Page 41 of Sunday Morning
I thought of him lassoing me at graduation with my cords.
“Ropes?” I asked.
“At rodeos. He competes in calf roping for prize money,” Matt replied. “He did it in high school, and he’s practicing to compete again. Why?”
“No reason. Just curious.”
“I’ll pick you up after dinner around seven. Okay?”
“Call me first. I have to check with my mom. I might have to help prepare some arts and crafts kits for Vacation Bible School.”
He frowned. “Okay. Even if it’s later, I don’t care. I just need to take a ride.” He grinned.
“Take a ride” was our new sex code.
My smile felt fake, but Matt didn’t seem to notice. He kissed me one last time and strutted toward the red sheep barn. I waited until he was out of sight, then jogged to the gray barn where Isaac took his horse.
I passed two stalls with ponies before reaching Isaac in the last stall, where he removed his horse's saddle.
“What is it, Sunday Morning?” he asked as if he had eyes in the back of his head.
“Please don’t say anything to Matt. I was joking earlier.”
“I don’t think you were.” He carried the saddle through a door to the tack room and rested it on a stand.
I followed him. “Can you just stay out of my business?”
“Says the girl who begged me to play her favorite song over and over.” He turned, tucking his hands into his back pockets. “So what’s it going to be? Are we going to be in each other’s business this summer or not?”
Everything that escaped Isaac Cory’s mouth sounded sexual.
“Are you saying you’re going to let me play your guitar again?”
“Depends.” He shrugged.
“On what?”
“What are you going to do for me?”
“I’ll pray for you. Preachers’ daughters’ prayers carry more weight than the average person’s. Should I pray for you to quit smoking or for your salvation?”
The corner of his mouth quirked into a half grin as amusement sparkled in his eyes. “Why do you want me to quit smoking so badly? Will your heart break if I die of cancer? Or do you secretly want to kiss me?”
I scoffed while surveying the area behind me, looking and listening for signs of Wesley, Matt, or anyone else. “I secretly want to kill you and steal your guitar, but you know the rules. Number six: Thou shalt not kill. And number eight: Thou shalt not steal. Or maybe you don’t know the rules.” I shrugged.
“I know the tenth commandment is Thou shalt not covet. And I’ve been breaking that one a lot lately,” he said.
“How so?” I asked as Isaac physically brushed past me.
“Sunday Morning, I’ve been coveting the fuck out of you since Easter Sunday,” he said, strolling out of the barn.
I died and went straight to Hell.
I needed a best friend,but since Heather kissed Isaac, I wasn’t sure I could tell her what he said in the barn, even though she said he didn’t seem interested in her. And I couldn’t tell any of my other friends because I didn’t trust anyone like I trusted Heather.
But I was dying to tell someone.
Why did he say that? Maybe he didn’t know what the word covet meant. But that made little sense. Isaac was a valedictorian.