He grits his teeth.
Carson glances between us, but no one else notices.
“Well, I’m glad you had a good time. You deserve some time off. You work too many hours.”
I nod. I’m getting sick of hearing that, but they aren’t wrong. My phone vibrates multiple times, and I unlock it under the table and glance to see who it is.
Daryl
Heard you took a vacation with your fancy boyfriend.
Daryl
If he can afford a vacation, he can afford to toss some my way. It’s safer for everyone this way.
Daryl
Get me $5,000 from your rich boyfriend or you won’t like what happens next.
I lock my phone. That’s the most he’s ever asked for. I don’t have that much to give him; I don’t even have half of that in the bank, and there is no way I’d ever go to Trey for it. I’ll need to buy some time. Trey will be gone in just a few weeks—I only need to stall for a little while. I can do that.
Trey watches me from across the table. I guard my expression as I take a sip of water, calming my nerves, pretending nothing is wrong.
“You three still planning to come with me to Greeley?” Kacey looks between Trey, Carson, and me.
“Yep,” Trey and I echo each other.
“I don’t know. There is—”
“You’re going,” Kacey cuts Carson off matter-of-factly.
He gives her a sharp look but relents. Kacey is the only person who can get Carson off the ranch, and she knows it.
We eat our supper, and everyone talks about how things have been going on the ranch. Kacey is pretty excited about this group of colts they’ve been training, and Chet’s rental cabin project is coming along. As soon as we’re done, we clean up and move to the living room to watch the Vernal, Utah rodeo where Knox is riding tonight.
“Anyone need anything from the kitchen?” I stand from the couch to grab a refill before the bull riding starts.
“I’ll take another.” Chet raises his empty can.
“I’ll take a water, since I’m your DD,” Trey calls over the back of the couch.
“Carson, what about you?” I glance his way, seeing the empty tumbler in his hand. It always amazes me how he can switch from beer to whiskey with no repercussions. I would die a slow death tomorrow if I tried that.
“I’m going anyway; the whiskey’s too high for you to reach.”
“Kacey and I have been climbing our way up to the whiskey since we were sixteen.”
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Cody mumbles.
“Nonetheless, I’ll save you the trouble.” He follows me to the kitchen.
At the freezer, I take a huge ball of ice from its mold and hand it to Carson.
He drops it into his glass as he says, “Seems like things with the roommate are better.”
“Yeah, we’re figuring it out.”
“And by figuring it out you mean . . .?” He reaches into the top cabinet for the bottle of Pendleton Whiskey.
