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“I’ll go get ready then, so I don’t keep you.”
“Oh, yeah. That’s probably a good idea. I have to work at noon.”
I filled Shiloh’s food bowl, then let her in. She walked toward Kat, then lifted her nose in the air and turned for her full dish.
“She shouldn’t bother you. If she does, tell her ‘down’ or let her back outside.”
Kat smiled. “I’ll be fine, Sid.”
I nodded and hurried for the stairs, taking them two at a time. Once I was safely in my room, I ran my hands through my hair and let out a deep breath. I didn’t have time to shower, which made me feel worse about the situation. I grabbed a clean T-shirt from my closet and a pair of shorts from my dresser and pulled them on.
I groaned when I caught sight of my reflection in the bathroom mirror. My hair was a disaster and beyond saving with the time I had, so I pulled it into a small bun with the bottom half down. I hated wearing it this way, especially because it wasn’t long enough to stay in the bun all day. I knew it would be in my face again within the hour. Plus, Frank would razz me all day.
My phone buzzed in my room while I was brushing my teeth. I grabbed it from the nightstand and pulled the charger free. There was a text from Frank.
Frank:I sent Kat to come get you. Come to the farm after you get your truck.
I rolled my eyes. Now he warned me.
Sid:A little late. She showed up here twenty minutes ago. We’re getting ready to leave now
Without waiting for a response, I tossed my phone on the bed and walked back into the bathroom to finish getting ready. I spritzed on some cologne and applied deodorant. My hair looked fucking stupid, so I tugged the tie out and pulled on a baseball cap instead. Feeling marginally better, I made my way back downstairs.
My boots were by the front door, and I tugged them on before walking back into the kitchen to retrieve Kat. She was sitting in the same spot, staring out the window, but her hand was absently rubbing Shiloh’s head. My dog was sitting beside her, pressing her body weight into Kat.
I cleared my throat, and Kat jumped, placing a hand over her heart. “You scared me.”
“Sorry. I’m ready when you are.”
Her phone buzzed as she stood. She frowned as she looked down at it but then shook her head and shoved it into her pocket. I scratched behind Shiloh’s ears and told her to be good before opening the front door and stepping aside so Kat could walk through. The weather was nice, and I took a minute to breathe it in before I locked up and followed Kat to her car.
“I’m sorry about this,” I said over the top of the car.
She shrugged and slid into the driver’s seat. I folded myself into the passenger side and buckled up.
“It’s okay. We’ve all been there. And I like to stay busy.”
I liked to be busy, too, but only with a purpose. Her morning sounded hectic for no good reason. Okay, so maybe I was being an asshole, since it was kind of my fault her morning was hectic. And Frank’s. He could have driven his ass over to bring me to the farm, and I could have gotten my truck later. It was my fault it was there.
“You’re really quiet,” she said as we headed out of town.
I grunted, and she laughed. We made small talk for a little while. She asked about my disaster date, and I was as vague as possible, which seemed to satisfy her enough that she moved on. She started asking the usual get-to-know-you questions, and I tamped down my irritation and gave her short, clipped answers.
After ten minutes of that, she got frustrated and turned on the radio. It was loud, and I liked it playing softly in the background. It struck me that this was the most time Kat and I had ever spent together one on one, even though she had lived in Oak Springs for over two years now. Luckily, we were only twenty minutes from the city now, and soon enough, I’d be on my way to the farm alone.
Chapter 4
KAT
MY PHONE BUZZED, SIGNALING more texts rolling in, and I sighed. I didn’t want to look while we were driving. Dread filled my stomach. I knew what was waiting for me. A slew of texts from my mother. Why couldn’t she take a hint?
“Why the long face?” Sid asked.
I glanced at him. He glanced at me from under the rim of his hat. His expression was grim, but that was how he always looked, so I wasn’t sure how to take it.
My phone chimed again, and I held my breath. We exited the freeway and slowed to a stop at a light. I grabbed my phone and instantly regretted it. Tears pricked my eyes as I stared at the photo my mom had sent.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
