fault was not always saying the best thing at the right time, grinned. “This is just like old times.”
“Unfortunately,” she muttered. Her throat closed tighter. The moment was intense. The ground under her feet seemed unusually hard and wouldn’t be opening up anytime soon to suck her down. The sun blistered her cheeks all at once while a bead of sweat escaped her hairline and dripped down her spine.
Wade stood behind her, moving closer until his shadow draped over her shoulders. “Better get in the fields if you want the best. I know your mom is particular.”
John only nodded and glanced to Kara again. “When you get a chance, give me a call. Would be great to catch up.”
A raw ache clawing her throat caused her a delay in responding. One Wade didn’t have a problem filling. “She’ll be pretty busy for a while.”
John still smiled away. “Whenever you get time. Hated it when you left as fast as you did.”
“Like I said,” Wade answered. “She’ll be busy for a while.”
Before another word was spoken, Kara turned and walked away. She wasn’t doing that. Not today, not on her first day meeting everyone in town again and certainly not in front of any of those people. A few kids running through the yard crossed in front of her and she smiled at them as expected, but headed straight inside. Voices from visitors carried through the house. Women sat in the kitchen drinking coffee as they’d once done with Jana Chester while men picked. Kara leaned against the inside wall and breathed silently, needing a moment, but it was gone before it got started.
Wade had been on her heels and was now standing over her like that bear again. She didn’t need to see the fury in his eyes. She remembered it well enough the last time the three of them had been in conversation together. Without asking, he grabbed her by the arm, but a woman down the hall saying her name stopped them.
“Can you believe Kara is back?”
“I know,” another said. “I’m surprised she’s anywhere close to the farm after all that happened.”
Kara knew the voices. Could picture the faces of people she used to call friends as they continued.
“I think we should take bets to see how long she lasts before she’s shipped off like her mother was.” A round of disgusting chuckles echoed through the hall. Wade cupped her elbow, but she pulled away. She wanted to hear whatever else they had to say.
“Wade and Whitney Chester are too nice for their own good. Like their parents. Kara’s mom went crazy trying to take care of her and now her daddy doesn’t want anything to do with her. That’s why the Chesters are taking her in. That’s what Mary told me.”
Kara closed her eyes and rested against the cool wallpaper. Mary, another woman, one who she’d known but not really run with.
“If she wanted a home, she should have gone to John Martin. You know he would have taken her in.” They snickered and Kara couldn’t stand more. She ran up the stairs, Wade right next to her, his hand on her back.
After passing two doors, she knew where she was being taken. His bedroom. At the end of the bright-colored hall.
She dug her heels in, but it was a useless attempt. Without even trying he pushed her inside and shut the door behind him. Wade’s room was exactly as she remembered. A full-size bed along the side. Same dresser against one wall. The walls were white. The closet and bathroom doors closed and everything neatly tucked away and put in a place and scented of his spice cologne.
She turned away, needing out of there, but found the exit blocked by a mountain of fuming muscles. “I’m supposed to be helping at the front.”
“It can wait.”
She stared at the speck of dried mud clumped on the side of his brown boots. “What do you want?”
“To set some ground rules.”
Four-letter words started off her tongue, but she bit them back. She needed this job, this place. If it meant following Wade’s requests, then so be it.
“Unfortunately,” she muttered. Her throat closed tighter. The moment was intense. The ground under her feet seemed unusually hard and wouldn’t be opening up anytime soon to suck her down. The sun blistered her cheeks all at once while a bead of sweat escaped her hairline and dripped down her spine.
Wade stood behind her, moving closer until his shadow draped over her shoulders. “Better get in the fields if you want the best. I know your mom is particular.”
John only nodded and glanced to Kara again. “When you get a chance, give me a call. Would be great to catch up.”
A raw ache clawing her throat caused her a delay in responding. One Wade didn’t have a problem filling. “She’ll be pretty busy for a while.”
John still smiled away. “Whenever you get time. Hated it when you left as fast as you did.”
“Like I said,” Wade answered. “She’ll be busy for a while.”
Before another word was spoken, Kara turned and walked away. She wasn’t doing that. Not today, not on her first day meeting everyone in town again and certainly not in front of any of those people. A few kids running through the yard crossed in front of her and she smiled at them as expected, but headed straight inside. Voices from visitors carried through the house. Women sat in the kitchen drinking coffee as they’d once done with Jana Chester while men picked. Kara leaned against the inside wall and breathed silently, needing a moment, but it was gone before it got started.
Wade had been on her heels and was now standing over her like that bear again. She didn’t need to see the fury in his eyes. She remembered it well enough the last time the three of them had been in conversation together. Without asking, he grabbed her by the arm, but a woman down the hall saying her name stopped them.
“Can you believe Kara is back?”
“I know,” another said. “I’m surprised she’s anywhere close to the farm after all that happened.”
Kara knew the voices. Could picture the faces of people she used to call friends as they continued.
“I think we should take bets to see how long she lasts before she’s shipped off like her mother was.” A round of disgusting chuckles echoed through the hall. Wade cupped her elbow, but she pulled away. She wanted to hear whatever else they had to say.
“Wade and Whitney Chester are too nice for their own good. Like their parents. Kara’s mom went crazy trying to take care of her and now her daddy doesn’t want anything to do with her. That’s why the Chesters are taking her in. That’s what Mary told me.”
Kara closed her eyes and rested against the cool wallpaper. Mary, another woman, one who she’d known but not really run with.
“If she wanted a home, she should have gone to John Martin. You know he would have taken her in.” They snickered and Kara couldn’t stand more. She ran up the stairs, Wade right next to her, his hand on her back.
After passing two doors, she knew where she was being taken. His bedroom. At the end of the bright-colored hall.
She dug her heels in, but it was a useless attempt. Without even trying he pushed her inside and shut the door behind him. Wade’s room was exactly as she remembered. A full-size bed along the side. Same dresser against one wall. The walls were white. The closet and bathroom doors closed and everything neatly tucked away and put in a place and scented of his spice cologne.
She turned away, needing out of there, but found the exit blocked by a mountain of fuming muscles. “I’m supposed to be helping at the front.”
“It can wait.”
She stared at the speck of dried mud clumped on the side of his brown boots. “What do you want?”
“To set some ground rules.”
Four-letter words started off her tongue, but she bit them back. She needed this job, this place. If it meant following Wade’s requests, then so be it.
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