“Yeah, she is. I like that. Peanut Butter.”
“Hayden!” a voice called out from the main house a couple of hours later
“Oh, shoot, you need to get home, don’t you?” he asked.
We’d lost track of time playing with the horses, barn cats, and the Corgi, whose name I learned was Reggie.
I pulled out my phone, looking at the time. “Yeah. My mom told me I needed to be back by dinnertime.”
“My dad can give you a ride home. So your mom doesn’t have to come all the way out here.”
“Oh…okay.” No one had ever dropped me off at my house or even come near my place. I wasn’t necessarily ashamed of where I lived, but I also didn’t really want Hayden and his family to know—not after seeing the way they interacted with each other today. Like a normal, happy family.
Things had also been okay between my parents since we moved here, and I didn’t want to ruin that by having to introduce them to Hayden’s dad. I wanted to continue being friends with Hayden, and I wasn’t sure if his parentswould let him hang out with me if they knew about the stuff that sometimes happened at my house.
“Come on!” Hayden took off toward the house, making me jog to catch up with him. “Dad! Sierra needs to get home! Can we give her a ride?”
A few minutes later, Mr. Watkins emerged from the house. “Sure thing. Did you two have fun?”
Both Hayden and I nodded.
“We should name the foal Peanut Butter, Dad,” Hayden declared.
“Peanut Butter, eh?” Mr. Watkins glanced between the two of us, a knowing look on his face. “I like it.”
Twenty minutes later, we made it back into town. I gave Mr. Watkins the general directions of my neighborhood but didn’t give him the exact address.
“You can drop me off up here. Thanks!” I unbuckled my seatbelt, even though we were still a few blocks away from my house.
“This is where you live?” Hayden’s dad asked as he pulled over to the curb, a suspicious tone to his voice.
“Yep!” My lie came out a little bit too enthusiastically.
“We’ll wait out here until you get inside.”
My heart started racing. “No, no, that’s okay. I can manage. T-thank you for the ride. I’ll see you tomorrow, Hayden.”
I got out of the car and slowly started to walk up to the house that wasn’t mine, looking over my shoulder to see if they were still there. Sure enough, they were. I turned around to give as convincing a wave as possible, and the vehicle slowly pulled forward.
Once they were out of sight, I sprinted the three blocks back to my house.
CHAPTER NINE
hayden
PRESENT DAY
It’s a beautiful day here in Billings, Montana. We’re looking at clear, blue skies and sunny weather all day long. Next up, we’ve got ‘Big Iron’ by Marty Robbins.” The local radio station blared in the cab of my pickup truck as Sierra and I drove toward Billings for a three-day rodeo.
“So…” Sierra fidgeted in her seat, picking at the skin around her fingernails.
“So?” I repeated, taking my eyes off the road for a second to look at her.
She forced out a laugh, the sound sharp and harsh. “I don’t know, honestly. I’m not sure what to do or say right now. Being back here, with you, it’s…” Her voice trailed off, but a multitude of questions fired off in my brain.
Why did you just leave?
Was it me? Did I do something wrong?
