Page 94 of While the Sun Shines

“So fucking gross,” Penny says as she makes her way back. She jabs her thumb over her shoulder. “Guys, he’s so fucking gross.”

“I think there’s sheep shit in my hair,” Cooper says, coming up behind her. “Here, Pen. Hold still.”

But she dances away as he tries to rub his head on her T-shirt, jumping up onto the tailgate and crouching behind Drew.

“Collect your Cooper,” Penny says to Whit.

Whit pops a slice of apple into his mouth. “I can’t. Coopers in their natural habitat are known to have symbiotic relationships to Andrews, and I wouldn’t want to disrupt their delicate balance.”

Drew leans into Penny as Cooper comes toward him. “Cooper, whatever you’re planning—”

But Cooper just hugs him. Ruffles his hair and presses a loud, smacking kiss to the top of Drew’s head. “I do love Andrews.”

“Get off,” Drew says, muffled as he tries to squirm free.

“And all members of the Morales family,” Cooper says, keeping Drew in a headlock as he leans over and kisses Whit lightly.

“Air,” Drew squeaks.

Cooper only holds Drew tighter. “Shh, shh, shh, we’re having a moment.”

Whit finally frees Drew, unwinding Cooper’s arm and tugging Cooper against him. “We’re going. That’s what we’re doing.”

Penny slips into her seat on the edge of the tailgate as Whit and Cooper climb up the hill. Whit’s truck rumbles to life and one of the sheep lifts her head. She bleats once, a blade of grass stuck to her chin, before she ducks down and keeps grazing.

Drew lets out his breath when she finds another mouthful to eat instead of darting toward the fence line and the open fields beyond it.

“Bread,” he says as he empties the bag he’s brought. “Wine, like I said, and a corkscrew, and yes, I had to write it on my hand in order to remember it.”

“So appreciated,” Penny says.

“Apples,” Drew continues, “aforementioned butter, now covered with grass; various cheeses, and some salami. Also, I had a word with the sheep. We talked it through—they’ve agreed to stay on pasture for the rest of the summer and I’ve agreed to stop calling them goats out of spite.”

“That’s all it took?”

Drew glares at the nearest sheep, who pauses in her mouthfuls to flick her tail. “Well that and apparently fucking babysitting them out here.”

“You mean picnic date night.”

He leans over to kiss her softly on the cheek. “Yes, I mean picnic date night.”

“Think this’ll work?”

“I called Uncle Bert for some advice, and he said to at least try sitting out here with the herd for a couple hours.” Drew pulls in a breath. “And if not, we’ll put them back in the barn and try again some other time. But hey, it’s not an awful date, is it?”

Penny purses her lips, looking over the field, the gold and reds and pinks of sunset, the breeze rippling through the grass. “As far as first dates go, I’ve had worse.”

“Yeah? Is that what this is? Our first date?”

“Or millionth.” She holds out her cup. “Wine, please.”

“So could I like, maybe get your number?” he asks as he pours. “What do you do for work?”

“I consider myself a professional cheese tester,” she says. “And what about you? Tell me about yourself. Any pets?”

“A couple,” he says.

“Couple hundred.”