Page 57 of The Other Half

“But the coyotes.”

“Hank will protect her. Just relax. Let her be a dog.”

Worried eyes met mine, then she bent and set Poppy down. Instantly, the two dogs started their game of tag. With lolling tongues and enthusiastic bounces, they raced around the yard taking turns chasing each other. Cassie bit her nails while she watched. Chuckling at her, I cracked a Spotted Cow and extended my arm. “Drink this. It will help.”

Letting out a sigh, she grabbed the bottle and took a long swig.

“I just worry so much that she’s going to get hurt.”

“You can’t protect her from the whole world and deny her the happiness of being a dog. Sometimes you gotta just let go and hope for the best.”

The minute I said it I shook my head, realizing I could have been talking about myself. Just like Cassie guarded that dog, robbing her of a full life in the process, I was so worried about getting hurt I was robbing myself of a chance at happiness. Cassie was my version of a coyote.

While she watched them tear around, she took another sip of her beer.

“I still can’t believe the martini drinking carb-hater is guzzling beer.”

“I’ve changed a lot since I’ve been here. It turns out life really is better with carbs.” She shrugged before we broke into laughter.

“That’s what I’ve been saying. Come on, sit.”

Pulling out a folding chair, I stood behind it while she settled in. This time it was a date. It was firelight instead of candlelight, but just like my mother taught me, you hold the chair for the girl. After she leaned back and kicked off her shoes, I pulled my chair up beside her and sat. Kicking off my own shoes, I rested my feet on the log in front of us.

“So,” I said, taking a swig of my beer. “We meet again.”

“So, we meet again.”

We each took another sip of our beer, our tentative gazes darting between each other and the fire.

“Look. I panicked last time you were here. I just really want you to know again how sorry I am. That’s not me.”

“I know, Jake. It’s okay.”

“Have you heard what happened?” I knew she had. Small towns and all.

“Yeah. I heard. I’m really sorry that happened to you. Getting cheated on sucks.”

“Yeah. It does. But it’s no excuse for how shitty I was just leaving you on the dock. Trusting someone again after what I went through is hard. In fact, I’d planned on never doing it again.”

That softness in her eyes dissipated for a moment and she took another swig of her beer. “I’ve been through a lot myself. If anyone gets it, it’s me. No one can blame you for being gun-shy.”

“Yeah. And it wasn’t just that I got cheated on. It was my best friend. It was like a double whammy. I guess it just took me longer to recover this time.”

“It’s been two years since my parents died and I’m still not okay. Loss sucks, no matter what kind it is.”

Her parents. She’d brought it up, but I didn’t know if I should ask.

“It was a plane crash.”

“What?” I asked, turning toward her after she said the answer to the question lingering in my mind.

“They died in a plane crash. It’s really hard for me to talk about.”

“I can’t even imagine, Cassie. My loss is nothing compared to what you’ve been through. I just lost a girl and friend. You lost your parents.”

“I did a lot of stupid shit after it happened. A lot.” She blew out a puff of air. “Shit I’m still paying for now. But I’m trying, Jake. I’m trying to be a better person and to move on with my life. But it’s hard.”

I nodded along. “Don’t I know it. Moving on is really hard.”