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Chapter Three
Kylie woke up and it took her a moment to remember where she was. The sun streamed in from the wrong side of the bed. That’s right. She was in her parents’ house, not her apartment in Toronto. She couldn’t move her legs. Oh yeah, she’d passed out wrapped up in her bedspread. And she was overheated because she’d fallen asleep fully clothed.
When all the events of the past day came back to her, she wasn’t sure she was ready to be awake. The smell of coffee brewing downstairs, however, told her that her parents were home and available for consoling.
Bleary-eyed, she made her way down the painted wooden stairs to the bright yellow kitchen below. Her mom, Anna, was at the sink washing off a couple of apples as her dad, John, poured coffee into two stainless steel travel mugs.
“Are you guys going somewhere?” Kylie said to their backs.
Her mother spun around and put down the apples to gather her up in a hug. “Oh sweetie,” she said. “It’s so good to have you home.”
“It’s good to be ho—”
“And I’m so glad you’re up before we left. We need you to walk Captain. He always likes to go out in the morning, but we’re already late for pickle ball.”
“Huh?” She wasn’t awake enough for all that information.
“Pickle ball, honey,” her mom repeated, returning to packing the apples and some granola bars into an insulated bag. “We’re playing the Millers today and we’re already late. Walk Captain please.”
“You’re leaving again?” Kylie didn’t try to hide the hurt in her voice. “I haven’t seen you guys yet.”
This time her father answered as he gave her a big hug. “I know, sweetie. But we had all of these plans already booked, and you only told us you were coming home a few days ago.”
“Yeah, I guess.” She sounded like a pouting child but she couldn’t help it.
“Listen, sweetie.” Her mom came around the table and put her hands on Kylie’s shoulders. “We’ll be home before dinner tonight, and we’ll all sit down together and catch up on everything that’s happened, okay?”
She nodded.
“Good. John, fetch my jacket from the back door, will you?”
Just like that her parents were out the door, and Kylie was on her own again. Well, except for Captain who had clearly heard the wordwalkand waited by the back door under the hook where his leash hung.
“Coffee first, Cap. Then we’ll go.” She saluted him and selected a mug from the dish rack.
Twenty minutes later, they left the house. She had changed into fresh jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, but she didn’t have any sensible shoes unpacked so she slipped her high-heeled boots back on. Luckily, Captain’s age and excessive girth kept him from moving too quickly, so the outing was really more of a mosey.
They ambled their way up to the high school then meandered down to the public beach. They strolled past the only restaurant in town, the Burger Hut, then sauntered by Harrington’s Bookstore Café where Captain decided to sniff each and every flower planter. There was a printed help wanted poster in the window, and she took a picture of the phone number on it. Just in case.
Farther down the street, Camden Pet and Farm Supply sat squished between the drugstore and the house that served as the O.P.P. station. She noticed the night before that Captain’s food bin was almost empty. Picking some up would save her parents the trip. She was likely going to be around for a while, so she may as well be helpful. Plus, she felt bad about giving them a hard time earlier. It had only been a few days since she dropped the news on them. Of course they had other things going on in their lives.
The bell above the door of the pet supply store chimed as she and Captain made their way inside. Her thin heel caught between two old floorboards, and she pitched forward, slamming into the counter.
“Kylie?” the petite brunette standing behind it said. “Holy cow! Are you okay?”
“Uh…hi, Audrey.” Kylie straightened up, cleared her throat, then beelined to the dog food. “I’m okay.”
The shelves in the store were jam packed with bags of feed and kibble and other pet supplies, and everything was a little dusty. Kylie sneezed, scanning the selection for Captain’s brand.
“Wow, it’s been forever. It’s nice to see you.” Audrey, Kylie’s old friend, smiled.
“It’s good to see you too. I thought you moved away for school?” Kylie took down a bag of kibble and brought it to the counter.
“I did,” Audrey said as she rang up the dog food. “But Dad hurt himself a few years ago, and Hank couldn’t run the farm on his own, so I moved home.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Kylie said. And she truly was. It could be hard enough to leave a small town, but to get out and then get sucked back in was her worst nightmare.
“It’s not so bad.” Audrey took the cash Kylie handed her. “I work at the farm and here, and I started giving riding lessons from our stables. I’m saving a lot of money at least. Plus, it’s actually nice working with Hank and living back home.”
