Page 38 of Untruly With You

I smile just thinking about it. Not only because it means I can see less of my father when he gets home tonight, but also because, though I’ve seen Laine every day since we arrived, I somehow still miss her.

When Laine finishes taking pictures,her hair is ruffled, and her lipstick is almost completely worn off. Those deep brown eyes are at half-mast. But when she sees me on the porch, she perks up, hurrying her sluggish steps, trying to hide her exhaustion.

“How did the pictures go?”

“Don’t ask,” she says, laughing weakly. “They’re probably terrible. It’s been too long since I’ve been behind the camera.”

“I’m sure they’re good. You’re a jack of all trades,” I assure her.

“And master of none,” she mumbles. I can tell that she’strying to be lighthearted, but there’s a bitter sincerity to her words.

Out of fake-dating habit, I wrap an arm around her shoulder, even though nobody is around to see it. “Don’t worry, I have the perfect distraction for you. I’ve been wanting to show my gratitude to you for helping me out these two weeks. Do you remember on graduation night when we went to a different restaurant for every course of the meal?”

Her entire face lights up. “How could I forget? It was paradise.”

“I don’t want to get your hopes up too much, because there’s no way we can replicate that in West River.”

Laine’s face falls. “Why not?”

“Because there aren’t enough restaurants for each course.”

“Ah, fair point.”

“ButI have the next best thing. One word. Two syllables.Costco.”

“You’re kidding!” Laine slides out from under my arm so she can face me head-on. She looks like I just told her we are going to Paris, not to a grocery superstore.

I couldn’t fight off my smile if I tried. Laine is so radiant when she’s happy. It’s like the air around her actually starts to shimmer.

“My mom needs some things for the wedding, and I remember you once said that you dream of going to Costco just to visit all the sample tables. Want to join me?”

“Yes! But let me go get changed. Costco is far too romantic of a date for this outfit.” She gestures at her dusty bootcut jeans and the pearl snap shirt she borrowed from Frankie.

Laine must be really looking forward to our night of sampling, because she’s downstairs in less than thirty minutes. I’ve never known her to take less than twice that toget ready. While she still has her red cowgirl boots on, she paired them with a short dress with applique flowers all over it. She’s like a garden come to life.

“Am I overdressed?” she asks as we’re walking to my truck.

I didn’t know that word was in Laine’s dictionary. “For Costco? No such thing.” It’s a lie, of course. She did overdress—most people there will be in jeans like the ones she just changed out of—but she looks too damn cute to say any different.

I open the passenger door for Laine and offer her my hand, helping lift her into the car.

During the entire hour-and-a-half drive to Missoula, Laine and I can hardly get a breath in because we’re in constant conversation. Frankie and Mom have fallen in love with her. As a result, they’ve been practically attached to Laine’s hip.

It’s been too long since we got to be alone together.

“How have you felt, being back at the ranch?” Laine asks, right as Costco comes into view.

“Surprisingly good. I missed the mountains. I missed my family—or, most of them. I missed the town. And even though I was sick-to-my-stomach anxious about coming home, it’s gone relatively smooth.”

“Aside from your dad being a jerk and your brother nearly punching you?” Laine jokes.

I scoff. “Right. And about that…you know nothing happened between me and Cass, right? It really was just a hug.”

“An awkwardly long hug,” Laine adds, half-smiling, half-grimacing.

I find a parking space and put the truck in park. It groans for a moment before quieting back down. “Cassidy started crying when we hugged,” I explain. “And I didn’t want to hurt her feelings by pulling away too fast.”

“Okay,” Laine says, her voice almost a whisper.

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