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Footsteps on the stairs behind me surprised me. I turned to see Ruth herself tromping down them. Instead of her usual jeans, t-shirt, and ponytail, she wore a skirt, heels, and had her hair blown out.
“I didn’t even know you were home. Where you headed off to?” I asked as I sipped the lukewarm coffee. “Hot date?”
“Well hey, sleepyhead. You’re looking good. You feeling better today?”
I nodded, looking down into my coffee cup. “Yup. Must’ve been a 24-hour bug.”
“Well, I’m glad to see you up and at ‘em. And ha, I wish it was a hot date. I’m just getting lunch with Olivia. Oh my gosh, you should come! I can wait while you get ready—”
I waved her off. “No, no. I feel bad enough about taking yesterday off.”
She rolled her eyes. “You work too hard. Believe me, as someone who busted her ass her whole life with nothing to show for it, it won’t hurt any dead things to take a day off now and then. Especially if you were sick yesterday, even more reason to take it easy.” She lifted her eyebrows several times. “I suggest taking it easy with mimosas at Alejandro’s.”
I giggled but still shook my head. “You go. Tell Olivia I said hi. I’m gonna get out there and feed Bessie and Nine before that rain hits.”
Ruth rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine.” She came forward and hugged me, a quick squeeze and release. “Glad you’re feeling better, babe.”
“Thanks.”
Then she was off out the door. I shoved my feet in my boots and followed behind her, heading for the barn.
Fat raindrops hit me on the forehead right as I came close to the open entryway to the barn. I was about to charge right in like always when raised voices stopped me in my tracks.
“Jesus, Reece, I told you to stay away from her.”
“Who are you to tell me what to do? I’m trying to be straight with you here.”
Oh shit. Jeremiah and Reece were arguing. About me.
I froze, knowing I should back away. Behind me, I heard Olivia’s car drive off.
“She’s different, Jer. She’s a woman I could actually have something with.”
I blinked, a little stunned. Reece thought… He really thought we could be something… for real? What about being just friends? But didn’t I want to be more than just friends?
Jeremiah made a dismissive noise. Good Lord, they had to be standing not far inside the barn at all if I could hear them so well. I should back away now. Carefully, quietly. They never had to know I’d been here.
“What do you even know about this woman?” Jeremiah asked. “Sure she’s nice, but she showed up here hitchhiking for Christ’s sake.”
“What the fuck’s that supposed to mean? After the way we grew up, you’re really going to give someone shit for—”
“No, no,” Jeremiah cut him off. “I’m just saying, what do you even really know about her? Where did she come from? Is she running from some sort of trouble?”
“Not that it’s any of your goddamned business, but yeah, she is, okay? She got away from an abusive husband.”
My hand went to my mouth. I didn’t know why I felt horrified and a wave of shame at Reece sharing my darkest secret so carelessly. But my stomach suddenly churned.
This is what you get for eavesdropping.
I stumbled a step back, about to turn and flee back into the house.
The rain started coming down heavier and their voices became a little more muffled.
But I still heard Jeremiah, maybe because he’d raised his voice when he said, “Christ, so this is about Peg?”
Peg? It was the second time that name had come up when things were contentious between Reece and his brother.
Again, I was frozen in my tracks.
