King's Country (Oil Kings #4) - Marie Johnston Page 0,45

what they were doing.

Working the cattle was a different story. I could castrate a calf in seconds, but last year one of the guys Pop had hired had passed out at the sight and damn near got trampled. Then Pop had nearly collapsed from the exertion of helping the hired man.

I wanted to see how the Kings did it. But I’d have to hang out with the Kings—with all of them—to do it.

Would they be as chill as Aiden?

Chill wasn’t the right word. Nonhostile?

But then there was the attitude change in Dawson after our night out with Aiden and Kate.

As if he sensed my nerves, Dawson gazed up at me. “I have some news.”

I looked up from the fuzzy head of my kitten.

“Dad and Kendall are going to be here soon.”

I clutched the kitten to my body. It squirmed and its tiny claws scraped my skin. “Sorry.” I set it down and it toddled away with its tail pointing to the sky. “How soon?”

His gaze drifted toward the drive. The purr of an engine approached and I didn’t bother to look.

Despite the warm sun, ice washed through my veins.

Dawson could ignore his family when they weren’t in King’s Creek and he just had to send a terse reply to butt out. But they wouldn’t butt out when they were staying under the same roof.

“I’m sorry,” Dawson rushed out. “He called as he was getting to town. I swear I didn’t mean to spring it on you.”

“No. It’s your dad. I shouldn’t be the deciding factor for whether he comes over or not.”

“I know, but”—Dawson put his kitten down and it bounced in the same direction as its littermate—“I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Gentry was usually fine. If we crossed paths in town, he’d give me a terse nod and I’d lock up and not know what to do. I’m sure I came off as a cold bitch. Usually, that was my goal, but with Gentry King, it was different. I didn’t want him to think I was all ice when it came to losing Sarah. But I wasn’t sure how else to act. I couldn’t bring myself to say hi and risk a fuck off. It would’ve been like coming from Sarah herself.

I followed Dawson to the house.

Kendall shot out of Gentry’s pickup and ran for Dawson. She gave him a bear hug, pounding his back. “It feels like it’s been forever.” She broke away and came toward me. I stopped like a deer caught in the beam of her brights. “It was a long winter, wasn’t it?” She stopped short as if she knew a hug was as far out of my comfort zone as the moon. “Hey, Bristol. Nice to see you more than in passing. How’s your leg?”

My leg had been the icebreaker with Kate too. It was like the powers that be had pushed me off Bucket just so Dawson’s family would have something to say to me. “It’s healing well.”

Three nights ago, I’d had to soak in Dawson’s tub. He’d been in there too, but he’d given my leg time to quit throbbing before he’d climbed in and made the rest of my body forget to ache.

“Good.” Kendall glanced back at Gentry. He was walking toward us with Dawson.

Gentry was dressed like I’d grown up seeing him—boots, hat, worn jeans, and a long-sleeved, solid-colored shirt. So different than the pictures of him that were splashed all over town. And across Miles City, and of course Billings, where the head office had moved to years ago. Seeing him with slicked-back hair and dressed in a suit had been odd. Usually, I tried to avoid looking at him at all. Whenever I did, I thought of Sarah.

“Bristol,” Gentry said carefully, like he was testing my volatility. “Nice to see you.”

I dipped my head. Dawson stepped next to me and put his arm around my waist. My eyes flared. I didn’t mean to aim my astonished gaze at him, but I wasn’t the only one. He’d said he’d messaged them about me, but it seemed like no one had believed him, including me.

Dawson lifted his chin toward the house. “I have an egg bake in the oven. Head on in.”

Kendall broke the tension and clapped her hands. “I was hoping you’d feed us. I was just asking Gent if I should run to town for egg bake ingredients or if that was too bold.”

Since I’d had his egg bake before, I didn’t blame Kendall. I, too, had been thinking