“I see that. How was camp?”
Her skin is more bronze than the last time I saw her, and there are now some lighter highlights in her brown hair from her increased time in the sun.
“It was great. I had fun with my friends, and I think I’m in love.” She sighs dreamily.
Oh boy.
“In love, huh? Some camp you went to.”
She giggles, and I can’t help but do the same. Her eyes, the same color as her mother’s, are alight with that teenage girl first crush. I remember it, that exact feeling, and how special it was.
I kind of feel it now, but I’m not admitting that, ever.
“Yeah, it was fun, but he’s in Utah and I’m here, so it’ll never work. Whatever.”
“You have a lot of time to fall in love.”
She nods. “Yeah, that’s true.”
“Well, I’m sure your dad and your family are happy to have you home.”
Sadie purses her lips and then looks off. “Yeah, well, he’s in jail.”
“What?” I scream and almost fall off my horse.
She turns back to me. “Uncle Jimmy came today, and Dad went to jail. I probably shouldn’t be talking to you, because Grandad said your whole family is evil, but I don’t think he means you.”
I shake my head, trying to decipher all of that. “Wait, I don’t understand. Why is your dad in jail?”
“Because someone was on your farm, and then something about a video of him leaving the barn. I don’t know, I wasn’t following all of it since I was listening through the door when he was talking to Uncle Jimmy until Dad came inside and said he had to go and for Aunt Harper to bail him out.”
Video. Oh my God. The cameras on the farm. I completely forgot about them. He rode back with me to make sure I got home okay. They must’ve caught him on them. I’m going to be sick.
I knew where those damn cameras were. I should’ve remembered. I should’ve made sure we wouldn’t be seen.
Oh, God.
Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God. What if they sawus? What if my brothers watched the film or Jimmy or mydad? If they saw me with him…they’ll kill him.
Maybe not actually, but it’ll be a damn nightmare.
Whatever, I’ll deal with that later. For now, I need to get my…whatever he is…out of jail and then try to smooth over all this shit with my family.
“I have to go.” My voice cracks as a new kind of regret fills me.
“You do?” Sadie asks.
“Yes, your dad shouldn’t be in jail. I…I need to go down there.”
This is lunacy.
I have to fix this. I can’t let him sit in jail because of whatever the hell my idiot brothers did.
“But didn’t you put him in jail?”
I look at this little girl who just came home and saw her dad get carted off because of some stupid accusation, and I shake my head. “No, not me”—just because of me—“but I’m going to find out what’s going on and make it right.”
That’s all I can do.
