Page 40 of Falling for Autumn Again

“Ah.” A squeak falls from my mouth. My no-touching-Ezra plan isn’t going so well.

"Fine with me," Ezra says as if he doesn't care about being close to me. Maybe it doesn't affect him at all. Well, fine, I can be as equally uncaring. Or at least I can attempt to be.

“Fine,” I say, teeth grinding–because, apparently, I can’t hide it.

Chapter Eighteen

Ezra

“I’m driving,”Autumn says, walking past me and hopping onto the four-wheeler.

“Sounds good.” I am as cool as a cucumber Ezra… because the cooler I am, the more she seethes. I’m not sure why it’s suddenly my mission in life to make Autumn seethe. But then, maybe she’ll finally get upset enough to actually tell me the truth.

Because that’s what I want. The real Autumn. The truth about all those years ago and today. I can’t explain how I feel, but I need this. Dr. Appleby was right all along, and Bre may have been too.

I wait for her to saddle the seat and then I climb on behind her, the warmth of her body close. It’s been far too long since I’ve been this close to Autumn.

I wrap one arm around her waist, finding the button on her jeans—just like I used to.

Her head tilts. She doesn’t look at me, but the action tells me she’s talking to me. “What are you doing?”

“Holding on.” I splay my fingers over her slim waist, my fingers coming to life with the memory of her form. “I’d rather not go flying off.”

“That was one time,” she says, referring to the first time shedrove me around this farm on a four-wheeler. I didn’t know her well until I started on the farm—sophomore year. I learned quickly that Autumn Green drives fast and when she makes a decision, she’s all in. It didn’t matter that she was driving close to forty miles per hour, she’d committed to the turn around the shed. Only I didn’t know that. I flew off, got my first set of stitches—two pretty wimpy ones—and then a whack from my father for giving him an emergency room bill.

Ironically, I paid for the visit with my first Linus Farm paycheck. He didn’t have to pay for anything.

I couldn’t have stopped Autumn from taking me to the hospital though. She was determined.

That’s the day I knew I’d fallen for Autumn Green. It took many more days before I owned up to it. But I knew it then.

“I’m not taking any chances. Not with your driving.” In fact—yep, I wrap my other arm around her. As long as we’re getting Autumn feisty, let’s go all in. “You can never be too careful.”

“It’s true,” she mutters under her breath. “The second you loosen that grip, I’m throwing your pansy waist off this machine.”

It’s meant to be a threat, but it only makes me tighten my hold on her. “Noted,” I say, my cheek millimeters from hers.

Torturing Autumn is a double whammy. I'm torturing myself in the process—her soft cheek next to mine, her warm body electrifying each square of my skin touching hers, and that sugar cookie scent that lingers whenever she's near.

“What about your lunch?” Dessie moans, yards away. She holds out the paper bag she packed for Autumn.

“Give it to Don. I won’t be needing it,” Autumn says. She gives Dessie a placating grin, then pushes in on the throttle. Which only makes me hold her tighter.

“She made you a sandwich,” I tell her in her ear. The machine is too loud to talk any other way. It’s necessary. At least, that’s what I tell myself.

Autumn doesn’t turn to talk in my ear or lessen the throttle soI can hear her better. She just drives, yelling above it all. “I bet she did! But only as an excuse to get you out here!”

It’s a five-minute drive back to the bungalows and I am snug in my spot—no flying from a four-wheeler for me today.

“Everything’s just inside my rental,” I tell her, peeling myself from her side.

“You can bring it all to the office. This is a business meeting.”

“What does it matter? It’s all right here,” I say, motioning to the little white house I’m staying in. “Are you afraid to come into my house? What might happen, Autumn?” I’m egging her on—purposely. I shouldn’t, but I’m suddenly a high school kid again—one who might not be willing to admit to himself that he still likes the girl. I’ll pull her pigtails if it’s the only way to get her attention.

The thing is, while Autumn and I haven’t had the heart-to-heart that I’m hoping for. I have learned things. Yes, Autumn sent me away, broke my heart, and confused the heck out of me. But she also has a secret to tell. A reason I’m not aware of. And I don’t think it has anything to do with her feelings changing about me overnight.

Also, I’m not making it up—her words were laced with jealousy when she asked about Bre last night. A jealous Autumn means something. She’d never be jealous without cause.

---