AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Says the guy who made her rope a calf in front of the entire town.”
“I was desperate then, and I wish I hadn’t forced her hand. There was a moment when she hit the ground that I thought…” I shook my head. “I’m just glad my mistake didn’t hurt her.”
“You did what you had to do. Just noting that your perspective on it has changed a little, that’s all.”
I frowned.
“You care about her,” she clarified.
“I’ve always cared about her, Ang.”
“Yeah, but something’s different. You’ve been butthurt that she rejected your apology since the dance.”
Internally, I flinched. “I guess I thought it would go differently. I didn’t expect her to fawn or anything, but I definitely didn’t see a fight coming.”
“Think you can still be objective about the race?”
“What kind of question is that?”
“Why did you answer my question with a question about the question?”
I gave her a look. “Of course I can be objective.”
“Listen—I saw you run into that arena and carry her out in a princess hold. She holds more power over you than you think. So I just want to know if she’s going to be a problem, that’s all.”
“She doesn’t want anything to do with me. You’ve heard her.”
“She hates you so much because she loved you so much. Any idiot can see that.”
Confused, my frown deepened. “No. You’ve got that wrong.”
Evangeline sighed and rolled her eyes. “God, sometimes I’m so thankful I’m not attracted to men. Y’all are dumber than a bag of hair.”
A laugh burst out of me. “Y’all?”
She shrugged. “When in Rome.”
I reached for the ice cream parlor door, but someone was on the other side leaning in at the same time, and she came tumbling out with a five-gallon bucket in her arms.
I caught Poppy in an accidental dip, as if we’d been dancing. And for a moment, she looked up at me with those depthless blue eyes I’d lost myself in so long ago, the ice cream container freezing to my arm.
Clearing my throat, I stood her up and let her go. “Need a little ice cream?”
Her cheeks were flushed, and she glanced down at the ice cream like she’d forgotten it was there. “Mariel’s was out of Blue Bell, and we have three of Bettie’s peach pies at the house. We’ll see if this lasts us a week.” She shifted when the container started to slip, catching it with her thigh.
“Here, lemme help you with that,” I said, taking the ice cream from her before she could argue.
Evangeline pointed to the parlor. “I’m going to grab my cone. See you inside,” she said in a tone that made me want to argue with her about whatever she might be thinking.
“I’m just over here,” Poppy said, pointing to her dad’s old truck just down the street.
“Well, look at that. It’s still running?”
“Jo’s gotten pretty good at fixing it up.”
“That tracks.”
For a moment, we didn’t speak. “Ready for the debate?” she asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be. You?”
“If my sisters drill me with one more question, I might scratch their eyes out.”
“I know the feeling. Less the eye scratching.”
“Well, that’s good. Evangeline has such pretty eyes.”
Again, we fell silent. Until I spoke.
“You sure you still want to have this debate?”
She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. “Seriously?”
Should have kept my mouth shut.
“I don’t want to run against you, Poppy—”
“Coulda fooled me—you’ve been needling me every chance you get. Gimme my ice cream.”
She tried to wrestle it from my arms, but I twisted so she couldn’t get to it. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“You should have thought about that before barreling into town to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. Give me my ice cream.”
“I told you, I don’t have a choice.” I walked up to her passenger door and set the ice cream in the seat, deciding to buckle it in as a joke. “But you do, Poppy. You could walk away and spare us both.”
“Spare you, maybe—I’m doing just fine.” I saw the lie on her face clear as day. “And if you think I’m just gonna hand you the office, you’re dumber than I remembered.” She hurried around the truck, climbed into the driver’s seat, and started the engine. “Thanks for the offer, though,” she snarked and started to pull out of the spot before I shut the door.
“Come on, Poppy, just—”
“Ice cream, gotta go before it melts! Byeee!”
The word trailed off as she backed out, nearly running over my foot on her way. I watched her go in that truck I’d spent a hundred hours in, and before I knew it, she was gone and I was still standing there like an idiot.
“That looked like it went well,” Evangeline said from my elbow, handing me my cone when I looked down at her.
“Seems to be my fate when it comes to her.”
