Page 50 of Hideaway Heart

“When is the rain supposed to start?” Kelly asked. “I think we left windows open at the cabin.”

“Not until tonight.” Veronica looked at the sky. “Although those clouds are rolling in fast, aren’t they?”

Austin stood up. “Guess I’d better get the meat on the grill. Xander, you want to give me a hand?”

“Sure.” Rising to my feet, I followed him into the kitchen.

As soon as the door closed behind us, Austin started to laugh. “Dude.”

“What’s so funny?” I asked, bristling as he opened the fridge and pulled out a sealed plastic bag full of marinating chicken breasts.

“You are.” He gave me a familiar smirk as he set the bag on the counter. His words were familiar too. “It’s so obvious what’s going to happen.”

I folded my arms over my chest. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you and Pixie Hart.”

“Don’t call her that. It’s not her name.”

“Sorry.” He grabbed a package of hot dogs and a plate stacked with hamburger patties from the fridge, kicking it shut with his foot. “You and Kelly Jo Sullivan out there.”

“Nothing is going to happen,” I said, thinking about those condoms in my bag.

“Oh yeah?” He pulled a glass baking dish from a cupboard and dumped the chicken breasts into it. “Care to bet on it?”

I pressed my lips together. I rarely declined to take a bet, especially if winning it meant Austin would lose.

But I was nervous about my odds on this one.

“I don’t think so,” I said.

Surprised, Austin turned around and raised his eyebrows. “Why not?”

“Easy.” I shrugged. “I’m not a fucking idiot.”

THIRTEEN

kelly

“Your family is so nice,”I gushed as Xander turned around in his brother’s driveway and I waved to Austin, Veronica, George, and the kids, who all stood on the porch watching us leave.

“Thanks for spending so much time with them,” Xander said, switching the wipers on. Fat raindrops were just starting to splash onto the windshield. Lightning flashed in the deep gray sky. “My dad was definitely living his best life when you asked him for lessons on throwing horseshoes.”

“Aww. He’s such a sweetheart.”

“I thought Adelaide was going to cry when you asked to see her bedroom.”

I laughed. “I know how important a girl’s room is. How she decorates it says a lot about her personality.”

“So what does it say that she has a giant poster of you on her wall?”

“That she has good taste in music, duh.” I reached over and slapped his thigh. “Oops, sorry. I broke a rule.”

“You’ve been breaking it all day,” he complained. “Why do you have to be so touchy-feely?”

“It’s not on purpose. I’m just a touchy-feely person. I’ll try to be better.” I put my hands between my knees and squeezed them. “How’s that?”

He glanced at my legs, but his frown only deepened. “It’s fine.”