Page 58 of A Reckless Memory

She blinked at him, and he trailed a finger over the purple plastic frame. I couldn’t get a good view of his expression, but his brows knit together. Was he frowning?

“You don’t have to. I don’t want to pressure you. She might do okay in the house until she’s recovered, and Tex hasn’t been chasing her when we’ve been outside. He’s not used to another animal in his space, but—”

Ansen hooked a hand around my calf. His thumb stroked just below my knee, the warmth sinking through the cotton-polyester blend of my pants. “I’ll take her. I was just thinking... other than Tex, I haven’t had a pet since...before my mama died.”

“Surely you have.”

He shook his head, his gaze solemn and a touch sad. “Not even a horse. Thankfully, no one pointed it out—a horse trainer without a horse. But I moved around so much it didn’t make sense to have a pet, and when I pumped money into a horse, I wanted it to be mine, on my property, on my land.”

My guilt sparked. He wouldn’t be able to care for more than an independent cat with what I paid him. And he’d offered to accept half of that.

I lowered into a crouch. “I’d like you to stick around for a while, but even if—if we don’t—if you have to move, a cat will travel with you just fine. She’ll always have a home here no matter what.” I couldn’t look at whatever this was reigniting between us as forever. Ansen had made no promises. His silence on the matter spoke volumes. I’d have to be careful with my emotions.

“You got a big heart, Agatha Christie Knight.”

I pressed a light kiss to his lips. “Remember that when I kick your ass at darts.”

* * *

Ansen

I peeked at the message on my phone, then I looked at the woman dominating an impromptu dart game of 501 with the table next to us. Aggie was holding back her grin. She’d just finished the game.

“I can’t believe you nailed that so fast,” Vienne said. She had flinty blonde hair piled on top of her head and was dressed like Aggie. Slouchy sweater over tight jeans and stylish winter boots that would get trashed with one trip to the barn. Aggie’s had rubber soles that wrapped high around her toes. She could jump through puddles on her way to a board meeting or a nice meal, and they worked for the quasi dive bar on the edge of downtown Crocus Valley.

Snow was falling heavier outside. The forecast said several inches, and everyone in the bar had shared stories all night of getting snowed in when only two or three inches were anticipated. Eight inches of snow was bragged about almost as much as a guy would boast about his dick size.

It was fucking cold. I wasn’t a total newb when it came to winters, but I’d only been through two Montana winters, the most brutal of my experience. I was only there a year and a half, but that specific season was long. I had bales and feed within easy access for the horses and the new arrival—Skinny, the Mangalitsa pig. She was eight years old, six and a half years past the intended slaughter date, and when she outlived her owner, the rest of the family didn’t want anything to do with her. So they just let her go, and a driver spotted her munching her way along the interstate. She lived up to her name, but Aggie and I were balls deep in internet research about the Mangalitsa breed and how to rehabilitate neglected pigs.

Vienne collected the darts, the multitude of thin metal bracelets around her wrist chiming together. “We should probably call it. I don’t want Catherine to worry.” Vienne said her daughter, Catherine, was twelve and preferred being anywhere but around her mother.

“As if she would,” her boyfriend, Theo, grumbled and chugged his beer while Vienne returned the darts and put her coat on. He was close to my height but looked like he’d been trudging to a nine-to-five since he was six years old. His messy hair didn’t look intentional and half his dress shirt was hanging out. I wouldn’t have pictured the two together. Was that how people saw me and Aggie? The corporate girl and the farm hand?

“Thanks for the game,” Aggie said, sliding off her chair. “It was so nice to meet you.”

“You have my number, and I have yours. Call me anytime. I like playing.” Vienne waited for sluggish Theo to maneuver his own winter gear. I’d had root beer that apparently my cousin brewed, but Theo had drunk enough beer for both of us and we’d only been here for a couple hours.

I stood with Aggie and held her coat for her to put on. She’d passed over her red riding coat for a heavy winter jacket with a quilted insert.

I shrugged into my new outerwear, which needed a wash after a few days of chores. My appearance next to her was a juxtaposition of how it used to be between us. I never paid attention, but she’d made comments about the gossip. I’d reassure her they were all dicks while feeling like shit, knowing I had money in my bank account that ensured I took her out.

Now she looked like she was dating down. A beat of insecurity drifted through my head. I’d never thought of it like that before. Aggie had always been out of my league, but she’d mentioned back then everyone thought she was dating up, and I’d brushed it off. No wonder someone like Meg had gotten into her head.

I wished I had a chance to go back and show them all what a catch she was.

“Ready?” she asked, tucking her arm into mine.

“You might have to guide me. I’m not experienced on winter roads.”

“If we hit the ditch, you were going too fast.”

I smiled and led her through the tables to the exit.

She huddled into me as we walked to my pickup. Our winter gear didn’t block the feel of her body next to mine.

The snow was only a couple inches deep yet. “This, I’m used to. It’s the other shit coming I don’t care to experience.”

“You remember that one storm?”

---