Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 102079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Isaac barked a laugh. “I said something of mine giving you pleasure. We know Matty’s not doing that.”
All the blood in my body surged up my neck and spread across my face as I slammed the door and marched toward my driveway.
Don’t look back.
Don’t look back.
Don’t look—
I looked back.
He had his window rolled down, hat tipped low, but not low enough to hide his smile. “Sunday Morning, God will forgive you for what you’re about to do.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
LAURA BRANIGAN, “SHOW ME HEAVEN”
“You’re home early,” Mom said when I walked into the house, hoping to zoom up the stairs without questions.
I stepped into the living room, where Dad was using a TV tray as his desk, with the Bible open. He was furiously scribbling his sermon notes onto a sheet of paper.
“Mini golf took longer than expected, so we had to skip the movie,” I lied.
I hated lying, although I was good at it. Not as good as my sisters, but still a worthy performance.
“You need to get registered for classes, or they’ll all be filled. Why don’t you see if Violet will let you do that first thing Monday morning before you start work,” Dad suggested without looking up from his notes.
“Okay, sure. Isaac loaned me his guitar again, so I’m going to play for a while before everyone goes to bed.” I jabbed my thumb over my shoulder and offered a toothy grin to my mom before jogging up the stairs.
“How was the movie?” Eve asked as I passed her and her friend, Erin.
“Good.”
“See any cowboys?” Eve added, stopping me cold.
I whipped around. “My room. Now.”
She smirked, following me and shutting the door behind them.
“Why did you say that?” I asked, eyes narrowed.
“Because Jody called. She rode with her dad to drop her brother and one of his friends off at the rodeo, and she said she saw you and Heather getting out of her car. Of course, I told her she must be lying because you don’t go to the rodeo.”
“I’m eighteen.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Totally.” Eve nodded slowly. “Is that what you told Mom and Dad?”
“It’s what I’m telling you. In two years, you’ll be eighteen too. So let’s ‘do unto others.’ Okay?”
“You owe me.” Eve opened the door.
“Are you blackmailing me?” The second the words left my mouth, I thought of Isaac suggesting I had blackmailed him.
“Call it what you want. I’m just saying you owe me.” She and Erin headed toward the stairs.
I locked my door, leaning my back against it with my head tipped to the ceiling for a long sigh. After a few seconds, I closed my shades, took off my clothes, and sat on my bed with something that belonged to Isaac pressed to my naked body.
It was silly and ridiculous. And I was never going to tell anyone that I did it—and I liked it.
Saturday morning, my sisters and I helped my parents around the church grounds, mowing, watering flowers, and pulling weeds.
“So, seriously, how was the rodeo?” Eve asked as we tossed weeds into an empty five-gallon bucket and spread new mulch around the flowers by the sign at the parking lot entrance.
I glanced around to see if my mom or Gabby were in earshot. “Awful.”
“What?” Eve sat back on her heels. “Are you serious? Why?”
“I’m serious.” I rubbed my arm over my sweaty brow. “Matt’s brother ropes. And while I thought I knew what that meant, I was totally wrong. On his horse, he chased a baby cow, lassoed its neck, and then jumped off his horse and hogtied it. The poor thing lay in the dirt, struggling and totally scared until they untied it. It was cruel and unnecessary, all in the name of entertainment.”
“That’s awful,” Eve said.
I nodded.
“Did you talk to Isaac?”
I shrugged, keeping my gaze on the flowerbed. “Yeah, a little before I left.”
“What do you think of him? He’s so hot.” Eve grinned, but she kept her head bowed as I glanced up. Her cheeks were already red from the heat, so I couldn’t tell if she was blushing, but it wouldn’t have surprised me. Isaac had that effect on women. He had many effects on them.
I shifted from my knees to my butt and leaned back on my hands, taking a break. “Matt and I don’t plan to stay together when he goes to college this fall, but I’m afraid to tell Mom and Dad.”
Eve’s brown eyes shot wide open as her hands paused with weeds clenched into both fists. “Sarah, everyone thinks you two are getting married, not breaking up.”
I stretched my legs out straight, lips twisted as I stared at my dirty old Reebok high-tops. “I know. But that’s not what we want. Not now. I feel like, at some point, we stopped being together for the reasons we first started going together. And now we’re still with each other just because everyone expects us to be together and get married. But sometimes I think, am I really going to marry my first love? It’s a big world. What if we’re together simply because there’s been a lack of choice?”