Page 35 of Not A Whisper

“Carlos,” Luane admonishes.

When I look over at Trip’s dad, I catch him trying to hide the anger on his face. He turns away from us. What’s going on here? Kai sighs, dragging my attention back to him.

“I got to go,” Kai steps away from me, letting go of my hand with a sigh. “I’m afraid I’ll have to miss getting to know you.”

I open my mouth to speak but Jason reappears and approaches. “Don’t worry, we’ll be bringing her around often.” He pauses beside his father, frowning. “You need a hand up there?”

“No, no. I got this.” Kai puts a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Have fun. Don’t let Carlos talk your girl into playing Spades. He’s a cheat.”

Kai shoots me a tight smile before he heads for the door.

“I’ll save you dinner and a piece of the cake Bri brought!” Luane calls after him.

Kai waves without looking back before disappearing out the front door. The room fills with tension. I don’t miss the way Jason and Trip exchange looks or how Luane takes a steadying breath and lifts her chin from her chest to get back to work. My heart sinks as I realize that whatever Kai has to go do for Garry, it probably isn’t good. Worry flickers across Jason’s face before he can cover it up with a tense smile.

“You know, growing up my neighbor had a horse,” I force myself to smile and look down at Trip and Carlos. “That thing was mean as the devil. It would wait for me to get off the bus after school and would scream and shriek at me like a donkey as I walked along the fence to get home. Are the horses here any nicer?”

Jason chuckles as he steps close and grabs my hand. “Nicer? Eh, depends on your definition. They’re spoiled and snobby, but most will let you pet them.”

“That’s a fucking lie.” Trip gets to his feet with a scowl. “I went to visit the stables once and three of them reached out to steal my lunch from me.”

“Trip! Language!” Luane corrects.

Trip shoots a glare in her direction, but it lacks any animosity. “My language is justified when it comes to those beasts.”

“Everyone knows not to bring food up there. If it’s not the horses, it’s the staff that’ll eat it,” Jason pulls me toward the kitchen and Trip follows. While the two of them argue about the intelligence of bringing food to the stables, I remove my hand from Jason’s and come to stand beside Luane.

“Can I help with anything?”

She gives me a grateful smile. “Yes, actually. If you can put those green beans in that dish, we’ll be nearly ready to eat.”

I smile back and reach for the vegetables.

Nine

By the time I’m stepping out of the Nani house, I feel like I’ve known Carlos and Luane all my life. Their smiles are infectious and listening to them tell stories about their kids is both insightful and hilarious. I can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed this hard and long without Pianna around. My cheeks ache from how long I’ve been smiling.

“You take care, ok?” Luane gives me a final hug before I step out into the night.

“I told you, you’ll be seeing her again,” Jason sighs dramatically as he moves toward his truck.

Trip gives Luane a one-arm hug before he steps outside to walk me and Jason out.

“If he doesn’t bring her, I will.” He gives me a pointed look. “Even if I have to hogtie and throw her into the bed of Jay’s truck.”

Rather than acknowledge the subtle threat, I turn to Luane. “If you’ll have me back, I would love to see you all again.”

Jason’s mother doesn’t hesitate in giving me a warm smile. “You’re welcome back anytime, Bri.”

With goodbyes made, I slide into the passenger’s side of Jason’s truck. As I move to close the door, Trip’s there to yank it back open.

“I thought you were spending the night here?” Jason asks as he climbs into the driver’s seat.

“Naw, you’re coming back tomorrow, right? I’ll just come back with you.” He nudges his head. “Scoot over, dollface.”

The bench seat isn’t huge but there’s enough room for me to slide over for Trip to get in.

“Miss me?” Jason teases him as we pull away. I wave to his mother who waves goodbye.

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