Page 35 of The Run Home
Even if it didn’t have even a whiff of romance.
“Don’t turn around, but Boon just entered the room and he’s looking at you so intently, I can feel the heat from here.”
I started to turn around, but Lydia kicked my shin under the table and I ended up grabbing my leg instead. “Ow!”
“I said don’t turn around!”
Now look who was whisper-hissing.
It was too late anyway. Just knowing he was in the room was making my cheeks heat and my heart thought we were running the timed mile out on the track.
“Has he said anything else after…you know…” Lydia put her can of soda to her mouth to block her lips, but I still heard her. She’d been the first one I’d talked to after theyou come to meincident.
“No.”
“I think the ball’s in your court, Shae.”
“There are no balls anywhere near my court,” I replied dryly.
Lydia snorted. “There will be tomorrow night. Maybe that’s what you need. A hot-blooded man to fill the void. A good dicking is surely the antidote to a childhood crush.”
“Did you read that in a Hallmark card?”
Coach Johnson plunked his Taco Bell bag down on our table. “Mind if I join you ladies?”
My head snapped to the side. I recovered quickly, pushing the chair out with my foot in invitation. The conversation with Lydia abruptly halted.
“Have a seat, big dog!” I said loudly.
I heard a growl from across the room and knew it came from Boon.
“Why the crappers is there so much grass in this picture?” I had at least twenty puzzle pieces of blades of grass. How was I supposed to tell where they went on this stupid jigsaw puzzle? I far preferred putting together the pieces that made up Boon’s legs in those baseball pants. Get this, there was one piece that was squarely his crotch!
The loud bang on my front door made me jump. I wasn’t expecting anyone. I got up and looked out the peephole, then silently shook my fists at the ceiling.
Boon.
Given the mega frown on his face, I didn’t think he’d leave before breaking down my door. I looked down at my body, regretting taking my bra off the second I got home from school and the sweats with streaks of paint on them from trying to resuscitate my ancient porch rocking chairs. But there wasn’t time to change.
I yanked open the door and, at the last second, remembered the jigsaw puzzle I had on my coffee table. In horror, I wedged my body between the door and the jamb, saying a prayer of thanks for my curvy body that would hopefully block any incriminating evidence.
Boon stood there with a dirty shovel and a scowl. He was still hotter than any other man I’d ever met in my life.
“Sorry, I don’t need any shallow graves dug.” Yet. Maybe after my date though.
I went to close the door, but he grabbed the handle and held it open. What the crap? I had my entire body’s weight on the door and he resisted with just one hand. Stupid, muscular men.
“What do you want?”
He sighed, an impressive feat considering how hard he clenched his jaw. “Mom said the geese got out again today and ate part of your flowers in the backyard. I’m supposed to plant new ones.” He held up the shovel.
“It’s fine. I don’t need flowers. I rarely go in the backyard anyway.” I noticed his hand was a mere inch away from my belly, his knuckles white as he gripped the door.
“You don’t tell Gigi no,” he said simply.
Gah. He had a point. If I said no to Boon, Gigi would be over here doing the work herself, and at her age, she didn’t need to be doing that.
“Fine. Go around back.” I tossed my head to the side where there was open access to my backyard.
