Chapter 12
Kelsi
“When the chips are falling into place, it serves you not to try to hold onto them.”
~ Rowan O’Sullivan
“Great, I’ll see you then.” I hung up the phone and did my best not to jump up and down in the front desk chair. I’d just scheduled my third referral of the day.
Thank you, Destiny Briggs. She hadn’t been kidding when she said she was going to tell everyone and Bella had not been exaggerating when she’d told me Destiny knows everyone in town, although that was most likely common with small towns.
I’d had several appointments each day this week and two days next week were completely booked. I was running out of samples, so I made a note to make some more this weekend.
Maybe I’d even ask Milo to help me. I hadn’t spent as much time with him as I’d wanted to this past week because by the time I got home from work he was usually conked out. Last night he’d texted me around seven saying he was going to stay up so we could watch Tommy Boy, but when I got home at nine, he was passed out on the couch. As I’d stared down at him, so peaceful, it was so strange to me that just a few days before he’d been passed out drunk on that same couch and now he’d fallen asleep waiting up for me so we could watch one our favorite comedies.
Since last night was a bust, I told him to walk here from the O’Sullivan’s so we could eat at The Greasy Spoon. I’d heard that the chili was incredible and I’d made enough tips so that I wouldn’t have a panic attack over a dinner out.
Leaning back in the reception chair, I looked out the window at the quaint small town that was starting to feel like the home I’d never had. So much had changed in such a short period. Not just since moving here. A few months ago I was living with Russell and I thought I was going to marry him. Then one phone call changed everything.
I’d been trying to get a hold of Milo for weeks but hadn’t been able to. I called every Saturday to check in and see how he was doing. Sometimes he wanted to talk to me, but most of the time he got off the phone as fast possible, or he wouldn’t even take my call at all. But I hadn’t been able to get through for him to do either. It wasn’t uncommon for my mom’s phone to get shut off, so I hadn’t thought much about it. But, as time went on, I’d gotten concerned and contacted his school. They said he was no longer a registered student there.
I’d panicked. My first thought was that something horrible had happened to my brother and my mom hadn’t told me. Then I thought that my mom must’ve moved and didn’t bother to let me know. That’s when Google became my best friend. I searched my mom’s name, and discovered that she’d been arrested. I drove back to Detroit that night, and after a week of knocking on doors and making countless phone calls, I was able to track down Milo at a group home.
I would never forget the relief I’d felt when I’d finally been able to schedule a visitation with him. I’d also never forget the hollow look in his eyes, like there was no life or fight left in him. That look would haunt me forever.
“Ooh, I wonder if he brought more flowers with him!” Bella, who was taking the curlers out of Mrs. Fuller’s hair, called over her shoulder.
I sat up in the chair and saw Bryson’s truck parked in front of the shop.
“What the…” My heartbeat sped up as I stood and crossed to the glass door and pushed it open as Milo was stepping out of the truck. We met in the middle of the sidewalk. “Hey, are you okay?”
He seemed put off at my question. “Yeah, why?”
“Because I thought you were going to walk here.”
“I told him that.” He motioned to the truck. “But he wanted to talk to you.”
Oh boy.
Now my heart was thumping like Goliath’s foot when I scratched him under his ears. Bryson and I had been exchanging texts ever since he sent me those amazing flowers. I’d been polite, but I’d intentionally kept things friendly and not flirty. I didn’t want to lead him on since there was no way anything could happen between us. My life was more complicated than the math problem Matt Damon solved in Good Will Hunting. The last thing I needed was to add another variable into the equation.
Bryson got out of the truck, his hound dog right behind him, and my mind went on an arousal fritz. It was the same reaction I’d had when he’d opened the door shirtless. His sexiness was like water to my circuit breaker. I shorted out. All I could do was stare and hope that I didn’t drool as much as Goliath was.
Somehow he was better looking than he had been just a few days ago. He was wearing a ball cap that caused his eyes to look even bluer than normal. His white cotton T-shirt looked like it had been custom made to mold to his muscles, putting them on display like the work of art they were. His five o’clock shadow was more like a midnight shadow that made me wonder what it would feel like if it scratched against my chin, or my neck, or my inner thighs.
“Hey.” He grinned like he could read my mind.
I shook my head slightly, hoping to erase the X-rated thoughts and images that were currently populating it. It didn’t work, so I pushed forward like I wasn’t picturing us naked with his head between my legs.
“Hey.” I reached down and patted Goliath as I asked, “What’s up?”
His eyes squinted slightly. “You all right?”
“Yep. I’m great!” I knew I oversold it as soon as I realized the volume of my exclamation when Goliath barked from excitement.
I was saved when Sadie, Bella’s daughter, rode up on her bike.
“Hi, Miss Kelsi. Hi, Mr. O’Sullivan. Hi, Goliath.” She greeted us as she slowed to a stop.
It was so strange to be called Miss anything, but I’d learned over the past week that around here that was how you addressed your elders. And I was an elder. I had requested my first name be used instead of my last. Every time I heard “Miss Robbins” I thought of my mother.
“Hey, squirt.” Bryson held the front bar of her bike as she got off of it to pet Goliath’s large head.
“Hey, Sadie.” I smiled. “You look pretty today.”
She looked pretty every day I’d seen her. But today she was wearing a sundress, and her long blonde hair was pulled off her face. It made her blue eyes look so big she almost looked unreal, like a doll.
“Thanks, so do you.” Her wide eyes shifted beside me, and I saw a light pink blush stain her porcelain cheeks.
I thought I must’ve embarrassed her, giving her a compliment in front of someone her age. I hoped once she found out Milo was my brother it would help.
“Oh, you two haven’t met. Sadie, this is my brother Milo.” I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Milo this is Miss McCord’s daughter, Sadie.”
“Hi.” The light pink turned much deeper as she smiled and dipped her head, looking down at the ground.
When my brother didn’t say anything back, I glanced down and saw that Sadie appeared to be having the same effect on him that Bryson had on me. I nudged him at the same time that Bryson cleared his throat.
At our prompting, he managed to lift his hand in a wave and say, “Hi.”
The glass door opened and Bella poked her head out of the shop and said hi to Bryson and Milo before turning to her daughter and handing her a ten-dollar bill. “Hey, Sadie, can you run down to the store and grab me some 7UP and crackers?”
7UP and crackers? She’d been talking about baby names and now 7UP and crackers…
Sadie took the cash. “Sure.”
“Thanks, ladybug.” Bella pulled Sadie in for a quick kiss on the top of her head. “Gotta go finish up with Mrs. Fuller. Nice seeing y’all.”
When Bella was back inside, Sadie wrapped her fingers around her handlebars and looked at Milo. “Do you want to come with me? It’s just down the street.”
Milo’s eyes shot to mine, and I tried my best not to smile at the desperation in them. I gave him a quick nod, and he smiled at me. It was a real, full smile that only lasted a second but it was long enough to make my heart full.
“Yeah.” His shoulder lifted like it was no biggie. “Sure.”
Her eyes lit up for just a split second, but then she, too, guarded her reaction. She turned her bike the other direction, and as they were walking away, I overheard Milo say, “I can walk your bike for you if you want.”
She looked at him like he was crazy. “It’s pink and has tassels.”
He didn’t miss a beat. “Real men can walk a pink bike with tassels.”
She giggled and passed the bike to him. I don’t think I’d ever been prouder.
“My brother has game,” I bragged to Bryson.
“He stole my line, but yeah, he has game.”
I spun towards him. “You said that real men can walk a pink bike with tassels?!”
“No.” He made a face as if that was the most ridiculous statement in the world as he clarified, “I said real men cry.”
“You cried in front of Milo?”
“No. I was telling him about a time I cried.” It was obvious he was frustrated at my line of questioning.
“Look, buddy, you’re the one that said he stole your line.”
“Buddy?” He grinned. “I’m your buddy?”
“Would you have preferred pal? Champ? Chief?”
“No.” His crystal blue eyes stared down at me with an intensity that made the hairs on my arm stand up. “I prefer boyfriend.”
Danger zone. Danger zone. Danger zone.
“Ha, ha, ha.” I played it off like he was joking, which he probably was. He didn’t even know me. Crossing my arms, I asked over the lump in my throat. “Milo said you needed to talk to me.”
He hesitated for a minute, and I wasn’t sure if he was going to let me get away with changing the subject. But I let out a sigh of relief when he did.
“Hud owns and runs a camp about an hour from here, Reed Rescue Ranch. It’s primarily for inner city, troubled, and disabled kids, but he also does programs for the kids in Wishing Well, and he’s having one next weekend. He wants Milo to go.”
“Umm, I’m not sure…” I bit the inside of my mouth. I barely had money for dinner at the local diner; there was no way I could afford a camp.
“It might be good for him. Milo would be working to pay his way. Hud wants him to earn the trip to teach him responsibility.”
Whew. Bullet dodged.
“Oh, okay. Well, if that’s what he thinks then I think that should be fine. You said it was Reed Rescue Ranch?” I wanted to look it up and find out some more information before I agreed.
“Yep.”
“Wait. Reed Rescue Ranch.” I’d been so preoccupied thinking about the cost I hadn’t paid attention to the name. “Kyle Austen Reed’s Reed Rescue Ranch?”
Kyle Austen Reed was my favorite movie star. I watched an entire special about the ranch and that the inspiration behind it was his stepdaughter Angel, who was a paraplegic.
“I can’t wait to tell Hud you said that.” Bryson’s face lit up like he’d just won the lottery. “Kyle is Hud’s cousin. He invested in the ranch and brought a lot of attention to it, but the ranch is Hud’s baby.”
The jingle of the bell sounded, and Bella stuck her head out again. “Hey, Kels. Can you grab Mrs. Fuller some samples before she goes?”
“Oh right, yes.” I’d totally lost track of the fact that I was at work. I rubbed Goliath’s head goodbye and stepped towards the door before looking over my shoulder. “Thanks for driving Milo and telling me about the ranch.”
“No problem. And for the record, we’re not done with the boyfriend conversation.” He smiled as he tipped his ball cap and walked back to his truck.
Danger. Zone.