Chapter 11
Parker
I’ve named the cat I found Franklin. He came home with me after my shift when I found him in the same dirt hole looking hungry and lethargic. I don’t want to think about the worst-case scenario for his mom, but I haven’t seen her around.
The tables turned fairly quickly with Franklin, and it’s pretty clear that he hates me. This is proven even more so when I refill his food bowl with some soft food, and he thanks me by jumping onto my hand, latching his nails and teeth into my skin.
“Ow! Franklin, get off you demon.” I try to gently get him off me, but he lets out a low growl and digs in even harder. “I’m just feeding you.”
I finally get him to let go, and he makes sure to hiss at me one more time for good measure as I back away from his food. “I know you’re a baby, but you never bite the hand that feeds you.”
He doesn’t seem to care about how rude he is to me as he makes little growling noises while he eats. I look down at my hands covered in scratches and bites from the feral beast I brought into my house. He’s about to be really upset with me later today when I take him to the vet.
I leave Franklin alone to eat while I go to change my sheets.
I make sure to pull out the scrunchie from under my pillow and set it on my nightstand, so it doesn’t get lost. I used to think I was ridiculous for keeping it, especially to have it under my pillow every night I’m home.
That’s why I tried putting it somewhere else, but it always made its way back to the spot under my pillow.
After Franklin is done eating, and I’ve changed and started the washer, I begin the feat of getting him into the carrier. He’s currently licking his paw as I approach with the small carrier I bought.
“Are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?” I ask, squaring up to the two-pound ball of orange fluff that’s looking at me like he’s actively plotting my murder. “Should I try to call in reinforcements?”
I feel like if this cat could talk, he would be cussing me out.
I think about reaching out to Lily to see if she could help me.
She’s always been good with animals. She’s always had the biggest heart with everyone, but especially those with four legs.
Or two, sometimes. Except Jerry Lee. I think that bird has it out for everyone.
I’m sure if I did reach out to Lil, she would argue with me rather than help and likely make us miss the appointment.
I’ll make sure to try again later, but for now I think this is just going to be me.
Which is probably for the best because I’d rather not run the risk of seeing her with that asshole again.
After several minutes, more war wounds and a sense of confusion at where this demon cat came from, I manage to wrangle him into the carrier.
While he’s screaming in anger at me, I feel like I was tricked by him in the beginning because he was so sweet when I found him.
Now I’m convinced he might be a reincarnated serial killer.
Of course, at the vet he acts like a perfect angel. I can’t help but feel like whatever his problem is it’s with me in particular. As soon as the vet tech leaves, I look at Franklin and ask, “If you have a problem with me, could we at least try to talk it out?”
He lets out another one of his low growls, and I take that as a no. The vet comes in, and Franklin greets him with a meow. I glare at my cat, seriously wondering where I went wrong.
“How are you two doing today?” the vet greets.
“I’m fine. He seems to have a vendetta against me.”
Franklin bumps his head against the vet’s hand, encouraging him to pet him and I just shake my head. Little liar.
“Seems like he’s in a pretty good mood to me.”
I grumble while the vet starts his examination. Not long after he starts, he says, “Ah, that may be the problem.”
“What problem? There’s a problem?” I start to panic. Franklin may have been mean, but he hasn’t seemed sick. Now I feel worse because maybe he’s sick or in pain and I’ve just thought he hates me.
The vet chuckles. “Franklin doesn’t seem to be a Franklin at all.”
I furrow my brows. “What do you mean? He told you he doesn’t like his name?”
“No, he’s a she.”
My jaw drops. “I looked it up and it said most orange cats are boys.”
“That’s true. About eighty percent are, but this one is one of the few that’s special.”
“Aw, I’m sorry then,” I apologize to Frank…i? I swear she still looks at me like she wants to claw my eyes out. The look I’m familiar with from another woman in my life.
“Other than that, she seems healthy. We will just give her some vaccines. You’ll have to bring her back for boosters. Other than that, you seem to have a healthy kitten, about three months old.”
“Thank you.” I nod as he leaves. As soon as the door shuts, I turn to Franki. “I’m very sorry, I hope we can turn over a new leaf.”
She doesn’t growl, but she also doesn’t come closer to me. I’ll take it for now, I suppose. The vet tech comes in and Franki’s friendly facade seems to fade when they go to give her the shots.
Luckily, she wants to go into the carrier because getting away from everyone seems to be the best idea for her right now.
I make the next appointment for her before leaving. After getting in my truck and setting her carrier on the bench seat I feel my phone go off.
Ethan: What are you doing?
Parker: Just took my cat to the vet. What are you doing?
Ethan: I want to meet your cat!
Parker: I’m sure she wants to meet you, but maybe not today.
Ethan: Want to hang out?
Parker: Is Lily there?
Ethan: Yeah, but she’s sleeping. I want to ride the horses.
Parker: Good thing I’m better at that than your sister. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.
I go home to drop Franki off, and head over to the Baker’s house.
The familiar drive brings out memories every time I drive it.
Especially still having the truck that I created so many memories in with her.
And even though I’ve ridden horses my whole life, I can’t help but think about times when I did it with her.
“I’m not going to race you,” I tell Lily seriously. But she’s giving me that mischievous look that she does. The one that I love that can get me to do anything. Even if she doesn’t know it.
We’ve been best friends for as long as I can remember. I don’t know when my feelings for her changed, but they have and I don’t know if she feels the same. I don’t want to risk losing her as a friend or lose the chance of having more with her.
“It’s just a little race. I’ll take it easy on you,” she taunts, her mouth spreading into a wide smile.
“Lil, you barrel race. I do not, there’s no going easy,” I tease. She’s always been one for going fast in every part of her life. She runs at a speed that’s quicker than anyone else. Which is just yet another thing that’s made me feel more for her than I do for anyone else.
“We aren’t going to race barrels though. Just a little trot, you’ll be fine.” Her tone is not reassuring, and I’m sure she has something up her sleeve. But I can’t say no to her, not really.
“Fine, but I’m not really racing you,” I tell her again, because I have a feeling she’s not going to take it easy on me at all.
She lets out a little squeal, and goes to her racing horse, Boone.
I go to Major’s stall and get him out so we can get them tacked up.
Lily keeps giving me sly looks that make me chuckle because I know she’s plotting.
I do my best not to give her a reaction; she can do what she wants, and she will win the race which is fine by me.
“Are you doing the Strawberry Festival rodeo?” she asks as we finish up getting the horses ready.
“I was thinking about it. Are you?”
“Of course. Someone has to be the winner.” She winks, and I chuckle.
“Of course,” I repeat. “And everyone knows that’ll be you.”
She smiles so brightly, I swear the actual world lights up when she smiles like that. “Damn right.”
I want to kiss her. I want to kiss her so badly, but I can’t run the risk of losing her completely.
Fifteen years of being in each other’s lives and being best friends can’t disappear.
I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her. That’s why I don’t do anything.
Instead of kissing her, I look away to break the temptation at least for now and focus on getting the horses outside where we have the space to run.
Lily doesn’t need a mounting block or any assistance to jump on the back of Boone.
I can’t remember the last time she needed it.
She may be short, but she’s determined. Even I used the block until I hit my growth spurt this last summer.
It’s the first time I’ve been so much taller than Lily.
She made fun of me at first, but I like it when she does.
“Look at you getting on the horse by yourself,” she taunts from the saddle.
I settle onto Major a bit more, holding the reins loosely. “Ha ha, very funny.”
Lily lets out one of her loud laughs, head thrown back and all. I swear if I didn’t know that I love her already, I know I do now. She’s perfect.
“You ready?” she asks, moving Boone to stand next to me.
“You said we would take it easy,” I remind her, uselessly.
“Mhm.” She smirks. “Onetwothree go!”
She takes off with Boone and I laugh, squeezing Major with my thighs so he runs. She did not take it easy, just like I knew she wouldn’t. But when she wins the unfair race, she looks so happy, and even though she’s a sneaky little liar, it’s worth it to see her look like this.
“I win,” she announces proudly.
“You also cheated,” I reply playfully.
“Are you complaining?”
“Never.”
I’m outside her house, her car in the driveway that isn’t the same one from when we were together, yet here I am in the same truck. I don’t see the white sedan from the other day outside, and I’m glad because I think if I had to see him without Lily around, I wouldn’t be on my best behavior.
Ethan bounds out the front door, saving me from walking up and knocking. I get out of my truck to greet him.
“Hey bud.” I raise my hand for him to give me a high five. He jumps to slap his hand against mine. I shake mine out from the force.
“I didn’t want you to knock and wake Lily up. She said if anyone wakes her up, we will ‘feel the wrath of a woman scorned.’ Whatever that means.”
I laugh because I can hear her saying those exact words and not even thinking twice about what exactly she’s saying.
“Come on, I’ve been dying to ride the horses all day,” he complains dramatically.
“No one else could take you riding?” I question while we walk around to the other side of the house where the barn is.
“No, my parents are both working, and Lily is sleeping because she said, ‘night shift is the work of the devil.’”
I choke on my laughter because for some reason having Ethan repeat what his sister says makes it a lot funnier. They’re similar, but also so different. The way their brains work seems to be an inherited gene.
“And Aaron?” I grimace saying his name.
Ethan scoffs. “You think he knows how to ride a horse? I don’t think he’s ever seen one in person until coming here.”
I nod and can’t help myself. “Do you like him?”
“Hell no.”
“Language,” I scold.
“Hey, I could’ve said the F word.” He shrugs.
“What about your parents? What do they think of him?”
“Eh. My dad doesn’t say much to him. My mom does the thing where she acts nice to everyone, but I can’t tell if it’s real or not.”
That’s not a yes, and I take it as a good sign. As much as I want to get more information from the kid about my ex’s new boyfriend, I know his sole focus is getting on a horse, and I need to push all my bull shit out of my mind to make sure he’s happy.
It’s not his fault other kids are assholes that bully him because they don’t know how cool he is. I just hope that when he goes back to school this fall, he’ll return with more confidence and hopefully more friends.
But no matter what, he has one with me. Regardless of my history with Lily, and my current feelings toward her, I’ll always be Ethan’s friend. Because the kid is cool as shit.
“I’m going to get on without the block today,” he announces.
“You got it,” I encourage. Because I know he does.