Page 40 of Sunday Morning

“Hey,” Isaac said, setting the crate of boxes on the counter and wiping his dirty brow with his sleeve before adjusting his cowboy hat.

I shot him a quick smile and arranged the boxes of eggs on the shelves by the coolers. “Listen, Heather is my friend, so aside from not getting her hooked on cigarettes, could you not impregnate her?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I took her to a movie so Matty could get his dick wet with you.”

I turned, crossing my arms. “You kissed.”

He twisted his lips for a beat. “Is that what she said?”

I nodded.

“I see. Well, no babies were conceived. Happy?” He glanced at his watch. “How was Matty last night? Satisfying?”

I averted my gaze before turning my back to fiddle with the jars of honey that were already perfectly aligned.

“Will I need to get him another box of condoms by the end of the week?”

“He has three games this week plus camps, and your dad will keep him busy the rest of the time. So …” I shrugged while contemplating if the infused honey needed to be alphabetized.

“That bad, huh?”

I turned, narrowing my eyes. “I didn’t say that.”

Isaac scratched his jaw. “You didn’t have to. If it was good, you’d find time and space. You’d crave it like your next breath. He’d be on your mind twenty-four seven, and you’d risk everything to be with him. Your hands would itch to touch him the way they yearn to wrap around my guitar.”

I slid the crate toward him. “I’m not sure anything will feel the way your guitar felt. So don’t tell Matt that music is my first love.” I winked, trying to play it off like a joke.

He took the crate. “I’ll talk to him.”

“No!” I rammed my hip into the counter, trying to get around it to stop him, but Katie Pedersen and her two young boys opened the door.

“Pardon me,” Isaac said to them, holding the door.

I shot him a look, but he just smirked and strutted away with the crate dangling from his hand as the door swung shut.

Four hours later,I locked up the farm stand and carried the keys and the money down the lane to drop off at the house.

“Sarah,” Matt said, startling me as he jogged up behind me, grabbing my hand and pulling me behind the garage.

“What are you?—”

He kissed me, humming into my mouth as one hand cupped my breast like it did the previous night. Matt’s eagerness felt like he couldn’t get enough of me—like he craved me as much as his next breath.

And I wanted to feel that too, but I didn’t. Sex ruined everything. I couldn’t enjoy his touch out of fear that it would lead to more. And I didn’t know how long I could fake it. Could I hold out for the summer? After all, hookers did it for a living. Surely, I could do it for the summer—without pay, of course.

“I have to clean out a few stalls, but then I’ll shower, and we can go for a drive,” he said breathlessly.

I found a fake smile just as Isaac rode his horse toward the gray barn. I couldn’t see his expression under his cowboy hat, but I knew he was watching us.

Matt ducked his head and sucked the skin along my neck while guiding my hand to the bulge in his jeans—and Isaac watched everything.

“Why haven’t I ever seen you ride a horse?” I asked.

Matt released my hand and lifted his head, confusion etched into his brow. “Because I don’t ride horses that often. I’m more of a tractor person.”

“Why does Isaac?”

“Because he likes horses, herding animals, and he ropes.”