Truly, Madly, Like Me - Jo Watson Page 0,128

town. Get used to it. News spreads here like snotty germs at a kindergarten.”

“Yuck!” I didn’t think I liked her analogy that much.

“What else did people say?” I asked.

“They said it looked like you guys were really hitting it off. Lots of talking.”

“He did most of the talking,” I quickly corrected her. “Just to be clear about that, he talked, I was forced to listen.”

“So, it didn’t go well?”

“Not really,” I conceded.

She folded her arms and looked me up and down. “Interesting.”

“What?”

“This isn’t the face and demeanor of someone who had a bad date. This is the face and the demeanor of someone who . . .” She gasped “Oh my God! You and Mark. You and Mark!”

“Shhhhhh,” I hushed her.

She looked around. “Why would I shush? There’s no one other than me to hear this. And it’s not like it’s a huge shock.”

“Why isn’t it a huge shock?” I asked, feeling a little warm in the cheek.

She clocked me and tilted her head to the side. “You told half the town that you saw him naked.”

I pointed at her belly. “Can’t babies hear you in utero? Isn’t that a thing? You wouldn’t want your babies to hear you talking about naked men now would you?”

She laughed. “That is great deflecting.”

“I am not deflecting.”

She eyed me. “So, are you guys a . . . thing?”

My face went bright red, and I started nodding.

She laughed at that and then leaned in some more. “Tell me everything!”

“Hey!” I held my hand up at her. “We are so not there in our relationship yet.”

“Aren’t we?” she asked, looking disappointed.

I shrugged. “I haven’t really had many friends. In real life anyway. I’m not used to this.”

“Well, get used to it. You’re living in a very teeny-tiny town now. You sneeze, everyone knows about it and talks about it. Besides, I make a really good friend. You know what my name means?”

I shook my head.

“It means good companion.”

I smiled at her. “I can see that.”

“Besides, you probably won’t be able to make too many other female friends around here, since most of the ladies in this town are going to be so jealous of you and Mark.”

“Me and Mark . . .” I let those words hang in the air.

“You are a ‘me and Mark,’ right?” she asked.

I smiled. And then nodded. “I mean, I think so. He said he wanted to see where this went.”

“I think it’s great,” Samirah said. Suddenly her landline rang and I jumped. I hadn’t heard a phone ring in days, so the noise caught me off guard. She walked over to it. “I can see it. You and Mark!”

“You can?” I asked, as she picked up the phone.

She gave me a nod and then quickly added, “But then again, I saw it a mile away ages ago. And apparently so did Harun.”

“You did?” I stepped forward, but she was talking to someone else now.

“Hello, this is Samirah.” She listened intently to the caller and started nodding. “We can be there in about twenty minutes,” she said and then clicked her fingers at me and pointed at a bag in the corner of the room. I rushed over and picked it up.

“Don’t worry, Zack, we’re on our way.” She hung up and we sped into the house, where she grabbed her car keys.

“Wait, did you say Zack?” I asked. “As in Zack I went on a date with, Zack?”

“Yup. One of his sheep is having a problem delivering.”

“Delivering what?”

She turned. “Its lamb.”

“Oh! I see.” I nodded. “And this is at Zack’s farm?”

She smiled at me. “It’s actually quite convenient, if you think about it.”

“What is?”

“Well, you’re going to have to tell Zack about you and Mark now, because maybe he thinks you guys are dating.”

“Shit!” I looked at her and my eyes widened. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

Her smile grew. “I can see this is going to be an interesting delivery!”

CHAPTER 65

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Zack said as he ran up to the car.

“Where is she?” Samirah said, climbing out and doing her very pregnant version of a run.

“Here.” Zack pointed and charged ahead. I followed behind them both with the bag Samirah had instructed me to bring.

“How long has she been in labor?” Samirah asked as Zack let us into her pen.

“I’m not sure, but the lamb is stuck. And my hands are too big, I can’t get the leg out.”

I stopped and gaped before I went in. The noise the sheep was making was one of the