AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Blake hung his hat on the hook by the door. “Nothing. Your brother is running low on sympathy for his injured friend.”
Everly was by his side in an instant, carefully examining his swollen arm. “What happened?”
“It’s really not bad. The medicine Stella gave me is just making me drowsy.” That, and the pain was still radiating up and down his arm.
Everly pinned him with a stare and asked again, “What happened?”
“I ran over a yellow jacket nest with the UTV. They didn’t like that too much.”
“How many stings is this?” she asked, gently lifting the puffy arm.
“I don’t know. About a dozen?”
Everly quickly put together a bag of ice and rushed back to Blake’s side. “This might help. What else do you need?”
Exhaustion had him unsteady on his feet, and when he swayed toward her, Everly wrapped her arms around him. He relaxed into her embrace and reminded himself that there was a reason they should keep distance between them.
“I missed you today,” he whispered.
“I missed you too. What can I do to help?”
Blake raised up and blinked back the blurriness in his vision. “I’m fine. Just started working before the sun came up, and the antihistamine isn’t helping me stay upright.”
She nudged him toward the stairs. “Let’s get you cleaned up, and I’ll make dinner.”
“Thanks.” His shoulders sagged as his tension released. He needed a shower, food, Everly, and a bed. Not all together. Separate.
Focus, Blake.
“Do you need help getting up the stairs?”
“Nah. I’ve got it. Thanks.”
“I’m coming with you anyway.”
Everly’s determined kindness gave him a boost of energy. The faster he could get clean, the sooner he could get downstairs and see her again.
When they stopped at the door of his bedroom, Everly released her hold on his arm.
“Well, I guess this is where we part ways. I’ll just be making something for dinner. Downstairs. If you need me.”
Was she nervous? This was new. He’d only seen her act nervous in crowded areas where she might draw attention. She hadn’t seemed nervous when he’d confessed he wanted to kiss her.
Well, maybe she’d been a little nervous. He’d been preoccupied with his own anxiousness. He’d wanted to kiss her more than he wanted his next breath, and she’d wanted him too.
Was that why she was acting different?
Everly pointed over her shoulder. “I’m going to go. I’ll see you later. Call if you need me. I mean, not in the shower. I can’t help you there. Just anything else. Well, almost anything else. I–”
Blake reached for her hand. “Ev, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. I’m just…” She looked over one shoulder and then the other. “I’m nervous.”
“But why?”
She shrugged and looked at her feet. “Things are different between us now.”
“But they’re not that different. You didn’t seem nervous when we rode home together last night.”
