Meadow Valley book series- Everything's changed

Chapter 36: Competition

     Ana returned back downstairs. There she saw Adam and Zach both looking at her. They were both looking on with admiration. Ana tried to ignore Zach and only look at Adam.

"Sorry I made you wait. I needed to grab my bag for dance."

     Ana waved goodbye to her family and made her way out the front door. Adam had his big F150 truck parked in the driveway. Zach followed quickly after outside. He passed her so he could open up the truck door for her. He wanted the chance to impress her and help her to get in. Zach grabbed Ana's hand and helped lift her up into the high truck. Then he climbed up in after her.

     Adam came around and got into the driver's seat. Ana felt sandwiched between the two brothers. She noticed that Zach had tried to scoot as close as he could next to her. He was touching part of her leg slightly.

     As they drove towards Lexington and were talking in the truck Zach even tried to be slick and put his arm up on the seat behind Ana's head. Adam was not that happy when he noticed his brother trying to flirt with Ana. Zach was telling her jokes and making her laugh the entire way there. Ana had started to feel a little bit more comfortable sitting next to Zach. She hardly even noticed his arm around her.

     Adam was too shy to compete for Ana's attention. He was not that kind of guy. Zach was always more bold and comfortable around girls than Adam. He had a natural way of easing his way close to girls. They seemed to fall for his five dollar charm and ten dollar smile. Even though Ana was set on not falling for Zach's charming ways she seemed to have played right into his plan. She tried to look over at Adam and get his attention a few times but he was focused on driving. Ana thought that if she played along with Zach then Adam would reveal his real feelings towards her. She wanted him to like her. She had hoped that he did. But felt disappointed when he never caught on to her advances towards him.

Zach leaned over Ana and looked at his brother as he asked him a question.

"Hey Adam. Do you mind dropping me off at the dance studio after we're finished moving your stuff? I'd rather just watch Ana dance than go with you on all your errands."

"You'll probably get bored sitting there. I won't be back for like two hours."

     Adam tried convincing his brother that he was going to be bored. The truth was he didn't want Zach spending any extra time with Ana.

"Seriously, I don't mind at all. Besides, I can't wait to see this girl dance." He nudged her with his elbow. "I've heard so many great things about you. I want to see it for myself in order to form my own opinion. Besides I have to see if I made the right choice in a dance teacher."

Zach looked at Ana to watch her reaction to his comments. She gave him a look.

"Oh I know how to teach dance. As long as I have the right kind of student. Someone who isn't beyond help."

"I'm definitely the teachable type. Maybe I'll even teach you a thing or two in the process. I'm a great teacher too. I've got lots of experience in areas you are lacking."

Zach boldly flirted with Ana in front of Adam. Ana couldn't believe that he was so sure of himself.

"I'm sure there's nothing you can teach me that I don't already know how to do. I'm a very experienced dancer. I've been training since I was three."

"I'm not talking about dance sweetheart."

Ana looked at him shockingly. She was offended by what he was insinuating.

"I'm not that type of girl."

"Zach!" Adam chimed in.

Zach chuckled. "I'm talking about riding horses. You're the one that asked me to teach you how to ride."

     He looked over at Ana and Adam trying to defend his response. Acting as if he was all innocent and not meaning anything else.

"I'm assuming you haven't ridden very many horses back where you're from right?"

"Yeah."

     Ana was hesitantly agreed. She looked over at Adam to see his reaction to this conversation. Adam looked as if he wanted an explanation.

"This morning your brother asked me to give him dance lessons. I only agreed to give him dance lessons in return for riding lessons."

     Ana didn't want Adam to think that there was anything going on between her and Zach. She was still very interested in him. She wished that he would be bold and tell her what he was thinking about. She had hoped that he thought about her the way that she thought about him. Zach smiled as he nodded his head in agreement. He knew that his brother was acting different around Ana. He had never really seen him act so quietly before. Ana seemed to have a strange effect on the both of them.

     Adam was slightly jealous that Zach was starting to get Ana's attention. He was too shy to say something. He didn't want to jeopardize his working relationship with Mr. Grant. Ana was nearly four years younger than he was. Adam felt that if anything were meant to be between the two of them then it would happen at the right time. He was usually very cautious with his romantic relationships. He was not as experienced as his younger brothers. He didn't spend a lot of time dating when he was younger. He was focused on studying. He didn't start dating girls until college. Even then he never dated any one girl more than two times. He wasn't the type of guy to lead a girl on just to have a girlfriend. He believed in waiting for the right girl to enter his life.