Talen

“Come for a spin?” She winks at me and tosses her silky blonde hair over her shoulder.

“You know I’m not the type to pay.”

“What if I didn’t charge you?” She tilts her head seductively and bats her eyelashes.

“You, not charge?” I click my tongue at her. “I don’t think that’s the kind of reputation you want to have. And I’m not sure I could handle all that jealousy if you did.”

“People jealous of you, or you jealous of others?”

“Either.” I think for a moment. “Maybe both. Whichever the case, it’s probably best avoided.”

“Probably so.”

“I’d take a night in a warm bed, though.” I try to give her my best puppy dog look.

“Oh, would you, now?” She folds her arms across her chest. “And why would I agree to that?”

I slip my hand into my pack and bring out the apple. With a grin, I toss it to her, and she catches it reflexively. I watch her eyes get wide with amazement.

“Where did you get this?” she whispers.

“Oh, you know,” I say as I crouch down in front of her, “found it. Figured it was yours since you were talking about them a while back.”

She takes a bite into the apple’s crisp flesh and moans.

“Keep that up,” I say, “and they are going to think you’re giving it to me for free.”

We laugh, and Ava pats the bed beside her. I kick off my boots and remove my socks. I drop my jacket along with my belt and shirt before moving toward the bed.

“Pants, too,” Ava says. “You’re filthy.”

I wink at her as I slowly unbutton my jeans, dancing side to side and humming what I hope passes for a sexy tune.

“You are too much!” Ava laughs as I add my pants to the pile and join her on the edge of the bed.

“Want a bite?” Ava asks, offering the apple.

“All for you, love.”

“I haven’t had one of these since I was a girl,” she says. “My father made the trek over the eastern mountains, all the way to the old capital. He was gone all summer, but when he came back, he had apples, pears, and a whole basket of blueberries.”

“He planted the blueberry bushes in the valley to the south, didn’t he?”

“Yes. He tried to get apple and pear trees to grow, but they never made it past saplings. The blueberries did well, at least.”

Ava finishes her treat, eating every last bit of apple flesh before carefully placing the seeds in a small, tightly woven basket.

“Do you think they’ll grow?” she asks.

“No idea,” I reply. “I don’t know a lot about horticulture. I’ve never even seen an apple tree.”

It’s a lie, but if she catches it, she doesn’t say anything.

We crawl under the blankets together, and Ava yawns as I wrap my arms around her and pull her close to my chest. I close my eyes and sigh as the warmth of the bed and her body starts to relieve the deep chill in my bones.

Lying on an actual bed instead of the cold ground is a relief to my tired and overworked muscles. I stretch and settle into the comfort as my mind recounts the events of the day.

“I saw that girl,” I say.