Page 37 of Mine For The Winter

“No. But I didn’t expect to.” Lyle had his arm resting on the open window of the car door. The AC in his truck had broken long before he’d bought it, but she didn’t mind. She preferred the breeze anyway.

“Why not? He said he’d call.”

Lyle glanced over at her. He had a smirk on his lips.

“What?” she asked, confused.

“He’s busy, Kel. Getting some, if you know what I mean.”

“Getting some?” she repeated, not understanding.

Lyle shook his head, that smile still playing on his lips. “Sex. He’s getting a lot of sex. He’s probably constantly orgasm drunk so that’s why he hasn’t called.”

“How do you know he’s having sex if he hasn’t called you?” Her throat felt tight.

“I saw his brother the other day.” Lyle shrugged, then leaned forward to turn up the sound. “I just hope he doesn’t settle down too soon.”

“You think he likes somebody?”

“I dunno. But guys who go to college tend to go one of two ways. They become man whores or they get pussy whipped.”

She hated the sound of both of those. Made her feel a little sick, if truth be told. It was stupid, because she knew that it couldn’t always just be the three of them.

But she was here and he was gone and she missed him like crazy.

Lyle pulled into a dimly lit parking lot. “Stay here,” he told her.

“Why? I thought we were going for dinner.” The lot was surrounded by trees on three sides. On the fourth was a ramshackle bungalow. Music was blasting out from the open door.

“We are. I just gotta get something from a friend. I lent him something at work and I need it back.” Lyle jumped out of the car. “Seriously, don’t move, okay?”

“Okay.” She rolled her eyes.

He left the keys in the ignition, so the country music he’d been playing clashed with the low beats escaping from the beaten up house. She twisted in her seat and grabbed her phone, checking to see if Kris had responded to the message she’d sent him.

To her surprise, he had.

Sorry. Been busy. Will call you soon. – Kris.

Well okay then. She turned her phone off and looked back at the bungalow to see Lyle emerging from the front door. He hopped in the car and switched the ignition back on.

“Where’s the thing you got?” she asked him.

“What?” He frowned.

“Whatever you needed to pick up. You said you’d lent them something.”

His face relaxed. “Ah. They didn’t have it. I’ll get it at work. No biggie.” He reversed out of the driveway and pulled back onto the road.

Maybe she should have asked him more questions. But she already felt like she might be losing one best friend. She didn’t want to lose another.

* * *

North put three cans of soda on the table and sighed. “Remember when this used to be beer? Or whiskey?”

Kris and Gabe were sitting around the table with him. Amber was out and North was in charge. It was boy’s night in.

Or three boys and a girl, if you counted Willow who was sleeping in her nursery.

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