Текст книги "Lead Him Not Into Temptation"
Автор книги: M. L. Steinbrunn
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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 11 страниц)
Casen
As soon as we get to the camper I keep parked at Mueller State Park, I carry a sleeping Jen to the back bedroom and make a bed for myself on the foldout couch. As much as I want to sleep, I’m unsuccessful, tossing and turning until I force myself out of bed to get things ready for Jen in the morning.
I don’t know how I contained myself from killing that guy. Lord knows I fucking wanted to. Since that was off the table, I at least wanted him arrested. I was more than shocked when Jen wouldn’t let me call the authorities. I really don’t know what to do for her; I don’t know how to fix any of this, fix her—but I want to. It’s apparent she’s been through some kind of shit in her life…haven’t we all? This is different though, she’s hiding something. I’ve always been able to tell when someone was running, when they’ve buried secrets, and Jen MacLauchlan has buried something vicious.
All night I’ve wandered into the bedroom to watch her sleep, to smooth her hair when her sleep talking and rambles turn into frightened night terrors. My Great Dane, Hendrix, hasn’t left her side, alerting me of her terrors with whimpering. I think they upset him as much as they upset me to witness.
When I can’t handle the restlessness and useless feelings I have any longer, I lay out a pair of sweats and a T-shirt on the bed for when she wakes up. I write her a note and leave her in the care of Hendrix. I hop into Nelly and head toward Woodland Park. It’s the nearest town to the campsite with a Walmart where I can at least pick her up a few toiletry items, some clothes, and medical supplies to clean up my knuckles and her scraped-up knees. Also, I have some food in the camper, but definitely not enough to serve her a proper breakfast and sustain us both for the entire weekend. She may not intend to stay with me longer than the hour to travel back to Colorado Springs where her car is parked, but if I have my way, she will stay the weekend.
It’s still early by the time I return, and she’s still asleep. I don’t want to wake her by continuing my restless hovering, so I busy myself outside by bandaging my knuckles. I then set to work making a campfire and preparing bacon and eggs to make over the open flame. It isn’t long after getting everything on the griddle when a bloodcurdling scream from the inside of the camper pierces the morning silence.
I move as quickly as I can, bursting through the front door and down the small hallway to the bedroom. The screams continue, and I prepare for the worst as I turn the door handle to enter the bedroom. The scene before me is not what I expect and I barely contain my laughter.
“Get it off me!” Jen shouts. “I’m covered in slobber!” she continues as she struggles to find her way out of the blankets. Somehow, Hendrix has made his way under the covers with her, to snuggle no doubt…he never got the memo he’s too big to be a lap dog. Together they are rolling around, tangled in sheets, Jen frantically trying to get away, and Hendrix trying to lick her. When Jen finally falls out of the bed onto the floor and out of the grips of the flannel sheets, Hendrix halts his slobber attack and barks at her.
“Henri, enough, boy. Outside,” I warn. He immediately jumps off the bed and trots past me to go outside by the fire. “Sorry, about that. He’s a snuggler; he was trying to tell you he likes you,” I explain.
“Likes me? Are you stoned? That giant horse dog was trying to attack me. My hair is matted with dog drool. If I had exposed my neck, he probably would have punctured my jugular.” She’s being a tad overdramatic. I absolutely want to continue to laugh at her, but considering the events of the previous evening, I would prefer to not upset her.
“He really is harmless. I left clothes on the bed for you. Go ahead and get dressed and come outside, I have breakfast cooking for us,” I say before leaving the room, closing the door behind me. Her morning wake-up call was a little unorthodox, and more than likely a little inappropriate considering the circumstances, but at least it broke up any awkwardness I thought there might be between us this morning.
I’m taking everything off the fire and pouring her a cup of coffee when she finally emerges from the camper. My clothes completely swallow her; she has to hold up the sweats with one of her hands to prevent them from falling off. I’ve never seen Jen so tattered. She’s a person who prides herself on her appearance, and right now she is a matted mess. Besides the ridiculously large clothes, her makeup is smeared across her face from crying and sleeping, a bruised cheek matches the smudged makeup, and her hair looks similar to a nest we may find on a hike later today. She would find her appearance unacceptable, but to be honest, I rather like it. It makes her human…imperfectly perfect.
Hendrix immediately perks up when he hears her, but she shoots him a crusty look. “I’m not speaking to you, Goliath,” she hisses. Henri whines and settles back down next to my chair.
“I’m glad you’ve been introduced to Hendrix, he goes by Henri for short.” That earns me the crusty look she had reserved for Henri. “Here, I made you a cup,” I say, handing her a mug filled with enough caffeine to kill a small horse. “Take a seat and I’ll make you some breakfast.”
She accepts the mug with her empty hand and slides into the nearest chair. “Thank you,” she says meekly with her eyes downcast, refusing to meet mine. The awkwardness I was worried about has invaded our campsite. She closes her eyes and takes a deep inhale of the coffee, letting the warmth of the steam filter around her cheeks. Bringing her knees up under her in the chair, she settles in and begins to stare into the hypnotizing flames of the campfire. I know her mind is everywhere except here, so I hastily fix her plate to provide a distraction from the thoughts overshadowing her.
“Eat up,” I tell her as I hand her a plate filled with fried eggs and bacon. “You’re going to need energy for what we are doing today,” I add, taking a seat in the chair across the fire from her.
She gives me a confused, suspicious look and then laughs, sitting up straight in her chair. “Look, I appreciate what you did for me and giving me the night to regroup, but I’m not going to spend the day doing some counseling session with you filled with outdoorsy activities. If I need a little cardio, I have a gym for that. If I need a group pity party, I have friends for that. All I need right now from you is a ride back to the Springs to get my car so I can drive home.”
I pretend to ignore her, taking a large bite of food, and throwing a piece of bacon to Henri. “No can do, Jen,” I tell her, focusing my attention on my dog and not her. “I have some things I need to do up here this weekend which you could help with. Besides, your phone has been blowing up since we left last night. I wouldn’t think you would be in any hurry to get back to be hit with a million questions.” I finally look at her as I shove another mouthful in and talk around the massive amount of food. “I figure, by you staying, you’re helping us both out.”
Jen sits quietly, contemplating my proposition and what is waiting for her back home. “Fine,” she relents. “But I need to call the girls and let them know where I am and that I’m okay. Fuck, I would never hear the end of it, or worse, they’ll show up here.”
“I took care of it,” I say, throwing another piece of bacon to Henri.
“What do you mean, you took care of it?” she asks. “Jesus, quit feeding that dog bacon, he’s already the size of a fucking elephant. I thought you weren’t supposed to feed animals human food anyways.”
“I called Campbell this morning while you were sleeping and filled her in on how you were okay and with me. Told her we would be back Sunday and everyone needed to give you a little space until then. And no, you aren’t supposed to feed animals human food. But Hendrix isn’t like other dogs; he’s a part-human part-elephant, gorilla dog with super strength. He can have something special every now and then.”
“Yeah, well, you’re going to give him a heart attack,” she adds, taking another bite of her food. “So, Campbell was okay with your little plan?”
“She seemed to be. The other women in the background, not so much. There was a lot of shouting and demands to see you, but Campbell smoothed it out.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me about Vivian and Carly. They were probably already packed and in the car. I’ll be sure to call or text them.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re camped out at your apartment when you get back to Denver on Sunday night,” I laugh. I can only imagine what Campbell had to do or say to calm those women down, but I knew it was a bag full of drama Jen didn’t need right now. The air needed to settle before the mother hens were allowed to hover.
“Well, they care about me, even if it can be a little smothering. We’re each other’s family. I wouldn’t trade them for the world. Besides, did I hear you say Sunday night? What in the hell do you need help with that we can’t take care of this morning and be back by tonight?” Jen places her mug and plate on the ground and settles in for an argument. I stuff the remainder of my breakfast in my mouth and stand to gather the dishes, ignoring her confrontational posture. “I have things I need to get back to, and I have no clothes. I can’t exactly wear your nasty sweats for the next day and a half,” she huffs.
She watches as I pick up her dishes and move toward the camper. “It’s taken care of, Jen. I went to Walmart this morning and picked you up some things,” I say over my shoulder and then whistle for Henri to follow me.
“What?” she shouts.
I hear her stumbling out of her chair in an attempt to chase after me, and Henri immediately begins to bark at her. I struggle to maintain a straight face, picturing the scene unfolding behind my back. When I look back, she’s picking herself off the ground and attempting to hold onto the sweats which are falling off her while at the same time ward off Henri who is trying to lick her.
“Do I look like the type of girl who has ever stepped foot in a Walmart? Do they even have clothes?” she asks, as she bats Henri away and finds her footing to stand up.
“Hendrix, come here,” I command. He whimpers, but reluctantly leaves her side and goes inside the camper. “No, princess, you certainly don’t look like someone who would ever step foot in a Walmart. Maybe you should spend a little more time learning how the other half lives so the fall off your high horse wouldn’t hurt so badly.”
I immediately turn and enter the camper, closing the door behind me. I know I’m provoking her a tad, but I figure feisty Jen needs to return. If I take the white gloves off and treat her like I always do, maybe her fire will ignite once again. My guess is spot on when I hear the camper door slam as I’m placing the dishes in the sink.
“What in the hell is that supposed to mean?” she shouts. “I’m a completely down to Earth person. Dammit, I go through my closet every year and send things to Goodwill for fuck’s sake. Just because I don’t like to prance my ass around Wally World so I can have my picture taken and put on those stupid people of Walmart Facebook collages which everyone laughs at doesn’t make me a snob. Excuse me for not wanting to be featured on Tosh.0.”
With that, I burst into laughter. Hendrix is caught off guard and begins to howl. I’m glad Jen’s found her spunk, even if it’s to tell me off. Damn that was funny.
“What? What’s so funny?” she asks in an agitated tone. “It’s pretty rude to laugh at people, you know.”
“Oh, sparky, believe me there is nothing funny about this. I try to help you by bringing you here. I try to be considerate by getting you things I think you’ll need during your stay at the only place available to me, and you find it’s not good enough. I find that rude.”
“Ugh! You’re infuriating,” she announces after letting my words sink in a bit. “I do appreciate what you’re doing and I know I can act like a brat at times. I’m sorry, I’m a little out of my element here. I’ve never done a lot of things, including camping.”
“Now that is funny. You’ve never been camping?” I laugh, but I almost find her confession somewhat sad. What person has never camped out under the stars? There were times as a kid I had no choice but to sleep outside to get away from what was happening at home. The drugs, the fights, the strangers coming in and out of the house; the outdoors was the only safe haven for my siblings and me. Sometimes, getting them to our secret campsite was the only way to keep them safe.
“Spoiled rich kid, remember?” she jests as she plops down onto the seat next to the small kitchen table and uses her finger to circle her face. “Really, though, my father never had time for things like that, and my mother wouldn’t be caught dead sleeping in a tent.”
“Well then why don’t you simmer a little and take this weekend as a time to not only regroup but have a new experience?”
She takes a moment to consider my offer, and I know she’ll cave. For all of the tough attitude Jen presents to the world, I know underneath all of the gruffness, is something fragile, something soft which needs nurturing. More and more I find myself wanting to be the man who protects that glass heart of hers…the one who glues her pieces back together.
“Okay, truce,” she says, holding her hand out to me. Leaning against the counter I try to act nonchalant about the fact she is willingly staying with me and will be a good sport about all of the outdoor activities she’ll be involved in today, but really I’m shaking with excitement. I want to make today unforgettable, help to erase the events of last night. When she closes her eyes tonight, I want her to see me and only me, not that piece of shit security guard.
I push off the counter and reach for her hand to accept the armistice. When she places her hand in mine, instead of shaking it, I pull her from the chair and to my body.
“I promise we will have a good weekend together, Jen,” I say, placing my hand on her back and pulling her even closer. “I plan to erase every memory of the nightmare of last night,” I whisper in her ear. Her breathing catches as my breath hits her neck, and I know I have her. I move away and slap her ass playfully. “So, get dressed in your damn Walmart camping clothes and get ready for an adventure!”
She squeals and lets out a huff, but then does what I ask, moving past me to the back bedroom. Just before reaching the door, she turns around to face me with a smile to match my own. “You’re an asshole, Casen Thompson, don’t forget that, but I do appreciate this.”
“I do my best, sparkplug,” I tell her with a nod before she turns and enters the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Jen
By the time I make it out of the camper, the dishes have all been cleaned up and Casen is sitting on the back of his truck with the dog. I don’t remember his name; Goliath fits him just fine for me. I managed to put myself together, with what I’m assuming are the best pieces in the Mary-Kate and Ashley collection. I’m impressed he remembered the small items like deodorant and a toothbrush. The average male would have forgotten such things and then insisted I use my finger with a little toothpaste and his Axe Body Spray to freshen up.
I want to hate Casen. I want to not want him, but when he does things for me which no other man has ever even thought to do, it makes it damn difficult. I might actually choke on the words, but he is a decent guy. Mix that with the tattoos and toned body, tousled hair and flippin’ steel-grey eyes, and I may have to weld myself a chastity belt to keep myself under control around him.
He looks no less tasty when he looks up from the mammoth sitting next to him and sails a panty-melting smile to me. No freaking fair. How does a woman even begin to maintain herself when a guy does that? I could take up residence in his adorable dimples when his hair sweeps across his brow, forcing him to run a hand through it to push it back. I have to direct my attention to something, anything else, but him.
“That thing is huge, it’s going to dent your truck,” I say as I adjust my ponytail. There was a shower, so I took full advantage of the camper’s bathroom facilities. I’m glad he was already dressed for the day because I used every ounce of hot water.
I look up again at Casen and he begins to chuckle. “You know, I’ve received several compliments over the years about my size, but never has someone suggested he would dent metal. I’m not sure what to say other than thank you.”
“Oh my God, you are such an adolescent. I was talking about your dog, but I’m glad to know you pride yourself on the size of your genitalia to such an extreme.” I roll my eyes and begin to walk toward the truck.
“What man doesn’t value his junk, sweetheart?” he laughs. “I knew you were talking about Henri, I just like watching you squirm,” he adds, hopping off the tailgate and moving around to the passenger door.
“Yeah right, whatever you say.”
Casen opens the door allowing the dog to jump in and then holds it open for me. “Climb in, Jen. We need to get moving if we want to have dinner tonight.”
I slide in onto the smooth leather of the bucket seat and push the horse over a bit to give myself a little more room, as it apparently has some kind of drooling condition.
“Are we going to a grocery store for food or something?” I ask once Casen is behind the wheel.
“Nope, we have to catch our dinner. We’re going to Skagway Reservoir to go fishing,” he answers, turning the key in the ignition, revving the engine to life.
“Um, you did hear me say I’ve never been camping, right? If you are depending on my fishing capability for survival, then be prepared to starve. That is, unless you want to eat your dog.”
Casen pats the dog’s head. Damn, I need to pay attention and remember his stupid dog’s name. “Henri is the laziest, snuggliest dog on the planet. I don’t think he would be very tasty.”
Henri, Henri, Henri. Must. Remember. Dog’s. Name. Is. Henri.
“You’ll be fine, Jen. Between the two of us, we’ll catch enough fish, and if not, we can always eat the hotdogs and marshmallows I have stockpiled in the camper.”
“Surely there is something more valuable we can do with our day than spending it drowning worms. I’m good with hotdogs and marshmallows for tonight,” I say as convincingly as possible. Casen rolls his eyes, almost ignoring my attempt to wiggle out of this fishing excursion.
Realizing this is happening whether I like it or not, I focus my attention on the scenery around us as we climb the mountain toward the reservoir. Things are blooming and it appears to be warming up, but looks are definitely deceiving. Even in this oversized sweatshirt, which by the way screams tourist due to its large printed lettering, which has ‘I did 9,500 ft. at Cripple Creek’ splayed across the front, I have frozen my ass off all morning. Surprisingly, the rest of the ensemble Casen picked out fits well, even the tennis shoes.
There are constant winding curves leading us to our destination. As I notice Henri encroaching on my area and the amount of drool multiplies, I become increasingly concerned with his potential motion sickness and the well-being of the limited clothing I currently possess.
“Um, is your dog going to get sick?” I ask, lifting Henri’s head from my lap and moving closer to the door and away from possible disaster. Casen looks him over for a second and pats his head again.
“Nope, he’s good. I think he just likes you and wants to give you a little love.” He turns his attention back to the road and places both hands on the steering wheel.
I examine Henri further, not yet convinced my Walmart jeans aren’t about to get sprayed with munched up kibble. I run my hand across his neck and pat his side. I have no idea what I’m looking for, but I’m hoping for some blaring sign to duck for cover, since the slobber is his apparent regular behavior. He takes this as a sign to “love” further, moving onto my lap and licking me. Now I’m concerned for my own puking status as well as my ability to breathe. “Oh sweet baby Jesus, make him not like me, make him not like me!” I squeeze out through strained breaths as I attempt to push his massive body off mine.
“Hendrix, come here,” Casen bites through laughter. “Leave her alone.” The horse whimpers but doesn’t budge. Casen pulls the truck over and grabs his collar to pull him off me. A rush of air expands my lungs and I begin to gain feeling in my legs again. However, my ribs may never recover.
“Holy fucking shit,” I pant, wiping the string of drool off my clothes. “Animals like him belong in the zoo or circus or something, he nearly killed me. I saw the white light and everything.” Casen meets my agitation with even more laughter, so I turn my wrath at the elephant dog, Hendrix.
“You,” I say, pointing my finger at him. “This is my space; you stay in your space. Unless you want to be our dinner alternative, keep your paws and drool out of my space.”
Casen only laughs harder at my mini-overreaction to my near death experience, giving Henri the pass to bark and then lick me again across the cheek. I might have to hire someone, but this dog will possibly meet his untimely demise.
“Jen, Henri has travelled this road about a million times and he has never gotten sick. Really, he just likes you and is trying to snuggle on you. If you started to turn blue or appear as though you had internal bleeding, I would have intervened. His small bit of slobber will not kill you, I swear.”
“‘Small bit’? I have enough drool pooled on my jeans to alleviate the drought in all of southeast Colorado.”
He laughs even harder, grabbing at his side. “Stop, no more. I can’t breathe.”
“Well, I’m glad. Karma is a bitch, and she always repays her debts. Maybe you shouldn’t laugh at someone who is in obvious distress.” I cross my arms across my chest, showing my disapproval for his lack of compassion for my unpleasant situation.
A horn honks behind us. With the narrowness of the dirt road, there is nowhere to safely pass anyone. Casen politely waves to the car behind us and puts the truck back into drive to continue on to the lake.
“You need to lighten up, Jen. If you think drool is bad, you have about ten minutes to get over it before you experience a whole new realm of ickiness. Smelly water, worms along with other various bait, and ultimately fish guts await you. So, suck it up and give in to the fact you will get dirty, wet, and smelly today. I promise you will survive it all, and maybe even have a little fun, too.”
“Fine,” I sigh, directing my attention back to my outdoor surroundings. It isn’t long before we reach the final bend, which opens to the massive lake. The sight of the glistening water is breathtaking, and this time Hendrix has nothing to do with it. It seems so peaceful, with rows of trees, which surround the water. There is no large parking lot or beach, no expansive boat dock with lines of people waiting to launch their watercrafts. There are very few people in general; it feels like a private lake. A place to call our own, an escape from all the shit, which awaits me back home. I now understand the appeal.
“Wow,” I exhale.
“I told ya,” he responds with a sly smile as he parks and jumps out to gather the fishing gear from the bed of the truck. Of course, Henri stays behind, waiting on me to get out as well. It appears I won’t be getting rid of my new furry friend anytime soon.
“Come on, Hulk, let’s go get our fishin’ on,” I tell Henri and open the passenger door to step out. I exit and Henri follows right behind me. The grass is tall and reaches high up on my pant legs, the moisture leaving wet streaks on the fabric. The air is cool, but not cold enough to complain about; I’m actually comfortable and can’t think of a single thing to complain about.
“The grass is somewhat high and it’s getting warm; make sure you watch for snakes,” Casen yells out as he heads toward the shore.
The only thing that registers is the word snake, and without thinking of following any instructions concerning them, I take off running as fast as I can toward Casen. I may come off as a tough girl, but snakes are my ultimate weakness. I can’t even see those things on TV without having to change the channel. To say they give me the heebie-jeebies is putting it lightly. I refuse to even buy snakeskin boots or a purse despite their fashionable appeal. In my opinion, those creatures were put on Earth to serve only one purpose, to scare the shit out of me. May they all be bludgeoned with shovels.
Casen turns around to witness my desperate melee of wild banshee running and screaming; Henri follows behind barking loudly to match my shrieks. I see Casen’s mouth moving and a stern look form on his face, but I can’t make out what he’s saying over the noises I’m making. As soon as I reach him, I jump into his arms and climb his body until I can wrap my legs around his waist.
“Save me, the snakes are going to eat me!” I plead.
“Shush, you’re scaring the fish,” he commands, gripping onto me. “Now, did you see a snake?” he asks, allowing me to remain wrapped around him.
“Well, um, no,” I say after a long pause. I’m enjoying the comfort and strength of his arms which shield me from my embarrassment which will no doubt ensue once my feet hit the ground. “I heard snake and went running. You can’t say things like that and not expect a woman to react drastically.”
“Good to know,” he laughs. “I’ll keep that in mind in the future; no snakes allowed. I’m glad you’re safe.”
We continue to tangle around each other, ignoring Hendrix, who is circling impatiently around us. I’m not the type of girl who needs protection and affection from a man. Usually if I need something, I take it from them, but things feel different with Casen. His arms feel safe, he feels safe. It’s a strange, overwhelming feeling for me. I don’t let men in, but I’m sensing neither of us wants to let go.
“I’m not sure we’ll catch any fish, sparky, but do you want to try anyways?” he whispers in my ear. His breath is warm on my neck and sends shivers down my body. His questions feel like more than a simple inquiry about fishing. Maybe I want him to be asking me more than about fishing. I want to be strong enough to answer both, but I don’t know if I am. I’ve never needed a knight in shining armor, I’ve never wanted one. Casen, though, makes me want something I’ve never had…a relationship, prince and all. Instead of telling him all this, I choose the coward’s path and merely nod into his neck.
Slowly, he finally releases me, allowing my body to slide down his. I notice every one of his taut muscles on my way down, and I enjoy the sensation it delivers to my system. This man is doing wicked things to me, and I don’t know if I can resist the temptation much longer. He has been dangling himself in front of me since the night in the parking lot of the brewery, but has resisted any of my reciprocated flirtations. He insists it would make the tour uncomfortable and unprofessional if we dove into any kind of relationship, even if it was purely physical. I’m sure he’s right, but damn he makes it hard. Even after the tour is over, I’m not sure I can let myself explore those options. Besides the physical attraction I know we share, I’m afraid of the things he would do to my heart if I let him in…a heart I have never allowed anyone to even come close to.
“Come on, sparkplug, let’s see what kind of trouble we can get into,” he says as he guides my feet to the ground. He grabs the fishing poles and tackle box he dropped when I mauled him and turns to find the perfect fishing spot, leaving me awestruck once again.
It’s not until I register Hendrix gnawing on my sweatshirt, pulling me in the direction of Casen that I snap out of my daydream. “Stop it, Gigantor,” I tell him, lightly swatting at him and pushing him away from chewing on my shirt. “You know, I think we would get along better if you didn’t like me so much. The feeling isn’t exactly mutual,” I add.
I quickly catch up to Casen and reach him just as he begins to impale a worm with the hook on the end of his fishing line. “That is so fucking disgusting, I thought we were using bait,” I say as he casts the line out into the lake.
“This is bait, Jen. I brought lots of different kinds; I just thought we would start with worms.” He turns his attention to me, no doubt noticing the repulsed look on my face. “Oh, come on. It’s not that bad. Just wait until you gut the fish we catch, then I’ll let you complain.” He chuckles to himself and wedges the pole between some rocks before picking up the other pole to hand to me. “Here, let’s get your pole situated and then we can relax a little.”
Gathering my courage, I pick up the small, plastic container of the slimy little creatures, but immediately my stomach twists and turns at the sight of them weaving around each other. They continue their attempt to burrow into their artificial environment; it’s like they sense any second I’ll select one of them to sacrifice to the fishing gods. Unfortunately, none jump out to offer themselves as tribute so I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and shove my hand into the container. I want to wuss out. I want to throw the container of worms in the dirt and tell Casen to go fuck himself. I can feel his eyes on me, and I know he’s silently daring me to do just that. I refuse to lose this game.
“I can do this. I can do this,” I quietly mumble to myself as the slippery little things slither around my fingers. As quickly as I can, I pull out the plump winner and brush off the stragglers, which have stuck to my hand. “Here, stick him on the hook,” I tell Casen, shoving my wormy hand in his face.
“You’re doing a fine job, go ahead and stick him on,” he says, earning him the crustiest expression I can muster.
“You’re an ass,” I announce as I swipe the pole from his hands. I thought my worm selection would be enough for him, but apparently, I have to completely backwoods it to earn my Boy Scout badge. Squeezing the fishing pole between my knees to hold it still, I carefully grab the line and hold the hook as steady as possible. Casen obviously thinks I’m some rich priss who can’t hold her own. I see this as the best opportunity to show him he’s dead wrong about me.
