Willow King Read Online Free PDF Page B

what sort of creepy-crawler had dared to touch her skin.
    Using the hammer as a lever, she lifted the board and examined it. There was nothing there now but a couple of pill bugs. She knew they were harmless, but she knocked them off before handling the board again.
    When she finally lifted the plank to the post, Katie discovered she had another problem. How was she going to keep the end of the board up while she nailed the other end?
    First, she tried propping it up on another board, but it only fell off when she started to hammer. Next, she tried to hold it up by herself while she nailed it, but the weight made it tip out of her grasp when she lifted the hammer to nail. Finally, she let one end lie on the ground while she pounded a single nail into the other.
    The sound of laughter startled her, and she turned to see Jason sitting atop one of his black-and-white Paints. He was only about twenty feet from her.
    â€œYou look like the Three Stooges all rolled into one.”
    Katie wiped the dampness from her brow and pulled a stray strand of hair away from her face. She was dirty and sweaty, and in no condition to see Jason Roberts.
    And he was laughing at her.
    Before she could think of what she was doing, Katie reached down and picked up a pinecone and threw it with all her might. It bounced off Jason’s head and startled his horse so that it tried to jump out from under him. While he was scrambling for mane and rein, the realization of what she had just done hit her.
    She had beaned Jason Roberts, the cutest guy at Glendale Junior High, with a pinecone. How could she have done such a thing? If she had hurt him, she would never forgive herself. He would probably never forgive her.
    Jason steadied his mount and reached up to rub his head. “There’s no blood, so I suppose I’ll live. But you’re wasting your time, Katie Durham. You should be on the baseball team, not out here trying to mend fences.”
    For a moment Katie thought she would cry, but the smile on Jason’s face stopped her. As he rode closer to the fence, she saw the pine needles in his hair, and, despite a valiant effort at keeping a serious face, she burst out laughing, the sound of her mirth spooking his horse again.
    â€œYou’re a dangerous girl to be around.” Jason climbed from his horse and tied him to a tree. “I came here to help you and you bean me on the head and scare my horse. I didn’t know pretty girls could throw so hard.”
    Pretty? Did Jason just say she was pretty? She could feel the color creeping hotly up her cheeks, so she turned away from him, picking up the hammer and nails.
    â€œHere, let me have that.” He climbed over the fence and took the hammer and tool belt away from her. “I get stuck with this job at home all the time. I’m a real pro at it. Besides, things always go better with teamwork.”
    He smiled at her again, and Katie felt the butterflies in her stomach take flight.
    â€œStand in the middle there and hold on to this board while I nail the end. That’s it,” he said encouragingly.
    â€œWhy are you doing this?” Katie couldn’t help but ask. None of the other boys at school would have bothered. She’d heard them snicker about limp-along Katie behind her back. It really hurt—especially since her limp wasn’t that noticeable anymore. Now she was just mostly clumsy. Her heart swelled with the hope that Jason was different.
    â€œAny friend of Cindy’s is a friend of mine.”
    Katie’s heart did a cannonball flop. Cindy. She should have known. What would a hunk like Jason want with Katie when he could have someone perfect like Cindy?
    They spent the next hour repairing the fence line, then stopped for a well-earned rest. Katie shared her lunch of cold chicken and apple wedges.
    â€œYour mom’s a great cook. How about inviting me over for dinner sometime?”
    Katie almost choked on her chicken leg. “Are