“Wha—?” I glanced down and saw tracks of mud on my pants, and the spot where Tulip had made neat work of fraying my shirt’s hem. “Oh.” I laughed quietly. “I was in the goat pen.”
“Since when do you willingly visit the goat pen?”
“Since tonight, I guess.” I shrugged sheepishly. “Tulip’s not such bad company, except for her manners.” He gave a hushed laugh, and his cheeks glowed in the lantern light in a way that made my pulse hammer. “Since when is serenading baby cows one of your chores?”
“She hasn’t been nursing.” His voice was low and soothing. “I’ve been trying to bottle-feed her, but she’s too nervous. I thought maybe the music would help.”
“Want some company?” I asked.
Wait … what? Had that actually just come out of my mouth? This was not good. It would probably make things worse with Wren if she found out I was hanging one-on-one with Gabe. I turned for the door and, with a jittering heart, I quickly backpedaled. “Forget it. You’re busy, and I—”
He caught my hand, and I froze. “Bria.” His eyes were soft. “Stay. Please.”
“O-okay,” I squeaked. My face was burning, and I only started breathing again when he let his hand slide from mine.
“I’d avoid going back to the house for at least a half hour. Maybe more.” He picked up the large bottle of milk beside his stool and gently lifted the calf’s head, then tried running the tip of the bottle around her mouth to see if he could get her to drink. The calf turned her head away, refusing. “What’s the drama anyway?”
“My aunt and uncle decided to sell to CheeseCo,” I answered.
Gabe looked up, eyes wide. “Oh wow. I mean, it’s not a huge surprise, but it’s …” As he tried, again, to get the calf to take the bottle, he simply ran out of words. I nodded, understanding.
“There’s nothing I can do to help,” I confessed. “I don’t know the right things to say …”
“Because you can’t imagine wanting to living here in the first place.”
Did I still feel that way? I wasn’t really sure anymore. I sank to my knees beside Gabe’s stool and the poor, bleating calf. I stroked her velvety neck, and she instantly quieted.
“Look at that.” Gabe smiled. “She calmed right down for you.”
I laughed softly as the calf stuck her nose against my palm, and then Gabe was handing the bottle to me.
“Give it a try,” he suggested. “She might take it from you.”
“But I don’t know what I’m doing!” I countered, trying to push the bottle back into Gabe’s hands. “I can’t—”
Gabe settled down beside me, his shoulder pressed against my back. “You can,” he whispered. Then, slipping his hand over mine, he helped me guide the bottle toward the calf’s mouth. I stroked under her chin with one hand and gently coaxed her into accepting the bottle. Within seconds, she was swallowing the milk with smacking, suckling sounds, her bright brown eyes trained on my face.
“She’s drinking!” I laughed. “Good girl. You drink it all down now.”
I glanced at Gabe, who was smiling at me, and I suddenly realized how close his head was to mine. Our eyes locked. His hand was still over mine, and my skin was crackling with electricity.
I dropped my eyes a second later, and Gabe cleared his throat and let his hand fall to his side. He stood and turned his head away from me, rubbing his neck.
It only took a few minutes for the calf to finish the bottle, and then Gabe put her back in with her mother for the night.
“You’re a natural,” he murmured as he latched the stall door.
I shook my head as we walked out into the night air. “I’m not a natural at anything.”
Gabe cocked his head at me. “Bria, you’re doing it again. Don’t discount yourself. Just say ‘thank you.’”
I smiled. “Thank you,” I whispered, looking everywhere but at him. Finally, my eyes settled on the house. The lights downstairs were all off, and the only remaining light came from Wren’s bedroom window. For a second, I thought I saw her silhouette, looking out. Then she was gone.
“I should get inside,” I said.
He nodded just as the headlights of a truck turned into the creamery parking lot. “That’s my dad,” Gabe said. “I have to go. See you tomorrow.”
I nodded reluctantly, hating for him to go, but he was already striding toward the truck. As it pulled out, I looked after the taillights, wondering what he was thinking right now, and wondering if one of his thoughts might be about me. Because, as I made my way inside and up the stairs to bed, I was thinking about him, of the way our hands had intertwined, and the way my heart danced when they had. But when I saw Wren’s sleeping form in her bed, guilt crashed over me. No, I reminded myself. Gabe is off-limits. No matter how adorable he looked, no matter what he did or said, I would keep him at arm’s length, as a friend and only a friend.
The next morning, as I walked into the barn alone, Gabe’s surprised face somehow made him look even cuter.
“Where’s Wren?” he asked.
When Uncle Troy had come in for wake-up call, Wren hadn’t bounded out of bed with her usual enthusiasm. Instead, she’d pulled the covers over her head, leaving me, Uncle Troy, and Aunt Beth stunned. Wren was so tough, and if I was honest, I’d spent so much time bemoaning my own predicament here that I hadn’t realized just how sad she would be about her parents’ decision. But her sniffles the night before in the dark had proven it, too.
The least I could do was volunteer to take her chores today. Even if that offer had left my aunt and uncle double-stunned.
Now I explained, “She’s just sleeping in.”
Gabe seemed to understand, but then asked teasingly. “You’re not actually going to do chores, are you?”
“I heard dirt is a great exfoliator,” I responded.
I’d seen in Aunt Beth’s face how grateful she was to hear I would help out. And I’d realized I wasn’t even dreading heading down to the cows and the dirt and the fresh, cool morning air. Somewhere between serving up shakes and helping that nursing calf, I’d let my guard down. And when I stopped thinking about what Leila might think, and how different everything was from Chicago, I found myself enjoying something I never thought I would have.
I pushed up my sleeves and held out my hands to Gabe. “Now give me one of those milk-suction thingamajigs and stand back. I’m ready to take on the job, hooves and all.”
The first three times I tried prepping a cow for milking, I failed, but soon enough, I got the hang of it. It wasn’t even close to as bad as I’d originally thought, and the cows were very patient with me, even when I made mistakes. And Gabe’s steady presence behind me gave me an extra boost of confidence.
As I pet one of the cows and listened to Gabe strumming his guitar once again, a new resolve settled over me. Today, I silently vowed, I wouldn’t utter a single complaint. Today, no matter what awaited me, I’d give this farm my all.
* * *
I balanced the tray bearing five Smashtastic S’mores shakes as I wove past the customers waiting at the sales counter.
“I’ll be back in just one second to take your orders,” I promised them, but the line was getting longer even as I spoke. Without Wren helping at the counter, we were falling further and further behind.
In my hurry to deliver the shakes, I bumped one woman on the shoulder, and suddenly, my entire tray began to tip.
“Watch where you’re going,” the woman snapped.
I gasped and tried to right the tipping shakes, but then there was a second pair of hands under the tray, rescuing me and the shakes.
“I’ve got you,” Gabe said.
“Omigod, thank you.” I gave the scowling woman an apologetic smile, then whispered to Gabe, “She was almost wearing it.”
He nodded, whispering back, “With her attitude, maybe she deserves to.”
“Shhhh.” I giggled as he helped me deliver the shakes without spilling a drop.
Aunt Beth gave us bot
h a satisfied nod as we returned to the sales counter triumphantly. She pulled me aside and murmured, “Thanks for filling in for Wren today, honey. It’s a big help.”
“No problem,” I said, hoping she heard my sincerity.
“Wren’s taking this really hard, but I hope she’ll be okay,” Aunt Beth mused.
I paused, but decided to say, “It’s just that this farm is all she’s ever known. Kind of like me and Chicago.”
Aunt Beth squeezed my hand. “I think you’re right. But it’s not so terrible being here for the summer, is it?”
For the first time, I tuned into the eagerness in her voice. For the first time, I really saw how much it meant to my aunt that I feel welcome here, and how much she wanted me to enjoy myself.
I hugged her. “Don’t worry, Aunt Beth. I think it might be growing on me.”
Her arms tightened around me. “I’m so glad. Because …” Her voice cracked. “… this will be your last summer here.” My heart dropped as Aunt Beth straightened, subtly swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, and turned to the ever-growing line at the sales counter. “For now we have work to do! Gabe, how do you feel about helping Bria make shakes?”
“What?” I asked. “Isn’t he supposed to be giving hayrides?”
“Not anymore,” Aunt Beth said as Gabe slid an apron over his head. “We need more help in here than we do outside. Your uncle’s taking over the burgers, and I’ll cover the register and bring food to the tables. You two are on shake detail until the crowd dies down. Okay?”
Gabe nodded happily, and my pulse tap-danced. It would take us hours to get through the afternoon rush. Hours where I’d be working side by side with Gabe. My heart squealed a jubilant YES! even as my mouth forced out a nonchalant “Okay.”
Aunt Beth was already taking the next order.
“So … where do we start?” Gabe fiddled with the shake machine, peering into the stainless steel tumbler.
“We’ve got five more orders for Maniacal Mudslides, so we’ll need the chocolate ice cream,” I said, trying to remain businesslike. “Three scoops into each tumbler, plus a half a cup of milk. Then drop in some brownie chunks.”
“No problem,” Gabe said. While Aunt Beth headed for the dining room with a half dozen burger baskets, Gabe scooped the ice cream and splashed in the milk. He glanced at me with an adorably confident expression. “And then I stick the tumbler under this whisk-stick thing and push the butto—”
“Wait, don’t—” It was too late. The agitator whirred across the surface of the ice cream mixture, and ice cream and milk exploded from the tumbler, spraying globs of chocolate iciness all over my face and hair. I shrieked and held up my hands against the spray as Gabe frantically hit the OFF button.
I wiped chocolate sludge from my eyes and opened them to see Gabe peeking at me sheepishly. “Whoa … um … sorry?” He tilted his head at me, then whistled under his breath. “Um … you might’ve gotten a little bit in your hair?”
“A little bit,” I mumbled, licking the chocolate from my lips. “A little bit?!” I repeated, louder. His eyes widened, and worry flashed over his face, until I burst out laughing. “I’m covered in goop! You’re supposed to put the agitator all the way into the tumbler before turning it on.”
His mouth formed a perfect O. He muttered a quiet “Whoops,” and then he started laughing, too, and soon, neither of us could stop.
“Hey, how was I supposed to know?” he said between laughs. “I never said I’d be good at making shakes.”
“No kidding.” I caught my breath at last. “Now I know why you stick with cows.”
“Funny.” He flicked another fleck of shake in my direction, but I dodged it, then lobbed one of my own, which landed smack on his nose.
“Gotcha!” I cried, but Gabe grabbed me around the waist before I could launch a second attack. I spun around in his arms, and found my face inches from his. Our eyes locked, and then, like the unstoppable pull of two magnets, our lips were moving toward each other’s …
“What on earth—?” Aunt Beth hollered.
I leapt back from Gabe, my heart pounding. My aunt froze mid-step halfway across the dining room and, seeing the chocolatey mess, clenched her eyes shut. “I am not seeing that. Nuh-uh. The next time I turn around, that’s going to be cleaned up. Understood?”
Gabe and I nodded even as we stifled embarrassed giggles. Then, as Gabe began wiping up the mess, I hurried to the safety of the bathroom, where I could rinse the shake from my hair and try to make sense of what had just happened. Had it been an almost-kiss, or had I just imagined his lips moving toward mine? I pressed my fingertips to my lips, smiling. I’d wanted to kiss him. But had he wanted to kiss me, too?
No! I scolded myself. No! No! No! That never should have happened. Today was about helping Wren, and that meant staying clear of Gabe.
The ridiculous smile fell from my face. I made my way back to the shake machine, vowing no more flirting. And definitely no almost-kissing.
When I reached Gabe, he’d already made a second attempt at blending the shake, and this time he’d gotten it right.
“There might be hope for you yet,” I teased, and soon we were working side by side in a steady rhythm. I showed him how to decorate the outside of the shake glasses with icing and candies, but quickly realized that I was too much of a perfectionist to let him help. So he took over the shake machine while I accessorized.
Before I realized it, the afternoon rush was over and the flow of customers had slowed. As Gabe and I made the final shake of the day, we talked about how he wanted to work with animals when he grew up and how his dad had taught him to play guitar. When he asked me what I loved to do, I hesitated.
“If you’d asked me that a few weeks ago, I would’ve said social media. Oh, and shopping. I do love fashion, for sure … I’ve been thinking lately that I could go into fashion design someday.” A slow smile spread across my face as realization dawned on me. “But I really like coming up with ideas for the shakes, too.” I carefully placed one more toasted marshmallow atop the Smashtastic S’mores. “Even if it’s not fashion, I want to do something artistic. Creating is fun.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe your interests are changing.”
“Maybe.” I glanced around the creamery dining room, at the remaining customers and their shakes, and I felt proud. I’d made shakes that people couldn’t seem to get enough of, and knowing that I’d created something felt good. “I actually like being here. On the farm.” I laughed a little. “So … that’s a change.”
“I’m glad.” He smiled. “Is it the company?”
My heart flipped. Was he asking what I thought he was asking? It couldn’t be. Could it? “Um … I …” Yes, my heart whispered.
“I mean, cows do make great company,” he added, his eyes sparkling.
Oh. My. God. He meant the cows? “The cows.” My laugh was an off-kilter garble. “Right.”
He laughed. “Bria,” he whispered, “that was a joke.” His eyes held mine, his cheeks burning bright red in this too-cute way that made my nerves falter. He stepped closer, his grass and sunshine scent making me dizzy. He sucked in air, and his next words spilled out in one long rush. “WouldyougotothemovieswithmethisSunday?”
“Oh …” My heart swelled with elation and then a second later plummeted into despair. Gabe was asking me to the movies, which could only mean that he did feel the same way about me as I did about him! It was exhilarating and excruciating. How could I say yes when I knew that Wren liked him? But how could I say no when I’d never liked any boy the way I liked Gabe? I wanted to do the right thing, but what if what was right for me wasn’t right for Wren?
“Bria?” Gabe said again, this time with an edge of worry in his voice. “If you don’t want to, then—”
“No! It’s not that!” I blurted. “I do want to go. It’s just—” Oh, god, this was torture. I clenched my fists at my sides. I didn’t want to hurt Wren, but … would I ever have this chance again?
And it didn’t seem like Gabe had a crush on Wren. Nothing I did or didn’t do would change that, right? I took a halting breath, then smiled at Gabe. “Yes. I’d love to go to the movies with you.”
Relief and excitement washed over his face. “It’s a date, then.”
A date! A real date! My first ever. I wanted to dance, to sing, to throw my arms around Gabe, and maybe even take another shot at that near-kiss. But, a moment later, I thought I might be sick. What had I just done to Wren?
Maybe she wouldn’t take it too hard, I told myself. Maybe she’d be fine. But what if she wasn’t? My breath hitched, and it was on the tip of my tongue to tell Gabe I’d made a mistake. But my heart seemed to have a hold on my tongue that I couldn’t break. And the next minute, Aunt Beth and Uncle Troy blew in from the kitchen with brooms and mops, ready to close up for the night, and then Gabe was heading out to the pasture to help Luke with the evening milking.
He waved at me as he walked through the door, leaving me behind with a smile on my face, confusion in my heart, and an ache in my head that only a crush could cause.
* * *
“Is that a new shake?” Aunt Beth asked as I placed a final Sour Patch Kid on a skewer. The creamery was just slightly less busy than it had been in the last three days without Wren. But I’d found a moment to work on my newest creation: the Sour Patch Surprise, complete with a Sour Patch Kids kebob, Airheads Xtremes bites, and an enormous rainbow swirl lollipop. I wondered if it might tempt Wren out of the house, where she’d been staying and avoiding all of us. I hadn’t seen her all day. But I wasn’t sure I had the guts to talk to her. Not when I’d been daydreaming about the upcoming date with Gabe … and berating myself for ever saying yes.
I was afraid if I so much as looked at her too long, she’d see right through me. I wanted to help Wren deal with CheeseCo, but I was oh-so-torn over whether, and how, to tell her about Gabe.
“It is,” I told Aunt Beth now. “I thought we could use a few new pics on the website. Did you see our online traffic has tripled?”
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