Who’s your friend?”
“This is Nonie’s grandson, James Leoni.”
“How nice to meet you.” The woman held out a sweaty hand, which James felt obligated to shake. Her hands were slicker than the bank manager’s. “How is Nonie doing? I heard you had to go to the hospital the other night.”
“Nonie got another nosebleed and lost a lot of blood. Her skin is so thin, and she forgets not to blow her nose so the scabs kept coming off.” Beth shrugged. “She just doesn’t remember anything five minutes later.”
“That’s such a shame. Is she doing the team book?”
Beth pursed her lips. She jammed her hands into her rear pockets. “No, not the official one. Zack got her a page to work on though. Just so she has something to do. The more stimulation her brain has, the better she’ll do.”
“Oh, of course.” The woman smiled. “Well, I shouldn’t keep you. I hope you enjoy your visit, Mr. Leoni.”
James followed Beth away, wiping his hand on his leg. Beth’s hips swayed provocatively as she walked. He’d follow her anywhere.
“Sunscreen on your hand?” Beth asked.
“Something.”
“Angie is a sunscreen nut. Hello, Mrs. Vorac.” Her stride was hypnotic.
“Hello.”
James tore his gaze from Beth to glance at the elderly woman walking past them and found the old bird giving him the once-over. “Do you actually know every single person in this town?”
Beth shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess so.” She said hello to another woman who passed them pushing a twin stroller the size of a semi.
“One of the balls went into the woods,” James announced. “Let’s go get it.” He seized her hand and pulled her into the trees.
“I didn’t hear the bat,” Beth protested. “None of those kids could have hit a ball this far into the trees. They’re eleven, not professionals.”
James stopped when he could no longer see the ball field through the trees. Then he looked at Beth. Her cheeks were pink in the cool shade, and one of her eyebrows arched with Spock-like superiority.
“There was no ball, was there?” she asked.
“No.” The tops of her shoulders were pink too. She needed sunscreen.
“So why are we in the middle of the woods?”
“Why do you think?” He leaned against a tree, pulling her into his arms. She was just as sweaty as he was, but that fueled thoughts of making her sweat in other ways. Her hands clutched his shoulders. The sensation of her fingers digging into him made him shudder. What would they feel like against his bare skin? In the distance, the aluminum bat cracked. The crowd shouted. James started tasting her salty neck. “You are driving me crazy.”
“Thanks.”
“Aren’t you worried about someone seeing you?”
“In a minute.” She arched her neck. “Are you allergic to poison ivy?”
“What?”
“Poison ivy, are you allergic?”
He found the curve where her neck met her shoulder. His lips fit the small space perfectly. “Why?”
“This tree is covered in it”
“Poison ivy.” James lifted his head up. That seemed like it should be important. Poison ivy.
Beth pulled him away from the tree, turned him around and pointed. “Leaves of three, let it be.”
A long vine wrapped around the tree with clumps of three shiny leaves. Some of them were red. “Poison ivy.”
“Yes, are you allergic?”
“I have no idea. Nonie would know.”
“No, she wouldn’t.” Beth laughed. “You are a city boy. Go to the bathroom and wash up wherever you might have touched it. Use cold water, no soap. Go that way and meet me at the concession stand when you’re done.” She pointed toward another path before turning to go out the way they came.
James worked his way out, studying every leaf that reached toward him. Poison ivy. All day he’d been sitting next to her wondering how to get her alone for a couple of seconds where the whole town wouldn’t see them, and what was there? Poison ivy. Hopefully, she wasn’t allergic. He didn’t need to
“This is Nonie’s grandson, James Leoni.”
“How nice to meet you.” The woman held out a sweaty hand, which James felt obligated to shake. Her hands were slicker than the bank manager’s. “How is Nonie doing? I heard you had to go to the hospital the other night.”
“Nonie got another nosebleed and lost a lot of blood. Her skin is so thin, and she forgets not to blow her nose so the scabs kept coming off.” Beth shrugged. “She just doesn’t remember anything five minutes later.”
“That’s such a shame. Is she doing the team book?”
Beth pursed her lips. She jammed her hands into her rear pockets. “No, not the official one. Zack got her a page to work on though. Just so she has something to do. The more stimulation her brain has, the better she’ll do.”
“Oh, of course.” The woman smiled. “Well, I shouldn’t keep you. I hope you enjoy your visit, Mr. Leoni.”
James followed Beth away, wiping his hand on his leg. Beth’s hips swayed provocatively as she walked. He’d follow her anywhere.
“Sunscreen on your hand?” Beth asked.
“Something.”
“Angie is a sunscreen nut. Hello, Mrs. Vorac.” Her stride was hypnotic.
“Hello.”
James tore his gaze from Beth to glance at the elderly woman walking past them and found the old bird giving him the once-over. “Do you actually know every single person in this town?”
Beth shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess so.” She said hello to another woman who passed them pushing a twin stroller the size of a semi.
“One of the balls went into the woods,” James announced. “Let’s go get it.” He seized her hand and pulled her into the trees.
“I didn’t hear the bat,” Beth protested. “None of those kids could have hit a ball this far into the trees. They’re eleven, not professionals.”
James stopped when he could no longer see the ball field through the trees. Then he looked at Beth. Her cheeks were pink in the cool shade, and one of her eyebrows arched with Spock-like superiority.
“There was no ball, was there?” she asked.
“No.” The tops of her shoulders were pink too. She needed sunscreen.
“So why are we in the middle of the woods?”
“Why do you think?” He leaned against a tree, pulling her into his arms. She was just as sweaty as he was, but that fueled thoughts of making her sweat in other ways. Her hands clutched his shoulders. The sensation of her fingers digging into him made him shudder. What would they feel like against his bare skin? In the distance, the aluminum bat cracked. The crowd shouted. James started tasting her salty neck. “You are driving me crazy.”
“Thanks.”
“Aren’t you worried about someone seeing you?”
“In a minute.” She arched her neck. “Are you allergic to poison ivy?”
“What?”
“Poison ivy, are you allergic?”
He found the curve where her neck met her shoulder. His lips fit the small space perfectly. “Why?”
“This tree is covered in it”
“Poison ivy.” James lifted his head up. That seemed like it should be important. Poison ivy.
Beth pulled him away from the tree, turned him around and pointed. “Leaves of three, let it be.”
A long vine wrapped around the tree with clumps of three shiny leaves. Some of them were red. “Poison ivy.”
“Yes, are you allergic?”
“I have no idea. Nonie would know.”
“No, she wouldn’t.” Beth laughed. “You are a city boy. Go to the bathroom and wash up wherever you might have touched it. Use cold water, no soap. Go that way and meet me at the concession stand when you’re done.” She pointed toward another path before turning to go out the way they came.
James worked his way out, studying every leaf that reached toward him. Poison ivy. All day he’d been sitting next to her wondering how to get her alone for a couple of seconds where the whole town wouldn’t see them, and what was there? Poison ivy. Hopefully, she wasn’t allergic. He didn’t need to
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