Page 19 of High Density

I can see the shutters come down around Pa at my sister’s reaction.

Fucking eggshells.

“We were out on a search yesterday that didn’t end well,” I explain in an attempt to mitigate the damage. “Had to call in law enforcement. Was an ugly scene.”

A flash of regret skirts over Una’s face before she stubbornly sets her jaw.

“Then why not just tell me that? You don’t have to shield me, I’m a firefighter, I see my share of bad stuff.”

“Jesus, Una. Maybe because I don’t wanna be reminded of the images already seared into my memory. It has zero to do with you.”

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose against the headache already forming.

“Una, did you get your brother something to drink?” Ma asks, walking up from the basement with a couple of jars she went to grab from the cold cellar.

I’m glad she wasn’t privy to our little exchange, or she’d have a thing or two to say about that.

“I didn’t want anything, Ma,” I quickly answer her, trying to avert another possible confrontation.

I can see from the look on my sister’s face, her bristles are up at Ma’s question, which clearly rubbed her the wrong way.

“Nonsense.” My mother—the bulldozer—casually waves me off. “Grab your brother a beer, Una,” she insists, setting her jars on the counter.

Instead of objecting—which I know will get Ma going—I shoot my sister a silent plea not to engage. With a low growl, she spins on her heel and darts out to the beer fridge on the covered porch in the back. She returns a moment later with three beers, dropping one beside Pa, handing one to me, and tossing back half of the third one herself.

Ma shoots her a sharp look before turning and fixing her eyes on me. “You sit down at that table and keep me company. You can tell me what’s going on with you and Doc Richards.”

I can hear Pa’s groan, and Una looks at me with a little too much interest.

I swear sometimes living in a small town sucks. Or maybe it was those tough cowboys back at the ranch yapping, they’re nothing but giant gossips.

“Christ, Ma…” I mumble.

“Doc Richards? Who is that?” Una pipes up, taking a seat at the table across from me.

“You wouldn’t know, since we hardly see you here,” Ma snaps, getting a dig in as she transfers the contents of the jars to bowls. “But Doc Richards took over for Doc Evans last year. From what I hear, your brother has taken a shine.”

Una’s eyes bulge out at me behind our mother’s back. “You’re getting it on with the vet?”

I open my mouth to respond, but Ma is faster.

“No need to be crude, Una,” she chastises her. “She’s a nice girl.”

“The vet is a woman?” my sister blurts out.

Mom swirls around, shock on her face. “Of course she’s a woman, what else would she be?”

The pointed look Una sends me speaks volumes, but I already recognized the thin ice we are on.

“Was just asking, Ma. I didn’t realize Doc Richards was ashe.”

“I figured that’d be clear, given that sheisseeing your brother.”

“Fucking hell,”Pa mutters from his chair.

My sentiments exactly.

I glance at the oven timer to see how much longer before the enchiladas are done, so I can dine and dash the hell out of here.

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