he understands.
Abby
Working as a team, the boys hand off bale of hay after bale of hay to the next guy in line until it reaches Chris and he neatly stacks it in the barn. They work under lamps hung in the rafters. They’ve been at it all day. In the fields, in the barn, picking up, stacking, never ceasing.
Night is just about to completely fall. There’s only a sliver of red and pink in the western sky. The rest of the world is dark. Very dark. Except for the scattered fireflies dancing across the field.
