Page 24 of Maybe, Probably
I peer up at Xavier in awe. “That was so fun! I’ve never fed any sort of farm animal before! Realistically, I’ve never evenownedan animal until Winnie. So I guess that just makes sense that I haven’t. This was fun. Thank you for taking me here.”
“I’m glad you like it. Come on, I have one more spot to show you.” He tilts his head in the direction he wants us to go. I begin to follow him down a trail around the fenced area as he continues. “This spot is a little out of the way. It’s where I keep the ducks. They have free range of the property, but they like this area because of the pond I made back here.”
We round a corner and I see the body of water that’s there. It’s shaped like an hourglass, with a ramp at the top part of the water. It’s encased in large slabs of stone that allow for a natural look. Behind the rocks there are various plants scattered around the circumference of the pond. By the ramp, it leads up to a small building that has an open door. I can’t see what’s in there from this distance but I’m assuming that’s where the ducks go at night. There are outside string lights hanging in the trees, giving a soft illumination of the shaded area. I can see a few of the ducks swimming in the pond–wait. There are two types of ducks. The first couple are white feathered with orange beaks. Over by the shed, there are several ducks with a mix of brown, beige and white, and some that have a gray body mixed with brown and white and its head is green. I remember when I was growing up seeing those types of ducks at a campsite. We would go and feed them every once in a while, and they were super docile. I had one eat right out of my hand!
I smile at the memory, as I stare out in awe. “This is-” My sentence is cut off as I see two ducks barrelling toward us at a speed I've never seen before, using their wings as extra momentum to get to us faster.
Oh, shit.
Chapter Eleven
Xavier
Fuck.
I was so caught up with watching Harpers expression as she was taking in the ducks enclosure that I forgot to give her the warning about these fuckers. The thing is, they’re food motivated. I used to have treats in my pocket when I first got them. They caught on quickly that my pockets were always full of something, like they are right now. What they don’t realize? It’s onlymewho has the treats in their pocket.
So, when I see the wide eyed look on Harper's face before she starts booking it to the left side of the pond, I already know that these damn ducks have seen her pockets and set their targets on her. I try to intercept them as they power forward, but trying to herd ducks is just as bad as you think it is. They easily dodge my efforts and continue their pursuit of Harper.
She screeches as she continues to run. “Wait, Harper!” I try to warn her that she shouldn’t go that way. It’s uneven ground, and if you don’t know where the holes are, it’s guaranteed you’ll fall. Harper isn’t the mostgracefulof humans, either. Just as I’m about to call for her again, I see it happen in slow motion. I see one foot go down to plant on the ground. Then, I watch as her foot rolls, and she careens forward toward the ground. My feet are moving before I even realize what I’m doing.
I hear the harumph as her body collides with the ground. “Oh my fuck!” She screeches as the ducks begin their descent to her jean pockets. It only takes me a short time before I’m by her side. I quickly grab into my pockets and throw the cracked corn away from Harper’s body. Her handsare still covering her face when I turn to her. The ducks have officially left, happy to have accomplished their mission.
I caress her shoulder, letting her know that it’s me. “Hey, you’re okay. I’m so sorry I forgot to warn you about these greedy assholes.” Her eyes connect with mine as she peeks between her fingers. The emerald green shines with fear.
“That was fucking terrifying. Those things must be Satan incarnate.” Her voice trembles as she begins to sit up. I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up from my chest as her words settle into me. I take a step back and offer my hand to her. She hesitates for a minute before she puts her hand in mine, and I pull her up.
“Yeah, they’re assholes. I meant to tell you they’re food motivated and think everyone's pocket’s have cracked corn in there.” She side-eyes me quickly before letting go of my hand to wipe off the grass and dirt now covering her. The warmth of her hand in mine quickly fades, and it sets something off in my chest. I take a step back quickly as I rub my knuckles over the crown on my chest. The tattoo is an everyday reminder of my past.
A hiss slips from Harper's lips as she tries to take a step forward on the foot she twisted. I’m immediately back at her side offering her support.
“Crap, this is just what I need.” She continues mumbles to herself, the words running together
Before she can protest, my one arm slides behind her back and the other behind her knees, as I pick her up and head back to my house.
“Xavier!” She squeaks. “Put me down! You don’t need to carry me. Honestly, I’m fine.”
I grunt, continuing the trek back to my house. “It’s fine. I don’t want you to injure yourself more than you already have. Now, shush.”
Her lips thin, like she’s holding her tongue from saying something. Eventually she sighs. “Thanks, I guess,” she mumbles.
We reach my house, and I walk straight through the screen door on the porch. Using the arm that's under her knee I lean forward, opening the door and walk through the threshold. I veer to the right and head straightto my sectional couch. The olive green suede couch has honestly seen better days, but I haven’t bothered to replace it. It’s comfy as shit, and I love laying on the couch watching the hockey games with Monty when he can make it out. Placing her down on the center cushion of the long side of the couch, she shuffles back and forth to get comfy. Dropping down at her feet, I grab her foot gently, unlacing her shoe.
“Oh, I can do that.” She stutters, reaching down and removing the shoe I was unlacing. I don’t miss the wince on her face when she takes off her left shoe. I gently grab the bottom of her left foot and bring it up to get a better look. Before I can lift up her pant leg, I can already begin to see the swelling of her ankle. I place it down lightly before I get up and head to the kitchen.
“Wait— where are you going?”
“That ankle is already swelling, I'm going to grab you some ice and ibuprofen to help with the pain and swelling.” My sentence leaves no room for argument as I open my fridge and grab the ice packet from the door of my freezer, then grab a bottle of water and stick it into my sweater pocket. Grabbing a dish towel, I wrap it around the ice pack while I make my way back down the hallway, stopping quickly at my small bathroom to grab the ibuprofen and stuff it in my pocket. Continuing my trek down the hall toward the woman who has easily taken over my thoughts over the last couple days. The faded brown mixed in with the beige of my hall carpet shows the wear and tear on it. It just reminds me of the home I made for myself and the comfort that comes with it.
Harper is exactly where I left her, leaning back against the couch with her left arm across her upper stomach and her elbow resting on that left hand while she chews on the thumb of her right hand. “Hey.” I say in a low voice so I don’t startle her. Her eyes flick up to mine. She removes her thumb from her face and sits up straight while rubbing both hands down her thighs. The movement makes me notice the thick thighs that look like they could be the comfiest things to use as a pillow.
I quickly shake my head out of that train of thought and sit next to her. Grabbing one of my throw pillows, I toss it on the coffee table.Bending forward, I guide her swelling ankle and rest it on the pillow before blanketing the ice pack overtop. “We’ll let that sit for about twenty minutes before we take it off and see where you’re at then, okay?” Harper quickly nods her head in agreement. I grab the water and ibuprofen from my pocket and pass it over to her. She takes a tablet and swallows it down with some water. I watch her throat work the water down with each gulp.
I clear my throat, bringing my right hand to the back of my neck, rubbing it, “I guess while we wait, we can discuss what I offered back at the bar.”
Harper's lips twitch as she looks at me. “And what exactly was it that you wereofferingme Xavier.” I realize the innuendo of my words as soon as she puts emphasis on the word offering.
I feel my cheeks heat a little bit. “Oh man, I didn’t– uh.” Sitting up straighter, I clear my throat. “About fake dating. Theofferof fake dating.”
