Zero Forks - Cat Johnson Page 0,56

judging by the crowd around the kitchen table.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“I’ve got a few days off from classes. So I came home,” Shalene explained.

“Harper has a deadline so I’m not allowed to bother her,” Stone said.

“And Red is away at some retail convention,” Cash added.

I nodded, not sure if I was grateful for the company or annoyed by a house full of family when I probably would be better off being alone.

“What are you doing here?” Cash asked. “Haven’t seen you around at night since you moved in with your lovely boss.”

I knew there was no way he could know what had happened, but his words struck a nerve. “Shut the fuck up. This is still my house too.”

Cash held up his hands, palms forward. “Whoa, bro. I was only joking around.”

I blew out a breath and sat heavily in an empty chair. “I’m sorry.”

“What’s wrong?” Shalene asked.

I lifted my shoulders. It was the only answer I had to give them at the moment.

“Sarah?” Stone’s guess was right on the nose.

Not a surprise. He was there for her first shot across my bow—her saying it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to come to our family party with me.

That had come from completely out of the blue, when we’d been having a great time up until then. At least I thought we had.

I drew in a breath and said, “Yup. Sarah.”

“What happened?” Cash asked.

He might have been sincere. Or maybe just nosy. Either way, I wasn’t in the mood to talk. I was pissed, hurt, baffled and now, humiliated in front of my family.

“I don’t know.” I swiveled to face Shalene. “You want a job for the days you’re home?”

She cringed. “I’m already on the schedule for the lunch shift at the diner every day.”

“What about nights? You available to babysit Stewie from say about five at night until seven in the morning? You can stay in my room in the Van de Berg house. I’ll take him during the days when she’s at work. And I’ll pay you everything she’s paying me.”

Three sets of eyes watched me. I only concentrated on Shalene.

“Deal?” I asked.

She nodded, watching me with concern. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

“Thanks.” I stood and pulled a key off my truck’s keychain. I tossed it onto the table. “That opens the front door. My room is the first on the right at the top of the stairs.”

“Okay, Boone. I’ll handle it.”

The fact Shalene seemed to be handling me with kid gloves and neither of my brothers had anything more to say about the situation told me one thing. I must have looked in as bad shape as I felt.

Somehow, I found that comforting.

“I’m going upstairs to bed.”

They didn’t comment it was barely eight o'clock. I counted that as a win.

I’d had few enough wins today. I needed every one I could get.

TWENTY-ONE

Sarah

I woke to the smell of coffee and bacon.

That was enough to have me throwing on a robe and rushing downstairs.

I’d braced myself to see Boone at the stove, most likely shirtless. What I saw instead was a tall girl with long blonde hair and cut-off denim shorts that didn’t come near to covering her mile-long legs.

“Um, hello?” I said, wondering who the hell was in my house.

She turned and smiled. “Hi. I’m Shalene.” She pointed to herself. “We met at the diner the first day you were in town.”

I was relieved to see her familiar face, until I realized what Shalene’s presence meant in regard to Boone.

“I remember. Where’s Boone?” I asked.

“He, uh, had stuff to do at the farm.” Shalene’s slow, uncertain-sounding answer told me she was making up an excuse for him as she went along.

Dammit. I’d assumed he’d be disappointed that the sexual part of our relationship was over, but quitting? I’d never meant for him to quit over this.

“Stewie will be sad not to see him.” So would I, truth be told.

“Oh, he’ll be over this morning to pick up Stewie and take him to the farm for the day. Then I’ll be back later this afternoon to take over again for the night shift.”

“I see.” I nodded.

So it was just me he was quitting. He was still going to watch Stewie, as long as I wasn’t around.

“Scrambled eggs and bacon good? I brought over some fresh eggs from the farm.”

“Uh, yeah. Sure. Thanks.”

“Boone told me Stewie likes cereal so I’ll feed him that when he wakes up.”

“Great.”

Leave it to Boone to make sure Stewie was being well taken care of, even