Page 12 of Kinsey

“What the hell is wrong with you?”He looked at Wylie and asked him what he meant.“You’re tossing that cow around like she owes you money, and you’re going to get it.So again, what the fucking hell is wrong with you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”But he did.Gleason had caught him doing the same thing yesterday.Backing away from the cow, he put his hands up like he’d been arrested.His head was killing him, and there was just too much going on for him not to be just a little upset.“I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

“Meggie.”He turned to look around so fast, thinking that she was here, that he nearly unmaned himself with the rope he had on his belt.He looked at his brother.“I see.Well, I don’t, but I have a clue.You’re not seeing her anymore.Was she only dating you so she could make some money off the sale?”

“Only you would blame her.”He turned back to his job.“I don’t know what you’re talking about.We had a good time, and now it’s over.It was good while it lasted, but she’s got money, and well, she’s got lots of money.”

“Hey, moron.So do you.”He glanced at Gleason and told him that they didn’t have it yet.Red tape had caused things to be delayed from Mr.Winchester.Something about the land deals that were out of the state.“You broke it off with her on account of her having a bit more money than we do?I got it right then, you are a moron.I thought you guys had something special.”

“We didn’t.”Liar, he called himself.Something that he’d been doing since he’d spoken to her a week and a half ago.He was a liar who was lying to himself daily about them not having anything special, too.It was love.He had stupidly fallen in love with a woman who could have bought them out with one signature on a checkbook.“Just leave it alone, Gleason.I’m not in the mood to go over shit that isn’t any of your business.”

“Well, I guess I learned something today.How not to treat a woman from my big brother ‘the moron’ when it comes to women.”Gleason didn’t speak about it anymore.As the saying went on, he realized that he wasn’t speaking to him at all.Just as well, the conversation in his head was driving him crazy enough with the way he was browbeating himself.

By the time the milk was loaded and gone, he was ready to call it a day.Just yesterday, he quit carrying his cell phone around, so he wasn’t forever looking to see if Meggie had called him back.He didn’t know what he’d say to her, but he did want to hear her voice again.Even though the last time she’d been pretty upset with him when he’d told her that he couldn’t go on a date with her to her conference next week.So she asked Wylie to take her.

He’d tried his best not to be upset with his brother.He’d guessed that they had fought over the dating thing, but he was still taking her.She’d told Wylie that she didn’t want to be hit on, and a big man would help.Wylie was a big man and smart, too.He’d told him that he wasn’t going to take her if it bothered him that much.

“I don’t mind.”He wanted to tell him that he did indeed mind, but didn’t.What good would it do him to make a claim on a rich woman.“You go ahead and protect her from other men like me.Only the ones that want to get into her pants.”

“I don’t believe at all that that’s what it was like between the two of you.I’d say you’re abouthalfway into loving her.”He didn’t even look at him.“Kinsey, tell me if this is going to bother you, and I’ll not go.As it is now, she’s only out the cost of a tux that she rented for me.”

“Aren’t your clothes good enough?”As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew he’d made a mistake.His brother only looked at him like he knew that he’d pushed the right buttons.“I’m just kidding around.Of course, you’d have to dress up.I bet she’s going to be dressed to the nines too.All dolled up too.”

“You should be doing this.”He just turned his back on Wylie and told him that the better man was taking her.“Well, you do have that right.You’d probably use the wrong fork or something.”

He would never know just how much that hurt him if he’d not been thinking the same thing for the past few days.Everything that he did reminded him of how much better she was than him, that she’d grown up with money, and he was only just now getting a bit.A lot of a bit, but he’d not had the manners that she’d need pounded into his head growing up.There were vast differences between the two of them, and the sooner she thought of them, the better off…he didn’t think he was ever going to be better off knowing that he was nothing compared to her.When he got into the house to finish up supper, there were three messages on his phone.It was David Winchester.

“I’m invited to this conference as the lead speaker tomorrow night.Now that you’ve got some money, I expect you to be my plus-one on the invite.My wife can’t go, some other commitment—family stuff that I didn’t know about, or I wouldn’t have okayed this here thing.But I’m not taking no for an answer.I like you and I’m wanting you to go with me.I’ll have a car there by five-thirty tomorrow night, and you’ll be ready.”

There were two other messages with the same thing on them.More about the family stuff that he wished he was going to, but each one of them had said he wasn’t taking no for an answer.He didn’t feel like he could say no; the man had spent his hard-earned money on buying him out, so he had to go.He had no idea what he was going to do about seeing Meggie there.

Kinsey decided to call Wylie and tell him about the invite.They might not even be the same conference.He was sure that rich people had them all the time.As the phone rang, he decided that he should warn Meggie, too, that he was going to be there.He didn’t think she’d make a scene, but he didn’t know her all that well in knowing if she’d do that or not.

“Kinsey, have you ever been fitted for a tux?”He said that he’d not, and asked him what the difference was between just pulling them off the rack.“Let me tell you, it’s kind of personal.They measure you.I mean, they measure all of you.”His laughter had him laughing.“What can I do for you?”

“I’m going to the conference with Winchester.”He thought that he should have worked up to it, but knowing Wylie like he did, he’d more than likely find something else to be long-winded about.“He made it sound like I had to go, and if I didn’t, he’d be disappointed in me or something.I don’t want to go.I guess I’ll have to be measured too.Where are you?”

“In Columbus.I’ll give you directions in a minute.Is this going to cause trouble, Kin?I mean, you turned down Meggie.What’s she going to think when you tell her?”He said that he’d say the same thing that Winchester had given him no out.“I don’t know if you believe that or not, but you showing up is going to be different.Don’t you think?I mean, I’m with the seller, you with the buyer.What will people think?”

“What people think is whatever they’re going to think, I guess.”He wished he’d said that to Meggie the other day.“I wondered if you could call her and give her—”

“Nope.I’m nope-ing right out of that.You call her.This is on you.”He pleaded with him.“Not going to happen.And you’d better be getting your ass here to be measured, too.The thing is tomorrow night.”

“All right.Give me the directions.I wish you’d call her for me.”He told him again that he wasn’t going to do that.“I’ll be there in an hour.Can they fit me in?”

After being assured that Mr.Winchester had called to have him pushed into the time, he was set to go.After some advice from Wylie about being measured, he took a quick shower to get the cow off him and headed in.Calling Meggie while he drove was a big no-no, but he had to tell her now or she’dnever get her told.

He tried her office first and was told that she’d gone home for the day.After dialing her cell phone, he pulled up in front of the bank to get some cash.He didn’t know how much was in the account, but he’d need some money to pay for the tux.He didn’t figure that Winchester was paying for his too.Getting what he could out of the account, more than he’d need surely, he was on his way and talking to Meggie.

“I’m an idiot.”He had no idea where that had come from and pulled off the side of the road so that he could tell her what else he’d been.“I would ask you to forgive me, but I’m sure you’ve written me off for some kind of loon.”

“Kinsey, I’d never do that.Let me put you on hold.I have David on the other line.He’s telling me that his plus-one tomorrow night is you.”So much for it being a different conference.While he listened to music playing, he pulled back into traffic.Hoping that the truck would make it that far, he spoke to the vehicle like he always did.

“Come on, baby, you know you want to go to Columbus.I just gave you that wax job last night for Wylie to use you to go to town.Remember that?”Patting the dashboard, he smiled at the shifter.“We’ve come a long way, you and I, and you have to remember who wanted to keep you when no one else did.”

“Are you talking to your truck?”He was embarrassed and could feel his face heating up.“I don’t think you ever talked to me that way.Did you?”

“No.I didn’t need to.You were the best thing that I could have had.”She cleared her throat and told him to behave himself.She had things to do today.“So do I.I have to go be fitted for a tux.I was hoping that it was a different conference, but I’m guessing that I’d be wrong about that, too.”

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