A Risk Worth Taking Read Online Free PDF Page B

off-handedly. “Found a hole chewed in the back
corner.”
    “Wow.
That’s some pretty sharp teeth to chew through all those layers.”
    “Right?
They’re like some damn vampires.”
    “Vampire
squirrels?”
    Casey
glanced around dramatically. “Do not mock the evilness of the vampire
squirrels,” he whispered.
    I
giggled.
    His
lips twitched with the smile he held back. “Don’t laugh, either. They’ll hear
you. They’re always listening.”
    “And
what will they do if they hear?” I asked.
    “This.
Agghhh!” He dropped the clipboard and lurched forward. I shrieked and ran for
the door. Casey took off after me, yelling and clawing at my back.
    Outside,
I ran for the house, hoping to make it as far as the bucket of water Mazie had
left out for the birds this morning. I weaved in and out of rows of hanging
baskets. Around mums and violets and gardenias bound for the retail shelves,
the brightly colored petals lost on me as I sprinted. Casey hurdled them and
caught up to me just as I rounded the farthest greenhouse. His hand closed over
my shoulder and spun me.
    Together,
we went tumbling.
    I
was laughing entirely too hard to get up. Casey was trying—and failing—to
untangle himself from me. I had to hold my breath to keep still so he could
extract his leg from around mine. I rubbed my backside. Definitely gonna have a
bruise. But then, I usually did when Casey and I started horsing around.
    When
our limbs were finally free, we both rolled to our backs and rested in the
grass, catching our breath. “Those vampire squirrels are dangerous,” I said.
    Casey
snorted and propped himself on his elbows.  Above me, a shadow fell. I blinked,
trying to make out the face blotting out the sunlight.
    “Hey,
Ford,” Casey said easily.
    Something
in my gut jumped and I had to swallow it back. Casey rolled to his feet while
Ford extended a hand to me. I took it, not willing to meet Ford’s eyes, though
I had no idea why. I didn’t owe him a single explanation. So why did I feel
awkward about him finding me on my ass in the dirt with another guy? Even if
said guy was like a brother to me, Ford didn’t necessarily know that. Shut
up, Summer. Stop trying to appear available.
    “You
two look hard at work,” Ford said, clearly amused.
    “We
like to give all our effort at once,” Casey said. “I’m spent for the day.”
    I
forced a laugh and pretended Casey hadn’t just insinuated we’d been flirting—or
worse. “Oh, no you aren’t,” I said, dusting my jeans off. “Dad sent me looking
for you. Goose broke down somewhere out in the center field. He needs you to go
give it whatever beat-down you gave it last week.”
    “Goose
doesn’t respond to beat-downs anymore. He’s numb to the pain,” Casey said.
    “Can
you get it back to the garage at least? Work your magic,” I said.
    Casey
tipped his head back to the sky in a dramatic gesture. “I have to do everything
around here.”
    “Every
single thing,” I agreed. “Especially your job. Now, get going.”
    Casey
muttered a friendly curse before heading for the four-wheeler parked beside the
greenhouse.
    “Come
find me when you get back,” Ford called after him. “Got a new leaf I want you
to take a look at.” Casey waved once to acknowledge the words and hopped onto
the seat.
    “Leaf?”
I repeated, waving away the cloud of dust Casey kicked up in his wake.
    “It’s
a cross-pollination project for edible and medicinal herbs I’m creating. This
one’s a burn salve and a seasoning for salads.”
    “You’re
… creating an herb? As in … from scratch?”
    “Sort
of. The seeds were taken from three other plants and grown together. Each of
them have known medicinal properties that I wanted, so I seeded them together
and grew them in a single box. Then, I extracted properties from each in the
form of new seeds. The offspring is—And I’ve lost you.”
    “No.
Okay, well, maybe,” I admitted, a little awed. “So, your work study is that
you’re