"Tired," I answer, trying to sound neutral.
"Mmmhmm. Tired or distracted? You've been a little off lately."
I close my eyes. "Just ranch stuff. Nothing big."
"So... have you heard from that girl I met at the dance hall? Kassi? She seemed really sweet. Pretty too."
My grip tightens on the phone. "Yeah, she reached out."
Mom hums knowingly. "I knew she would. She had that look about her. Smart, curious. I think you two could really hit it off."
"Maybe," I say, noncommittally.
"Well, don't overthink it, Bear. Sometimes the best things come when you least expect them."
"Yeah," I murmur. "I'll talk to you later, Mom."
I hang up and lean back against the fence just outside the barn door, phone in hand. The weight of everything presses harder now. She's rooting for something she doesn't even realize is tangled in lies.
My phone buzzes in my back pocket, and even though I try to ignore it, I know who it is. I don't look until I've wiped the sweat from my forehead.
Kassi:Hope you and your hay bale survived the night.
I smile, thumb tapping the screen.
Me:Barely. I was haunted by dreams of cat staplers and cupcake bribes.
Kassi:I knew that cat was intimidating.
Me:It's gonna be in my nightmares now.
Kassi:At least it's not that bull you keep dodging.
Me:Careful. You're starting to sound like my brothers.
Kassi:Do you ever think about how this ends? Us talking like this?
I stare at the message, my thumb hovering over the screen. That's not playful. That's real. Vulnerable.
But I don't know what to say. I want to answer her, but the words catch. Instead of replying, I lock the phone and slide it into my pocketwhen a truck pulls into the drive. Dust kicks up around it, and I recognize the outline before the door even opens.
Ben.
We grew up together, went to school together, and have always had each other's backs. He joined the police force here in Walker Lake and has a small hobby ranch closer to town.
He steps out like he's got something on his mind, and I already know this ain't a social call.
"Morning," he says.
"You drove all the way out here to say that?"
He doesn't smile. Just leans against the fence next to me and looks out at the pasture.
"Heard you've been talking to Kassi."
I stiffen. "Word gets around that fast?"
"Not from her. She and Candy are good friends. She called you Bear. Candy doesn't know the nickname, and I don't think Kassi does either, but I do."