Chapter Nineteen
Eva had never known Sundays to feel this lazy. The sunset had long since been swallowed by the uncaring sky and, as far as she could hear, the crickets had taken over the range. The picture window in the living room revealed each constellation as clearly as watching the Discovery Channel through the glass.
She’d never seen anything so magnificent… and terrifying.
There were more than a thousand acres of Slade land out there, and they were all alone in it.
Eva sprawled over the white carpet, putting together the last of her ideas for the Pumpkin Festival in three days. Lizardman licked her face out of nowhere and she giggled, pushing the ball of fur away from her.
“You’d better be careful,” Cole muttered from above her. He’d taken up the whole couch while watching Rumble videos on her phone on how to make a catapult. Since he’d broken his phone, he’d been using hers. West’s brother was still in his dress shirt from church, though he’d lost the tie and the pants. He’d put on those basketball shorts. She thought he looked adorable, but that was the last thing that she’d tell him, especially after that wrestling match.
Something felt different between them after that… or maybe it was after Cole had talked to West? Yes, that was definitely when Cole had changed—he’d become more reckless, less careful about appearances. It was like he didn’t care if anyone thought they were a couple when they were out supply shopping for the festival or sitting in the pews at church… and in private.
She’d be okay with that, except… well, Cole really meant nothing by it, right? Every time he touched her, her skin felt like it was on fire, and when he looked at her, it was like she’d melt.
But that was all on her. He only saw her as a sister. She was being silly.
He glanced over at Lizardman. “She’ll put you in the race next,” he warned the puppy.
“I will!” Eva sat up and hugged Lizardman’s wriggling body to her. She was ready for bed in a sweatshirt and pajama shorts with absolutely no makeup to speak of. Yeah, she was getting far too comfortable in Cole’s company. “Don’t think I won’t, you little fuzzball. Everyone is so excited for our Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice Festival.”
At least that’s what everyone had told her at church. Cole had convinced her to come along with him that morning, which was a good thing because otherwise she’d have been lazing around like thisallday.
Their friends at church had been so concerned with how Lily was doing. Eva’s ears still rang with their good wishes and offers of prayers. That was what West had rejected as useless.
Now, it felt like he was rejecting her too.
She gulped. Everyone dealt with stress differently. She studied the puppy’s expressive eyes. “You poor little guy. Don’t be sad. Aw, Cole, you know what I think? I think Lizardman misses West too!”
Cole’s lips tightened, which was about all the reaction she ever got from him when she mentioned his brother lately.
She smiled over at Lizardman, who certainly wasn’t letting his missing owner stop him from playing. He wriggled around in her arms like he thought she was his best playmate from the litter. She glanced up at Cole, remembering what she’d heard from that malfunctioning receiver on their family’s landline. West had offered to pay Cole for taking care of her. “I think you miss him too.”
“Not really.”
“You wish you didn’t have to babysit me while he’s gone.”
Cole’s eyes shot to hers, and she felt that same heat that had plagued her these past few days simmer through her neck and into her spine. “Like you said,” he whispered, “West is missing out.”
Pleasure tingled through her senses, not because he’d flattered her after the insult of his brother’s prolonged absence. No, it was something else. She realized that she actually cared what Cole thought of her now. The idea that he had to be manipulated into watching out for her was lowering.
She hugged Lizardman closer. “He is. We’re having too much fun here.” She’d briefly considered going back home after West had deserted her for Nashville, but she really thought that she could make a difference with the festival, plus, she kinda liked it here.
Not more than she should, of course. That would be crazy.
She poured her creative energies into her blueprints for the festival. They would breathe life into her plans during the next few days. She marked where friends would put food tents, even Kylee from town offered her catering skills, which was huge because Thanksgiving was the next day, but then again, Eva suspected that Kylee had a little crush on the last bachelor from the Slade household.
“You don’t like Kylee, do you?” she asked Cole.
He shifted, his cheek pressed against the couch cushion as he met her eyes again. “Are you trying to set me up again?”
She shook her head—too vigorously.
He cracked a grin. “Wait… after all this, you don’t want me to go for Kylee? I thought you were desperate for me to find love.”
“I’m not desperate.”
“You definitely are. I think you’d be happy if I ran off with your friend Ashley tomorrow.”