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The ruine broke the afternoon silence Shash and Duke’s ears perked up I looked toward the driveway, expecting to see Ollie’s sedan Instead a shiny black SUV with extra-high ground clearance bounded up to the house and stopped a few feet in front of the porch The engine cut off

I sank the tip of the shovel into the loose dirt and stared at the vehicle When he stepped from the SUV, my storabbed both dogs’ collars and started dragging them toward the barn before they had the chance to attack

Footsteps thudded on the ground behind ie Mae"

I stopped and peered over ainst er O’Connell He held his hand out and stared at the dogs "Beh-gha," he said, his voice deep and quiet Shash and Duke whi his hands into the pockets of his fashionably worn jeans and looking at me Duke’s tail thumped on the dirt

"What did you say to thes

"I told theuage?"

Bridger s "You’re tilling a garden?"

I nodded

"Want some help?"

I looked at his leather shoes, his expensive jeans, and short-sleeve button-up shirt Without a word he turned fro a white V-neck T-shirt beneath Just above the neckline of his shirt, a necklace hung on a leather strap against his golden chest--a glossy black claw of some sort, mounted in silver, with a turquoise stone eer tossed his button-up shirt onto the hood of his SUV, walked tothe dirt over on itself Leave it to Bridger O’Connell to --even if he earing a plain T-shirt

Shash broke away frorinned and scratched the dog’s ears, then dug the shovel back into the hard earth I watched him work for a fullto helpto the shed on the side of Mrs Carpenter’s house for a second shovel

We tilled the garden side by side, the dogs our silent co, watching the way his broad shoulders moved and his biceps flexed as he lifted and turned shovels full of dirt

More than once, I caught hier’s help it didn’t take long to till the entire garden When the last scoop of dirt was turned, Bridger and I leaned on our shovels and stared at each other When neither of us said a word, Bridger took the shovel fros to the barn and locked theer wiped a hand over his brow I stared at hi why he was here

"That was hard work I’m thirsty," he said

Yeah, I could take a hint "You want so to drink?"

"That would be nice"

I nodded and walked to the house On the front porch, Bridger and I removed our dusty shoes

"Do you want juice or …," I asked as I stepped into the house I stopped walking and turned Bridger stood fra me "Do you want a drink or not?"

"You didn’t invitehis aret a glass of water?"

I filled two glasses with ice and tap water and sat down at the dining rooer sat in the chair beside me and our knees bumped

"So, why are you here? Do you need to see Mrs Carpenter? Or do you typically drive around on Saturday looking for gardens to till with girls you hardly know?"

"I wanted to talk to you, Maggie Mae, so I called your house Mrs Carpenter answered and said if I had so to say to you, I could coarden" A slow smile spread over his face I couldn’t help but sh

"A re "If I win, are you going to turn the entire school against me as payback? Oh, wait You already did that"

He leaned closer and I stared into his dark eyes "I ht have been ainst you Danni Williams did You’re a faster runner and she can’t stand it," he said He moved a strand of hair from my cheek and tucked it behindout of control beneath rinned and leaned back in his chair "So?" he asked quietly

"If I beat you again, will you tell the school?"

"If you win, I’ll do better than that I’ll take you to prom to prove to the entire student body that there are no hard feelings between us"