Page 25 of Chasing Kaylee Kringle

He elbowed her back, and she glared at him.

“I’m Austin Whittier, and I just want to warn everyone to make sure your trash is put away. Although it’s late in the season, we’re having a warm winter, and I noticed some fresh bear tracks on the trail yesterday above the creek. We don’t want to lure any hungry bears off the mountain and into town.”

“Especially during the Potato Lights Spectacular!” Barnabus said, bringing the topic back around. “Thank you, Austin, for letting us know.”

“Who is that guy?” Rick asked.

Kaylee wanted to tell him to piss off, but noticed Jolene and another woman glancing their way and whispering. If she wanted the town to think Rick was just a friend, then she needed to save her irritation for behind closed doors.

Looping her arm through his, she leaned over and whispered in his ear, too low for Josie to overhear, “I am only leaning over to tell you that the town is speculating who you are, even though I’ve told several of them you are just a friend. So, for now, I am going to smile at you and act buddy-buddy even though I want you to go away.”

Rick moved closer, placing his own mouth near her ear. “You can put on any show you want, and I’ll play along. Are you sure we’re just friends, though? ’Cause your boyfriend over there doesn’t seem to buy it.”

Kaylee jerked toward Benny, who glanced away quickly, and Kaylee squeezed Rick’s arm in warning. “I wanna kick you right in the wahooza.”

“Maybe later,” Rick said, holding his finger up to his mouth. “I want to hear this.”

Kaylee fumed the rest of the meeting, even finding it hard to laugh when Xavier and Walter started arguing about Love Island toward the end, just as Josie predicted.

As the three of them walked home, Rick asked Josie directly why she didn’t like Austin, and her traitorous friend gave up the goods with no issue.

“I brought him some cookies to welcome him to town, and he told me he didn’t like desserts. Then he slammed the door in my face.”

“What kind of cookies?” Rick asked.

“Chocolate chip.”

“You’re absolutely right. Total douchebag.”

Josie beamed at him, and Kaylee wanted to gag. When they made it home, Kaylee didn’t even slow down to give her friend a hug.

“All right, Jo, I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, climbing the steps.

“’Night, babe! Nice to meet you, Rick.”

“You, too,” he called back to her, his body hovering over Kaylee as she opened the door.

She stomped into the kitchen and grabbed Pumpkin’s food, ignoring Rick as she went through her nightly routine with her pet.

“Are you going to give me the silent treatment now?” he asked.

“Yep.”

He sighed. “At what point are you going to realize that I’m not leaving until you agree to come with me and testify?”

“This side of never.” She set Pumpkin’s dish down a little harder than necessary.

“All right, then. Do you at least have a blanket or something?”

“No.” Kaylee locked up Pumpkin’s enclosure, then the front door, and headed for her room.

“I’ve heard it can get really cold at night in Idaho,” he called after her.

“Then maybe you should go back to California!” She slammed her door, leaning against it. Despite her anger and resentment for his presence, she stepped off the solid wood and opened the door again. She grabbed a blanket from the hallway closet and marched over, throwing it at him.

He caught the blanket in midair with a grin. “Aw, Kaylee, you do care.”

“Shut it,” she practically shouted, glancing toward the window. It would be just her luck if someone heard her and called the cops. Lowering her voice, she continued, “Just because I don’t want you to freeze doesn’t mean you’re welcome or that I want you here. Despite previous events that I’m not proud of, I’m not a monster.”