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She picks up her cake box. “Gotta drop this off and run.”
But before Shana leaves, Dash catches her. “Shay. Just wondering. Do you do wedding cakes? Molly’s trying to get weddings going on the ranch.”
“Absolutely. They’re my favorite,” she says with a faraway look.
“Great, you two need to stay in touch,” he says to me.
I admit, “I already follow you on social, Shana. Stalk you, actually.”
“Aw. Seriously?”
“I’m cake obsessed.”
Her wide eyes are kind. “You’re in good company. I’d love to be the go-to wedding cake gal at Starlight Ranch if you ever get weddings going. Just hit me up. Bye y’all.” She skips over to the counter, leaves the box and rushes out leaving us with another tinkle.
Jolie punches Logan in the leg.
“Ah… what?” He rubs his thigh as if it hurt.
“Is that why you wanted to eat here instead of have chicken wings at Sly Bull’s this afternoon? So you could see Shay?”
“Don’t be stupid.”
“I don’t usually worry about sounding like an asshole, but you know she has a kid now, right? Like…” She’s exhausted with him.
“Fuck, Jo, what kind of guy do you think I am?” He’s not defensive, just wears that coy, boyish smile of his. “We’ve never been more than friends, and that’s probably a stretch. I only know her because of you.”
“Shana’s a nice girl,” Jolie warns.
“I know she is,” he says, his voice laced with defensiveness this time.
Jolie throws her hands up. “None of my business, bro. None of my business.” She finishes off her milkshake with a slurp. “Speaking of nice girls, how’s Lil? She getting all packed up and excited for her move here?”
Dash puts his glass of half-drunk Coke down softly on the table, listening, for sure.
Jolie sure knows how to accidentally bring up subjects that don’t want to be talked about. But obviously I can’t ignore her, so I hope to steer her down a path. I don’t want it coming out like this… here, in public. “Yeah. I’m really proud of her graduating early like this, too. And she’s done it with honors.”
“I wish I had her drive at that age.”
“You went on and became a doctor!” I will not stand for Jolie suggesting she’s not kick-ass.
“I know. But I barely scraped in. I was too worried about other stupid stuff. Things that didn’t matter and never would.” She stirs her straw around in a glass full of nothing. “Anyway, nice to graduate early for two reasons. One, a little less money for you two to pay, and two… you’ll finally be living together again. I bet you’re excited, too.”
I don’t think it’s my imagination when Dash stops breathing next to me. He is totally stiff. Shit… this is coming across exactly how I didn’t mean it to. Like I’m keeping things from him. Like I’m not being honest. Like I was trying to pull a fast one. I’m sure, under those beautiful dark waves and behind those piercing eyes, he’s thinking about me going through his room now, too. I can’t be trusted.Fuck.
Heat creeps up my neck. I’m such a dick. I really didn’t keep Lily from him on purpose, it’s just… maybe I did. Maybe I subconsciously avoided it and now… I don’t want to talk to Jolie about this anymore. The person I need to talk to is right here next to me. And we need to talk alone.
I rub balmy hands on my jeans. “Yeah. Of course. Guys, I need to scoot. Need to get over to the tack shop and buy some salt for the troughs.”
Logan says, “Nice meeting you, Chicago. You coming to a game or two this season? Dash, you going to bring her to the box?”
He responds with a simple nod, and we say our goodbyes.
Moments later, Dash and I are in his truck, and the mood is not the same as on the way here. If he was pensive before, his thoughts are now out there in another world. He’s far away. Distant.
And it’s up to me to bring him back. “Hey, sorry I haven’t talked to you about my sister.”
He doesn’t answer.
