winked. “But you do have to admit you have the nicest rack in town.”
She shook her head in disappointment. “Geez Billy. Why did you have to go and ruin a perfectly good truce?”
I shrugged in mock innocence. “It would feel weird if you didn’t treat me like I was an asshole.”
“Yeah, that would feel weird.” She chuckled, then left.
The bar closed at two and I didn’t get out of there until closer to two-thirty. I drove back to my mom’s house and sat in my truck looking at my phone. I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach. Finally, I took a deep breath and scrolled through my contacts to find Tawnie’s number. Before I had a chance to call her, my phone rang. The call display showed, Shae-Lynn’s name, so I answered. She was crying.
“What’s wrong?”
She had to inhale a couple times before she was able to speak through her crying, “My mom and dad were in an accident.”
“Are they all right?”
“My mom’s in the hospital with a concussion and a broken arm. My dad just has cuts and bruises. They’re fine, but the trailer rolled and they had to put two of the horses down.” She started sobbing heavier.
I didn’t know what to say, so I just sat there listening to her cry.
Eventually, she calmed down a little and sniffled. “I’m sorry to call you so late, but I really needed someone to talk to. You’re the only person I thought might still be awake. I’m sorry if you were sleeping.”
“I was awake. Where’s Lee-Anne?”
“She got on a plane to meet them down in Texas. I had to stay here to take care of the animals. It’s really quiet in the house when nobody else is here.”
“You mean scary?” I chuckled. “Do you want me to come over to keep you company?”
“Yeah, would you?” She sounded as if a smile had crossed her lips. “It’s only a seven-and-a-half hour drive.”
“Okay.”
She paused as if she was worried I would really do it. “I was joking.”
“I know. How about I just talk to you on the phone until you either feel better or fall asleep?”
“Really? You don’t mind?”
“Sleep is overrated.”
She hesitated again as if she was reluctant to impose. “Do you have an unlimited long distance plan?”
“Yeah, we can talk all night if we need to.”
“Are you working, or on a date or something? I don’t want to keep you from anything.”
“I just got home from a shift at the bar.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to sleep?”
“I can’t fall asleep right after I get home anyway. You’re doing me a favour to keep me company.”
“Okay. Um.” She inhaled and thought for a few seconds to come up with a conversation starter. “Are you going with Cole to Luxton?”
“No, he’s on his own. Are you still going?”
“I don’t know.” She sighed, reminded of why she called in the first place. “I guess I’ll have to wait and see what happens with my mom. She might not feel well enough to come with us.”
“A concussion won’t stop her.”
“Oh? You’re a concussion expert?”
I chuckled. “Actually, yes.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot all the —” She stopped abruptly and made a squeaking sound. “Oh, my God.”
“What?”
“I heard a noise,” she whispered with panic in her voice.
“I knew you’d called because you were scared, not sad.”
“I’m both, Billy. I freely admit that. If you were here and heard what I just heard, you’d be terrified.”
“It was probably nothing. You should turn the TV on so the house won’t seem so quiet.”
“I’d have to get out of bed and walk to the living room to do that. What if there is already someone hiding in one of the closets?”
I laughed because she sounded dead serious. “Why would someone be hiding in your closets? Either they’d be busy burglarizing the house or attacking you, not hiding.”
“Thanks. That helps a lot. Remind me not to call you the next time I’m holed up in my room, scared to death.”
“How are you ever going to move out of your
She shook her head in disappointment. “Geez Billy. Why did you have to go and ruin a perfectly good truce?”
I shrugged in mock innocence. “It would feel weird if you didn’t treat me like I was an asshole.”
“Yeah, that would feel weird.” She chuckled, then left.
The bar closed at two and I didn’t get out of there until closer to two-thirty. I drove back to my mom’s house and sat in my truck looking at my phone. I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach. Finally, I took a deep breath and scrolled through my contacts to find Tawnie’s number. Before I had a chance to call her, my phone rang. The call display showed, Shae-Lynn’s name, so I answered. She was crying.
“What’s wrong?”
She had to inhale a couple times before she was able to speak through her crying, “My mom and dad were in an accident.”
“Are they all right?”
“My mom’s in the hospital with a concussion and a broken arm. My dad just has cuts and bruises. They’re fine, but the trailer rolled and they had to put two of the horses down.” She started sobbing heavier.
I didn’t know what to say, so I just sat there listening to her cry.
Eventually, she calmed down a little and sniffled. “I’m sorry to call you so late, but I really needed someone to talk to. You’re the only person I thought might still be awake. I’m sorry if you were sleeping.”
“I was awake. Where’s Lee-Anne?”
“She got on a plane to meet them down in Texas. I had to stay here to take care of the animals. It’s really quiet in the house when nobody else is here.”
“You mean scary?” I chuckled. “Do you want me to come over to keep you company?”
“Yeah, would you?” She sounded as if a smile had crossed her lips. “It’s only a seven-and-a-half hour drive.”
“Okay.”
She paused as if she was worried I would really do it. “I was joking.”
“I know. How about I just talk to you on the phone until you either feel better or fall asleep?”
“Really? You don’t mind?”
“Sleep is overrated.”
She hesitated again as if she was reluctant to impose. “Do you have an unlimited long distance plan?”
“Yeah, we can talk all night if we need to.”
“Are you working, or on a date or something? I don’t want to keep you from anything.”
“I just got home from a shift at the bar.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to sleep?”
“I can’t fall asleep right after I get home anyway. You’re doing me a favour to keep me company.”
“Okay. Um.” She inhaled and thought for a few seconds to come up with a conversation starter. “Are you going with Cole to Luxton?”
“No, he’s on his own. Are you still going?”
“I don’t know.” She sighed, reminded of why she called in the first place. “I guess I’ll have to wait and see what happens with my mom. She might not feel well enough to come with us.”
“A concussion won’t stop her.”
“Oh? You’re a concussion expert?”
I chuckled. “Actually, yes.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot all the —” She stopped abruptly and made a squeaking sound. “Oh, my God.”
“What?”
“I heard a noise,” she whispered with panic in her voice.
“I knew you’d called because you were scared, not sad.”
“I’m both, Billy. I freely admit that. If you were here and heard what I just heard, you’d be terrified.”
“It was probably nothing. You should turn the TV on so the house won’t seem so quiet.”
“I’d have to get out of bed and walk to the living room to do that. What if there is already someone hiding in one of the closets?”
I laughed because she sounded dead serious. “Why would someone be hiding in your closets? Either they’d be busy burglarizing the house or attacking you, not hiding.”
“Thanks. That helps a lot. Remind me not to call you the next time I’m holed up in my room, scared to death.”
“How are you ever going to move out of your
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