WE AIN'T GOT NO BUSINESS FOOLIN' AROUND WITH A TEENAGER.
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CAROLINA WAS TUCKED AWAY ON THE COUCH UP IN THE HAYLOFT, her climatology textbook book open on her lap and Frodo at her feet. She was trying to forget about the two men roaming around her house, helping her mother when she asked. God, how was she not meant to fall harder when Boone offered to fix the leaky faucet in the bathroom and Tyler was fixing the loose floorboard in the kitchen so Cathy stopped tripping?
She shook her head, trying to shake away thoughts of them, as she focused back on the paragraph she'd read twice now, highlighting meaningless words. It was something about the effects of modern farming methods on climate change.
Rather than read, she just closed her eyes, feeling exhausted even though it was a good three hours too early to even think about going to bed. She closed her book and turned on her side, curling up into a ball, wishing that her life were a little less complicated.
And just when she was on the cusp of sleep, her tired mind faintly heard two sets of heavy footsteps that certainly didn't belong to her mother and sister. Rather than move, she just kept her eyes closed, hoping they'd leave before they realized where she was.
She'd much rather sleep than have it out with them at the moment.
"She in here?" Boone asked, clearly looking for Carolina.
"Go check up on the loft. Her mama says she likes it up there," Tyler told him while poking around all of Kate's stuff to see if Carolina was sitting just out of sight. "She wasn't anywhere in the house."
She knew it was very coward-like of her, but Carolina kept her eyes shut and pretended to still be asleep as Boone made his way up to her. His heavy steps came to a stop just by her head, and he stared down at her silently for a moment before kneeling next to her head.
"Hey, man," he whispered, turning back to look down at Tyler. "She's sleepin'."
"Well, wake her up," Tyler said, though even he whispered, not actually wanting to do that. "I've got words to have with her."
Boone rolled his eyes as Tyler made his way up to the loft as well. "I ain't doin' that."
Then he focused on Frodo, who was watching him warily, never one to trust strangers. And since he hadn't seen Carolina being friendly with the two men, he wouldn't be friendly either.
