7. Kate
Chapter 7
Kate
Austin
“ K ate? Are you still here?” My friend, Suzette, waves her hand in front of my face, trying to snap me out of my dazed state and bring me back to reality. “Where did you go?”
I shake my head and grip my phone tightly as I struggle to remember the exact words my brother said. He had to be joking. There's no way he convinced some poor girl to spend the rest of her life with him. How desperate could she be?
"Calvin's getting married," I say, placing my phone in my purse and turning to Suzette, who looks like her jaw is about to hit the table.
“Oh, my goodness, I think hell must have frozen over. Who could he possibly have convinced to marry him?” Suzette asks sarcastically, her eyes widening in shock as she stirs her cup of coffee. Once upon a time, she had a crush on my brother, but that was before his lack of manners sent her running in the opposite direction. “Either he's changed for the better or he’s found someone foolish enough to fall for his charm— not that he has much of it.”
“Do you know Annie Gentry? She must be related to Cyrus and Darlene, since she's from Jackson Hill. Calvin didn’t say which family she’s from, but he’s always been tight-lipped when he knows he’s done something wrong,” I say, still trying to make sense of my brother dropping this news on me out of nowhere.
Whoever she is, he couldn’t have known her for very long. I spoke to him last month and he didn’t mention anything about having a girlfriend— not a word.
“Anne Gentry? She’s Cyrus and Darlene’s baby sister. My cousin used to babysit her before she married that roughneck and moved to Stockton. Anne can’t be older than nineteen. Of course, Calvin would pick someone who is young and naive.” Suzette huffs and rolls her eyes. She takes a small bite of her cookie, her lips pursed as if she wants to say more but decides against it for my sake. Frankly, there’s nothing she could say that I haven’t heard before. It’s my lot in life to be related to the town’s troublemaker.
“Nineteen? My brother’s twenty-six years old. Is it me or does that sound unsavory?” I scratch my head, pressing my palm to my temple as I struggle to alleviate the pain in my throbbing head.
Suzette fails to answer, emptying her teacup to prevent her from stating the obvious.
“Well, she’s legal. I guess I can thank the Lord for small mercies.”
“The Gentrys are well-known for their good looks and…well, you know all about that. And Cyrus is a god among men. Anne must have turned into a knockout.” Suzette's voice trails off as she ponders her next words, her gaze narrowing. “And if I recall, Anne was always a bit of a bully. They had to pay my cousin extra to babysit her. Maybe she forced him to propose. Guys like Calvin love that kind of thing. They need a firm hand, direction, and a swift slap on the ass.” She chuckles as I recoil in disgust.
I’d rather not imagine my goofy brother as a sexual being. The mere thought revolts me.
"I can't handle thinking about this right now. Calvin is tying the knot, and I'm sure my parents are ecstatic. The last time I saw him, my poor dad was afraid that he'd never get Calvin to leave the nest. I just hope this girl knows what she's getting into because in a month, she'll be dealing with all of it full time.” I motion for the server to bring us the bill and then glance at my watch. Suzette immediately leans in, curious about my actions.
"What's the hurry, Katie?" Suzette asks, smirking as her gaze searches mine for answers.
I try to come up with a reasonable excuse but I know she’ll see through my lie. As we sit and wait for the bill, I feel the tension building with each click of her stiletto heels against the floor.
"I thought we could grab a quick meal before heading back," she says with a smile as she hands the server a twenty-dollar bill and tells her to keep the change.
I let out a frustrated sigh, not wanting to answer her questions and too ashamed to admit the truth. “I need to grill my mother about these upcoming nuptials and plan how to evade the festivities. I’m not ready to go home and certainly don’t want to attend a Gentry family wedding. He’ll be there.”
“You’re making a big deal out of nothing. It’s been three years and men don’t go that long without looking for booty elsewhere. You know he’ll be there. Maybe you should take a date.” Suzette twists the figurative knife, causing it to dig deep into my heart.
I’m accustomed to her cynicism. After years of dating cheaters, she’s only seen the worst in men. But she didn’t know my Silas—not the way I did.
“Of course, he’ll be there. Mama told me he and Cyrus are running their grandfather’s ranch. They must be closer than ever.” The thought crossed my mind as soon as Calvin shared the news of his engagement. I’ve taken great pains to avoid Hilltop and all its reminders. But there’s no escaping something like this. My parents would have a conniption fit if I missed my brother’s wedding.
“I’m not worried about Silas.” I blatantly lie, trying hard to conceal the turmoil within. Silas Gentry has stolen my peace for far too long. I know for a fact he’s still unmarried—thanks to my friend and spy Leah, who continues to live in Hilltop and remains good friends with Silas’s cousin, Cotton. But I refuse to admit how much I long to see him again.
He should see how great I turned out and what precisely he gave up. At least that’s what my therapist tells me.
“You can call your mom later. Right now, we need to focus on finding the perfect dress.” Suzette grabs her purse and throws it over her shoulder with determination. “You deserve to look stunning, and we'll have to find it before you go home because Hilltop's fashion is lacking.” She winks at me mischievously. “We need something that will make Silas regret ruining things on prom night.”
"Please don't remind me," I whisper, my body tensing at the memory. It’s a day that still haunts me. The pain is still fresh, raw, as if it happened just yesterday. I try to push the memories away, but they flood back in waves. I should have listened to him, swallowed my pride and heard him out. But instead, I shut him out completely. And deep down, I regret it more than anything.
That night, we had been so intimate, so connected. It was the most passionate night of my life, and yet, in the end, it meant nothing because I let my head stay lost in the clouds for too long.
She gives me a sympathetic smile and wraps her arm around me in a side hug. "Please forgive me—I can't help myself sometimes. My mother always warned me that my mouth would get me into trouble one day. If you’d like, I’ll go to the wedding with you.”
I let out an exaggerated sigh while I slip my sunglasses onto the bridge of my nose. “You just want to see Cyrus. I think you’re finally old enough to date him.”
She chuckles and holds the door open, allowing me to step onto the sidewalk first. “The man spent four years in prison. You know I have a thing for bad boys.”
I shake my head and hand over my valet ticket to the attendant waiting by the curb. “Cyrus was always innocent. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It took four years for him to be pardoned, but it finally happened. He's not as terrible as you may think.”
Suzette playfully shrugs and offers a coquettish grin. “Even better. Maybe it’s time to turn over a new leaf.”