Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“They get excited anytime we grill out.” Silas attempted to excuse their behavior when Jody nearly ran Ezra over to reach the steaks on the folding table first.
“Where are the plates?” Ezra frantically turned his head as he stood guard over the steaks.
“In the kitchen,” Silas told him. “We didn’t expect you back yet.”
“Isaac, get the plates, forks, and knives!” Jody bellowed out, shoving Ezra aside.
Silas stood up. “Ezra, you and Jody get the lawn chairs while I dig the potatoes out.” Silas gave her a wry glance when they took off toward the house without an argument. “We haven’t grilled out in a while, so they’re really excited.”
“You don’t grill often?” she asked.
“You kidding, right?” Fynn grinned at her, taking Silas’ chair. “Do you know who our neighbor is?”
Alanna shook her head. “No. Why?”
“Greer Porter,” Matthew supplied, his arms filled with cans of soda in one arm and a case of beer in the other.
Alanna choked on a bite of her steak.
Silas patted her on the back until she managed to clear her airway.
“How close?”
“Close enough I’m surprised he isn’t here yet,” Matthew said, taking a lawn chair and setting it between hers and Fynn’s.
Silas handed Matthew and Fynn plates. “He’s on duty.”
Alanna loosened her grip on her plate.
Matthew’s eyes dropped to her hands. “Greer really messed with you, didn’t he?” Noticing Silas’ questioning look, he explained, “Alanna told us how Greer drove her crazy when she was in jail.”
Silas nodded. “He does have that effect on people.”
“He’s why you don’t grill out often?” Alanna unwrapped her steaming potato.
“He has a nose that would put a bloodhound’s to shame,” Moses said, adding a steak to the plate Silas had given him. “Greer’s a bottomless pit. He could eat all our steaks and still ask for more.”
“Greer expends a lot of energy,” Silas said.
“From searching for his next meal,” Moses joked.
“I can’t argue with that.” Silas gave up defending Greer and changed the topic. “What happened about the fence? I didn’t expect you for a couple more hours.”
“Al twisted his ankle in the dark,” Matthew said drily. “He’s letting us come back in the morning.”
Fynn noticed the marshmallows and candy bars. “Can I have a s’more?”
“After you finish your steak,” Silas agreed.
Alanna sat quietly, enjoying listening to the group of men talk and tease each other. Feeling someone watching her, she realized Matthew was staring at her.
“How’s the allergic reaction? Are you feeling better?” he asked softly, in an undertone, so as not to disturb the others talking.
“Much better, thank you.” Setting her fork and knife on her plate, she said, “I feel bad I won’t be able to help out milking the goats.”
“Silas will take over doing it. None of us go near those four-legged mules after Moses’s arm was broken by one of them.”
“They’re really sweet.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re a woman.”
“So I’ve been told,” she joked.
Matthew’s eyes held hers. “By whom?”
Her contentment vanished at the memory of when she had been brutally shown the difference between boys and girls.
“Um … I don’t remember.” Tearing her gaze away, she started counting the potatoes pulled from the fire. There should be five left. Seeing Silas hadn’t come back outside from going to get more candy bars, Alanna moved away from Matthew to grab the long, metal spoon Silas had used to scoop them out with. She was careful as she used the spoon to shift the ashes, unearthing a spot of foil. When she lifted the potato out, it slipped off the spoon. Not thinking, she went to catch it, and a hiss of pain escaped her when two of her fingers came in contact with the hot ashes.
Matthew shoved his hand into the flames to block her hand when she unwittingly jerked her hand upward toward the flames instead of keeping it low to slip underneath, as Silas had done.
Holding her hand to her chest, she tried to take Matthew’s to see how badly he had been burnt.
“The flames didn’t get me. Let me see your hand.” He inexplicably held his hand out to her. It didn’t have a mark on it.
She gingerly extended hers, and Matthew cupped the bottom in his.
“What happened?”
Alanna blinked back tears when Silas walked up next to them.
“I was getting another potato. Before you say anything, I know you told me not to.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything.” Silas’ gentle gaze had her putting on a brave face in front of him, while Matthew’s searching gaze wasn’t buying her calm.
“Jody has some first-aid supplies at his trailer. I’ll walk her home and put some cream on for her.” Removing his hand from under hers, Matthew cupped her elbow. “Let’s go.”
“I can find the supplies. You don’t have to leave.”
“I was getting ready to leave, anyway. I have to be up at six in the morning to be at Al’s.”