“Sounds delicious. Not,” I teased.
After banging around in the very empty, very depressing cupboards, Jake conceded he had no real food and was sneaking up to the house to try and steal some.
“Did you want to come?” he asked, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.
“Ah, I might skip it.”
Thankfully, he didn’t push and simply kissed my cheek before slipping out the door. Leaving me alone and unsupervised, I did what any normal girl would do. I snooped. I opened drawers and cupboards, and came up extremely disappointed. There was nothing. Not just nothing scandalous, nothing at all.
Grabbing a glass, I filled it with water and walked out onto the porch. Across the fields the sun was setting, turning the sky the most brilliant mix of oranges and purples. It was so beautiful out here. So peaceful. Everything was quiet. It almost felt like you could hear yourself think.
“So, you’re the reason the boss man bailed on helping this afternoon,” a deep voice with the southern drawl announced, stepping out onto the porch in the house beside me.
“Nash, right?” I couldn’t remember if it was Nash or Sawyer, so I took a guess.
“Yeah.” He popped the cap on his beer before dropping into the chair that looked like it had seen better days and resting his feet on the railing.
“Sorry about that. I didn’t mean…”
He waved off my apology. “I’m just bustin’ your balls. Hopefully, if you’ve paid Jakie-boy a visit that might mean he’s pulled the stick out of his ass. He’s been more of an asshole than that damn bull all week.”
“Not sure I can help with that.”
“Oh, I have no doubt you can.” Nash smirked before flashing me a grin that made his dimples pop and no doubt ladies’ panties disintegrate. “He’s a good guy.”
“I know.”
“Maybe listen to him,” Nash suggested, which got my back up. I didn’t like that people knew my business, and from the sounds of it, Jake had a big mouth.
Tossing what was left with my water on the ground, I yanked open the screen door, letting it slam behind me as I stomped inside. Digging my hand in my pockets, I found my car keys and was almost out the door when my phone chimed.
Mom:Have fun tonight and remember, Jake’s one of the good guys.
“Ugh!” I groaned.
Had her message not come through at that exact moment, I probably would’ve been already halfway home.
I wasn’t a runner, at least I hadn’t thought I was, but looking back, maybe I was just delusional. I’d run, given every opportunity. It’s how I ended up pregnant and alone in the middle of nowhere. It was why there were these lingering, festering questions weighing me down. Fuck that. I wasn’t doing it again.
With determination filling me, I dropped my keys and phone on the bench and headed back out the door, swinging my leg over Jake’s ATV and firing it up.
“Do you know how to ride that?” Nash called out, setting his beer on the railing and bouncing down the steps.
“I’m fine,” I replied curtly.
“Does Jake know where you’re going?”
“If I mean as much to him as you seem to think I do, he’ll find me,” I told him cryptically before revving it and taking off in a cloud of dust.
I’d never ridden one of these before, but it was a hell of a lot of fun. Well, except for my hair whipping me in my face and the pain from my unrestrained bouncing boobs as I hit every bump. Turning off the track, I followed the fence line knowing exactly where I was headed. Nash might know my name, but he didn’t know me. Years ago, back when things were simpler, and I had less wrinkles and could rock my purple bikini like it was nobody's business, I knew this place like the back of my hand. We used to run riot around here, completely unsupervised and reckless—probably how I ended up pregnant.
Stopping, I unlatched the gate before rolling through then doubling back to make sure I got it secure. I’d done that once, and the dressing down I’d gotten from Jake’s dad still rung in my ears.
The sun was vanishing fast, and as I climbed the hill, I wished I’d thought to grab something warmer, but I was here now, and I wasn’t turning back to get a sweater. Up ahead I could see the hill, but something was wrong. The grass was all cut back, and someone had been digging out here.
“What the fuck?” I asked myself as I parked the ATV and started up the hill.
Storming up the hill, I arrived at the top and froze.
