The Apple Tree (Sunday Morning, #2) (3)
Why did my mom insist on embarrassing me?
“Oh, this is my buddy, Adam,” Kyle said as a stocky guy squeezed past him.
Adam stopped. “Hey.”
“These are my neighbors, Eve and Janet Jacobson. Janet’s husband and my brother are best friends.”
“Nice to meet you,” Adam said, smiling at my mom before gazing at me. His grin morphed into mischief as he adjusted his John Deere baseball hat. He shot a look in Kyle’s direction like they had some secret. “Eve, I’ll keep my distance.” He winked at me.
Kyle pressed his lips together to hide his grin, but my mom did not try to hide her laughter. “Adam and Eve.” She slapped her hand to her chest. “Oh dear. And my darling Eve loves apples. She was stealing them from the orchard before you bought the property.”
Who didn’t love a good Adam and Eve joke? Me. And I loved jokes, but not stupid ones.
Adam continued toward the truck.
“Daddy!” The boy ran up to Kyle and hugged him. “I want a snack.”
Kyle ruffled the boy’s dark, curly hair. “Okay, in a minute.” He rested his hands on his shoulders and turned him to face us. “Josh, these are our neighbors, Janet and Eve. Can you say hi?”
Josh tucked his chin with a bashful smile as he mumbled, “Hi.”
“Hi, Josh. It’s nice to meet you.” Mom playfully pinched his cheek.
He giggled and squirmed out of Kyle’s hold.
“How old are you?” Mom asked.
He held up five fingers.
“Aw, the fabulous fives,” Mom said.
Josh ran into the house.
“More like the ferocious fives.” Kyle sighed.
“Well, our youngest, Gabby, is sixteen, and I know she’ll babysit. Eve works at a motel and loiters at the nursing home to avoid chores, so she isn’t as available.”
“Loiters?” My jaw dropped. “I volunteer. And Grandma Bonnie is there. And I’m done between three and four every day. So, I'd be available if Kyle ever needs someone to watch Josh in the evenings.”
Everyone said I was just like my mother—feisty and stubborn—and that’s why we butted heads. But what kind of mother threw her child to the wolves like my mom did to me?
She rubbed my back. “Don’t forget, you’re always out with friends—when you’re not grounded.”
I wasn’t supposed to mention it, but it was okay for her to call me out?
We stepped aside to make room for Adam as he carried another box into the house.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Kyle said.
“What can we do to help?” Mom asked.
“I think we’ve got it.” Kyle headed toward the moving van.
I watched his ass the whole way. He had a nice ass. Not flat like a lot of guys, but not a bubble butt either like Tom, my junior prom date. But who was I kidding? Kyle and Tom weren’t even in the same league.
Boy vs man.
“Eve, grab a box,” Mom said. She wasn’t good at taking no for an answer when it came to helping people. My dad was the pastor at the only church in Devil’s Head, so hospitality was my mom’s specialty.
She excelled in potlucks and fundraisers.
Wedding receptions and funeral luncheons.
“Daddy! Snack!” Josh yelled from the front door.
“I don’t have much for a snack, buddy. We have to run to the grocery store.” Kyle and Adam carried a leather recliner down the truck’s ramp.
“Eve can take Josh to our house for a snack if you’re comfortable with that?” Mom offered.
I wanted to stay and help Kyle and Adam. If I left, who was going to keep an eye on Kyle’s nice ass?
“Would you mind?” Kyle asked, glancing at me while they carried the chair to the front door.
I plastered on a smile. “Not at all.”
“Josh, follow Eve. She’s going to get you a snack.”
“Gummy bears?” Josh looked to his dad for confirmation.
“I don’t know. Just go see, and please be good.” Kyle replied, disappearing into the house while my mom followed them.
Josh hesitated to take my proffered hand, doing his shy chin tuck before resting his little hand in mine. He didn’t know we were about to be best friends because I had an instant crush on his daddy.
CHAPTER TWO
EURYTHMICS, ANNIE LENNOX, DAVE STEWARD, “WOULD I LIE TO YOU?”
Eve
“Do you like applesauce?” I asked, leading Josh down the grassy hill and up the next to the orchard.
He replied with a slight nod.
When we reached the modest orchard, I hoisted him up. “Pick that one?” I pointed to the apple with the reddest skin.
He wrapped his tiny fingers around it.
“You have to tug at it. Pull hard.”
It made a snapping sound, and Josh grinned as he held the apple. After I set him on his feet, I nodded toward the tree. “Can I pick some apples?”
He returned a blank stare for a few seconds before giving me a tiny nod. I felt proud of myself for getting permission, and I smirked while gathering at least a dozen apples, folding up the front of my shirt for a makeshift basket.
When we reached the house, I deposited the apples into a big bowl and lifted Josh onto the kitchen counter. “First, we’re going to rinse off the apple,” I said, quickly washing it and drying it with a towel. “Then we peel it.”