He holds out his hand, helping me over a furrow cut through the sod by erosion and runoff.
I scan the opposite ridge. “You’ll eventually want to pull out the cedar up on that ridge. And the osage orange.”
“The bush apples?” He winces. “I love those things. My mom used to pick big baskets of them. She said they kept the spiders away. They’re invasive?”
“I’m afraid so.”
We stop on a little plateau, looking down on the ravine. He’s standing close enough that his sleeve brushes my jacket.
I glance back up the hill and I can almost see his dream house up there. The one he’s never going to build. “I didn’t know.” I blurt.
He looks down at me, tilting his head.
“I didn’t realize where we were.” I say, blushing. “It wouldn’t have made any difference. Your mom insisted it had to be here. But I didn’t make the connection until just now.”
“Ah.” He says softly, giving me a small smile. He looks away. “I just can’t figure out why she’s doing it. I never really told anyone about my plans for this place. Just my mom and you.”
That casual reference to a monumental night has my blood fizzing. “If it helps, I don’t think it has anything to do with you.”
“Yeah, but that’s the thing.” He glances down at me, hurt lingering in his eyes. “It should.”
The first seeds of doubt, of guilt, start to take root in my heart.
I like Heather, but it does seem like her crusade for revenge is collecting unintended victims.
Bo is collateral damage to her.
And I’m helping.
Bo sighs. “Okay. Take out the sweet little Osage oranges that never hurt a fly. And the cedar. What should I put in their place?”
“I’ve got a list for you in the truck. There’s a few nurseries in Lincoln that grow a bunch of natives. You can plant them yourself or hire them to do it.”
He shrugs. “I got nothing else to do this week. What about you?”
“Thisiswhat I’m doing.”
He grins. “Then maybe we ought to go shopping.”
19.
Bo
I drive a big truck because I’m a big guy.
I don’t think twice about climbing up past those lifted axils. But Andy is so short, she almost needs a boost.
I like the way she looks bundled up beside me in my truck. Spring is finally starting to behave itself and we’ve got sunshine and decent weather for our plant nursery visits. She’s wearing another dress, because, of course, she is.
Black, with little buttons down the front. And sneakers.
It’s a quirky combination, but cute. I’ve started looking forward to seeing what she’s going to wear next. She’s got a knack for putting things together that you wouldn’t expect and making it lookgood.
She’s going on about the birds and the bees again. The flying kind. Not the sexy kind.
And I’m listening, but I’m also just marveling at the fact that we’re doing this trip together. I’m a little surprised she’s willing to spend this much time with me.
In high school, she had a reputation for holding all the guys at arm’s length. That’s why the rumor about the two of us sleeping together was such big news. One of us guys managed to get past those defenses.
