She leans over and hugs me, then looks me in the eye. “That doesn’t mean you can tell me what to do.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
With a snort, she gets up and heads for the kitchen. “I’ll make dinner. Did you know the harvest festival is being held right downtown this year? Lucky’s is smack in the middle of it.”
“That should be good for business.”
“Absolutely.” She pulls a few vegetables out of the refrigerator. “Are you going?”
I grab a beer before she can close the door. “To the festival? To get my face painted and win a teddy bear?” Arlow has already told me he’s taking his family and invited me along. Lacey and Trinity are joining them.
“Don’t forget the corn maze and bobbing for apples.”
I got dragged into it last year for Arlow’s birthday. Not this time. She grins at the look I give her and starts chopping a green pepper.
“I’ll be working all day. Calli and Arlow are going to come for dinner afterward. You should come too. I’m pretty sure she already asked Lacey.”
“Are you going to hook me up with double chicken fried steak?”
“I’ll think about it.” She pauses for a moment, like she’s hesitant to ask. “So, how do you feel about cats?”
I forgot about her cat. Of course she won’t want to leave it at Calli’s that long. “I think they’re assholes, but I don’t mind if you bring yours here. Just keep the door to the back room with the pet door closed. I’m not sure how Rogue will get along with her.”
“Is Rogue never allowed in the rest of the house?” she asks.
“I tried, but she doesn’t want to be indoors. Maybe when it’s colder outside. But every time I bring her in and give her a bath, she barks and charges at the door to get out in under an hour. Ten minutes outdoors and she’s covered in grime again. So I set up the back room for her to go in and out, get to a spot with heat, her bed, and food.”
“Can’t tame the wild girls,” she says with a grin.
She would know. While she’s making dinner, I remember the squeaky door I’ve been meaning to fix in the guest bathroom and grab some household lubricant to take care of it. It’s rare for anyone to stay in the guest room.Arlow has crashed here a few times but not since Calli moved in with him. I keep forgetting the horrible screech the door hinges make. It’s easily fixed, and I glance around to see if there’s anything else I haven’t thought about that needs to be done.
A sharp ache pierces my chest when I recognize a hairbrush sitting on the sink. Where did it come from? How many times did I watch her pick up that thick wooden brush with black bristles and a yellow handle? I can still see her running it through her long blond hair, the way she smiled at me when she caught me watching one day.
One yellow hair winds its way through the bristles. All that’s left to show she used it. She hasn’t been here for seven years, and I thought every sign of her was long gone. I must’ve missed this somehow. It was probably under the sink or something and Silver found it.
I need some air. With the brush in hand, I step outside and Rogue bounds up to join me. “Come on, girl. Let’s go for a walk.”
Silver has been staying with me for over a week, though I hardly see her because she works so much. Today is the town’s harvest festival. I’m not interested in being in the crowd of people playing games, but I meet up with everyone when they’re headed to the diner. The place is packed, and I’m lucky to grab the last parking spot.
“There you are!” Lacey calls, rushing up to me as soon asI’m out of my truck. “I thought maybe you changed your mind.”
Her arms are full of stuffed animals. “I had some work to finish up. Did you win everything in the place?”
“Close to it,” Trinity says, grinning at her and holding a couple of prizes of her own.
“Can we lock them in your truck while we eat?” Lacey asks. “We’re parked on the other end of the street.”
Arlow slides his arm around Calli’s waist while we wait for them to put their stuff in the truck. “I told her you’d skip the fun stuff and just show up for the food.”
“No face paint? I was thinking skyscraper this year.” Last year, Arlow lost a bet and had to get his face painted, along with Silver. Calli and I got to choose the designs. He looked hilarious as a giraffe.
“Fuck off. The tip of my nose was black for a week.”
“Come on,” Calli laughs. “Silver’s holding a table for us.”
The diner is bulging at the seams when we walk in. “Wait is an hour right now!” one of the waitresses says as she rushes past us with a tray of food, her cat ear headband sitting crookedly. All of the staff are dressed in Halloween costumes.
“I’ve got them!” Silver calls. She points to the back of the diner and Calli nods at her. “I’ll be just a minute.” She steps out from behind the counter and stops to chat with a customer.
