Page 46 of The Burbs and the Bees
The sound of wheels crunching on my gravel driveway reach my ears, and I almost breathe a sigh of relief, thankful for the distraction.
I look to my long driveway and spot an SUV. “I’d better go. Customers.”
“Yeah. You, ah, have a little something…” He reaches for me, and I flinch. He jerks his hand back. “Sorry.” He touches his cheek. “On your face.”
I brush my face, and a bug falls. “Ohmigod. What the hell was that? It wasn’t a tick, was it?”
“Just a small beetle.”
I dance around and brush my arms, doing a good job of mimicking hot bacon sizzling in a pan. “I hate bugs.”
“I can tell.” He chuckles.
“Are there any more?”
Jay touches my shoulders to still me, and the warmth of his hands trickles all the way to the stupid needy spot between my legs. Alrighty then. A car door slams, and I work to calm myself down in more ways than one.
“I’ll see you around,” he says but doesn’t make a move to go. Neither do I. His ridiculous gravitational pull won’t allow me to step away.
“Thanks again for the clothes and help today,” I say, stalling.
“Yup.”
My phone pings, surprising me. “I’d… I’d better go.”
“Yup,” he says again.
I force my legs to move and glance at my phone as I step around him, hoping it’s not dear old Dad again.
Lucy: You would not believe who Nolan made out with last night.
I stare at the text from Lucy. Well, hello to you, too, and oh yes, I made it here safely and things are going great. Oh, and my neighbor, he’s hot as hell, and we nearly kissed.
But I don’t say any of that.
Who? I text back.
Lucy: Brittany the skank. We are so done.
Nolan is her boyfriend. I always did think he was kind of a jerk. I’m sorry, I text back.
Lucy: How’s the farm?
Terrifying. Overwhelming. I’m so tired, I could go narcoleptic at any minute. Great, I type. Beautiful here.
Lucy: When are you coming home? I miss my bestie.
I snort. Now that Nolan is out of the picture and you’re on the prowl again. But I don’t say that. Instead, I text, Not for a while.
Lucy: I still can’t believe you went there in the first place.
It’s not so bad, I text, realizing that despite it all, I actually mean it.
Lucy: Maybe I should come visit. Get away from here for a bit.
I smile. That’s a reality show waiting to happen. Absolutely. I have to run right now. Farm work never ends.
Lucy: I won’t have to like do farm work if I visit, will I?
