Page 32 of While the Sun Shines

Those are Whit’s footsteps on the stairs, always the first awake. Sadie’s tags jangling as she scratches at her neck. The rooster crowing, like something out of a children’s story. A long, deep moo from a cow, impatient to be milked and ready for her breakfast. Birdsong, the rustle of the breeze through the maple trees, and an accompanying puff of fresh air through the open window.

Silence from the wall his room shares with Penny’s. He holds his breath, trying not to listen even as he strains to hear.

They’re probably still sleeping.

Spooned up in her bed. Naked.

“Fuck,” he says into his pillow. He shoves it across his mattress and swings his feet to the floor.

Haying. The sheep. Brad’s order. Calling his Aunt Lucy and telling her he can’t make it to Julie’s party tomorrow. Yeah, even the ribbing waiting for him from his aunt is preferable to having to see Penny or Abelardo this morning.

And fuck, the shear bolts.

Drew brushes his teeth as he searches for the bolts, listlessly sorting through the stack of books on top of his dresser, the picture of his aunt and uncle, and the photo of his parents, like he didn’t just look there yesterday. But hell, maybe the universe decided to throw him a bone after the misery of hearing the soft snick of Penny’s door closing last night and they’ll magically appear.

A floorboard creaks as he rinses his mouth. Drew freezes, stock still in his bathroom.

Then he jams his arms into a T-shirt, yanks his jeans up around his waist, and jogs down the stairs before he can glance at Penny’s closed door.

“This is torture,” he whispers to Sadie and she thumps her tail. He kneels down, scratching over her stomach when she rolls onto her back, her short legs stuck in the air. “Yes, thanks for loving me even though I’m a complete idiot who can’t get over my best friend.”

Sadie licks his wrist and he smiles sadly at her, rubbing at the itchy spot on her side that makes her back leg start scratching the air.

And then someone screams.

“You didn’t even knock!” Cooper shouts from upstairs.

“Cooper!” Penny yells. “Shut the damn door!”

“This isn’t my fault, don’t—ah! That’s fucking cold!”

“Guys?” Drew calls toward the stairs.

“Whit!” Cooper yells. “Whit, the water’s freezing, Whit!”

Drew sighs. Thumps Sadie’s belly and stands. “Whit’s out milking,” he calls as he climbs the stairs.

“Penny turned the water to fucking ice!” Cooper shouts.

Penny tosses her door open. “He deserves it.”

Delicate collarbones, arms tanned the deep brown of summer, her hair swept forward over her shoulder and hanging down to where a towel is wrapped tight over her—

Drew squints down the hall. “Course he does.”

“Don’t take her side!” Cooper yells.

“Can I please shower?” she asks. “I woke up early. It’s my day off. I want to shower, drink coffee, and enjoy myself. That last part’s already being ruined because Cooper is apparently allergic to underwear.”

“You didn’t knock!” Cooper shouts from the bathroom.

“You didn’t shut the door! Again!”

“Guys,” Drew starts.

“Shower? Yes? Please?” Penny asks, and then doesn’t wait for an answer, just turns toward Drew’s room. “I won’t even complain about your weird all in one shampoo body wash combination.”

Drew runs to get to his door a step ahead of her. “Shower? In my bathroom?”