blue eyes like yours.” Stupid thing to say, Kimi. Trying to mask the awkward moment, she petted and praised the dog until the pup rolled over and showed her belly. She laughed.
“I’m happy to hear that sound,” Cal said quietly.
“So you’re not chastising me for laughing just a few hours after I buried my mother?”
“Not my business to judge you.” He looked down at her hand on Gigi’s belly. “She likes you.”
“Puppies like everyone.”
“True. But not everyone likes puppies.”
“I love them. We weren’t allowed to have pets, which I understand because they would’ve been neglected.” Just like I was . “I swore that someday I’d have as many dogs as I wanted. Now I’ve added chickens to the list of future critters.”
Cal crouched down. “Chickens? Why?”
“A friend of mine from St. Mary’s was from an Ag family. I went home with her one weekend and found out that her mom raised chickens. I thought it was the funnest thing, gathering eggs in the morning. Who knew chickens had different personalities? I went from knowing nothin’ about them to wishing I had my own flock.”
“Maybe someday you will.”
“Maybe.” Gigi whined and Kimi scratched under her chin. “Poor neglected pup. Are you hungry?”
“Speakin’ of… Are you hungry?” Cal asked.
“No. But I wouldn’t turn down a shot of Jack.” Kimi kept ruffling the puppy’s soft fur as she gazed at Cal. “You don’t have to worry that I’m a minor. Two weeks ago I turned eighteen and I’m legally an adult.”
A strange look flitted through Cal’s eyes and then it was gone. “Look, I have no problem with you knocking back a shot. But I can’t in good conscience give you booze and then put you on a bus with a bunch of strangers.” He sighed. “Besides, I don’t think you’re thinkin’ clearly. Grief screws you up.”
She put her hand over the top of his as he pet the dog. “You’re probably right. Still, I could use whiskey to take the edge off. But then I’d be shit outta luck as far as where to go because I won’t spend another night under my dad’s roof and I’m too mad at Carolyn to stay with her and Carson.”
“Then have that drink and stay with me tonight. I’ve got plenty of room.”
“Stay here with you?”
“Yeah. You could crash on the couch. It’d just be a friend helpin’ out another friend.”
Their eyes met.
Kimi saw nothing but sincerity in his steady gaze. Maybe the fact Cal hadn’t heard from her or seen her in a year had cooled his feelings. “No girlfriend to get jealous?”
“Nope. Gigi here is my only girl.”
“Okay. I’ll stay. But you’ll take me to the bus station tomorrow?”
“As soon as I finish chores I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
“Thanks.”
“Sit tight. I’ll grab the bottle.”
“The whole bottle?”
Cal smoothed a wayward curl behind her ear. “Somehow I don’t think a single shot is gonna be enough for you.”
Kimi played with the puppy until Gigi tired of fetch and settled in the grass. She crossed the yard and looked around.
In the last year Cal had added a roof over the cement slab, turning the area into a shaded patio. He even had two lounge chairs. He set two shot glasses on the stump that served as a table. Then he filled the glasses halfway before he sat next to her.
She picked up her purse, pulling out her cigarettes and matches. “Mind if I smoke?”
“Go ahead.”
Cal passed over her shot.
It went down so smoothly she decided to have another.
After a bit, he said, “I know I told you I wouldn’t pester you to talk, but I have to ask if you knew your mother was so sick?”
Kimi exhaled a stream of smoke and waggled her empty shot glass at him. “Can I answer that after I’ve had a few more of these?”
“It’s your liver. But I’ll warn ya. Have too many and you’re on your own. I’m not the kinda guy who holds your hair back as you puke.”
“I don’t plan on puking.”
His raised dark
“I’m happy to hear that sound,” Cal said quietly.
“So you’re not chastising me for laughing just a few hours after I buried my mother?”
“Not my business to judge you.” He looked down at her hand on Gigi’s belly. “She likes you.”
“Puppies like everyone.”
“True. But not everyone likes puppies.”
“I love them. We weren’t allowed to have pets, which I understand because they would’ve been neglected.” Just like I was . “I swore that someday I’d have as many dogs as I wanted. Now I’ve added chickens to the list of future critters.”
Cal crouched down. “Chickens? Why?”
“A friend of mine from St. Mary’s was from an Ag family. I went home with her one weekend and found out that her mom raised chickens. I thought it was the funnest thing, gathering eggs in the morning. Who knew chickens had different personalities? I went from knowing nothin’ about them to wishing I had my own flock.”
“Maybe someday you will.”
“Maybe.” Gigi whined and Kimi scratched under her chin. “Poor neglected pup. Are you hungry?”
“Speakin’ of… Are you hungry?” Cal asked.
“No. But I wouldn’t turn down a shot of Jack.” Kimi kept ruffling the puppy’s soft fur as she gazed at Cal. “You don’t have to worry that I’m a minor. Two weeks ago I turned eighteen and I’m legally an adult.”
A strange look flitted through Cal’s eyes and then it was gone. “Look, I have no problem with you knocking back a shot. But I can’t in good conscience give you booze and then put you on a bus with a bunch of strangers.” He sighed. “Besides, I don’t think you’re thinkin’ clearly. Grief screws you up.”
She put her hand over the top of his as he pet the dog. “You’re probably right. Still, I could use whiskey to take the edge off. But then I’d be shit outta luck as far as where to go because I won’t spend another night under my dad’s roof and I’m too mad at Carolyn to stay with her and Carson.”
“Then have that drink and stay with me tonight. I’ve got plenty of room.”
“Stay here with you?”
“Yeah. You could crash on the couch. It’d just be a friend helpin’ out another friend.”
Their eyes met.
Kimi saw nothing but sincerity in his steady gaze. Maybe the fact Cal hadn’t heard from her or seen her in a year had cooled his feelings. “No girlfriend to get jealous?”
“Nope. Gigi here is my only girl.”
“Okay. I’ll stay. But you’ll take me to the bus station tomorrow?”
“As soon as I finish chores I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
“Thanks.”
“Sit tight. I’ll grab the bottle.”
“The whole bottle?”
Cal smoothed a wayward curl behind her ear. “Somehow I don’t think a single shot is gonna be enough for you.”
Kimi played with the puppy until Gigi tired of fetch and settled in the grass. She crossed the yard and looked around.
In the last year Cal had added a roof over the cement slab, turning the area into a shaded patio. He even had two lounge chairs. He set two shot glasses on the stump that served as a table. Then he filled the glasses halfway before he sat next to her.
She picked up her purse, pulling out her cigarettes and matches. “Mind if I smoke?”
“Go ahead.”
Cal passed over her shot.
It went down so smoothly she decided to have another.
After a bit, he said, “I know I told you I wouldn’t pester you to talk, but I have to ask if you knew your mother was so sick?”
Kimi exhaled a stream of smoke and waggled her empty shot glass at him. “Can I answer that after I’ve had a few more of these?”
“It’s your liver. But I’ll warn ya. Have too many and you’re on your own. I’m not the kinda guy who holds your hair back as you puke.”
“I don’t plan on puking.”
His raised dark
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