“Is that what you would do?” I ask.
He laughs. “Fuck no.”
“Exactly.” I return to my seat and sigh. “I’ll text you when I get there.”
“Be safe.”
He hangs up and I decide to take a chance that Cara has turned her phone back on and dial her number.
My heart stutters when it rings.
On the third ring, I hear Jill’s voice. “You’re an ass.” She slurs the last part of ass, making it ash.
“Excuse me?”
“No, let me tell him!” I hear Cara’s panicked voice in the background and I cross my arms, interested to hear where this is going.
At least she’s safe.
“You’re a jerk, King,” Jill resumes.
“I know.”
“Good. He knows,” she informs Cara, making me smile for the first time in more than twenty-four hours. “It wasn’t cool to say that Cara isn’t welcome to move to the Lazy K after you already asked her.”
“Wait. What?” I’m stunned. I know I never told her that.
“You said that you didn’t want to put your foot in your mouth the way you always do and hurt her feelings, and it’s not a forever thing anyway.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“She heard you with her own ears.”
“Jill, stop!” I hear Cara shriek, as I rack my brain.
“And then you had to drive the nail even deeper in her heart and make it clear that she’s not part of your family.”
My heart climbs up in my throat. Jesus, she heard my conversation with Z. “Jill—”
“No, you listen to me, pal. You had no problem fucking her brains out with that impressive cock of yours—”
“Jillian!” Cara yells.
“—but if you didn’t want to live with her, you should have just manned up and been honest. Grow a pair, King. If I was in Montana right now, I’d hunt you down and shove my foot so far up your ass you’d have toes for teeth!”
“Ouch,” I mutter, and grimace. “Listen to me. Cara misunderstood.”
“No, she didn’t!”
“I was talking about Kensie, Jill. Not Cara. She didn’t hear the whole conversation.” Jill grows quiet, and I can hear Cara in the background.
“What is he saying? Hang up, Jillian.”
“Do not hang up this phone.” My voice is hard, and I’ve never been so pissed in my life. “She ran because she misunderstood a conversation that didn’t include her and because I was a dick when Seth got hurt. I’m on my way, Jill.”
“What?” She sounds perfectly sober now, and I hear her stand and move away from Cara.
“Seth told me that she was on her way to you. I’m stuck in Salt Lake, but I should be there later tonight.”
She doesn’t answer for a long minute and I’m afraid she’s hung up.
“Jill?”
“I’m here. If you’re lying to me . . .”
“I’m not. Leave the front door unlocked. I’ll be there late. And, Jill?”
“Yeah?”
“Tell her—”
“No, tell her yourself. Hurry up, loverboy.”
She hangs up and I grin as I push my phone in my pocket and check the flight status on the large television screen above the windows ahead.
Delayed.
“Damn,” I murmur.
“You’re trying to get to your girl.” An older woman sitting opposite me is knitting a red scarf and smiles at me.
“Yeah.”
“Must be pretty important.” She pushes the yarn down the needle.
“It is.”
“My daughter had a baby yesterday, and I’m on my way to spend time with her and her family.” I’m surprised. She doesn’t look old enough to be a grandmother. She smiles again, and I take a deep breath and sit back, giving her my attention.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” She leans down and rifles through her large yellow carry-on and comes out with two candy bars. “Snickers?”
“Thanks.” I accept the candy and take a big bite, realizing how hungry I am.
“I wish my Richard were here to see our first grandbaby,” she murmurs quietly, her eyes on her candy bar. “He passed away a few months ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
She nods and then meets my gaze again. “Time goes so fast. I know you probably hear that all the time, but it’s true. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t give to have my Richard here to fight with me again.” Her smile is sad as she watches me, and I just don’t know what to say. “Do you know what would always work to soften me up when I was mad at him?” she asks with a grin.
“Chocolate?” I hold up my candy wrapper.