While I adjusted the stirrups for my shorter legs, Brody led Raven out of the stall and talked to him quietly as he put the bridle on him. Raven’s ears pricked up as if he was listening to every word.
When I turned around to get the crate and drag it over so I could climb onto Whiskey Jack’s back, I slammed into Jude. He was still wearing his blue and white baseball uniform with clay and dust stains on the knees. Strands of chestnut brown hair poked through the snapback of his backward ball cap. He smelled like boy sweat and Double Mint gum. “What are you doing, sneaking up on me like that?”
“I’ll give you a leg up.”
I narrowed my eyes on him. “Last time you gave me a leg up you tossed me right over the horse’s back.”
He and Brody snort-laughed. I rolled my eyes and tried to shove him out of my way but he blocked my path and wouldn’t budge an inch. He’d gotten so much taller than me that I had to look up to see his face. I planted my hands on my hips and raised my brows. “Do you mind?”
“Come on, Rebel. I promise I’ll play nice.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“Have I ever lied to you?”
I snorted. “Only about a million times. You lied about the crocodiles in the creek. And I’m sure if I gave it some thought, I’d come up with plenty of other times you lied.”
“Well, I’m not lying now.” He gave me a smile that I knew was genuine. I knew all his smiles. This one was real and it showed off his straight white teeth. I ran my tongue over the clear braces on my teeth, counting down the months until they came off.
“Why are you being so nice all of the sudden? Is your guilty conscience troubling you?”
“I’ve got nothing to feel guilty about.”
“You told Kyle Matthews I had head lice.” I shoved his chest. It was like a wall. When had he gotten so big and strong? “Another lie.”
He shrugged and chewed on the gum in his mouth. “I thought I saw something moving in your hair.” He held up both hands like he was innocent. “An honest mistake.”
An honest mistake, my ass. “He won’t get anywhere near me now.”
“Good. I don’t like the guy. Didn’t like the way he was looking at you either.”
Brody snickered. Jude and I ignored him. “How was he looking at me?”
“Don’t worry about it.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll take care of Kyle Matthews.”
“I don’t want you to take care of him. You can’t keep messing with every boy that so much as looks at me.”
“Can’t I?” he asked, with that smug look on his face that made me want to punch him. Too bad my mom made me promise I’d never punch him again.
I glared at him. “No. You can’t. You need to keep your nose out of my business.”
“Well, you see, I can’t do that because you keep making stupid choices.”
My jaw dropped. “I don’t make stupid choices.”
“Talking to Kyle Matthews is a prime example.”
“He seems nice enough,” I said, not sure why I was forcing the point. I didn’t give two hoots about Kyle Matthews but it annoyed me that Jude thought he could dictate who I could and couldn’t hang out with.
“Oh wait. Do you like Kyle Matthews? Do you have a crush on Kyle Matthews?”
“So what if I do?” I said, goading him just to see what he’d do. It was my favorite sport and he always played along.
“Well, let me tell you something. Even if you had bugs in your hair, I wouldn’t even care.”
“You wouldn’t care if I had head lice?”
“Nope.”
“What am I supposed to say about that?”
“Thank you would be a good start.”
“I’m supposed to thank you?”
“Yeah.” He gave me a look like Duh.
“Why?” I asked, confused.
“Because Rebel… if a guy is worth it…” He leaned in close, close enough that I could smell his minty breath, and wrapped a lock of my hair around his fingers, tugging it gently. It was playful but it felt like something else, especially with the way he was looking at me, his blue eyes darker, focused on my mouth. I wet my lips with my tongue, noticing the way his eyes followed and his breathing got shallow.
“If he really likes you, he won’t even care if he has to shave his head because of you.”
“That’s um…” I shook my head. Sometimes he made absolutely no sense. Was he saying he liked me? As in liked me? “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”
“Why don’t you two just kiss and get it over with?” Brody said over his shoulder.
My eyes widened in horror. “I wouldn’t kiss him if he was the last boy on earth.”
“Sure you wouldn’t.” Brody rolled his eyes then walked his horse out of the barn.
I watched him a minute to make sure he was okay on that mean, ornery horse. It was a bit skittish but instead of reining him in, Brody gave him the lead, leaning over his neck and talking in his ear, his voice too low to hear, as if he really was a horse whisperer and that horse understood his every word. Not only that, but Brody was riding him bareback. Raven wasn’t so crazy about getting saddled up.
When I was sure that Brody had it under control, I returned my gaze to Jude. He gave me a slow, lazy grin that made my stomach flip-flop.
It was only in that moment that I realized that my best friend slash bane of my existence was beautiful with his suntanned skin that made his blue eyes bluer and his dimpled smile and square jawline stand out.
Now I understood why girls fell all over themselves trying to get his attention.
I hated it. I hated the way they talked about him and ogled him and passed him notes at school. The way Ashleigh Monroe flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and licked her pink-glossed lips whenever he looked her way.
How could I have been so blind not to notice what was right in front of me? I just stood there, staring at him like it was the first time I’d ever seen him.
“Now who’s lying?” he said before he strode out of the barn having gotten in the last word. He always got in the last word but this time all I could do was stare at the door he’d just walked out of while my pulse raced and my heart pounded so hard I could feel it in my throat.
What had just happened?
Chapter Five
Lila
“Just have a good time,” I heard Kate telling my mom on the phone as Jude dealt our cards. She had it on speaker so we could hear my mom from our spot on the back porch. She and Derek had gone away for the weekend to celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary. “You know we love having Lila. She’s like one of the family.”
It warmed me from the inside to hear those words. I liked thinking that I was one of the family, like I was a part of something bigger, and had a special place in the McCallister’s lives. It didn’t make me feel so lonely being an only child. Not when I had four boys who were like brothers to me.
Kate came out to the back porch and handed me the phone. I took it from her with a smile. My hands were sticky from the watermelon we’d just eaten so I set the phone on the picnic table. “Hey Mom.”