“Thanks. You too,” she says, but it sounds like a question. I breeze past her, cursing myself. Take care now? The fuck is wrong with me? Mason would have a field day with this one, that’s for sure.
Trying to put it out of my mind, I walk through the restaurant and sit down with my parents. Even though I live in the same town as them, I don’t see them all that often unless my siblings are in town. Mom insists we go out together at least once a month, and I honestly don’t mind. It’s a forced excuse not to work late and I’ll at least get a decent meal out of it.
“Hey, honey.” Mom stands up and opens her arms for a hug. “Who were you talking to? She didn’t look familiar.”
Of course she noticed her. “That’s Kim Walker’s niece, Josie Walker.”
“The one who’s taking over the farm?”
“Yep.”
“Terrible what happened to Kim,” Dad says, shaking his head. “I don’t blame her, though. It’s the way I’d want to go.”
Mom side-eyes my father. “But setting it up so her poor niece had to find the body?” she whispers. “Talk about traumatizing.”
“How do you know all this?” I reach for my water glass.
Dad holds up his hand, fake-whispering to me. “This one’s the gossip queen.”
“Oh, hush. People talk, and one of the EMTs that responded to the call happened to need a bridesmaid dress altered. People don't keep quiet when they’re standing there.”
It’s a normal human reaction to feel bad for Josie, and…
Oh Shit.
I remember her daughter. “She has a kid,” I start. “She wasn’t home when the body was found, was she?”
“No, thank goodness.” Mom stirs the ice around in her Diet Coke. “She was at school. How does Josie like it here?”
“How would I know?” I rush out.
“Oh, you two looked friendly,” Mom counters, looking through the restaurant. I'm facing away from Josie, and I tell myself I will not turn around and look at her--even though I want to. I blink and get a flash of us standing there, in the barn, with only inches between us. I wanted to run my fingers through her hair after I pulled the hay out. I want to close the distance between us and see if her lips are as soft against mine as I think they will be. She's a very beautiful woman, and the spitfire in her makes her all the more attractive to me.
But in this case, her refusal to give up is only going to make my life harder when she realizes that she's bitten off more than she can chew.
“I was going to say you should invite her to sit with us,” Mom goes on.
“No, I say a little too quickly she said she was waiting for food to take back to her family. Her mom dad and brother are in town right now.”
“Well then,” Mom says, looking at Dad. “We shouldn't invite them all over. Show them some silver Ridge hospitality.”
“I don't think that's necessary,” I rush out. “From what I've gathered, they won't be in town very long.”
“So, how does Josie like it here?”
“Enough to stay,” I say with a shrug. “Though, I’m not sure how long she’ll be able to manage. It’s a lot of work taking on horses of that caliber.”
“Well, good thing she has you in her corner rooting for her.” Mom smiles and the waitress comes over to take my drink order. Josie isn’t brought up anymore throughout the evening, yet my mind goes back to her.
She’s already been through so much. Failing at running the rescue would add insult to injury. I’ll give her another week, and then I bet she’ll be ready to throw in the towel—and I’ll be there to catch it.
“How are the interviews going?” Dad asks, grabbing the check before I have a chance to.
“Alright. One from today stood out and will come back for a second interview. I have three more tomorrow.”
“At this point, honey, just hire someone.” Mom slowly shakes her head. “You live twenty minutes away and we hardly ever see you. I thought about making an appointment to get Luna’s nails trimmed just so we could visit.”
“I don’t trim nails,” I remind them. “And there’s a lot at stake just hiring someone.”
“More than all the canceled appointments?” Mom raises her eyebrows. “I don’t want to meddle, but people talk. Now, everyone understands that emergencies trump wellness checks, but I’m sure you’re aware how frustrating it is to have to reschedule something.”
“I know,” I say with a sigh, knowing she has a point. Only offering top-notch care happens when a vet is available. “Ideally, I’d like to hire two new vets this round and a few more techs.”
“If you’re able to, you should,” Dad encourages. “The building is set up for it, after all.”