Page 35 of Ace of Spades
“Right,” I say, accepting her hand. “Weston’s date right?”
“Huh?” she asks, looking puzzled.
“From the dance. That was you, right?”
“Oh, right!” she laughs. “That would be my brother.”
“Brother?” I ask, trying to piece things together when it suddenly clicks.
“Kota—as in Dakota?”
“So hehastalked about me, then!”
I chuckle, my smile warming and the lead in my stomach melting away.
“He has,” I admit. “He said you guys were very close.”
“Well, as close as a brother and sister can realistically be. He’s pretty much my favorite person, but don’t tell him I said that.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” I tell her.
“Mind if I sit?”
“Not at all.”
She slides into the booth, smoothing down her sundress and waving down the waitress.
“So, you wanna tell me why you’re having a rough day?”
“It’s kind of a long story.”
“I’ve got time,” she tells me, turning to Dalia as she approaches our table. “Two coffees, please! Lots of cream and sugar with mine.”
Dalia turns to me expectantly.
“Oh no, I’m fine, really,” I say.
“Oh, please—It’s on me, I insist,” Dakota pushes.
“Thank you,” I tell her, turning to Dalia. “I’ll just have mine black, please.”
She smiles and walks away,
“Sonny Side Up diner,” Dakota says. “How cute is that? Did you know that the guy who runs this place is named Sonny? I used to be super close with his wife, Lisa, before she passed. I come here every Wednesday, and yet I’ve never seen you here. So spill—what’s going on? Does it have anything to do with the fact that your horse trailer is parked out back even though it’s the middle of the week and there aren’t any rodeos until this weekend?”
“Let’s just say I had a little bit of a disagreement with my dad.”
“Do tell.”
“I’m sure you’ve heard of him—my dad, I mean.”
“William Sorrels? Of course, who hasn’t”
Dalia swings by the table, dropping off our coffees. I waste no time picking mine up and blowing on it, no patience in sight as I swallow a much-needed mouthful, burning my tongue in the process. Definitely worth it.
“Right, well to make a long story short, I’ve recently come to the realization that I don’t love the way he does business.”
“Ah, I see,” Dakota says, taking a sip of her coffee.
