“It’s notmynickname for her,” Landon clarified. “She’s had it since she was kid. Everyone calls her Kitty.” As soon as Landon said this, he wondered if it was actually true. Her grandparents had called her Kitty, but at the funeral her parents called her Kate. Landon had never bothered asking what she went by in Seattle. Maybe he just wanted her to be Kitty—the Arizona version of herself.
Samantha motioned to the stockyard, already heading that direction. “As much as I’d like to keep participating in this Cops episode, I’m going inside. I’ll meet up with you afterward.”
Landon didn’t blame her for going. She’d already missed the start of the auction. Hopefully, she’d still be able to find some animals she liked.
Hoapili ended his call. “Miss Benton didn’t answer.” He glanced behind him at the trailer. One of the cows had lifted her tail and was in the process of relieving herself. He took a step further away. “She really needs to pick up her cattle today. We don’t have the facilities to house livestock.”
No point in making her come all of this way. “I’ve got a trailer with me,” Landon offered. “I can bring them to her. Coyote Glen is next to my ranch.”
Hoapili shook his head. “She’s got to sign for them.” He tried the number again and waited with the phone pressed to his ear.
Still no answer.
Landon shrugged. “I can have her sign the forms and send them to you.”
A cow stuck her nose between the bars and mooed. Flies darted in and out of the trailer.
The more Landon thought about taking the cattle to Kitty, the more he liked the idea. Not only did it give him a reason to see her, it offered all sorts of opportunities for her to show her gratitude. He’d not only recovered her cattle but he’d also tackled the guy who stole them. Let her parents try to spin that to make him look bad.
Hoapili gave up on the second call.
Landon hooked his thumbs through his belt loops and considered the trailer. “Who knows how long those animals have been cooped up in there. You wouldn’t want them to get dehydrated. Probably have to do all sorts of paperwork if they got sick and died on your watch.”
Hoapili shook his head more slowly this time. “I can’t turn them over to anyone without Ms. Benton’s permission.” He sighed and put his phone away. “But I also can’t leave stolen property sitting out here.”
“I’m not anyone. I’m her sort-of-boyfriend. You’ve got the hearts by her name for proof.”
Another cow mooed, and her neighbor joined in the mournful chorus. Hoapili swatted a wandering fly. “Her sort-of-boyfriend, huh? You still having commitment issues?”
Landon’s head jerked back in surprise. “I don’t have commitment issues. Why do people keep saying that?”
“In high school, you didn’t ever date the same girl for more than a month.” Hoapili dipped his chin and gave Landon a knowing look. “I remember because one of those girls was my sister. After you ghosted her, she and my mother thoroughly analyzed you.”
Nani Kahale. Landon had forgotten they’d done a few things together his senior year. The interest had mostly been on her side, and he’d worried she was getting too attached, so he’d put some distance between them. Which was different than having commitment problems. “That was high school. We’ve all changed since then.”
“Yeah.” Hoapili tucked the clipboard under his arm. “I’m married with two kids. Nani’s expecting her first. What number sort-of-girlfriend are you on, brah?”
Landon hadn’t kept track. Not many after high school. He’d been too busy. “Okay, I admit I take my time where women are concerned, but Kitty might be the one.”
Hoapli glanced at the squad car again. His partner was still busy talking to Jake. “Then why is she only a sort-of-girlfriend?”
That subject was too complicated to go into. “We’re taking a break for a few months.”
“Your idea or hers?”
The answer was not going to make Landon look better. “Mine. But we’re still, you know, tight.” After all, Kitty wasn’t lingering in the church foyer to talk to anyone else. Her smiles and wistful looks meant something. “Really,” Landon held his finger and his thumb an inch apart, “we’re this close to getting back together.”
“Well, maybe I’ll get to see that for myself.” Hoapili nodded in the squad car’s direction. “If I haven’t gotten a hold of Ms. Benton by the time I’m done checking Jake into the station, you can load her cattle into your trailer, and I’ll follow you to Coyote Glen. She can sign for them there.” He shot Landon a parting smile. “Now I’m curious about the woman who has almost convinced Landon Wyle to settle down.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Landon hadn’t actually expectedto hear from Hoapili again. Granted, sometimes ranch work required you to ignore your phone, but Kitty would eventually pick up. Then she’d most likely drop everything to drive down here to retrieve her cattle. Probably coo and fuss a lot over them.
Perhaps when she came, Landon would run into her in the parking lot. During the auction, his mind kept drifting to that scenario. In it, Kitty thanked him profusely, asked if he was hurt, and then fussed over him too.
Samantha had just finished paying for three longhorn calves when Hoapili called. “I’m on my way back to the stockyard. Looks like we need your trailer, after all.”
“You couldn’t reach Kitty?” Landon asked.