I’m stunned into silence. I’ve worked for Bud every summer for the past three years. I even did the bookkeeping while I taught school this past year. What can I say, Jill’s his daughter. It’s a damn good thing that I didn’t get that car. That’s when it dawns on me, like the idiot I am.
“It’s all right, Uncle Bud, not a big deal. It actually works out for me.”
“It does—I mean, well, that’s good.” I chuckle to myself. He didn’t see that one coming.
“Yes, it does. Tell Jill hi for me and hopefully I will see her while I’m still in town. Take care Bud, I’ll talk to you later.” I don’t wait for him to respond, and hit the end button on my phone. I put my head down on the counter, a very evil grin across my face. I will definitely make sure I see Jill before I go back to Vegas, and that she meets my husband.
I walk over to my parents to borrow a car since I don’t have one, which is very laughable. Hey, I didn’t get a car in Las Vegas, but I snagged a husband. I smile, glad for a change that things didn’t work out how I planned them. It almost makes me want to take all the bad thoughts I had about that car dealership back—almost.
“Hello,” I holler as I walk into the house. In the kitchen, Kurt is slouched over a bowl of cereal and watching some type of cartoon on the television.
“Hey Cap’.” I come up behind him, ruffling his hair. I walk over to the leftover cake and cut a piece for myself. “Aren’t you a little old for cartoons?”
“These aren’t cartoons, it’s Anime.”
“Captain, it’s still cartoons,” I say, taking a bite of cake.
“Katie, don’t eat cake for breakfast. You should be watching your figure now more than ever.” My mother’s eyes me critically as she comes into the kitchen. What does she mean by that? Not that I want to get fat by any means. But Cole loves me the way I am. I don’t say anything, instead I take one more bite and then scrape the remnants in the trash.
“Can I borrow your car? I need to run to the store.”
“Where’s Cole?” she asks.
“Cole has a big business deal happening this week, so he’s at the Hilton in a meeting or conference call; something like that. He won’t be back until later.”
My mother purses her lips and squints her eyes. This is her thinking face. “You can take the Dodge, but I need the Toyota to run my own errands.”
“I won’t be long.”
“Don’t worry about food, you can eat with us while Cole is here. I know how you cook. And tonight, Aunt Kathy and Uncle Bud are coming for dinner, so you have to come to introduce Cole.”
Did you know that Jill is in town for the summer?
“Yes, that’s what Kathy said.”
“Did you know she’s working at the carpet store, and now I’m not?”
Mom doesn’t say anything to this, she just turns around and pretends to busy herself with something, which means she knew. A heads up would’ve been nice. I shake my head, walk over and grab the Dodge keys off the wall. “Kurt, do you want to come with me?”
“Can I come like this?” I look him over, he’s wearing a faded Star Trek shirt, and he has a serious case of bed head.
“Do you have pants on?” I didn’t notice when I walked in, and it’d be just like him to try to get away with something like that.
“Yes.”
“Then yes, you can come like that.”
I walk outside and stand next to the 1972 powder blue, Dodge Dart. I can’t believe this thing still runs. It’s probably because the car has less than a hundred thousand miles, and my grandma hardly ever drove it.
“Hello, come in Lieutenant Kitty.” I scrunch my eyebrows at Kurt.
“Kurt, don’t call me that.” I look across the car at him. He’s wearing a cowboy hat.
“Why not? It’s your nickname.”
“Fine, just don’t call me that in front of Cole.” I unlock the car and get in.
“What’s with you and Cole?”