Page 28 of The Tryst

I caught her doing the walk of shame out of our house early this morning as I was drinking my coffee at the kitchen table.

Wade snorts. “No way. She came on way too strong.”

“As if a girl could do that to you.” Kat laughs.

“Okay,” I drawl. “I’ll bite. How did she come on too strong?”

“When we were done fu—” His neck turns red, and he grins impishly at our sister. “When we were done, um…”

Kat rolls her eyes. “I get what you were doing. Go on.”

“When we were done, um, doing what we were doing, she started talking about how she was ready to settle down and wants at least four kids.”

I almost choke I laugh so hard. “You’re kidding?”

Wade chuckles. “I mean… she didn’t say it like she wanted it with me. It was one of those cuddling conversations, you know. She asked me what my dreams and aspirations were, and well… I felt compelled to ask the same, and then I got the low down on her dream of being Betty Homemaker before she reaches the ripe old age of twenty-five. And I’m like thinking… I’m far too young for that kind of talk.”

Kat snickers and shakes her head. “Boys just want to have their fun until they’re ready to grow up.” She glances over her shoulder at him. “And you, my dear sweet brother, aren’t even close to growing up.”

“Yeah, well,” Wade retorts with a faux glare, “you’re a stupid face.”

We bust out laughing, because clearly, he was going for the most immature insult he could muster to highlight her point that he’s not ready to grow up.

Kat calls the horse to halt and moves toward him to take off one of the lunge lines. “Well, I can’t wait to have kids with Gabe one day. He’ll make a great dad.”

I can’t help the slightly sour feeling in my gut at the mention of Gabe, but I keep it to myself. My sister’s happiness is what matters. “Have to get married first,” I point out.

She laughs, confident as ever. “I bet I’m engaged before the end of the year.”

Wade raises an eyebrow. “Does Gabe know this?”

Kat’s grin widens. “Deep in his heart, yes, he does.”

We continue to tease and banter as Kat leads the horse back to his stall, enjoying the easy sibling camaraderie that comes from a lifetime spent together. Trey and I watch as she washes down the gelding before drying him off.

“I talked to Abby this morning,” she says as she releases the gelding from the cross ties before backing out of the stall.“She’s coming for a visit this weekend. I thought we could all get together with Holland and do something fun.”

Immediately, I’m transported back to the summer of secrets. One of the biggest reasons Holland and I didn’t tell my family was so that we could have time alone with each other. My first inclination is to decline such an idea, but I know it would seem suspicious and well, Holland wants to keep this thing we have right now secret as well.

Wade jumps all over it, throwing a thumb my way. “I was just telling Trey yesterday we should all go camping. Pack up some horses, hit the trails and go rough it for a few days.”

“Not a few days,” I say, thankful we have demanding jobs. “We have lessons on Saturday so we wouldn’t be able to leave until at least noon.”

“So we’ll go just for Saturday night,” Kat says. “It will be fun. We don’t even have to go far. We can ride out to the pond.”

My and Holland’s pond.

“I’m in,” Wade says eagerly.

“Holland might not want to,” I hedge.

“Let’s find out,” Kat says, fishing her phone from her back pocket. Her fingers fly over the screen and before I know it, my own phone chimes, as does Wade’s. We both look to see that Kat sent a group text to me, Wade, Abby and Holland.Camping Saturday night. Leaving around two p.m. Who’s in?

Immediately, Abby responds.Me. Kellan’s going to stay in Pittsburgh though. Work issues. I’ll be in Friday night.

Even though Wade is standing right there with me and Kat, and we know he’s in, he replies,This will be epic. Just like old times.

My heart pounds as I hope Holland considers this as bad an idea as I do, but damn if her text doesn’t come through right on the heels of Wade’s.Sounds fun.

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