my back with his hands. “So we’ll have two things to celebrate.” He bent down and brushed an unexpected kiss across my lips. It didn’t go unnoticed that he said ‘we’ and insinuated we’d be together in May. I bit my lower lip to hide my smile.
Before I knew it, he distanced himself quickly.
“Hi, Mrs. Hendricks.”
“Well hello, Zach. Glad you could join us.”
“Thanks for having me.”
Ryan pounded down the stairs.
“What’s up, Zach?” Ryan gripped his hand and they bumped shoulders. I smiled at their sudden camaraderie.
“Hey, Ryan,” Zach responded and glanced suspiciously at me.
“Let’s go, Runt.” Ryan shoved me playfully.
Zach grabbed my hand. “What the heck is up with Ryan?” He whispered shocked.
I shrugged.
After dinner the boys engaged in a friendly backyard football game while I watched from the deck. Several times, I caught myself staring at Zach—I’m not sure I’d ever seen someone so handsome.
It was seventy-five degrees today and though it was cooler with the sun meeting the western horizon, the guys worked up a good sweat. When Zach tugged his drenched shirt off his broad shoulders and tossed it to me, I giggled and draped the wet material over my lap but felt goofy when my dad shook his head and rolled his eyes.
My body had become foreign to me, acting on it’s own in ways I couldn’t explain. Just watching Zach—sweaty and shirtless stirred up feelings in my body that were a little alarming. After a bit, we moved inside to catch the Oregon/Arizona game. More football. Not that I was all that interested in the game, but it meant time with him.
Mom and I chatted in the kitchen while I threw break and bake cookies on a cookie sheet and tossed them in the oven. While I waited for the timer to go off, Zach’s phone vibrated on the counter next to Ryan’s, where they’d left them before going outside. I peeked at the cookies. Not close.
I snatched his phone off the counter to run it to him. The screen showed that he had a new text message . From Estelle . Obviously, she was in his address book for her name to appear. My body felt like it was imploding and my shoulders slumped. I stared at the view button as my finger hovered over it for the longest time. I clenched my fist. Don’t.
In the living room, they were all three absorbed in the gripping zero to zero game but Zach smiled as I came in. I held out the phone and his brows rose.
“It vibrated,” I said innocently.
He took it from me, glanced at the screen, slid the phone shut without responding then patted the empty spot next to him on the sofa. I shook my head.
“I’ll be back,” I said. “Come on Reesy,” The dog leapt from her bed and toddled behind. Jealousy crept into every bone as I moved away from him and up the stairs. I felt sick. From my bedroom window, I stared at Zach’s Jeep parked next to Ryan’s truck in the driveway. I thought about the time last spring, I’d seen Ryan and Estelle in the truck making out, from this very window…something I’d never told him. But today, as I looked at the Jeep, I pictured Zach and Estelle. His hand on her knee and her beautiful ebony hair blowing in the wind. The bow-tie pasta I’d eaten earlier crept up my throat. I tried to shake it off…think of other things. But then last night at the beach replayed in my mind—her singing his name—telling everyone that they’d been together. She was so beautiful and a junior and could have any guy she wanted—well, she’d had most of them.
The Jeep was narrow, not like Ryan’s truck and I wondered when he and Estelle were together how they fit. What was it like? Did he kiss her the way he kissed me? I imagined their lips pressed together. His hands on her body. STOP! I could never compete with her. I sprawled across my bed next to Reesy, frantically shoving my Ipod ear buds into my ear, listening to Nickelback. I closed my eyes trying to slow my breathing. It
Before I knew it, he distanced himself quickly.
“Hi, Mrs. Hendricks.”
“Well hello, Zach. Glad you could join us.”
“Thanks for having me.”
Ryan pounded down the stairs.
“What’s up, Zach?” Ryan gripped his hand and they bumped shoulders. I smiled at their sudden camaraderie.
“Hey, Ryan,” Zach responded and glanced suspiciously at me.
“Let’s go, Runt.” Ryan shoved me playfully.
Zach grabbed my hand. “What the heck is up with Ryan?” He whispered shocked.
I shrugged.
After dinner the boys engaged in a friendly backyard football game while I watched from the deck. Several times, I caught myself staring at Zach—I’m not sure I’d ever seen someone so handsome.
It was seventy-five degrees today and though it was cooler with the sun meeting the western horizon, the guys worked up a good sweat. When Zach tugged his drenched shirt off his broad shoulders and tossed it to me, I giggled and draped the wet material over my lap but felt goofy when my dad shook his head and rolled his eyes.
My body had become foreign to me, acting on it’s own in ways I couldn’t explain. Just watching Zach—sweaty and shirtless stirred up feelings in my body that were a little alarming. After a bit, we moved inside to catch the Oregon/Arizona game. More football. Not that I was all that interested in the game, but it meant time with him.
Mom and I chatted in the kitchen while I threw break and bake cookies on a cookie sheet and tossed them in the oven. While I waited for the timer to go off, Zach’s phone vibrated on the counter next to Ryan’s, where they’d left them before going outside. I peeked at the cookies. Not close.
I snatched his phone off the counter to run it to him. The screen showed that he had a new text message . From Estelle . Obviously, she was in his address book for her name to appear. My body felt like it was imploding and my shoulders slumped. I stared at the view button as my finger hovered over it for the longest time. I clenched my fist. Don’t.
In the living room, they were all three absorbed in the gripping zero to zero game but Zach smiled as I came in. I held out the phone and his brows rose.
“It vibrated,” I said innocently.
He took it from me, glanced at the screen, slid the phone shut without responding then patted the empty spot next to him on the sofa. I shook my head.
“I’ll be back,” I said. “Come on Reesy,” The dog leapt from her bed and toddled behind. Jealousy crept into every bone as I moved away from him and up the stairs. I felt sick. From my bedroom window, I stared at Zach’s Jeep parked next to Ryan’s truck in the driveway. I thought about the time last spring, I’d seen Ryan and Estelle in the truck making out, from this very window…something I’d never told him. But today, as I looked at the Jeep, I pictured Zach and Estelle. His hand on her knee and her beautiful ebony hair blowing in the wind. The bow-tie pasta I’d eaten earlier crept up my throat. I tried to shake it off…think of other things. But then last night at the beach replayed in my mind—her singing his name—telling everyone that they’d been together. She was so beautiful and a junior and could have any guy she wanted—well, she’d had most of them.
The Jeep was narrow, not like Ryan’s truck and I wondered when he and Estelle were together how they fit. What was it like? Did he kiss her the way he kissed me? I imagined their lips pressed together. His hands on her body. STOP! I could never compete with her. I sprawled across my bed next to Reesy, frantically shoving my Ipod ear buds into my ear, listening to Nickelback. I closed my eyes trying to slow my breathing. It
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