the coleslaw and forgot a main ingredient. He glanced at Renee. “You know I love your coleslaw. I just took a big ol’ bite, and when it hit my tongue, it just came right back out.”
Roy lifted his hand. “It’s all right, Drew. You didn’t aim to hurt Melody’s feelings.”
Renee added, “Let’s just not make a big deal about this. It’s best we just go ahead and act normal. She’ll feel better when she comes out if we’re all acting normal.”
Drew tried to eat the rest of his food. It all tasted the same—bland. He didn’t overly like Melody, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings or embarrass her, either. She never came out of the bathroom. He could hear Addy trying to talk to her, and he considered trying to go back to the bathroom and apologize, but he was afraid it would make her more upset. With a sigh of frustration, he decided he should go outside with the other men.
They started a game of cornhole. Drew and his dad against Roy and Nick. It would be an easy game, as it always was. He and his dad could whip up on Roy and Nick even if they gave them a five-point lead from the beginning.
Drew turned when the back screen door smacked against the doorjamb. Addy and Melody walked toward two foldable chairs under the oversized oak tree. Melody had pulled her hair back in a ponytail, and Drew could tell she’d cleaned the makeup off her face. She still looked pretty, and Drew wished he could think of a way to apologize to her about the coleslaw.
“Drew, you entering the tractor pull?” Roy asked.
Drew scoffed as he looked back at the men. “You know I am. There ain’t nobody got a tractor as sweet as mine.” Drew gawked at Nick. “You gonna try to take me on this Fourth of July?”
Nick chortled and took a few steps back. “Oh no. Now that I’m hitched, I haven’t had time to work on souping up a tractor.”
“Excuse me, Nick Martin?” Drew turned toward his sister and Melody. Addy had her hands on her hips. “Are you begrudging being hitched?”
Nick raced to his new wife, wrapped his arms around her, lifted her off the ground, and spun her around. “Not in the slightest. I love my little ball and chain.”
“Nick Martin!” Addy teasingly swatted his shoulders until Nick planted a long kiss on her lips.
Disgusted and yet feeling the oddest nudging of jealousy, Drew rolled his eyes and looked back at Roy. “Guess the only competition I’ve ever had won’t be showing up.”
“I’ll be there.” Melody walked toward them, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
“What?” Drew frowned.
“I’ll be competing in the tractor pull.”
Drew laughed. “I’m serious.”
Drew widened his stance and placed his hands on his hips. He let out a long breath. “I’m sure you are serious, but you have no business competing in the tractor pull.”
“Why?” She cocked her head and squinted at him. “Because I’m a just a little, wimpy woman?”
There she went with the “little, wimpy” comments again. He had never suggested she was wimpy; however, she was little—tiny in height and frame.
Drew spread his arms out. “Why do you have to be so competitive? Why do you have to prove yourself all the time?”
“Why do you have to be the best of everything all the time? Why can’t you lose?”
Drew ground his teeth. He intertwined his fingers and lifted his hands to his lips. Inwardly, he counted to ten, willing himself not to explode and say something to her that he’d later regret. He swallowed and nodded his head. “Okay, Melody. I’ll see you there.”
He turned and stomped toward the house. He’d had about all he could take of Melody Markwell. Girl or no girl, at that tractor pull he was going to knock that little spitfire off her high horse.
six
Drew checked the Continental AV1790 tank engine he’d put in the tractor. He liked this particular one because it was an American engine used to pilot heavy tanks. He hopped onto the seat of the tractor and started her
Roy lifted his hand. “It’s all right, Drew. You didn’t aim to hurt Melody’s feelings.”
Renee added, “Let’s just not make a big deal about this. It’s best we just go ahead and act normal. She’ll feel better when she comes out if we’re all acting normal.”
Drew tried to eat the rest of his food. It all tasted the same—bland. He didn’t overly like Melody, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings or embarrass her, either. She never came out of the bathroom. He could hear Addy trying to talk to her, and he considered trying to go back to the bathroom and apologize, but he was afraid it would make her more upset. With a sigh of frustration, he decided he should go outside with the other men.
They started a game of cornhole. Drew and his dad against Roy and Nick. It would be an easy game, as it always was. He and his dad could whip up on Roy and Nick even if they gave them a five-point lead from the beginning.
Drew turned when the back screen door smacked against the doorjamb. Addy and Melody walked toward two foldable chairs under the oversized oak tree. Melody had pulled her hair back in a ponytail, and Drew could tell she’d cleaned the makeup off her face. She still looked pretty, and Drew wished he could think of a way to apologize to her about the coleslaw.
“Drew, you entering the tractor pull?” Roy asked.
Drew scoffed as he looked back at the men. “You know I am. There ain’t nobody got a tractor as sweet as mine.” Drew gawked at Nick. “You gonna try to take me on this Fourth of July?”
Nick chortled and took a few steps back. “Oh no. Now that I’m hitched, I haven’t had time to work on souping up a tractor.”
“Excuse me, Nick Martin?” Drew turned toward his sister and Melody. Addy had her hands on her hips. “Are you begrudging being hitched?”
Nick raced to his new wife, wrapped his arms around her, lifted her off the ground, and spun her around. “Not in the slightest. I love my little ball and chain.”
“Nick Martin!” Addy teasingly swatted his shoulders until Nick planted a long kiss on her lips.
Disgusted and yet feeling the oddest nudging of jealousy, Drew rolled his eyes and looked back at Roy. “Guess the only competition I’ve ever had won’t be showing up.”
“I’ll be there.” Melody walked toward them, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
“What?” Drew frowned.
“I’ll be competing in the tractor pull.”
Drew laughed. “I’m serious.”
Drew widened his stance and placed his hands on his hips. He let out a long breath. “I’m sure you are serious, but you have no business competing in the tractor pull.”
“Why?” She cocked her head and squinted at him. “Because I’m a just a little, wimpy woman?”
There she went with the “little, wimpy” comments again. He had never suggested she was wimpy; however, she was little—tiny in height and frame.
Drew spread his arms out. “Why do you have to be so competitive? Why do you have to prove yourself all the time?”
“Why do you have to be the best of everything all the time? Why can’t you lose?”
Drew ground his teeth. He intertwined his fingers and lifted his hands to his lips. Inwardly, he counted to ten, willing himself not to explode and say something to her that he’d later regret. He swallowed and nodded his head. “Okay, Melody. I’ll see you there.”
He turned and stomped toward the house. He’d had about all he could take of Melody Markwell. Girl or no girl, at that tractor pull he was going to knock that little spitfire off her high horse.
six
Drew checked the Continental AV1790 tank engine he’d put in the tractor. He liked this particular one because it was an American engine used to pilot heavy tanks. He hopped onto the seat of the tractor and started her
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