AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She carried the heavy book over to Cate, who was now sitting on the floor with Charlie. They were flipping the pages of a lift-the-flap book on dinosaurs.
“I found your book, Cate.” She held it out to her.
“Thanks.” Cate took the book.
“Hello!” Charlie beamed up at Kylie.
“Hello,” she said, not sure if Cate minded her talking to her son.
“I’m Charlie, and you’re new.”
“Sort of. I’m Kylie.”
“Kylie, do you like dinosaurs?” he asked.
“I do,” she said. “Triceratops is my favourite.”
“Yeah, they’re good. I like therapods because they run real fast.”
“If I remember correctly, Tyrannosaurus rex is a therapod.” Kylie tried to match Charlie’s serious tone.
He narrowed his eyes. “I like you,” he said, then he turned to Cate. “Mama, can I get this book?”
She ruffled the boy’s blond mop of hair. “I’ll tell you what, why don’t we put it on your library list first?”
“Okay.” He seemed only a little disappointed as he put the book back on the display shelf and stood up. “We have to go home now,” he said to Kylie. “I’m going to help Uncle Derek make barbeque.”
At the mention of Derek, Cate suddenly seemed very eager to leave.
“It was nice to meet you, Charlie,” Kylie said.
He grinned at her as his mother gently dragged him through the café and out the door. Cate waved goodbye, but it was awkward. Derek must’ve said something to her. It was pretty unfair of him to go around talking about Kylie when he didn’t know the first thing.
The next evening, she had just stepped out the front door of her parent’s house with Captain in tow, when the old oak doors of town hall burst open, and Derek stormed out. For a moment she was frozen. He was panting and pulling at his hair. Another man she recognized from the café the day before followed him and put a hand on his shoulder. They spoke in hushed tones for a moment then the other man went back into the limestone building. Derek stepped in the opposite direction as her but stopped and ran his hands through his hair.
“Derek?” she said, and he whirled on her, a fierce expression on his face. She almost spun around and hightailed it back into her house, but he might’ve needed help. “Are…are you okay?”
His expression softened and he put his hands on his hips.
“Sorry,” she blurted, realizing she might’ve overstepped. “I shouldn’t—”
“Don’t be. I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
“It’s just very frustrating to care about this town sometimes.”
She walked down her front walk and toward him so she was only a few paces away. “Is there a town hall meeting happening?”
“Only the council,” he said, gesturing toward the oak doors.
“You’re on town council?” She couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice.
“I know. I was never very politically minded in high school.”
“To say the least.” She chuckled until the glare in his eyes returned. She should’ve left it there. A short conversation. But her mouth betrayed her. “I’ve got to take Captain around the block, if you wanted to vent.”
To her surprise, Derek said, “Yeah. Okay. Thanks,” and fell in beside her and Captain.
