LITMIR.BIZ

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sound like Mabel.”

      She smiles. “I’d like to meet her,” she says and then closes her eyes briefly.

      “You’d get along great.”

      She gives me a closed-lipped smile and tugs her fingers through her hair, not quite meeting my eyes. So much for not being uncomfortable.

      I switch to a safer topic as we head for the refrigerated aisle. “Do you know any of the kids that we have this year?”

      She nods. “We had a few last year in the group.” She takes a piece of paper from her pocket and unfolds it. “You remember the Yates twins?”

      Barely. “I think so.”

      “We had them two years ago, in the eight to ten group. Harry and Oliver?”

      “The mayor’s sons?”

      “Ex-mayor, but yes,” she replies. “They’re still insanely rich though and are big donors to the department. But the kids are very sweet.”

      “Who else?” I prod, tossing several bags of chips into the cart.

      She goes on about the kids. It’s safer for the both of us when she talks and we aren’t delving into my past. We hit the refrigerator aisle and her teeth start to chatter, wrapping her arms around her chest. I lean down and pick up a carton of eggs. I struggle to keep my eyes on the carton.

      She reaches over me, her shirt moves up, exposing a sliver of skin. I wonder if she’s as soft as I remember. I step back, removing the temptation.

      She hands me a carton. “A growing boy needs milk.”

      I chuckle and take it, our fingers briefly touch.

      She nibbles on her lip and starts for the end of the aisle. I follow her with the cart.

      Hadley rests her hand on the cart as we talk. “Tell me about the ranch.”

      I grab jars of peanut butter and jelly and drop them in to the cart. I lean on the handle, moving it forward. “Just like the movies, up a dawn and not coming in till the cows come home.” I exaggerate a Southern drawl and again she smiles. I turn away from her and the tightening of my chest. Why did falling back in our routine have to come so easily?

      I grab two boxes of cereal and toss it into the cart as I continue. “Mostly it’s a lot of repairs. She stables horses but we have several animals that need taking care of.”

      “Like what?”

      “Cows, pigs, goats. There’s also a pond nearby that we maintain.”

      “It’s a good thing you and your dad are handy.”

      I stare at my hands. “Yeah.” My thoughts drift to him and I know his hands are not like mine at all. Probably callus-free since he’s been in rehab. Those hands that taught me how to build and shape but also showed me how quickly they could tear things down. I shove away the thought of that weak man, but I can’t help but see him in the mirror every damn day.

      I massage my neck, a reminder of that night. “I think I have enough here to get me started.” I do a rough calculation on how much the food will cost. I hope I have enough.

      Hadley steers the cart to the front of the store. We get in the shortest line. Hadley leans forward, unloading the items closest to her. My gaze drops to the collar of her shirt.

      “Hey Hadley.” It’s the same girl from earlier that called out. She seems eager for Hadley’s attention but her eyes are on me.

      “Hi Beth.”

      I smirk. Hadley’s being polite but it’s obvious these girls aren’t good friends.

      “And you are?” She offers a hand to me.

      I shake her fingers in the way that girls seem to think a handshake is supposed to go. An older gentleman holding out money to Beth glares in her direction. “I’m Will.”

      “Hm,” Beth tilts her head. “You work fast.” She winks at Hadley. “So the rumors are true.”

      Hadley’s face pales. “Will’s my—we’re—”

      As much as I could watch her squirm all day, I jump in to save her. “We’re neighbors.”

      “Excuse me!” the man in Beth’s aisle grumbles.

      She rolls her eyes at me and turns around, taking the man’s money.

      Hadley shakes her head, stifling a smile.

      The young kid at the register checks Hadley out while swiping the barcodes of my groceries. She’s completely oblivious, as she always is. Hadley bags the supplies as they come down the counter and I pull out my wallet, watching the screen. Damn. I forgot how much of a difference the prices were up here. I won’t be able to come back until my first paycheck.

      Beth prattles on to Hadley about a graduation party she attended and Hadley appropriately replies, but I can tell she wants to get out of the situation. I pay the kid and he’s barely paying attention to anything but Hadley’s chest. When he hands back my change, I catch his eye, fixing him with a glare. He swipes his hand back and turns to the next customer, bright red blotches forming on his skin.

      I smirk.

      Hadley puts the last bag in the cart, but she’s looking at me with the strangest expression. I pocket the money and start forward.

      “Bye Hadley!” Beth calls. “Nice meeting you Will.”

      Hadley and I wave to the girl, then she takes off like a bat out of hell.

      When we get outside, her pace slows and I catch up to her. “I see you two are close?”

      She smiles. “Not quite. Just one of those high school friendships that are supposed to end at graduation. But she’s hanging on tight.”

      I know the feeling. She helps load the groceries into the bed of the truck and this time allows me to open the door for her.

      “See, it’s not that difficult,” I say.

      She sticks her tongue out as I close the door. I shove my hands into my pockets as I round the car to my side and get in.

      “You can listen to whatever you want,” I offer, indicating the radio.

      “Ever think of updating to this century?” she teases, pressing one of the pre-programmed buttons on the ancient tape deck.

      “I much prefer commercials and static.”

      She laughs and presses several more buttons until a country station plays. I reach out and touch her hand. She stiffens.

      “I like this song,” I say, rolling the volume knob up.

      “Me too,” she says.

      I raise an eyebrow. “You like country?”

      She touches the hem of her shorts. “Sure I do. Is that surprising?”

      “Nah. Just different.”

      “Different good?” she asks, smiling.

      I shrug, barely able to contain my grin.

      She chucks me in the arm. “Jerk.”

      I tap my fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the song and Hadley hums along with it. She wasn’t lying about liking it. After a few minutes the song ends and a commercial comes on. I lower the volume a few notches.

      Hadley whips around in her seat to face me. I glance at her as I turn the corner.

      “Can I say something?” she asks, her fingers tangled in her lap.

      “Yeah.”

      She pushes her hair across her shoulder before speaking. “I want to discuss the elephant in the room. Or—” She opens her hands. “Truck, I suppose. I’m not going to ask

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