dinner?”
“Chase and Briar are having a dinner Sunday night, we’re invited. And don’t worry, no one will know you’re there.”
“Uh-huh,” she slipped her arm over my stomach and up to my ribs, digging in.
“Stop!”
“Still ticklish? What happened to the big bad, tough guy?” she got both hands into my ribs. “Say uncle.”
My eyes were watering. I was out of breath. So I grabbed Kate’s hands and pinned them behind her back. “Nope, you say uncle.”
She struggled, but she wasn’t getting out of my hold for anything. “Come on, let me go.”
“Hey, you started this. I’m not the scrawny kid I used to be either.”
She continued to struggle, but it didn’t take much for me to keep her held down. I hefted sacks of feed and worked full time on the ranch now. My muscles had muscles.
“Uncle!,” she finally snapped. “Now we will both go to sleep, keeping our hands to ourselves…hey!”
“Yeah, I’m not letting you go,” to prove my point I turned on my side and curled myself around her. She was flat against my chest with no wiggle room. “Now sleep.”
“Since when did you get so bossy?”
“I learned from the best.”
She was quiet for a while, and then she snorted, “Family dinner is Sunday night at Chase’s house. If I’m invited, this means Millie and Jerry know I’m here.”
I winced. “Yeah, Jerry invited me, told me to bring a friend, and then suggested I bring you.”
“How do you think they found out?” she wondered aloud.
“No clue,” I closed my eyes. “Let’s get some sleep.”
Before too long, Kate was out, and I slowly retrieved the tracker from the box in my pack. I reached around, freezing when she mumbled in her sleep. I had her locket open, and the little device concealed inside before she stirred again. I went to sleep shortly after.
And much to my surprise, it was downright peaceful.
I’d made the right choice.
For me.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kate
I woke before sunrise. Dustin was sound asleep beside me, his face relaxed. He had such smooth skin, aside from morning beard stubble, and his face looked happy and peaceful in sleep.
I sat back, watching him.
I wished I could tell him everything.
But now it was clear I had to go.
Jerry and Millie knew. When Dustin told me, I panicked inside, and forced myself to stay calm. I slept restlessly, feeling comfort being with Dustin, but knowing that I’d be leaving soon. Leaving him again. It felt even harder this time, but if I was going to live through this, I had to go.
I slipped out of the tent, wiping tears from my eyes. It was so much harder to leave him. He was the one weakness I had. The only thing that made me want to cry like I did when I lost my mom. He was my everything. I don’t think there would ever be anyone else that could mean as much to me as Dustin.
And here I was, leaving the one person I wanted to be with above all others, again.
It killed me inside.
But I saddled Cupcake and began the long lonely ride across the dark hills for my house. It took nearly two hours. Good thing I’d left so early.
I put Cupcake in the stable and gave her some water. Once I was on the road, I’d call Chase and tell him where she was. She’d be fine until he came and got her.
I packed my things, set them by the door, and then took a look around the kitchen. The one thing I wanted to do before I left, was make a final batch of pancakes in my home, in case I never got to come back.
I knew it was a risk, that there was a chance I might not make it out before Dustin found out I was missing and raced back here. But I decided I had to do it.
I’d make a quick batch and pack them up for the road. My stomach was rumbling, and as I stood over the stove, I nibbled on one of the more deformed pancakes.
My phone rang.
Dustin’s name filled the screen, and I ignored the call.
My phone rang again. It was probably best if I shut it off, but I didn’t.
I swallowed, and eyed the number flashing across
“Chase and Briar are having a dinner Sunday night, we’re invited. And don’t worry, no one will know you’re there.”
“Uh-huh,” she slipped her arm over my stomach and up to my ribs, digging in.
“Stop!”
“Still ticklish? What happened to the big bad, tough guy?” she got both hands into my ribs. “Say uncle.”
My eyes were watering. I was out of breath. So I grabbed Kate’s hands and pinned them behind her back. “Nope, you say uncle.”
She struggled, but she wasn’t getting out of my hold for anything. “Come on, let me go.”
“Hey, you started this. I’m not the scrawny kid I used to be either.”
She continued to struggle, but it didn’t take much for me to keep her held down. I hefted sacks of feed and worked full time on the ranch now. My muscles had muscles.
“Uncle!,” she finally snapped. “Now we will both go to sleep, keeping our hands to ourselves…hey!”
“Yeah, I’m not letting you go,” to prove my point I turned on my side and curled myself around her. She was flat against my chest with no wiggle room. “Now sleep.”
“Since when did you get so bossy?”
“I learned from the best.”
She was quiet for a while, and then she snorted, “Family dinner is Sunday night at Chase’s house. If I’m invited, this means Millie and Jerry know I’m here.”
I winced. “Yeah, Jerry invited me, told me to bring a friend, and then suggested I bring you.”
“How do you think they found out?” she wondered aloud.
“No clue,” I closed my eyes. “Let’s get some sleep.”
Before too long, Kate was out, and I slowly retrieved the tracker from the box in my pack. I reached around, freezing when she mumbled in her sleep. I had her locket open, and the little device concealed inside before she stirred again. I went to sleep shortly after.
And much to my surprise, it was downright peaceful.
I’d made the right choice.
For me.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kate
I woke before sunrise. Dustin was sound asleep beside me, his face relaxed. He had such smooth skin, aside from morning beard stubble, and his face looked happy and peaceful in sleep.
I sat back, watching him.
I wished I could tell him everything.
But now it was clear I had to go.
Jerry and Millie knew. When Dustin told me, I panicked inside, and forced myself to stay calm. I slept restlessly, feeling comfort being with Dustin, but knowing that I’d be leaving soon. Leaving him again. It felt even harder this time, but if I was going to live through this, I had to go.
I slipped out of the tent, wiping tears from my eyes. It was so much harder to leave him. He was the one weakness I had. The only thing that made me want to cry like I did when I lost my mom. He was my everything. I don’t think there would ever be anyone else that could mean as much to me as Dustin.
And here I was, leaving the one person I wanted to be with above all others, again.
It killed me inside.
But I saddled Cupcake and began the long lonely ride across the dark hills for my house. It took nearly two hours. Good thing I’d left so early.
I put Cupcake in the stable and gave her some water. Once I was on the road, I’d call Chase and tell him where she was. She’d be fine until he came and got her.
I packed my things, set them by the door, and then took a look around the kitchen. The one thing I wanted to do before I left, was make a final batch of pancakes in my home, in case I never got to come back.
I knew it was a risk, that there was a chance I might not make it out before Dustin found out I was missing and raced back here. But I decided I had to do it.
I’d make a quick batch and pack them up for the road. My stomach was rumbling, and as I stood over the stove, I nibbled on one of the more deformed pancakes.
My phone rang.
Dustin’s name filled the screen, and I ignored the call.
My phone rang again. It was probably best if I shut it off, but I didn’t.
I swallowed, and eyed the number flashing across
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