“You poor, loved, married, twin-baby-having best friend of mine. I’m so terribly sorry to disturb you.”
“Your words sound nice, but your tone is scary.”
“How are you feeling?” She really did sound groggy. I was beginning to feel bad for waking her.
“My stomach doesn’t know how to keep food down anymore. It’s all throw up, all the time.”
“I’m sorry. How’s Cade?”
“Taking a few summer classes and an internship and working like a madman, but somehow still finding the energy to switch the salt and sugar jars in my kitchen.”
“Ugh, you guys are so weird and in love. It’s no wonder you got pregnant. What, do you kiss and make up after every prank now?”
Kelsey laughed, her voice sounding less manly the longer we talked. “It’s our new rule. Every prank ends with—"
“No! Stop,” I cut her off immediately. “I don’t want to know any more than I already do.” My cheeks still burned from hearing a few select details of their honeymoon night she had saved for my ears only, as best friends do.
“It beats making a homemade trap to catch a squirrel to put in Cade’s locker.”
“The times we had.”
“Why am I not still asleep right now? I don’t remember doing anything to deserve this.”
I was starting to feel bad for waking her so early. I hadn’t realized the babies werealreadykeeping her up at night. “I’m sorry, but I ran into Logan last night.”
There was a long silence on the phone.
“Kelsey…” My body had slowed down to a walk. I willed my breathing to settle.
“Ugh. I’m sorry. I found out a few days ago. I just didn’t want to get your hopes up.”
“Kels, I don’t want to date him. I just… A little warning would have been nice. Did you know he’s here all summer?”
“I’m sorry. I should have told you. But I swear, it’s a new girl every other week, and I know you used to like him, but if he played you at all, I would castrate him. So…I’m trying to save him from that and you from more heartache. I still can’t think of Tyler without wanting to stick him, head first, into the back of a cow.”
“Now there’s a picture.”
“I have so many raging hormones with this pregnancy. It’s a good thing I’m exhausted all the time, or else I would commit…something. For sure.”
I stepped off the road and waved to Betsy May driving by in her long Buick. The older-than-dirt Eugene resident was one of my at-home patients for the summer. She was famous in town for her bug eyes in thick glasses and bright-pink lipstick. But everyone gave her a wide berth when she sat behind the wheel.
“It’s all good. I just wanted to give you a hard time.”
“I think Chase was involved in some big projects in Boise that kept getting delayed, so he sent Logan at the last minute.”
“Don’t try and tell me things now, traitor. Too late. I already know all this.”
“When did you see him?”
“He was at the restaurant formerly known as The Ranch House last night. I met Margo there for dinner.”
“Ew. How is it there? I’ve heard it took a nosedive ever since—” Kelsey broke off suddenly.
“My cousin took over management? Yeah. Let’s not talk about it.”
“Did he talk to you?”
I bit my lip and moved into a light jog again. Of course Kelsey would home in on my lack of details and press further. I would have done the same. But for some reason, I didn’t want to tell her all the details about last night. I didn’t want to tell her about the bet. I didn’t want it to get back to Logan that I gave it a thought or, to my shame, a second thought.
