Page 43 of Sunday Morning
“Hope you feel better soon. Love you.”
“Thanks, bye.” I hung up the phone and flopped back down onto my bed to stare at the ceiling. I said “thank you” as a reply to his “I love you.” Was that bad of me? Or was I the mature one who stuck to our plans? I didn’t have the focus to figure it out because I was too busy thinking about Isaac coveting me.
CHAPTER TEN
THE ROMANTICS, “TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP”
The following week,Matt and his mom went to Michigan for a campus tour and to watch a baseball game while Wesley and Isaac manned the ranch, and I handled the farm stand. I arrived early Monday morning for inventory, per Violet’s request.
As I made my way toward the house to get the key to the shed and the cash, I saw Isaac by the barn swinging a rope. I veered in his direction while he practiced on a stationary calf dummy. It was the first interaction I’d had with him since he made the coveting comment.
“Seems kind of lazy that you’re roping something that’s not moving,” I said.
He grinned without glancing at me. “Sunday Morning, it seems like you think this is easier than it is.”
I stepped onto the bottom fence plank and rested myarms on the top one. “Why do you rope? Does your daddy not pay you enough?”
“Because I enjoy it.” He threw the rope and snagged it on the horn of the dummy calf. “Don’t you have work to do?”
“Don’t you?”
He eyed me. “My mom left me in charge of keeping watch over you, so technically, I’m your boss this week. That means you do what I say.”
“Then look at me and tell me what to do,” I said before biting my lower lip.
“With that attitude, you’re going to send your dad to his grave early. You and your sisters.”
“I take offense on behalf of myself and my sisters. We’re angels.”
“Get to work before I find something else for you to do.”
“I’m off at four. I want to play your guitar again.”
“No.”
I ignored his response. “Is it in the barn?”
The idea that Isaac liked me—coveted me—made me feel exhilarated.
Mature.
Irresistible.
Desired.
Basically, sin, sin, sin.
But also a little braver.
I should have kept my distance, especially with Matt out of town, but I was curious—to a fault.
“What if I let you touch something of mine?” As soon as I said the words, my heart raced with fear like I’d jumped out of a plane and didn’t know if my parachute worked.
“You’re in over your head, little girl.”
I frowned because I wasn’t a little girl.
Not a schoolgirl.