evidence.”
“Great, I was hoping you’d be hungry. I just got so bored I didn’t know what else to do…” I grabbed plates, and Dustin got the butter and syrup from the fridge. We sat side by side on stools at the counter eating quietly. It was a teeny bit awkward, but it had been two years. I didn’t expect us to jump back into being friends the second we were alone again.
“So how’s Cheyenne and Ben?” he asked, going back for a second helping of pancakes. Seemed the cinnamon raisin were his favorite.
“Great, Ben’s playing soccer, and getting really good at it. Cheyenne is an amazing interior designer now, and I think she may be getting engaged.”
“Wow, that’s great. Who’s the lucky guy?”
“My manager, Jake. They are perfect for each other.” I felt a little sick, wondering if Jake was the one behind the whole Death thing. I seriously doubted it, and I hated to even consider him as a suspect, but he was super close to us. Close enough to know all the stuff Death knew. Damn, I had to cut it out. Jake was not trying to hurt me or anyone else I loved. He was too sweet. “Ben really likes him too.”
“You okay?” he asked, fork halfway to his mouth.
“Sure, why?”
“You just had this funny look for a second.”
Damn, I needed to be more careful. He’d always been able to read me better than anyone else. “It’s been tough. Going from being surrounded by people every second to being totally alone.”
“Yeah, I wanted to ask you why you came back?”
I avoided his gaze, staring down at my last pancake, suddenly feeling like I’d lost my appetite. “It’s not something I want to talk about. I just need to lay low for a while.”
“Those Hollywood types getting too much for you?”
I shrugged, taking my plate to the sink to clean it. “Something like that.”
“So what’s it like, being famous?”
I focused on scrubbing my dish. “It was really weird at first. Still is sometimes. All these people know you, but you don’t know them.”
“Kate, are you sure there isn’t something wrong?” he pushed.
I shut off the water and grimaced, not looking back at him. “Have you seen Ellie?”
“Maybe, but what Ellie said doesn’t matter. I found it strange the minute you showed up here, alone.” He came up beside me, setting his plate in the sink. “As a friend, Kate, I’m worried about you. You don’t look…good.”
I smacked my hand on the counter and turned to meet his gaze. His eyes locked on mine. He had the richest brown eyes. So dark, to the point where I almost couldn’t see the iris. “Please drop it.”
“Ellie seems to think you’re in trouble.” He frowned. “And the more I think on it, the more I’m leaning toward agreeing with her.”
“If I am, it’s no one’s concern but mine. I’m not telling why I’m here, other than I need to lay low for a while. I don’t want anyone knowing where I am. Chase, Briar, Ellie, and now you know. Don’t tell anyone else.” I stared him down, hoping he got the point.
With a shake of his head, Dustin backed up. “You know, I thought it would be hard for those fancy pants Hollywood types to change you. Not my Katie. She’d never be like them. But I think I was wrong.”
“What does my wanting privacy have to do with me being like them?”
He snorted, “You’re being all secretive, that’s what. Acting like…I don’t know…like maybe you can’t trust us. Why in the world would you act like that toward me or Ellie? Hell, Chase and Briar, even though you don’t know her all that well. But she is with McCree, so that should be proof enough that you can trust her.”
“I think it’s time for you to leave, Dustin,” I said, more calmly than I thought I had in me.
He crossed his arms, “And I think it’s time I planted my feet for once, and not give into what you say.”
“Why are you being like this?” I stomped toward him, punching his arm. He didn’t flinch and rolled his eyes as if it
“Great, I was hoping you’d be hungry. I just got so bored I didn’t know what else to do…” I grabbed plates, and Dustin got the butter and syrup from the fridge. We sat side by side on stools at the counter eating quietly. It was a teeny bit awkward, but it had been two years. I didn’t expect us to jump back into being friends the second we were alone again.
“So how’s Cheyenne and Ben?” he asked, going back for a second helping of pancakes. Seemed the cinnamon raisin were his favorite.
“Great, Ben’s playing soccer, and getting really good at it. Cheyenne is an amazing interior designer now, and I think she may be getting engaged.”
“Wow, that’s great. Who’s the lucky guy?”
“My manager, Jake. They are perfect for each other.” I felt a little sick, wondering if Jake was the one behind the whole Death thing. I seriously doubted it, and I hated to even consider him as a suspect, but he was super close to us. Close enough to know all the stuff Death knew. Damn, I had to cut it out. Jake was not trying to hurt me or anyone else I loved. He was too sweet. “Ben really likes him too.”
“You okay?” he asked, fork halfway to his mouth.
“Sure, why?”
“You just had this funny look for a second.”
Damn, I needed to be more careful. He’d always been able to read me better than anyone else. “It’s been tough. Going from being surrounded by people every second to being totally alone.”
“Yeah, I wanted to ask you why you came back?”
I avoided his gaze, staring down at my last pancake, suddenly feeling like I’d lost my appetite. “It’s not something I want to talk about. I just need to lay low for a while.”
“Those Hollywood types getting too much for you?”
I shrugged, taking my plate to the sink to clean it. “Something like that.”
“So what’s it like, being famous?”
I focused on scrubbing my dish. “It was really weird at first. Still is sometimes. All these people know you, but you don’t know them.”
“Kate, are you sure there isn’t something wrong?” he pushed.
I shut off the water and grimaced, not looking back at him. “Have you seen Ellie?”
“Maybe, but what Ellie said doesn’t matter. I found it strange the minute you showed up here, alone.” He came up beside me, setting his plate in the sink. “As a friend, Kate, I’m worried about you. You don’t look…good.”
I smacked my hand on the counter and turned to meet his gaze. His eyes locked on mine. He had the richest brown eyes. So dark, to the point where I almost couldn’t see the iris. “Please drop it.”
“Ellie seems to think you’re in trouble.” He frowned. “And the more I think on it, the more I’m leaning toward agreeing with her.”
“If I am, it’s no one’s concern but mine. I’m not telling why I’m here, other than I need to lay low for a while. I don’t want anyone knowing where I am. Chase, Briar, Ellie, and now you know. Don’t tell anyone else.” I stared him down, hoping he got the point.
With a shake of his head, Dustin backed up. “You know, I thought it would be hard for those fancy pants Hollywood types to change you. Not my Katie. She’d never be like them. But I think I was wrong.”
“What does my wanting privacy have to do with me being like them?”
He snorted, “You’re being all secretive, that’s what. Acting like…I don’t know…like maybe you can’t trust us. Why in the world would you act like that toward me or Ellie? Hell, Chase and Briar, even though you don’t know her all that well. But she is with McCree, so that should be proof enough that you can trust her.”
“I think it’s time for you to leave, Dustin,” I said, more calmly than I thought I had in me.
He crossed his arms, “And I think it’s time I planted my feet for once, and not give into what you say.”
“Why are you being like this?” I stomped toward him, punching his arm. He didn’t flinch and rolled his eyes as if it
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