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Jasper snorts at that. “No, most definitely not.”
“Although, maybe I’ll give Kristy’s husband one. Seems like she needs a little excitement in her life.”
“Tell me about it,” I say just as Reed and Carter walk up. They were gathering the eggs from the chickens and now look a little flustered. Not that I blame them. I’m sure they were pecked to death.
“The rooster is a little shit,” Carter says, and Jasper laughs loudly.
“He is. I hate him,” Jasper replies. “He tries to murder me every time I see him. I never thought I’d kick an animal, but I am sorely tempted with him.”
“It’s self-defense if you do,” Carter replies, plucking a feather out of Reed’s hair. “He’s feral.”
“Cluck Norris is the defender of the chickens. He takes his job very seriously,” I reply, and Damon rolls his eyes.
“It’s a bird. How bad can it be?”
But then ten minutes later when Cluck Norris rounds the corner, looking fierce, Damon squeals and runs off, the rooster chasing him around the barn. I almost pee my pants when I see him flailing around, Cluck Norris’s wings spread, cockadoodling loudly at him.
“I didn’t do anything!” Damon yells. “Shoo! I was minding my own business, you bird. Help, Bennet!Heeeelllllp!”
I’m wheezing too hard to move so Carter ends up swatting him away with a broom, saving our distraught friend.
“You left me to die!” he cries out. I can’t breathe, my stomach hurts, and my eyes are blurry from tears. Oh god, I’m so glad they’re here. Fuck, I missed them.
“Yes, well, laugh it up, Bennet,” Damon huffs, and Jasper leans into me, reaching up to swipe at my wet cheeks. “You will get what’s coming to you.”
“Trust me. I’ve been at the end of Cluck Norris’s wrath far too often. But the way you squealed…”
“I hate you,” Damon says, trying to frown but failing. His lips pull up into a smile and he chuckles. “Fuck you all.”
“Itwasentertaining,” Jasper pipes up as he links his arm with mine.
Damon’s hand waves in front of him, pointing to me and then to Jasper. “I know we are pretending like this isn’t a thing, but it is. So what’s the deal with you two?”
Jasper stiffens a little and then shrugs, which rankles me a little. Because he acts like this is no big deal when it is. At least, it is for me.
“We have been doing videos for Carter,” I say, and Jasper nods.
“And it’s made us…friendly.”
I glance down at Jasper, and he meets my gaze before looking away. Yeah, look away, Jasper. We are gonna talk about this when we have some time alone. I’m not gonna let this go like you want me to. You didn’t just stay out here in Kansas because we’re friends now. You don’t let me hold you at night because you’re cold.
It’s more. I have to believe that.
“Yeah, friendly,” I say a little too dryly, and Damon huffs, running his hands down his shirt, as if to get invisible dirt off of it.
“Well, we’ll see about that. I’m not sure I believe it. But what’s next? I want to get on with this farm stuff so we can go into town and look around. I’ve never seen a place so small. I could take three giant steps and end up on the other side.”
“It’s really crazy,” Jasper says and then moves away from me toward Damon. They link arms and walk off toward the field where Winnie is, and I can hear Jasper warning Damon about her. But I hear the affection in his tone, the pride that he’s pet a real-life cow. Oh, how different he is from when he first arrived.
He has to be feeling differently too. I have to believe it.
I move toward Carter and Reed as they watch me quietly.
“Yeah, yeah, spit it out.”
“Knewthere was sexual tension between you two,” Carter says with a grin.
“Yeah, seems so.”
