looking at the mist shrouding the grapevines before making her away across the grass to a path through the fields. The sandy soil felt soft under her feet, and the grape leaves brushed her bare arms, leaving little streaks of wet on her smooth, tanned skin. In front of her, birds took flight at her approach, calling into the cool morning air above the vines before wheeling back around to perch on the trellises.
Maddy reached the edge of the field and approached the shed in the clearing. But instead of going in, she wandered over to the stream and climbed onto a rock, still cool from the night. She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her coffee mug against her leg.
Taking a giant bite of her roll, she stared idly at the tangled field in front of her and the mountains beyond, draped in the last strands of the morning fog. The warming sun baked the top of her head.
“Hi,” said a voice behind her. “You’re up early.”
Maddy started, nearly falling off her rock into the stream. She turned around, her mouth still full of bread.
David’s curly hair looked like he had combed it with a fork, and he was wearing baggy khaki shorts and one of his apparently endless supply of holey T-shirts. He held a foil-wrapped plate in his hand.
“Hello,” Maddy said, trying not to spray crumbs. She pointedly looked away and swallowed.
“I made you some cookies.”
What? She whipped her head around, trying not to betray her surprise.
“Chocolate-chip apricot. Your mom said you were a chocolate girl.”
She couldn’t help it. “You talked to my mom ?”
“Well, I had to find out what you like.” He widened his eyes innocently and took the foil off the plate. Big, beautiful cookies studded with dark chunks of chocolate and bits of orange apricot were arranged in a pile.
Maddy sat uncertainly for a second. Of course she was still mad, but man, those cookies looked good.
Without her mind’s consent, her hand reached out and took one. She bit into it.
Ohmygod —moist, fantastically chewy, and not too sweet. The melted chocolate chips pulled apart in goopy strands. The apricot bits added perfectly tart little zings.
She finished it in about three bites and looked up. David was watching her closely.
“Well?” he asked, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth, waiting for her approval. Maddy forced her face into a frown. This is the guy who was laughing at you, remember?
“Um, good,” she offered uncertainly. This wasn’t how she’d pictured her morning starting.
David smiled widely. “Cool.” He pushed the plate into her hands and strode over to the shed. The big doors rumbled as he shoved them open.
Just ignore him, she thought as she carefully climbed down from the rock, brushing the last roll crumbs from her lap and placing the empty coffee mug and the plate of cookies on the ground. She joined him in the doorway. The shed looked about a hundred times better. He cleaned while I was getting my seaweed wrap, Maddy thought semi-guiltily. But it still didn’t make up for his rudeness last night, even if he had made her cookies.
He must have found soap somewhere, because the floors, walls, and windows all gleamed. The place had the feel of a blank canvas. She strolled around the edges of the room, running her fingers over the smooth plaster walls and gazing through the rafters at the soaring peaked roof above. She took a deep breath, inhaling the mixture of wildflowers, soap, and old wood that perme-ated the air.
“Hey, listen.” David walked over slowly and stood in front of her.
She watched him warily. “What?”
“Those cookies?” He paused and stuck his hands in his front pockets.
“Yeah?”
He took a deep breath. “Well, they’re sort of a bribe.”
“What are you talking about?” She narrowed her eyes.
“I’m trying to bribe you to forgive me for last night.”
His voice was steady and calm, but his eyes looked anxious as he waited for her reaction. “I don’t know what was
Maddy reached the edge of the field and approached the shed in the clearing. But instead of going in, she wandered over to the stream and climbed onto a rock, still cool from the night. She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her coffee mug against her leg.
Taking a giant bite of her roll, she stared idly at the tangled field in front of her and the mountains beyond, draped in the last strands of the morning fog. The warming sun baked the top of her head.
“Hi,” said a voice behind her. “You’re up early.”
Maddy started, nearly falling off her rock into the stream. She turned around, her mouth still full of bread.
David’s curly hair looked like he had combed it with a fork, and he was wearing baggy khaki shorts and one of his apparently endless supply of holey T-shirts. He held a foil-wrapped plate in his hand.
“Hello,” Maddy said, trying not to spray crumbs. She pointedly looked away and swallowed.
“I made you some cookies.”
What? She whipped her head around, trying not to betray her surprise.
“Chocolate-chip apricot. Your mom said you were a chocolate girl.”
She couldn’t help it. “You talked to my mom ?”
“Well, I had to find out what you like.” He widened his eyes innocently and took the foil off the plate. Big, beautiful cookies studded with dark chunks of chocolate and bits of orange apricot were arranged in a pile.
Maddy sat uncertainly for a second. Of course she was still mad, but man, those cookies looked good.
Without her mind’s consent, her hand reached out and took one. She bit into it.
Ohmygod —moist, fantastically chewy, and not too sweet. The melted chocolate chips pulled apart in goopy strands. The apricot bits added perfectly tart little zings.
She finished it in about three bites and looked up. David was watching her closely.
“Well?” he asked, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth, waiting for her approval. Maddy forced her face into a frown. This is the guy who was laughing at you, remember?
“Um, good,” she offered uncertainly. This wasn’t how she’d pictured her morning starting.
David smiled widely. “Cool.” He pushed the plate into her hands and strode over to the shed. The big doors rumbled as he shoved them open.
Just ignore him, she thought as she carefully climbed down from the rock, brushing the last roll crumbs from her lap and placing the empty coffee mug and the plate of cookies on the ground. She joined him in the doorway. The shed looked about a hundred times better. He cleaned while I was getting my seaweed wrap, Maddy thought semi-guiltily. But it still didn’t make up for his rudeness last night, even if he had made her cookies.
He must have found soap somewhere, because the floors, walls, and windows all gleamed. The place had the feel of a blank canvas. She strolled around the edges of the room, running her fingers over the smooth plaster walls and gazing through the rafters at the soaring peaked roof above. She took a deep breath, inhaling the mixture of wildflowers, soap, and old wood that perme-ated the air.
“Hey, listen.” David walked over slowly and stood in front of her.
She watched him warily. “What?”
“Those cookies?” He paused and stuck his hands in his front pockets.
“Yeah?”
He took a deep breath. “Well, they’re sort of a bribe.”
“What are you talking about?” She narrowed her eyes.
“I’m trying to bribe you to forgive me for last night.”
His voice was steady and calm, but his eyes looked anxious as he waited for her reaction. “I don’t know what was
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