Page 24 of What I Should Have Known

Her arms wrapped around me, cradling me into her body. “Something will happen.”

“Dad would be happy if that ‘something’ was finally with Wyatt. And I know you would be too. We’ve talked about this before. You know I know about Wyatt and his parents’ conversation with you and Dad.”

She rested her chin on the top of my head. “Your dad and I just want to see you happy.”

Once again, the annoying buzzing rumbled in my back pocket, and I rolled my eyes, ignoring it as I hugged my mom back. “Wyatt doesnotmake me happy.”

“Want to answer your phone and then come eat?” my mom said, changing the subject.

Stepping out of the embrace, I slid my cell out from my jeans as my mom turned and walked back down the hall.

With an eye roll, I tapped the answer button. “What do you want?”

“Well, damn. I thought you’d be excited to hear from me so soon after I disappeared,” Bernie replied through the speaker.

I couldn’t help the smile that lifted on my lips. “Did me ignoring your calls not convey my feelings well enough?”

“I’ve never been good at picking up hints. You could smack them in my fucking face, and I’d probably still miss them,” he answered, and I just knew there was a smile on his lips with the level of sarcasm heard from his tone.

“Oh, ha ha,” I snarkily replied and plopped myself down on the edge of the stairs. “Really, though, why are you calling?”

“Because you never gave me my CAC. Also, you promised me a Kit Kat, and that was not given either.”

I slapped a hand over my mouth. “Oh my goodness, I totally spaced on your ID. And I never actually had a candy bar to give you…”

“I wasn’t talking about the candy bar,” he replied, his voice lowering, and I crossed my legs as a low pulse roared hot and slick.

Dropping my hand to my thighs, I looked out through the opaque glass on the front door. “But a Kit Kat is a candy bar.”

What the heck was going on with my body?

“Shit, Kat. I can’t fuck an actual candy bar,” he answered with a light chuckle.

I shook my head, knitting my brows together. “Well, I know that. What does that have to do with—”

“How about you sit and think on that, and when you get it, let me know. Until then, when can I get my CAC from you?” he quickly inserted.

“Get it?” I mumbled.

“Kit Kat,” he admonished with a lighthearted tone.

“I am so confused.”

A gentle bellow boomed through the speaker in my ear. “Forget it. Can I swing by tomorrow?”

“We’re headed to the fairgrounds early to set up for the rodeo. You’re welcome to come by there anytime,” I replied, rolling his words around my tongue. But I couldn’t figure out how he got from a candy bar to sex.

“Rodeo? What rodeo?” he asked.

Clicking my tongue, I shook my head. “I forgot you’re not from around here. It’s almost summer; we have rodeos like every weekend. This one in particular is for the seniors graduating high school, so they get special acknowledgment and such. My parents’ ranch supplies the calves and steers for ropin’ and bulldoggin’ and whatnot.”

“For what? The fuck is bulldogging?”

“Steer wrestling.” A rather unladylike snort escaped my lips. “Bernie, come to the fairgrounds a little before seven tomorrow night. Text me andI’ll have your CAC, and you can watch with me where I’ll explain what’s going on.”

“Ah, so you do want to see me again. See, I got that hint,” he replied, and my brows stitched together. That man was as confusing as they’d come. But for whatever reason, I enjoyed whatever we were doing. Whatever strange thing was happening, I was drawn toward it, toward him.

“I have your military ID. How does that equate to whether I want to see you again or not?”

---