Page 12 of Blue Moon Love

Ah, so that explained why he was looking at Kenna like a starving man and she was a filet mignon. I couldn’t see her face, so I didn’t know if the attraction was reciprocated, but I had eyes and could see that the man was an attractive guy. He sort of resembled Charlie Hunnam, who was her celebrity crush. I’d been told I resembled Tom Hardy, who was her other celebrity crush, but even that wasn’t making me feel better about the situation I was watching unfold.

Betty, our office admin and dispatcher, stuck her head out of the back door. “We got a call out on Highway 4. Traffic collision. I don’t have anyone else to respond. Can you guys cover it?”

Kane glanced over at me. I knew that Ruby, his daughter Harper, and his grandad were waiting at home for him. He had a family now.

“I’ll go.”

A sense of dread settled over me. Was I experiencing a Thanksgiving version of Scrooged where I was being visited by the Ghost of Thanksgiving Future? First, I’d seen Old Man Pratt, who was clearly bummed to be alone on the holiday. Next, I’d gotten a text from Witty canceling our plans so he could get his freak on. And now I was volunteering to work so my partner could go and be with his family, and I had no one to go home to.

“Thanks, man.” Kane pulled me into a one-armed hug.

“No worries,” I assured him.

I ran in and grabbed my keys for the SUV, then headed back out. As I pulled out of the parking lot, Kenna was walking up to the station with bags of food.

I rolled down the window. “Movie tonight?”

“Um.” She looked down at the ground, avoiding eye contact.

“What?”

She didn’t answer.

“It’s Thanksgiving. Your parents will be in bed by eight; what plans could you possibly have?”

“I just…” Before she looked back up at me, she took a deep breath. “I don’t think we should hang out so much.”

My heart felt like a dagger had just been pierced through it and twisted. I felt sick to my stomach.

“What? Why?!” I demanded.

“I need to make room in my life for?—”

My radio buzzed, and Betty came over the line to ask me for my ETA. At the same time, my screen lit up, saying that there were casualties.

“I have to go.”

She nodded. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Happy Thanksgiving.”

I’d flipped on my blues and twos and tore out of the parking lot. As I drove to the accident, my head was spinning from what I’d just heard. What did Kenna mean when she said we shouldn’t hang out so much? Did that mean we weren’t friends anymore? What had I done to make her feel that way?

I didn’t have any of those answers, but I did know one thing: this conversation was not over.

7

KENNA

“They can’t get yer goat if they don’t know where it’s tied.” ~ Archie “Witty” Whitlock

My butt had barely hit the freezing cold bleachers when I heard Lena Crabtree, who was seated behind me, say, “Sam’s lookin’ mighty fine.”

“Mmm, hmm,” Sabrina Stern hummed her agreement. “That boy is easy on the eyes and knows what he’s doin’ between the thighs.”

The two women giggled, and I felt like I had gone into Bill & Ted’s phone booth and time-traveled back to high school. Part of my déjà vu moment had to do with the fact that I was physically back at my high school, where the Police vs. Fire football game was held, but I was also there emotionally and mentally. My days in high school had been filled with whispers, notes being passed, writing in the girl's bathroom, and conversations in classes, in the halls, and at lunch, all to do with Sam Whitlock’s prowess.

Once he graduated, I hoped the talk would subside. I figured during junior and senior year I wouldn’t be tormented hearing stories about his extracurricular activities. The problem was that during his years at Wishing Well High, he’d gained mythological status. His talents, if you will, were legendary, so his reputation continued to be a hot topic.

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