myself. I pick it up and look back at him and now he’s got a half-smirk going on which is so frickin’ sexy. God! Why can’t he be ugly? But he’s standing there with his windblown hair messier than usual, his cheeks ruddy from being out in the sun and I know he’s been riding horses with Peyton’s kids, which doesn’t send a jealous streak through me at all since I saw how he was with her this morning. The fact that he told me he hasn’t slept with her also makes me feel better for some ridiculous reason.
You’re not getting involved with him again, stupid. Someone’s just going to end up getting hurt. Remember, you’re leaving when you sell the station.
I look away and continue setting the table.
~~~
We’re in the middle of lunch now. Earlier Lucas had come into the kitchen as I was grabbing the potato salad to set on the table, gave me a huge bear hug, kissed my cheek, said, “What’s cookin’, good lookin’?” and that was all it took to make up with him.
The dining table is rectangular and we all know that Lucas’s and Carolina’s seats are at either end, but I swear, Cassie and Brody scramble to sit on the same side like a couple of ten year olds, thus sabotaging my plan to stay away from Kade leaving me to sit by him. Jerks.
Actually, everything’s going pretty well. I’m not having to talk too much because Brody’s regaling us with a story about one of the guys he works with at the fire station whose three-year-old son somehow got hold of his mom’s cell phone, dialed 911 and said their house was on fire but he didn’t know the address. The dispatcher traced the cell, called it in, the guy of course freaked out since it was his house, he and the rest of the firefighters got in their gear and on the truck and showed up at the guy’s house. When they got there, the little boy was riding his tricycle outside but there was no smoke coming out of the house. When asked what the deal was, the little boy said he just wanted to see his daddy.
We’re laughing at that when the doorbell rings. Lucas gets up and answers it as Brody starts on another story. We’re chuckling as he’s imitating different people in town when I hear a voice that I was hoping not to hear for a very long time.
“Oh, hey, Carolina. Sorry to bother you during lunch, but I’ve got those Mason jars you asked Momma for,” Peyton says, stepping into the dining room holding a small box.
“Come on in, Peyton,” Carolina says getting up. “You didn’t need to bring those over this soon. I won’t need them until December.”
Peyton’s eyes land on Kade then slide to me and the glare she shoots my way could unnerve a lesser woman, but she doesn’t scare me. When I don’t flinch, she looks back at Carolina and the phony demeanor returns and she’s all peaches and cream sweet again. I look at Cassie who rolls her eyes in disgust.
“Well, Momma was going through the pantry for something and found them, so she asked me to bring them by,” Peyton says going into the kitchen and setting the box on the counter. When she comes back to the dining room she says, “Kade? Can I see you for a second?”
I can feel the tension rolling off him in waves. He lets out an annoyed sigh and shoots Brody a look, then scoots his chair back to get up and walks over to Peyton, taking her by the elbow and leading her outside. I look at Brody to see him looking remorseful. What the hell is going on with them and Peyton?
We all just sit there in silence eating for a few moments before Lucas says, “Nice girl, that Peyton.” He starts chuckling then Brody, Cassie and I burst out in laughter at his sarcasm.
“Lucas!” Carolina scolds but she’s having a hard time holding her laughter in, putting a hand over her mouth.
“She’s a ‘See You Next Tuesday’ for real,” Cassie mutters which makes me snort, especially when Carolina chides her too but then lets out her own small snort.
Oh, my gosh. I so love this family.
Brody
You’re not getting involved with him again, stupid. Someone’s just going to end up getting hurt. Remember, you’re leaving when you sell the station.
I look away and continue setting the table.
~~~
We’re in the middle of lunch now. Earlier Lucas had come into the kitchen as I was grabbing the potato salad to set on the table, gave me a huge bear hug, kissed my cheek, said, “What’s cookin’, good lookin’?” and that was all it took to make up with him.
The dining table is rectangular and we all know that Lucas’s and Carolina’s seats are at either end, but I swear, Cassie and Brody scramble to sit on the same side like a couple of ten year olds, thus sabotaging my plan to stay away from Kade leaving me to sit by him. Jerks.
Actually, everything’s going pretty well. I’m not having to talk too much because Brody’s regaling us with a story about one of the guys he works with at the fire station whose three-year-old son somehow got hold of his mom’s cell phone, dialed 911 and said their house was on fire but he didn’t know the address. The dispatcher traced the cell, called it in, the guy of course freaked out since it was his house, he and the rest of the firefighters got in their gear and on the truck and showed up at the guy’s house. When they got there, the little boy was riding his tricycle outside but there was no smoke coming out of the house. When asked what the deal was, the little boy said he just wanted to see his daddy.
We’re laughing at that when the doorbell rings. Lucas gets up and answers it as Brody starts on another story. We’re chuckling as he’s imitating different people in town when I hear a voice that I was hoping not to hear for a very long time.
“Oh, hey, Carolina. Sorry to bother you during lunch, but I’ve got those Mason jars you asked Momma for,” Peyton says, stepping into the dining room holding a small box.
“Come on in, Peyton,” Carolina says getting up. “You didn’t need to bring those over this soon. I won’t need them until December.”
Peyton’s eyes land on Kade then slide to me and the glare she shoots my way could unnerve a lesser woman, but she doesn’t scare me. When I don’t flinch, she looks back at Carolina and the phony demeanor returns and she’s all peaches and cream sweet again. I look at Cassie who rolls her eyes in disgust.
“Well, Momma was going through the pantry for something and found them, so she asked me to bring them by,” Peyton says going into the kitchen and setting the box on the counter. When she comes back to the dining room she says, “Kade? Can I see you for a second?”
I can feel the tension rolling off him in waves. He lets out an annoyed sigh and shoots Brody a look, then scoots his chair back to get up and walks over to Peyton, taking her by the elbow and leading her outside. I look at Brody to see him looking remorseful. What the hell is going on with them and Peyton?
We all just sit there in silence eating for a few moments before Lucas says, “Nice girl, that Peyton.” He starts chuckling then Brody, Cassie and I burst out in laughter at his sarcasm.
“Lucas!” Carolina scolds but she’s having a hard time holding her laughter in, putting a hand over her mouth.
“She’s a ‘See You Next Tuesday’ for real,” Cassie mutters which makes me snort, especially when Carolina chides her too but then lets out her own small snort.
Oh, my gosh. I so love this family.
Brody
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