Page 55 of The Surprise
“Fine. . .what?” Izzy glances down the hall like she’s worried the paparazzi might be on our tail.
She’s right that soon we’ll have even less personal space than we have now, so I guess I may as well tell her. I shove past her and close the door. “I’mnotembarrassed, okay? But it is a bit tricky, because for some reason, this girl isn’t totally sold on me yet.” I can’t help flexing my pecs and biceps a little. “No idea why.”
It’s idiotic, but it makes Izzy laugh. So, there’s that. “Who?” She’s like a cow with corn—fixated.
“Beth,” I say.
“Iknewit,” she says. “Whitney thinks you’re talking to Becca from back home.”
I scrunch up my nose. “Ew.”
“You did like her last year.”
“You were obsessed with mom jeans and scrunchies last year. I don’t mock you for that.”
Izzy rolls her eyes. “So, tell me why all the secrecy.”
“Do you really not know?”
“Because her dad’s the devil?” Izzy frowns. “Honestly, I’m surprised you’re okay with that. They basically forced us to move.”
“Here’s the thing,” I say. “Her dad does suck, but people can’t control what their parents do, and some parents can’t even control what their kids do.”
“I guess,” Izzy says.
“And I’m not sure that I’m moving.”
Izzy may have had a hunch about Beth, but that declaration takes her by surprise and then some. “You. . .what?”
I fill her in on how Kevin and Jeff have offered to spot me on a one-third interest in a ranch. “They have their eye on Birch Creek, and yeah it would’ve been better if I had just inherited it, but I was already looking at a partial share when you guys were going to inherit it, and I’d have two other people to help me this way.”
She just stares at me. “Will you really stay here if we move home?”
I shrug.
“Mom is gonnaflip.”
“It’s not for Beth,” I say.
Izzy’s eyes widen and she snort-laughs. “Sure it’s not.”
“I mean, not entirely.”
“Okay.”
“I wanted to come here from the start,” I say. “And I’ve liked working the ranch and learning about cattle.”
“But you were going to head home with us. . .if it weren’t for her.”
I can’t really argue with her about that part.
“Listen, nothing’s definite, but can you at least help me with a plan?”
“What is the plan?” Izzy falls back onto her bed, her head flopping against her pillow.
“So, the thing is, Beth wasn’t talking to me. Like, at all. She decided she’s bad for me, and that her dad is bad, so even though we were flirting and stuff—”
Izzy sits ups. “Whoa. You kissed her.”
