Page 103 of Not Another Yesterday
I grab the bottle, then close the fridge door behind me. “Thanks,” I mutter, not making eye contact.
Something spiky bites my insides. She had sex with Ronan only two days ago. She got to see him in all his masculine glory, got to feel his soft skin on hers, ran her hands over his lean muscles, and probably moaned his name. I’m not usually a violent person, but I won’t deny that the idea of decking her isn’t all that off-putting.
Miranda moves around the kitchen with annoying ease, pulling a cup from the cabinet with one hand while fishing for a spoon with the other. “So, I heard about your encounter with our resident wildcat. Well,formerresident wildcat,” she says, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “The ranger picked up the carcass this morning.”
I don’t respond, instead watching the creamer slowly drip into my coffee. Out of my periphery, Miranda takes a sip from her cup, eyes closed.Is she drinking that black? That’s… impressive.
She smacks her lips with a serene smile. “That was a male, too. The ranger estimated him to be about a hundred and eighty pounds, maybe eight feet long. Rony wouldn’t have stood a chance if that thing had decided to ambush him.”
I reach for the drawer to grab a spoon, then stir my coffee.
“Need sugar?” she asks, nudging a small ceramic bowl toward me.
The caramel creamer is sweet enough. I ignore the bowl. Andher.
“Oh, Tori and I talked about maybe going on a trail ride later today,” Miranda continues, casual.Now she’s coming for my friends, too?“You’re welcome to join us.”
That does it.
My eyes snap to hers, face set in a frown. “You fucked Ran. Two days ago,” I say, and march out of the kitchen.
“Oh perfect, just the two people I was looking for,” Saoirse says, standing on the threshold, a smile on her lips that looks just a little too enthusiastic to be natural.
Ugh, she probably heard what I just said.Facial combustion in three, two, one.
“I need you two to run a few errands for me. The wedding cake needs to be picked up, as well as the flowers. And since you’ll already be in Missoula, I have a list of things I’d like you to grab from the supermarket.”
Missoula? Four hours’ round-trip in a truck, with my ex-boyfriend’s… ex, friend with benefits, side chick? Kinda wish that mountain lion had taken me out.
“Uh, I think my parents nee—”
“Everyone’s occupied with work or wedding setup. The boys are all dispersed across the ranch. Tori went into town with Erin and Riley, and your parents went on a hike with your siblings,” Saoirse says over my poor attempt at coming up with an excuse for why I can’t possibly be gone in excess of four hours. “I’d really appreciate the help.” Her gaze swings between me and Miranda.
My shoulders sag. Who am I to turn down Saoirse Soult? “Okay.”
She smiles brightly. “Wonderful. You’ll need to get on the road ASAP. The bakery closes at two today and is closed on Mondays.” Saoirse hands Miranda a list, then takes our coffee cups. “I’ll load these into to-go mugs for you.”
Miranda nods, smiling. “Okay, I’ll just change really quick. I’ll be back to pick you up in ten minutes, Cat.”
Ah yes, my greatest wish coming true…
***
I might end up with a crick in my neck, but not having to see Miranda even out of the corner of my eyes is worth it. The beautiful landscape flying past the passenger window is an added bonus.
We’ve been on the road for over thirty minutes now, the awkward silence sitting between us like a third passenger. I can’t tell if Miranda is as uncomfortable in my presence as I am in hers, but if she is, she’s a hell of a lot better at hiding it.
She’s been trying to make small talk and receiving one-syllable responses or plain silence from me. I’m not here to bond over our mutual attraction to the same guy. Kinda funny, now that I think about it: we both want him, and neither of us has him.Ha.
“Guess that trail ride’s gonna have to wait,” Miranda mutters, reaching for the to-go mug nestled in the cupholder and taking a slow,unbothered sip. “Let me know if you need me to stop by a restroom or anything.”
I’d rather pee my pants than prolong this trip.
As if she can hear my thoughts, Miranda exhales a resigned sigh. “Okay, Cat, do I need to pull over so you can smack me, or would you rather I just tell you why Rony slept with me?”
There’s open exasperation in her voice now.
“Either’s fine,” she says. “We can hash it out, or you can ask me whatever you want. This one-sided conversation is starting to annoy the crap out of me.”
