The Apple Tree (Sunday Morning, #2) (5)

With a nervous laugh, I shook my head. “We didn’t run. It’s fine.”

“I feel really bad,” Kyle said, sliding his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “You did me a favor and got way more than you bargained for. I’m—”

“It’s fine.” I waved it off because he was so hot, handsome, sexy, and every other word that described the man of my dreams. We didn’t need to discuss runaway turds when I wanted to know if he liked younger women who had a penchant for trouble, enjoyed a few drinks, and thought nonstop about sex.

“Well, if you ever need help with math …” He didn’t finish.

I forced my gaze to his face, and he smirked. Was he making fun of me?

“Or any other favors. I owe you one.” He winked.

Heat crawled up my neck, so I looked away and tightened my ponytail. I was not the butt of anyone’s joke, no matter how hot they were. “What if you tell my mom you need a babysitter tomorrow night.” I pulled my shoulders back and slipped my fingers into my back pockets.

“But I don’t.”

“Even better.” I returned my version of a smirk, but I didn’t go so far as to wink.

“You’re grounded,” he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck like he just remembered what my mom had said.

I nodded.

Kyle twisted his lips. “You want me to lie for you?”

“Lie is such an ugly word. I like your word better.”

He chuckled, gazing at the ground between us. “What’s my word?”

“Favor. Let’s not think of it as a lie. Let’s think of it as the favor you just promised me.”

“Aiding and abetting?”

I laughed. “Abetting implies you’re encouraging me. So just aiding.”

Kyle’s eyebrows peaked.

“Just because I didn’t understand the inversion function of the cosine doesn’t mean I don’t know what abetting means.” I learned the meaning of that word a few weeks earlier in a movie.

“Arccosine is the inversion function of the cosine,” Kyle said.

I rolled my eyes.

“What are your plans for tomorrow night?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Does it matter?”

“Yes. It matters. I can’t aid you if you plan on doing something your parents don’t want you to do.”

“My parents don’t want me to leave the house, laugh, or have an original thought.”

He narrowed his eyes for a few seconds and smirked. “What did you do to get grounded?”

“Does it matter?”

He slowly nodded. “Yeah, it matters.”

I sighed. “I had a few drinks.”

“Driving?”

I shook my head. “By the creek.” I gestured to my right.

“Are you going to drink tomorrow night?”

“No.”

Maybe.

“Drugs?” he asked.

I grinned. “No.”

“Unprotected sex?”

All the blood in my body surged to my head until I felt my pulse in my burning cheeks. Was he making me an offer? “I’m a preacher’s daughter. What do you think?”

His smile beamed. He was so sexy. “If you hadn’t confessed to drinking by the creek, I would have assumed you were a rule-follower. A perfect angel. But I’m getting more of a rebel vibe now.”

“Pfft. Angels are just rebels in disguise. I’m going to the bowling alley with friends. We bowl between memorizing Bible verses and exclusively snack on Gold Fish, Animal Crackers, and grape juice as a nod to Jesus.”

Something on Kyle’s face changed as he paused before responding. He rubbed his fingers over his mouth but grinned anyway. Then, his fingers curled into a fist as he laughed. “Eve …” he said, shaking his head.

I wanted to bottle the feeling he gave me. Very few people appreciated my humor.

“So you’ll say you need a babysitter?”

He cleared his throat, still grinning. “Do you have a fake ID?”

I barked a laugh. “Everyone in Devil’s Head knows who I am. If I could get into a bar with a fake ID, do you think I’d drink by the creek?”

“Then where do you get your alcohol?”

“I can’t reveal my source. You’re a teacher, which means you can’t be trusted.”

“Gosh, we just met and already have trust issues?”

“I got all of your dishes and silverware unpacked,” Mom announced, coming out the front door. “And Josh is looking for his monster truck.”

Kyle glanced over my shoulder at my mom. “Thank you, Janet. That was very kind of you.”

“You are most welcome. What else can we do to help?”

“You know, I think that’s good for now. However, I was just asking Eve if she could watch Josh for me tomorrow night if that’s okay with you?”

“I’m sure that would be fine. She has nothing else to do.”

I frowned, and it fed Kyle’s amusement.

“What time do you need her?” Mom asked, wrapping her arm around me for a side hug.

I nudged my elbow into her ribs, trying to subtly wriggle out of her embrace.

“Maybe from six to around eight thirty or nine?”