guess.”
“How about I put together a picnic lunch and we eat it in the field?”
She disappeared into the kitchen for a few minutes and came back carrying a co-op grocery bag.
“I’ve got something for you,” she said. “A treat guaranteed to put a smile on your face.”
She pulled a folded paper towel from the bag, then offered him a plump dried fruit from within it.
“What’s this?”
“Medjool date.”
“It’s warm.”
“Nuked it. Brings out the flavour.”
Job took a tentative bite. The flavour was sharp, sticky-sweet, a revelation. He nibbled at the date, then popped it whole into his mouth, pressed it against the roof of his mouth. He watched as Liv ate hers, the fruit between her lips.
“Good, huh?”
“Wonderful.”
“Another?” When he nodded she tore a bit of flesh from a date and pressed it to his tongue. Her fingers lingered on his lips. Then she put her hand on Jason’s head, and smoothed his hair until he yanked his head away.
Seven
Liv held the grocery bag in her lap as she sat next to Job in the truck. The warmth of Liv’s thigh next to Job’s as they bounced down the gravel road, past the row of clowns along the Stubblefield farm. When they pulled into the yard, Ben was spinning donuts on the trike, a three-wheeled all-terrain vehicle Job used to work on fences or to check the cows. Ben couldn’t get enough of the trike. Job had put him to work on it chasing cows.
Ben drove the trike to the passenger side and nodded at Jason as he got out. “Cool!” said Jason.
“We’re going to take a look at the crop circle,” said Job.
“Want a ride?” Ben asked Jason. They were off in a flurry of dust, Jason on the back of the trike, hanging onto Ben’s shoulders so he wouldn’t fall off.
“That thing safe?” Liv asked.
Job shrugged. “More or less.”
As Job and Liv followed the cow trail out to the crop circle, the grass along the fenceline of the adjacent pasture rustled as if an animal were passing through it. Job called, “Kitty, kitty?” and listened.
“What?” said Liv.
“Thought it might be my cat. She hasn’t come backhome. Lilith put her in the dishwasher while the machine was running.”
Liv laughed. “She did what?”
He realized his mistake. There’d be hell to pay from Jacob if word got out. “Don’t tell anyone. Please. I don’t think Lilith could live it down. Or Jacob.”
“The cat survived?”
“Yeah, but I haven’t seen her since.”
Liv laughed and laughed, a waterfall of tiny silver balls. Tears at the corners of her eyes. Job found himself laughing with her, and the incident seemed less tragic now, less crazy.
The boys, having checked out the crop circle, were making their way back to Job and Liv. Ben pulled the trike to a stop next to them. “You already done with the crop circle?” Liv asked.
“Yeah, it’s cool,” said Jason. “Just not what I thought. I mean, it’s just knocked-down wheat.”
“Barley,” said Job.
“Whatever.”
“Aren’t you going to come with us, have something to eat?” said Liv.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Guess I shouldn’t have given you that pie. All right. See you later. Have fun.” She waved as the boys took off through the field.
As Job and Liv reached the crop circle, a hay devil swept up around them, making mischief with Liv’s skirt, lifting it clear up to cover her face, to expose her pink cotton panties, her sturdy legs. A shiny, inch-long scar on her shin. Liv pushed her skirt down, red flooding her face. So she could be embarrassed, thought Job.
She turned her back away from Job as she unloaded the grocery bag and poured coffee from a Thermos. Job sat with her, an arm propped up on one knee, watching as she set out a checkered tablecloth, napkins, cutlery. He looked down at her leg, the scar there. “Where’d you get that?” he said, pointing.
She pulled her skirt to cover it. “It’s nothing,” she said. “I was helping my dad load the pickup with firewood
“How about I put together a picnic lunch and we eat it in the field?”
She disappeared into the kitchen for a few minutes and came back carrying a co-op grocery bag.
“I’ve got something for you,” she said. “A treat guaranteed to put a smile on your face.”
She pulled a folded paper towel from the bag, then offered him a plump dried fruit from within it.
“What’s this?”
“Medjool date.”
“It’s warm.”
“Nuked it. Brings out the flavour.”
Job took a tentative bite. The flavour was sharp, sticky-sweet, a revelation. He nibbled at the date, then popped it whole into his mouth, pressed it against the roof of his mouth. He watched as Liv ate hers, the fruit between her lips.
“Good, huh?”
“Wonderful.”
“Another?” When he nodded she tore a bit of flesh from a date and pressed it to his tongue. Her fingers lingered on his lips. Then she put her hand on Jason’s head, and smoothed his hair until he yanked his head away.
Seven
Liv held the grocery bag in her lap as she sat next to Job in the truck. The warmth of Liv’s thigh next to Job’s as they bounced down the gravel road, past the row of clowns along the Stubblefield farm. When they pulled into the yard, Ben was spinning donuts on the trike, a three-wheeled all-terrain vehicle Job used to work on fences or to check the cows. Ben couldn’t get enough of the trike. Job had put him to work on it chasing cows.
Ben drove the trike to the passenger side and nodded at Jason as he got out. “Cool!” said Jason.
“We’re going to take a look at the crop circle,” said Job.
“Want a ride?” Ben asked Jason. They were off in a flurry of dust, Jason on the back of the trike, hanging onto Ben’s shoulders so he wouldn’t fall off.
“That thing safe?” Liv asked.
Job shrugged. “More or less.”
As Job and Liv followed the cow trail out to the crop circle, the grass along the fenceline of the adjacent pasture rustled as if an animal were passing through it. Job called, “Kitty, kitty?” and listened.
“What?” said Liv.
“Thought it might be my cat. She hasn’t come backhome. Lilith put her in the dishwasher while the machine was running.”
Liv laughed. “She did what?”
He realized his mistake. There’d be hell to pay from Jacob if word got out. “Don’t tell anyone. Please. I don’t think Lilith could live it down. Or Jacob.”
“The cat survived?”
“Yeah, but I haven’t seen her since.”
Liv laughed and laughed, a waterfall of tiny silver balls. Tears at the corners of her eyes. Job found himself laughing with her, and the incident seemed less tragic now, less crazy.
The boys, having checked out the crop circle, were making their way back to Job and Liv. Ben pulled the trike to a stop next to them. “You already done with the crop circle?” Liv asked.
“Yeah, it’s cool,” said Jason. “Just not what I thought. I mean, it’s just knocked-down wheat.”
“Barley,” said Job.
“Whatever.”
“Aren’t you going to come with us, have something to eat?” said Liv.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Guess I shouldn’t have given you that pie. All right. See you later. Have fun.” She waved as the boys took off through the field.
As Job and Liv reached the crop circle, a hay devil swept up around them, making mischief with Liv’s skirt, lifting it clear up to cover her face, to expose her pink cotton panties, her sturdy legs. A shiny, inch-long scar on her shin. Liv pushed her skirt down, red flooding her face. So she could be embarrassed, thought Job.
She turned her back away from Job as she unloaded the grocery bag and poured coffee from a Thermos. Job sat with her, an arm propped up on one knee, watching as she set out a checkered tablecloth, napkins, cutlery. He looked down at her leg, the scar there. “Where’d you get that?” he said, pointing.
She pulled her skirt to cover it. “It’s nothing,” she said. “I was helping my dad load the pickup with firewood
Similar Books
