Page 49 of Hearts at War

“It’s me,” I explained to them.

“Well, yeah, it’s you,” Nance said flippantly. “She’s got an issue with you.”

“Hmm-mmm,” Fergus agreed. “So does that old couple who comes in to cash their check every week and triple check that I ‘did it right.’” Now he rolled his eyes.

“What’s up with that, Heather?” Janelle asked. She wasn’t mean or nosy. Just curious. “I’ve noticed some of the same thing here and there.”

I shrugged. “I used to be the black sheep of town.”

All three pairs of brows shot up.

“You?” Nance said. “Get outta here. You’re too damn quiet and shy to be a nuisance for anyone.”

“I guess that would make her a sheep though,” Fergus said. “The shy and quiet part.”

“Sheep are quiet?” I challenged. “You ever hear them bleating and bahhing for food?” I laughed once.

He winced. “I’m not a farm boy.”

“Yet you moved to Iowa,” Janelle teased.

“I just thought it would be a cute little town.” He shrugged. “I thought we were talking about Heather.”

“How are you the black sheep?” Nance asked. “Were you a troublemaker when you were younger?”

Janelle laughed. “Heather? Ha.”

I shook my head.

Nance pointed toward Ashley. “You steal her man?”

I shook my head again.

“Tipped the wrong cow?” Fergus asked.

“I’m not really a farm girl, either,” I told him. Even though I’m renting a cabin on the ranch...

“Well, what’d you do then?” Nance frowned. “There’s gotta be a story.”

“Nope. No story. I was just...born.”

They all stared at me, nonplussed.

“Yeah, we need a lil’ more intel than that,” Fergus said.

I sighed. “Have you ever seen someone, or a couple of people, and you just think wow, they should not be allowed to procreate?”

They all nodded.

“You get a vibe and just know they’d be terrible people to raise a kid?”

“Ah,” Nance said.

“Your parents?” Janelle asked.

“My parents,” I said, nodding, “weren’t great people.”

“How so?” Fergus asked, getting excited to gossip more.