AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Do you sell the cattle for meat?”
I nod. “We do. We have a few we keep around, mostly because my mom was super attached to them and none of us can bear to sell them. But most of them we raise to slaughter.”
“That’s kind of sad.”
I shrug. “Maybe, but they don’t know any different.”
She’s quiet, and I’m worried I offended her. Maybe she’s a vegan.
“Do you get attached to the cows?” she wonders aloud.
“Not really, they’re how I make my money. Well, some of my money. We also have a few fields of hay we sell to other farmers, and I work part-time as a mechanic.”
“You sound like you’ve got a pretty busy life, how do you find the time to take grieving girls to mysterious places on the weekend?”
I laugh. “Priorities, Luce, it’s all about priorities.”
She laughs, then asks, “What’s your full name?”
“Wyatt Aaron Hayes. What about you?”
“Lucy Anne Carter.”
Lucy Anne Carter.
I look over at her—at her auburn hair and bright eyes and fair skin. I think about the slight twang in her voice, and the way her accent gets thicker when she’s upset.
Lucy Anne. It fits her.
“I like your name,” I tell her.
“I like yours, too.” She smiles.
My chest tightens at the small smile she gives me, and I clear my throat. We’re only a few minutes away from the cemetery now, and I’m not ready to let her go just yet.
“Are you in college?” I ask.
She looks away and takes a loud sip of her milkshake.
“Yep,” she says, popping the “p” a little loudly.
I raise my eyebrows. “What’s your major?”
She hums, her eyes focused on the road in front of us.
“Oh, I get it. You’re allowed to ask me questions, but I can’t ask you?” I tease.
Her cheeks flush a little and I instantly regret saying anything. I reach over and put my hand on her knee, squeezing once.
“Sorry, it was just a joke. If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to.”
Her eyes stare down at my hand on her knee. I swallow and remove my hand, feeling even more like an idiot. She probably thinks I was trying to make a move on her or something, which I wasn’t. Sure, she’s an attractive girl, and if she were anyone else, I would definitely be hitting on her, but she’s still grieving the loss of her dad. I know what that grief feels like. And I know a girl like Lucy isn’t looking for the kind of comfort I can offer. I’m not a relationship kind of guy, I’m more of alet’s-casually-hang-out-for-a-few-weeks-and-then-never-speak-againtype of guy.
“I changed majors a few months ago,” Lucy says slowly, bringing me back to the present.
“Yeah? What prompted the change?” I ask.
She closes her eyes and breathes in deep through her nose. “My dad was a doctor. He had his own practice and mostly worked with kids. My plan was to go to medical school and become a cardiac surgeon.”
