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“Stop that,” she said, biting them together, as if that would blunt her uneasiness.
“Stop what?” I asked, swallowing hard. This time wishing she was biting my lip instead of her own.
My lids felt so heavy, I very nearly closed them.
“That,” she answered. “Whatever it is that you’re doing. I-I...this was a bad idea,” she breathed the last part.
“What is?” I asked softly, my tongue feeling as heavy as my lids.
“Us pairing off. Ethan didn’t like it but Pop Pop insisted.”
I waited a moment before asking, “Why?”
“He thought I could teach you the best. That you would respond best to me.”
“Why would he think that, Cricket?”
“I’m not sure,” she lied.
We sat silent.
“I think you know why.”
Her eyes bored into mine, her chest rose rapidly with her breaths. “No, I don’t.”
“Oh, I think you do,” I said, sidling my horse closer to hers and leaning over, grabbing her saddle’s horn and bringing her within inches of my face.
She became flustered, turned away from me and started counting the cattle in the open pasture south of the lake.
“We’re missing seven head.”
I sat up in my saddle and took a deep breath, still staring at her. You can’t have her. Stop. Become her friend. Only her friend.
I sighed and let her horse go. “Can you spot them?” I asked.
“There,” she said, pointing her gloved hand just east of the lake. “There’s five there.”
“The other two?” I asked again. We searched the lake perimeter in silence. This time I spotted the remaining two. “There,” I said, answering my own question.
“Come on,” she said, her saddle protesting beneath her as she directed her horse back down the ridge.
I kept pace with her. “What’s your favorite thing in the world?” I asked her.
She looked at me skeptically. “Why?”
“Cricket, I don’t have ulterior motives. I just figure I’m going to be here a while, we’re partners or whatever and it’d be nice if I knew a little about you.”
She cleared her throat. “My favorite thing in the world? Let’s see,” she began, pulling a little at her bottom lip. I checked the gut ache yet again. “Besides my family?”
“Besides your family.”
“Eugie,” she said, smiling and glancing at the earth below her.
When she said his name, Eugie peered up at her, tongue lolling and eager to do her bidding.
“Not Ethan?” I asked, unable to help myself.
“Ethan is part of my family, Spencer.”
