expression.
"I saw you smile at that frog," I said.
He looked at me sideways. "I didn't smile at any frog," he said.
"Yes you did," I said, pushing at his arm a little. "You were cheesin' it up at that first frog you pulled out of the water."
"I was not," he said.
I shrugged and shook my head at him. "You can think what you want to think, but I saw it with my own eyes."
"You're acting like I don't know how to smile."
"You don't," I said. "That was the first time I saw you do it."
"Maybe I'm a little rusty at it," he admitted.
We had climbed onto the shore and were making our way to Cole's truck by this point.
"I'm gonna bring the trailer back to Dad," Cole said when he saw us walk up the bank. "Just park the boat on his dock sometime next week, if you don't mind."
"Tell him I'll have it there by Wednesday, and thanks again for letting me check it out."
Cole nodded, leaning over the edge of the bed of his truck as he talked to Jacob. "I'll tell him. Did you need us to help you move something?"
"Thanks, but I think it'll be easier during the day. It's no hurry. I'll get you to help me next time."
Cole gave him a nod before focusing on me. "Are you ready?" he asked.
I nodded and started toward the truck. I had only taken one step when I felt Jacob reach out and gently touch my arm. I glanced at him as we continued walking.
"Thank you," he said.
I gave him a little nod and smile, and focused again on the path in front of me. I felt speechless, like anything I said right then would be inadequate.
"For what?" I whispered before my cousins could overhear us. I needed to clarify what he was thanking me for so I could do it again.
He shot me a sincere but still serious expression. "Human contact," he said, finally.
By the time he said it, we were already close enough to my cousins that I couldn't say anything back without them overhearing.
"Okay, so I'll bring you some of those tomorrow," I said, as if it was just part of the conversation we'd been having.
Jacob glanced at me curiously, but I just smiled and acted natural.
"I'll come by at five o'clock. Open the gate, if you don't mind."
I knew my cousins were staring at us and hearing everything I was saying, but I just stared straight up at Jacob, wondering if he would go along with me or call me out.
"Tomorrow, huh?"
"I thought that's what we said," I said, casually.
"Yeah," he said, nodding.
"Five o'clock?" I asked.
A second's hesitation.
"Yeah."
"Okay, I'll see you then. Open the gate if you don't mind."
Within a couple of minutes, I was on my way back to Aunt Debbie's with Cole and Cam.
"What was all that about?" Cam asked as we drove.
"What?"
"You telling him to leave his gate open and all that."
"I didn't want to have to walk around it," I said.
Cole sighed like he was doing his best to remain patient. "You can't be pushing yourself on him," he said. "Mom's doing the same thing, and I think Mrs. Reeves and Mrs. Simon have both been out there. Y'all just need to leave him alone."
"You heard him," I said. "He said he wants me to come by. I'm gonna bring some boudin balls from Ty's."
Thankfully, Cole didn't say anything else about it. He dropped me off at his mom's so I could get my car, and I went inside to say thank you and goodnight to Aunt Debbie and Uncle Steve before heading home.
Chapter 8
I was so proud of myself for setting up a time to see Jacob again. If I hadn't done that, it probably would have been days or weeks until our next encounter. I thought about it a lot that night, and days or weeks just wouldn't have worked—that would have been completely unacceptable.
Sometime as the night went on, I came to terms with the fact that I had a crush on Jacob Fox.
It was easier for me to tell myself I was going over there to make him feel better or perform some other good deed, but it just wasn't the truth, and it was time I admitted that—even if it was just to myself. The fact of the matter was that I wanted to be
"I saw you smile at that frog," I said.
He looked at me sideways. "I didn't smile at any frog," he said.
"Yes you did," I said, pushing at his arm a little. "You were cheesin' it up at that first frog you pulled out of the water."
"I was not," he said.
I shrugged and shook my head at him. "You can think what you want to think, but I saw it with my own eyes."
"You're acting like I don't know how to smile."
"You don't," I said. "That was the first time I saw you do it."
"Maybe I'm a little rusty at it," he admitted.
We had climbed onto the shore and were making our way to Cole's truck by this point.
"I'm gonna bring the trailer back to Dad," Cole said when he saw us walk up the bank. "Just park the boat on his dock sometime next week, if you don't mind."
"Tell him I'll have it there by Wednesday, and thanks again for letting me check it out."
Cole nodded, leaning over the edge of the bed of his truck as he talked to Jacob. "I'll tell him. Did you need us to help you move something?"
"Thanks, but I think it'll be easier during the day. It's no hurry. I'll get you to help me next time."
Cole gave him a nod before focusing on me. "Are you ready?" he asked.
I nodded and started toward the truck. I had only taken one step when I felt Jacob reach out and gently touch my arm. I glanced at him as we continued walking.
"Thank you," he said.
I gave him a little nod and smile, and focused again on the path in front of me. I felt speechless, like anything I said right then would be inadequate.
"For what?" I whispered before my cousins could overhear us. I needed to clarify what he was thanking me for so I could do it again.
He shot me a sincere but still serious expression. "Human contact," he said, finally.
By the time he said it, we were already close enough to my cousins that I couldn't say anything back without them overhearing.
"Okay, so I'll bring you some of those tomorrow," I said, as if it was just part of the conversation we'd been having.
Jacob glanced at me curiously, but I just smiled and acted natural.
"I'll come by at five o'clock. Open the gate, if you don't mind."
I knew my cousins were staring at us and hearing everything I was saying, but I just stared straight up at Jacob, wondering if he would go along with me or call me out.
"Tomorrow, huh?"
"I thought that's what we said," I said, casually.
"Yeah," he said, nodding.
"Five o'clock?" I asked.
A second's hesitation.
"Yeah."
"Okay, I'll see you then. Open the gate if you don't mind."
Within a couple of minutes, I was on my way back to Aunt Debbie's with Cole and Cam.
"What was all that about?" Cam asked as we drove.
"What?"
"You telling him to leave his gate open and all that."
"I didn't want to have to walk around it," I said.
Cole sighed like he was doing his best to remain patient. "You can't be pushing yourself on him," he said. "Mom's doing the same thing, and I think Mrs. Reeves and Mrs. Simon have both been out there. Y'all just need to leave him alone."
"You heard him," I said. "He said he wants me to come by. I'm gonna bring some boudin balls from Ty's."
Thankfully, Cole didn't say anything else about it. He dropped me off at his mom's so I could get my car, and I went inside to say thank you and goodnight to Aunt Debbie and Uncle Steve before heading home.
Chapter 8
I was so proud of myself for setting up a time to see Jacob again. If I hadn't done that, it probably would have been days or weeks until our next encounter. I thought about it a lot that night, and days or weeks just wouldn't have worked—that would have been completely unacceptable.
Sometime as the night went on, I came to terms with the fact that I had a crush on Jacob Fox.
It was easier for me to tell myself I was going over there to make him feel better or perform some other good deed, but it just wasn't the truth, and it was time I admitted that—even if it was just to myself. The fact of the matter was that I wanted to be
Similar Books
