usually a good sign of bloomin' romance, if I ever saw one.”
Arial rolled her eyes. “First of all, Ma, we spent a lot of time together before comin' out here. Why should things be different all of a sudden? And second, I thought you didn't want me to pursue a romance with him.”
“I don't think you should, no. This is my roundabout way of askin' what's going on between you two. While you may have spent a lot of time together back in the city, it wasn't all day long. From the window it looked like things were getting' kind of deep, too. Not the same as watching the two of you work things out on set.”
“Ma, we're just friends. We were having a serious talk, yes, but he's the only one who understands the things bein' discussed.”
“Such as? What does he get that your own mama can't?” her mother inquired.
Arial shook her head. “Business stuff.”
“You shouldn't bring work back here. It bothers your sisters,” Patty said stiffly.
More like it bothers you. She got down from the counter. “Exactly what I thought.”
“Honey, we can talk about it all later if you want. I just don't want one of them walkin' in and —”
“Thinkin' my life is more important than theirs. You've told me this before. Believe me, I've never forgotten. Just like I haven't forgotten about how I can't be too city in front of them or they might think I'm a snob, or get crazy ideas of their own. I'll be up in my room until dinner.” Arial grabbed a can of soda from the fridge and then made her way out of the kitchen.
“We will be talkin' later,” her mother called after her.
Arial wasn't going to be holding her breath waiting on that promise. Unlike Bryce, her mother probably didn't mean it. They wouldn't talk; they would fight.
Chapter Six
Arial woke up to the sounds of the lawnmower running. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was around ten in the morning, much later than she had wanted to wake up. For all of her mother's promises to make sure she got up with the sun to be put to work, it was an awful lot of talk. No wonder her brother and sisters thought she got special treatment. If she wasn't being forced to do the daily chores with the rest of them, then how could they all be at an equal level? Arial had already been home on the farm for four days, and she'd yet to be asked to do anything. Most of the chores she did help out with were small ones that she forced herself to do.
She frowned. Her father should have been working on a project, not mowing. Looking out the window, however, she didn't see her father struggling to push the mower through the massive yard, but instead Bryce breezing along with the machine as if it was nothing. Arial knew that contraption was heavy and clunky. She kept telling her father she'd buy him a new one he could ride on, but he refused to take her “charity.”
While he might have been strong, Bryce wasn't exactly a natural at cutting the grass. The machine wasn't giving him any problems, but his turns weren't tight enough. Small patches of uncut grass could be seen throughout the yard. And, of course, he had to be shirtless while he did it all. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him. Not just because of the physical beauty of his body, but also out of amusement. She couldn't help but admire how adorable his furrowed brow of determination was.
Sighing, she left her window to go and get ready for the day. She selected a worn pair of navy jeans and an old T-shirt from one of her favorite bands. Today, she decided to pull her hair back into a simple ponytail. She went to the kitchen to grab a light breakfast to go. Hovering around the windows was her mother and all three of her sisters.
“What's goin' on?” Arial asked, trying to peek around the four heads to see out the window herself. None of them answered her. Shrugging, she reached into a nearby cupboard for a granola bar. She sat down at the kitchen table next to her brother Kieran.
He slurped cereal off his spoon. “They're oglin' Bryce.”
Arial rolled her eyes. “Mama, really? That is not appropriate.”
“I am not oglin' anyone. I am washing dishes. These other ladies I can't speak for,” her mother