“It’s been good to see Dallas again. She seems to be doing better. Losing Skidrow hit her hard, but she’s finally getting back on her feet,” Henley explained.
“I think knowing Victor has been taken care of helped her with that,” Cassidy mumbled under her breath.
“Victor?” I asked.
“Victor is the guy that killed Skid,” Cassidy answered. I knew the name Victor. I don’t think I will ever forget it. My thoughts instantly drifted back to my conversation with Doc. I remembered him telling me that Stitch did whatever it took to protect his brothers, and I knew then exactly what he’d meant. Before I had a chance to question her further, she quickly changed the subject by saying, “How does Wyatt like the clubhouse?”
“He loves it,” I answered.
“Wyatt is too cute for words,” Allie told me. “When I mentioned that I had a German Shepherd, he told me everything about the breed and how important it was to train them properly. Even told me how to get him to stop chewing on the legs of my furniture.”
“I’m sure he did! He’s been begging me for a dog for months. He researched every breed from Shih Tzu’s to Great Danes,” I explained. “When he sets his mind to something, it’s hard to get him to think about anything else.”
“Well, you should definitely bring him by to meet Charlie sometime,” Allie offered. “He’s really friendly, and I’m sure that Wyatt would love him.”
“I’d love to bring him by. I’m sure he’d love that,” I told her.
“I’ll get Guardrail to grill out for us. You girls should come, too. Bring the guys,” Allie told them.
“I’d love that,” Henley answered.
We spent the next hour talking, and I really enjoyed getting to know each of them a little better. Tonight was the first time I’d gotten to spend any time with Allie, but I could tell that we had a lot in common. I looked forward to getting to know her even better. Cassidy poured us each another shot, but her expression immediately changed when Cotton came in and sat down at the end of the bar. Tension washed over her as she glanced over at him, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was bothering her.
When she let out a deep sigh, I whispered, “Are you okay?”
She forced a fake smile and said, “Absolutely. Never been better. Just need…”
“Cass,” Cotton called, interrupting her.
With an overstated eye roll, Cassidy answered, “Yeah?”
“Need a beer.”
“And?” she asked, placing her hand on her hip.
His eyebrows furrowed in anger when he said, “Cass.”
She hesitated, but gave in and walked over to him, handing him a beer from the cooler. I couldn’t hear what he was saying to her, but it was clear that he wasn’t happy with her. With an irritated scowl, he leaned closer to her, talking to her in a disapproving tone. When he was done scolding her, she turned her back to him and started to walk out of the bar. She was clearly angry, but he quickly reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her close to his chest. He said something else to her, but when she snapped back at him, he instantly stood and with his hand still wrapped around her elbow, he led her out of the bar.
“It’s about damn time,” Henley said smiling.
“I’m lost. How is what just happened a good thing?” I asked.
Henley let out a deep breath and said, “There’s always been a push and pull with those two. I’ve never really understood it, but it’s worked for them. But lately, for whatever reason, Cotton has been trying to keep his distance from Cassidy, and she hasn’t been handling it very well. Actually, it’s made her bat-shit crazy. Maybe now they will either end this thing between them once and for all, or get their shit together.”
“What do you think they’ll do?” I asked.
“There’s no telling,” Henley said. “But I know Cassidy, and if there’s something she wants, she isn’t going to let it go without a fight.”
Chapter 28
Stitch
?
A year later
“Can I have mine plain?” Wyatt asked anxiously. “I don’t like ketchup. Tomatoes are gross.”
We were in the kitchen, and Wyatt was watching as I put the seasoning on the burger meat. I’d managed to convince him that I made better burgers than the ones that they made down at the diner, but I could see that he was having his doubts. “Yeah, you can have yours plain.”
“What else are we having?”
“Haven’t really thought about it. Whatcha got in mind?” I asked.
“Mom usually makes something healthy,” he said with his nose crinkling with dislike.
“We could do fries or chips? What do you think about that?”
“Yeah, I like French fries, but I like them plain. No ketchup,” he reminded me.
“You got it,” I told him. “You want to help me start up the grill?”