Chapter Twelve
Kaylee
Is he still looking over here?” Kaylee asked from the couch, which was out of sight from her kitchen window. Her rental and Josie’s house had the same layout except they mirrored each other. Josie stood in the kitchen, staring at Rick.
“Yes, but he’s starting to pace now.” Josie turned around, her green eyes lit with curiosity. “If he’s a friend, then why did you ditch him to come over here alone? He looks cute from what I can see.”
Cute is not how Kaylee would describe Rick. Puppies and kittens were cute. Rick was …
“Vile. Feral. Insufferable is what he is.”
“All that, huh?” Josie chuckled, leaving her post at the window to take the spot next to Kaylee on the couch.
Josie’s blond hair fell around her shoulders in loose waves, and the cozy pink lounge set she was wearing exposed one round, pale shoulder.
“Sounds like he’d make a terrible houseguest. Why not kick him to the curb? ”
Because I have no choice in the matter. Kaylee had gone over a hundred different scenarios on how to get rid of Rick, but none of them were possible, especially with him stationed on her couch, watching her. He was everywhere, ordering her about, teasing her, and flirting with her.
Whoa, maybe not flirting. Why would he do that after everything she’d done to him? If anything, his little comments were just another way to fluster and torment her.
“I kind of owe him for getting me out of a bad situation in college. That doesn’t mean he’s any less annoying.”
“Noted,” Josie said, leaning forward. “Although, in my professional opinion—”
“Please, don’t shrink me,” Kaylee begged. Since Josie had her master’s in psychology and worked as a specialized therapist, she always brought up her “professional opinion” before telling Kaylee something she didn’t want to hear.
Josie threw her hands up. “Fine, no advice. However, I do think we need to go to this meeting tonight and take your mind off your unwanted houseguest.”
“Except the minute he sees us leave, he is going to want to tag along.”
“Let him,” Josie said, rubbing her hands together before reaching for Kaylee’s. “It will give me a chance to analyze him, see what makes him tick.” Josie pulled her off the couch, her brow suddenly furrowed. “You’re not embarrassed of me, right?”
Kaylee gasped, squeezing Josie’s fingers. “Of course not! Why would you even ask that?”
“I know my job can be hard to explain to some people, and if you think he’ll be awkward, I understand.”
“No, it’s nothing like that. If anything, I’m embarrassed of him.” And I don’t want to lie to you any more than I already have.
Josie laughed, a tinkling sound. “Then let me grab the popcorn and we’ll head over. He can follow us if he wants to, and I’ll tell him to stop being creepy.”
A sound escaped Kaylee, somewhere between a groan and a laugh, but she didn’t protest again. After Josie grabbed her bag of popcorn from the pantry, Kaylee followed Josie out the door. Maybe while Rick was distracted at the meeting, Kaylee could slip out, take Pumpkin, and run.
The moment they shut Josie’s front door, Rick stepped outside Kaylee’s house, waving at them. “Hey there,” he called out like they were cast members on an idyllic sitcom.
“Hi,” Josie returned warmly, because that was her nature.
She was a kind, jolly girl whom everyone liked, but wasn’t afraid to speak their minds to.
Josie was so nice that a few times when people had said some brutal things to her, she just smiled and, for all intents and purposes, pretended like it didn’t hurt.
Only a handful of people had seen Josie break down in private, and it made Kaylee irate that anyone would treat her that way.
The three of them met on the sidewalk, and Rick held out his hand. “I’m Rick. Kaylee and I have been friends since college.”
“Hello, Rick. Kaylee and I have been friends since Santa dropped her off especially for me last year.”
“That’s cute, especially with her last name being Kringle,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “It’s almost too convenient. Like her entire existence is made up.”
Kaylee glowered at him, but when Josie turned her way, she forced a laugh. “Oh, Rick. Such a funny guy.”
He smirked. “I am. So, where are you ladies off to?”
“Town meeting at the Grange hall,” Josie volunteered. “Want to join us?”
“I would love to,” he said, falling in step with Josie, who started firing off questions at him in rapid succession.
Kaylee listened in with mild curiosity, trying to pick out the truths from the lies.
When they’d been alone together in that motel room, they hadn’t dug into anything really personal, but with Josie, Rick pretended to be an open book, which rankled Kayle a bit.
“No, I don’t have any family that I talk to. My dad raises racehorses, and they are about all he loves, and my mom and I aren’t in contact. The only family member I was ever close with was my abuela, but she passed a long time ago.”
“I’m sorry. So, you came to visit Kaylee for the holidays?” Josie glanced over her shoulder at Kaylee, directing the words “You must have been very close” at her.
Kaylee wanted to shake her head, but instead, she just smiled with her jaw clenched, and Josie turned back to Rick, talking about where he lived, what he did.
“I work in law enforcement in Northern California.”
“Is it pretty dangerous up there?”
“Sometimes. We have a group of men who are under investigation for drug running, racketeering, murder, and a host of other offenses, but we can’t build a case against them.”
Kaylee stiffened, imagining wrapping her hand around his neck.
“Why not?” Josie asked.
“They’re good at hiding their crimes, and a lot of witnesses won’t come forward.”
Rick shot her a pointed look that Josie missed, and Kaylee rubbed her cheek with her middle finger, irate when he smirked in response.
Josie, oblivious to their silent exchange, clicked her tongue. “Oh, that’s awful.”
“It really is.” When Rick glanced over his shoulder again, Kaylee dragged her finger across her throat, and this time, he barely managed to cover his laughter with a cough.
“Are you alright?” Josie asked.
“Yeah, just a catch in my throat,” he said, ignoring Kaylee’s snort. “Anyway, enough shoptalk. Tell me what to expect from this meeting. Are they like the ones on Gilmore Girls?”
“I’m sorry, you watch Gilmore Girls?” Kaylee scoffed.
Rick turned a hurtful gaze her way. “Yes, it’s my comfort show. What, because I’m a man, I can’t watch a female-led show and enjoy it?” He had the nerve to tsk at her. “Really, Kaylee, we took the same gender studies course. I didn’t expect you to be sexist.”
Kaylee’s hands balled into fists. “I’m not sexist! I just thought you preferred more action and less drama.”
“Why can’t I enjoy both?”
They rounded the corner, and the Grange came into sight, a long, rectangular, white building with concrete steps and a metal railing leading the way inside.
Kaylee trailed behind as they made their way to their preferred spot in the back.
Although she wanted to sit next to Josie, she found herself alongside Rick, who had settled in between them in the bench seat.
The place was packed with people, filling nearly every row, and the mayor, Barnabus Crutch, stood behind the podium, speaking to Chief Desante.
Before Josie dragged her to one of Holiday’s town meetings for the first time, she had seen them on TV but had never attended one in person.
It wasn’t just a few people who showed up, but the entire town flooding into a building large enough to house the fifteen hundred or so residents.
They usually started by going through the new business of upcoming events and activities, followed by townspeople grievances, which was when the meetings usually spun out of control.
“Want some popcorn?” Josie asked, holding out the bag to Rick and Kaylee.
She took a handful while Rick shook his head and muttered, “No, thank you.”
“This meeting will come to order!” Barnabus called out, and the conversations died slowly. “First, I’d like to discuss the Potato Lights Spectacular and ask that we have no shenanigans this year. We don’t need a whipped cream cannon being launched—”
A man with long brown hair, thick glasses, and a beard jumped to his feet. “It was a science experiment gone wrong!”
Barnabus shot him a withering glance. “Mr. Turner, I was just using that as an example of one of the disasters we’ve experienced during this event. I understand you and your science club were trying to do something interesting, but sometimes, tradition is important.”
Mr. Turner mumbled something about “shoving tradition up his wahooza,” and Kaylee giggled.
Rick glanced over at her and hiked his brows. “Are you laughing at that poor man?”
“No,” she said defiantly, popping a piece of chocolatey popcorn in her mouth, rolling the sweet and salty taste with her tongue. “I’m laughing at ‘wahooza.’”
The mayor cleared his throat. “Now, back to the ceremony— Yes?”
Another man stood. He had tossed sandy-colored hair, and Josie groaned, leaning over Rick to whisper, “I really hate this douchebag.”
“Why?” Rick asked.
Kaylee elbowed him. “Shh.”
He elbowed her back, and she glared at him.
“I’m Austin Whittier, and I just want to warn everyone to make sure your trash is put away.
Although it’s late in the season, we’re having a warm winter, and I noticed some fresh bear tracks on the trail yesterday above the creek.
We don’t want to lure any hungry bears off the mountain and into town. ”
“Especially during the Potato Lights Spectacular!” Barnabus said, bringing the topic back around. “Thank you, Austin, for letting us know.”
“Who is that guy?” Rick asked.
Kaylee wanted to tell him to piss off, but noticed Jolene and another woman glancing their way and whispering. If she wanted the town to think Rick was just a friend, then she needed to save her irritation for behind closed doors.
Looping her arm through his, she leaned over and whispered in his ear, too low for Josie to overhear, “I am only leaning over to tell you that the town is speculating who you are, even though I’ve told several of them you are just a friend.
So, for now, I am going to smile at you and act buddy-buddy even though I want you to go away. ”
Rick moved closer, placing his own mouth near her ear. “You can put on any show you want, and I’ll play along. Are you sure we’re just friends, though? ’Cause your boyfriend over there doesn’t seem to buy it.”
Kaylee jerked toward Benny, who glanced away quickly, and Kaylee squeezed Rick’s arm in warning. “I wanna kick you right in the wahooza.”
“Maybe later,” Rick said, holding his finger up to his mouth. “I want to hear this.”
Kaylee fumed the rest of the meeting, even finding it hard to laugh when Xavier and Walter started arguing about Love Island toward the end, just as Josie predicted.
As the three of them walked home, Rick asked Josie directly why she didn’t like Austin, and her traitorous friend gave up the goods with no issue.
“I brought him some cookies to welcome him to town, and he told me he didn’t like desserts. Then he slammed the door in my face.”
“What kind of cookies?” Rick asked.
“Chocolate chip.”
“You’re absolutely right. Total douchebag.”
Josie beamed at him, and Kaylee wanted to gag. When they made it home, Kaylee didn’t even slow down to give her friend a hug.
“All right, Jo, I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, climbing the steps.
“’Night, babe! Nice to meet you, Rick.”
“You, too,” he called back to her, his body hovering over Kaylee as she opened the door.
She stomped into the kitchen and grabbed Pumpkin’s food, ignoring Rick as she went through her nightly routine with her pet.
“Are you going to give me the silent treatment now?” he asked.
“Yep.”
He sighed. “At what point are you going to realize that I’m not leaving until you agree to come with me and testify?”
“This side of never.” She set Pumpkin’s dish down a little harder than necessary.
“All right, then. Do you at least have a blanket or something?”
“No.” Kaylee locked up Pumpkin’s enclosure, then the front door, and headed for her room.
“I’ve heard it can get really cold at night in Idaho,” he called after her.
“Then maybe you should go back to California!” She slammed her door, leaning against it. Despite her anger and resentment for his presence, she stepped off the solid wood and opened the door again. She grabbed a blanket from the hallway closet and marched over, throwing it at him.
He caught the blanket in midair with a grin. “Aw, Kaylee, you do care.”
“Shut it,” she practically shouted, glancing toward the window.
It would be just her luck if someone heard her and called the cops.
Lowering her voice, she continued, “Just because I don’t want you to freeze doesn’t mean you’re welcome or that I want you here.
Despite previous events that I’m not proud of, I’m not a monster. ”
“I know that, Kaylee,” he said softly, climbing to his feet like he was going to hug her.
“Nope, no.” She backed away from him in the direction of her room, holding her hands out for good measure. “Despite this little farce we have going on, we’re not actually friends.”
Rick’s lips compressed before he gave her a curt nod.
Kaylee couldn’t think of anything to say that would make this tension-filled moment any better, so without a word, she disappeared into her bedroom again, cursing her soft heart and his fetching brown eyes.
Fetching? For goodness’ sake, woman, he is the enemy! Remember that.