Zero Forks - Cat Johnson Page 0,58
what day and date it was today. When I figured it out, it was not good news.
“It’s this weekend,” I told her as dread descended upon me.
“Well, you know what you have to do, right?”
“Pretend I’m sick and not go?” That was looking like my best option at the moment. I could send a card and a really nice check and be done with it.
“No,” Liza said emphatically. “You have to go and look absolutely amazing. What dresses do you have? Sexy ones.”
“I have work clothes with me. All my sexy dresses, as you call them, are at my apartment.”
“Then go and get them. This is war, Sarah. You have to come armed.”
I smiled. “You’re starting to sound like a soldier.”
“Eh, wearing the uniform does that to a person. See? Clothes matter.”
“Yes. I know. I’ll see what I have,” I finally agreed.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“Good. Not I gotta go. My time is up.”
“Okay.” I was sadder than usual when hanging up with my sister.
“Kiss Stewie for me. Bye.”
“I will. Bye.” I rushed to get the last words in before the line went dead. Sighing, I lowered the cell from my ear and stood.
When I turned toward the kitchen, I saw Shalene in the doorway.
She cringed. “Sorry. I didn’t want to interrupt your call, but your eggs are ready.”
“Oh. Thanks.” Since she’d gone to so much trouble, I couldn’t tell her I would have been happier with just a cup of coffee.
I was eating way more than usual since I’d moved here. A symptom of being around the abnormally nice people in this town.
Although not everyone was nice here, were they? I remembered the encounter in the bathroom at the bar yesterday.
Mudville had its mix of good and bad, just like any other place. It wasn’t the fairytale village I’d first thought it to be.
I’d have to remember that when I started to weaken and think I could have had my own fairytale ending with Boone.
Happily-ever-afters were only in books.
This was real life and it was time I got back to mine.
TWENTY-TWO
Boone
I eased my truck up the side street, trying to get a look at the driveway at the Van de Berg house to make sure Sarah’s car was gone before I pulled in.
A drone would be handy about now. In the absence of that, I’d have to suck it up and do a drive-by instead.
The damn hedges on the property were so old and overgrown, it was impossible to get a clear view of the entire driveway until I was in front of the damn house.
Next time I talked to Brandon I was going to tell him those hedges needed a good trimming. They were impeding my spying, but he didn’t need to know the reason.
Thankfully, the only car parked there was Shalene’s.
I pulled in behind it and ran up the front steps. I was a little concerned that Stewie was going to have a meltdown when he woke up and found me not there.
Shalene was great but she was pretty much a stranger to the kid.
I knocked and then tried the front door. It was unlocked. I took a step inside and called, “Sha?”
She skidded around the corner from the kitchen. “You need to come in here right now.”
Shit. What had happened?
I ran to where she’d disappeared back through the doorway. But when I reached the kitchen, I didn’t find any emergency. Stewie sat at the table eating dry cereal with his hands while watching a cartoon on Shalene’s cell phone propped up in front of him.
“Jesus—I mean gee whiz. What’s wrong? You scared the hell—heck out of me.”
“I see that swear jar is working really well.” She snorted. “Come here.”
She pulled me to the far end of the kitchen.
“Do you know what’s going on with Sarah?” she hissed.
“No.” I wished I did. “Do you?”
“Yeah, I do.” She nodded.
My eyes widened. “Tell me.”
“Were you out with her at the bar recently?”
“Yes. I took her and Stewie to dinner at the MRI last night.”
“Well, she overheard somebody say she was too old for you.”
I mumbled a curse and this time, I didn’t even try to temper it.
My jaw set in anger at what my cousin had just revealed, I glanced quickly at Stewie. He was still in a screen-induced daze.
I assumed he hadn’t heard and focused back on Shalene. “I knew something happened but she wouldn’t tell me.”
“There’s more,” Shalene began.
“More?” Christ, what else was this woman carrying around on her shoulders?
“She’s going to some wedding . . .”
I nodded. “Her cousin’s on