I could tell that he was trying to act casual.
“Don’t play dumb, Dad. I saw you glaring at him.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Listen, I need to head back. I have a flight out to California first thing in the morning.”
I nodded even though he was avoiding my question. “Okay, I’ll see you later.”
He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tight. “I love you, Lexi. Just hang in there, and it’ll be over soon.”
After that, he was gone, leaving the door open. I stared at the doorway for several minutes before I decided that I needed to unpack.
I dumped my smaller duffel bag out and started sorting through the contents. I’d used this bag to pack my makeup in along with my CD collection, extra headphones, and other small items I used all the time. I’d even brought a few small posters of bands that I loved—Three Days Grace, Avenged Sevenfold, The Amity Affliction, and Slipknot. I covered the white wallpaper with my posters, trying to make the room feel more like home.
After I was satisfied with my work, I began pulling my clothes out of the bigger bag. I’d packed with the intention of running away, so almost half my wardrobe was stuffed inside. I started sorting it into piles when someone knocked on my door. I turned to see Landon standing there.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“I just thought I’d tell you to wear jeans and a light shirt tomorrow. We’re going to be out in the sun for most of the day. I doubt if you have any mud boots, but if you do, wear them.”
“I don’t have boots.” I did but not mud boots. I almost smiled as I thought about walking out in knee-high hooker boots to meet Landon tomorrow morning. The look of shock on his face would be priceless.
“I have to run to New Martinsville tonight. I can get you a pair if you want. You’re going to need them.”
I hesitated. I had no idea why this guy was being nice to me, but I didn’t like it. People weren’t nice just because. They always wanted something in return.
“Why are you being nice to me?”
He seemed surprised by my question. “I don’t know. Because I can? No one’s ever asked me that before.”
“People aren’t nice just because they can be.”
He took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I don’t know much about Columbiana, but out here in Bumfuck, Egypt, we’re nice just because we want to be. It’s how you’re supposed to be.”
I grinned. “You’re not supposed to curse. It isn’t very ladylike.”
He snorted. “Guess it’s a good thing I’m not a lady.”
I studied him as I wondered if he was being nice just so he could win my trust, hoping he could find something about me to report back to my grandpa. Landon didn’t look like a two-faced snake though. He looked sincere.
“All right, fine. You can get me mud boots.”
“What size do you wear?”
“Seven.”
He smiled. “Okay, I’ll pick up a pair. I’ll see you later.”
He turned to leave, but I called out, “Landon?”
He glanced back. “Yeah?”
“Get me a pair with something girlie on them.”
He looked at me like I’d lost my mind, but he nodded. “Um…sure.”
He disappeared through the door and went back down the hall. I laughed as I pictured him in a department store, buying me yellow rubber-duck boots. I wanted to make him squirm.
The rest of the day and evening went by quickly.
Thankfully, dinner was uneventful. Landon and his dad hadn’t shown up, and I had been kind of happy about that since I knew they were aware of my situation with Joel. I didn’t need others judging me without knowing the whole story. My grandfather had barely looked at me, let alone spoken to me. While my grandma had seemed annoyed, I had been glad. The only time my grandfather had ever spoken to me was when he yelled at me, so I’d preferred the silence.
When dinner was finished, I showered and went to my room for the night. I made sure to set my alarm clock, so I would be up on time. All I needed was for my grandpa to come in here, yelling at me, that early in the morning.
My grandparents didn’t have Internet, and there was no cell service out here, so I literally had nothing to do. I pulled my iPod out of my purse and started listening to Apocalyptica as I stared at the ceiling.
God, I’m bored. How does my grandma survive, staying in this house day after day?
I’d been here for only a few hours, and it was already driving me nuts. This staying-home shit is for the birds. I wanted to go out and have fun with Joel, like I’d always done at night.
My heart clenched as my thoughts turned to Joel. I wondered what he was doing right now. I missed him so damn much. I had no idea how I was going to deal with not being able to talk to him all summer. My only hope was that my grandparents would let me leave the farm eventually. Surely, there would be service in New Martinsville.
I picked my phone up off the nightstand and started flipping through the pictures in it. I smiled and sent out a silent thanks to my dad for letting me have my phone back. It was as close to Joel as I could get right now. I sighed as a picture of us in bed together popped up on my screen. We’d just woken up, and both of us looked like shit, but I loved it. That morning, I’d grabbed my phone off his nightstand and started snapping pictures of us together just for the hell of it. I wanted to cry over them now. It would be months before he touched me again like he had hours before that photo was taken.
I laid my phone back on the nightstand and plugged it in before turning off the lights. The last thing I remembered before I fell asleep was a single tear trickling down my cheek.
I nearly cried when I heard my alarm clock going off the next morning. I reached over and slammed my hand down on top of it, trying to make it shut up. I finally succeeded and relaxed back into bed. It seemed like I’d just closed my eyes, and I wasn’t ready to get up just yet. Just as I began to drift off again, the alarm clock started back up. I groaned as I threw the covers off and stood. I shut the alarm clock off by hitting the switch instead of throwing it against the wall like I wanted to.
I shuffled to the dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans and a spaghetti-strap shirt. I peeled off my shorts and pajama top and then dressed for the day. I found a pair of socks and pulled them on, too, before walking to the bathroom.
I glanced in the mirror, and noticed that my hair looked like a tornado had gone through it. I pulled a brush through it until I finally got all the tangles out. Then, I grabbed a hair tie and pulled my hair into a messy bun on top of my head. I brushed my teeth and put on some deodorant before going downstairs. I didn’t see the point of makeup when I was only going to see cows today.
I was surprised to see a pair of pink rubber boots sitting by the front door. Landon had really stuck to his word and picked them up for me.
I continued down the hall to the kitchen. My grandma was in front of the stove, frying bacon and eggs.
“That smells good,” I said as I sat down at the table.
“I’m glad because it’s for you.” She reached for a plate and piled the food onto it. “Eat all of it, so you don’t get hungry before lunchtime.”
My eyes widened at the amount of food she put in front of me. “I can’t eat all of this, Gram. I’ll explode.”
She laughed. “Eat what you can. You’re too skinny. I’m going to make it my personal goal to make sure you gain a few pounds over the summer.”
“I am not too skinny,” I grumbled.
“What size jeans do you wear?” she asked.
“Um…threes. Why?”
She laughed. “Because you’re too skinny. I’m going to make you go up at least a size before you go home.”
She seemed so determined to make me gain weight that I laughed instead of getting pissed.
“Whatever you say, Gram.”
I didn’t even put a dent in the food she had given me. I handed a still full plate back to her and w
aved as I left. I walked to the front door and pulled on my pink boots before heading outside. It was still dark out, but I could see the sun trying to peek out from behind one of the hills that West Virginia was so famous for.
Landon was waiting for me by the barn doors as I approached.
He smiled when he saw me. “Good morning.”
“What’s so good about it?” I asked.
He laughed at my sour response. “Well, you’re alive, aren’t you? I consider that a good thing.”
“You’re weird,” I stated. This guy was way too chipper in the mornings for my liking.
“And you’re not a morning person. I can tell already.”
“What clued you in?”
He opened his mouth, but then he clamped it shut before he could speak. Instead, he motioned for me to follow him inside the barn. We walked to one of the support beams where a chalkboard was hanging.
“These are the daily chores. Normally, my dad, your grandpa, and I all do them. We check off what we did, so someone else doesn’t try to do it again. Since you’re here now, I’ve been instructed to let you do most of them. You’ll also have stuff to do that isn’t on here, but those things vary from day to day.”
I glanced down the list and groaned. I hated this day already. The list was several lines long, and I wanted to beat my head against the beam as I read the first few tasks.
Feed the chickens.
Water the chickens.
Gather the eggs—morning and evening.
Feed the rabbits.
Water the rabbits.
Feed the dogs.
Water the dogs.
Feed the hogs.
Water the hogs.
Let the goats out in the morning and put them back in at night.
Mow the yard.
Check the water spring to make sure it’s flowing.
The list seemed to go on and on forever.
“I already gathered the eggs and let the goats out. I told Caleb that I would handle the hogs because most of them are bigger than you. Since you’re so tiny, I didn’t want you to get hurt when you went into the pen with them.”
I glanced up at him, surprised yet again by his kindness. “Thank you.”
He looked away from me. “No problem. We water everything twice a day since it’s so hot in the summer. You’ll water them once after lunch and then again before you head in for the night. You feed the animals when you water the second time. Just make sure that you fill their feeders completely or they’ll run out by the next day. The goats are really tame, so they should go right into the pen for you at night. I’ll help you though, just to make sure they listen.”
“Okay, what do I have to do right now? Or am I free until before lunch?”
Landon laughed. “You’re never free around here. There is always something to do. I feel kind of bad for you today though.”
“Why is that?”
“Because today is shit day.”
I was afraid to even ask, but I knew I had to. “What’s shit day?”
“It’s the day I clean all the mangers and the chicken coop out.”
“Ugh. Fuck me.” My day had just turned to shit—literally.
Landon led me outside to where a four-wheeler was parked. “Come on, we’ll start with the big barn. It’s the easiest.”
I watched as he climbed onto the four-wheeler. It had been years since I was on one, and they’d always scared me. “Go ahead. I’ll just walk.”
“It’s almost a mile away. No offense, but you’ll take forever to get there. Just get on.”
“I don’t want to.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
I hated admitting my weaknesses to people, especially people I didn’t know, but I couldn’t think of another excuse as to why I didn’t want to get on the four-wheeler with him.
“Look, I’m afraid of four-wheelers, okay?”
He looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Say that again?”
“You heard me. I’m afraid of four-wheelers.”
“That’s what I thought you said.”
We stared at each other for a few seconds before I finally broke the silence. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Because I’m not sure what to say. You look like a badass, but you’re afraid of a four-wheeler?”
“I don’t see how what I look like has to do with anything. I’ve been on one only a few times before with my dad, and he always went slow because he knew I was afraid.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry if I offended you. I promise to go slow on it. Now, will you please get on, so we can get the day started? I have a bunch of stuff to do today.”
I crept closer to him and the four-wheeler. “You swear that you won’t drive like a psycho?”
“I swear.”
“Fine, but I swear, I’ll stab you with something if you do.” I stepped up to it and slowly climbed on. I felt awkward as I grabbed his shoulders to keep my balance.
Once I was situated, he turned back to look at me. “Ready?”
I nodded. “Yeah, just go slow.”
He turned the key and pressed the button to start it. After turning on the headlights, he used the foot shifter to put it in gear. I kept my body rigid and placed my hands on my knees as he slowly pushed the gas. I had no idea why people thought these things were cool. Sure, they were safer than a motorcycle, but we weren’t driving a motorcycle on uneven West Virginia hills. When I was little, my grandpa had told me too many stories about kids wrecking and dying around here. He’d scarred me for life.
Landon cut into one of the fields and started down a small hill. He hit a bump, causing the four-wheeler to tilt to one side. I squealed and threw my arms around his stomach, terrified that we were going to flip. I buried my head against his back, and then I felt us come to a stop.
“You okay?” he asked over the sound of the engine.
“Yeah. I thought we were going to wreck.”
He laughed. “You’d better get used to the movement because there are holes and rocks everywhere. I promise that we won’t wreck though, okay?”
I lifted my head from his back and peeked up at him. I knew I was being stupid, but I couldn’t help it. I really was that afraid.
“Okay,” I whispered. “Is it okay if I hold on to you while we’re moving?”
“That’s fine. Just don’t squeeze me to death.”
“Whoops. Sorry.” I relaxed my arms just a bit. I didn’t want to cut off his air supply, but I didn’t want to fall off either if we hit another bump.
Landon pushed the gas again and continued down the hill. I felt stupid for clinging to him, but I felt safer this way. When he reached the bottom of the hill, he kicked it up into second gear and then third. By the time we were halfway to the barn, he had it in fifth. I almost said something, but he seemed to know what he was doing.
I couldn’t help but notice how hard his stomach was. Joel worked out, but his stomach wasn’t as hard as Landon’s. It was obvious that Landon worked on the farm quite a lot. I felt guilty for even noticing, but it wasn’t my fault. It was kind of hard not to notice when my hands were holding on to his abs for dear life.
Landon pulled up to the big barn and shut off the four-wheeler. I breathed a sigh of relief as I released him and scooted back. I hadn’t realized how tight I was pushed against him.
“See? That wasn’t so bad.”
“Whatever you say,” I mumbled.
Landon climbed off and then helped me throw my leg over the seat. I cursed my short legs as I fought to climb off. As soon as my feet hit the ground, Landon started walking into the barn. I followed him down to the lower level where the horse stalls, the pen, and the sick animals were.
I groaned when I looked around. This place was a lot bigger than I remembered, and we had to clean all of it.
“This sucks,” I grumbled.
“It could be worse. You could be shoveling it in the wintertime when Caleb keeps the work horses in he
re constantly.”
He had a point.
“Fair enough. Tell me what I need to do, so I can get this over with.”
He walked to the far wall and grabbed two shovels. After handing me one, he pointed to the stall farthest from the door that led out to the field. “Start with that one, and work your way to the door. I’m going to get the tractor with the loader on it. Just dump the crap in the loader bucket, so I can take it out of here.”
“What do you do with it?”
“We pile it up and use it for fertilizer when we plant the gardens.”
“That’s disgusting! I’m so not eating any vegetables Gram makes.” I didn’t even want to think about eating food that had been planted in poop.
“What do you think fertilizer is? At least ours doesn’t have any chemicals in it.”
He turned and walked away, leaving me to realize that I’d been eating poop-flavored food my entire life.
“I’m glad I’m not a vegan,” I mumbled as I walked to the back stall.
I scooped a shovelful of “fertilizer” and walked to the door just as Landon brought the tractor around. The sun was above the hills by now, and I could see that the tractor was bright orange with the name Kubota written across the side.
He parked, so the loader was right beside the door. I dumped my shovel’s contents into the loader bucket and walked back to my stall. Landon joined me and started working on the stall next to me.
The difference between him and Joel was almost comical. I was used to Joel’s baggy jeans, Converse shoes, and band T-shirts, and Landon seemed to like tighter jeans and plain shirts. His mud boots made me giggle a little bit, but I stopped when I remembered that I was wearing them, too. At least mine were cute though.
Neither of us spoke for a while as we worked. I wasn’t good with quiet. It drove me completely nuts.
“So, what do you do for fun around here?” I asked as I started on a new stall.
“Fun?”
“Yeah, you know, that thing you do that doesn’t involve work”—I glanced at my shovel—“or playing in poop.”
“I know what fun is, genius. I work here a lot, so I don’t really go out like I used to. When I do, I usually go riding on the four-wheeler or muddin’ in my truck.”
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