Chapter Thirty
Emma
Monday
I ran by Daddy’s place on the way to work to drop off a few odds and ends I’d borrowed over the last couple of weeks. I was just going to run them into the house — he was always out back working with the horses before the sun rose, so I didn’t want to trouble him during his thinking time — but there was a light on in the kitchen. Kasey was digging around in the pantry, dressed in a night shirt and shorts, her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail.
“What are you doing up?” I asked her.
“I woke up so hungry, I couldn’t go back to sleep,” she said and pulled a box of cereal off the shelf.
“You damned near ate your weight in lemon meringue pie last night after dinner,” I said.
She laughed, and so did I. “You know how much I love your lemon meringue pie. It was your own damned fault for making it in the first place.” She reached into the box, pulled out a handful of cereal, and started munching on it. “What are you doing here first thing in the morning?”
I shrugged. “I had some things of Daddy’s I wanted to get back. And, it’s okay if I get to the farm a little late this morning. I’ll still be there before sunup.”
Kasey groaned, rolling light eyes that looked much bigger without all the liner and mascara. She could have been fifteen standing there in front of me, her cheeks and forehead fresh and clean of their usual foundation, powder, and blush. “I don’t know how you get up that early every morning.”
“I get up the exact same time we did growing up.”
“We didn’t have a choice then!”
I laughed. “I don’t have a choice now if I want to keep my job. Besides, I’m excited to see the new horses today. Lacey ran up to just outside of Dallas over the weekend to buy a pair of fillies. Today will be our first day getting them used to the ranch.” I’d hardly slept the night before, thinking about how much fun we had in store today.
Kasey’s face got serious, her smile evaporating as her eyes stayed steady on mine. “You need to be careful about that girl.”
I tugged my eyebrows together, scowling just a little. “What do you mean?”
“That Lacey is always hanging around all the time. Pete’s your boyfriend now. You need to put your foot down.”
“No, things aren’t like that. Lacey and Pete are pretty damned close to brother and sister. You should see them together. They fight like cats and dogs.”
She put her box of cereal down on the counter and dropped a hand onto her skinny hip. “Emma, ain’t nobody like brother and sister who ain’t actually brother and sister.” She stared hard at me, the heat in her gaze keeping me from arguing. “You need to get that snake the fuck out of your garden before it’s too late.”
I blinked, shocked by her directness. It took a minute to get myself together enough to come up with a response. “I’m really not worried about that, Kasey.”
“Well, you should be. Boys and girls can’t be friends without one of them having feelings for the other. Just keep your eyes open is all I’m saying. I like Pete a whole lot. I could tell Daddy did, too. I’d hate for this girl to ruin it because she decides she wants him all to herself.”
I drove on to Pete’s house, unable to shake the conversation with my sister. It was a relief to get to the ranch and outside of the nest of poisonous thoughts in my head. He was in the barn already, getting the stalls ready for the new horses.
“Morning,” I said.
He looked up from the stall door he was messing with, grinning the way he always did when he saw me coming. “I thought maybe you slept in.”
I laughed at the idea of not being up a few hours before the sun rose. I couldn’t remember ever having done that, not even at school. “I ran by my daddy’s house on the way over, and my sister was up.” I stopped short of telling him what we’d talked about and the things Kasey had said. I wanted to because now it was bothering me something fierce, but I knew I didn’t have anything to worry about. Why get Pete upset for no reason?
“Lacey should be in a little later today with the new horses,” he said.
“I’m so excited to get them out here.”
“Me, too,” he replied. “I’ve got a few things to do in town before she gets in.”
“I’ll finish getting this place ready and hold down the fort until you’re back.”
He stopped to kiss me on his way out, and I closed my eyes to enjoy the clean smell of him. I liked him sweaty, but it was nice just smelling his soap and clean skin.
As soon as he left, I got busy with the horses. They had to be fully groomed today before they went back to their stalls for the night, so I needed to budget my time properly. If Lacey was coming back from Dallas tonight with new animals, I couldn’t depend on her to help work or clean the horses today. I got them out to the corral for feeding and watering, then busied myself with mucking out their stalls. We were a few horses down for the moment, so it didn’t take as long as usual.
On a good day, the hours just melted away in flurry of sweaty activity. Today was one of those days. By the time I groomed the last horse and put him away in his stall for the night, the sun had nearly given up on the day.
I realized with a start that Lacey had never arrived with the new horses. I frowned at the empty stalls I’d prepared. Maybe Pete knew what had happened.
I left the barn, telling the horses goodnight before I slid the alleyway door shut. I ran out to the car to leave my hat in the front seat, leaning into my car to drop it onto the passenger side. I glanced up through the windshield just in time to see Lacey come out of the house with Pete right behind her.
The relieved grin at seeing she was okay froze on my face at what happened next. She turned back to Pete, who took her into his arms and hugged her, pulling her in tight to his body as she buried her head in his chest and put her arms around him. They were swaying together as Pete dropped his chin to kiss the top of Lacey’s head, his lips lingering in her blonde hair.
I sat down hard on the driver’s seat, all the wind knocked out of me watching them clinging to each other. I blinked my burning eyes, refusing to cry over this. Kasey was right. I was the one who didn’t understand what the hell had been going on right in front of my eyes.
I closed the car door, making the lovebirds spring apart on the porch and stare my way. I didn’t wait to hear their goddamned excuses and lies. I just started the engine and drove away.