Page 36 of Ride or Die

“I ain’t heard from you since Saturday night, so I just… I-I wasn’t sure.” I close my eyes.Smooth, loser. Never in my almost twenty-seven years has anyone made me stammer.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Clara says, thankfully seeming none the wiser to my suddenly inability to function. “I… I didn’t wanna bother you,” she adds with a nervous laugh.

“Ain’t no bother, darlin’.” I stifle a grimace. Darlin’?Goddammit, Cole.

“Are… you okay?”

I can’t help but deadpan at the sound of my question thrown back at me, more so by the sound of the hint of a smile hidden in my question as she throws it back at me. I close my eyes again. “Yep,” is all I can say, noticing the way my voice sounds a little tight, almost broken, like my balls ain’t yet dropped.

I clear my throat. “You found a sitter for Billie and Tommy on Friday night?”

“Uh, yeah.” The hesitation in her tone is obvious. “Um, a girl from the high school.”

“How old is she?”

“She’s a senior so… eighteen, I guess.”

“Name?”

“Uh… Taylor.”

“Last name?”

Clara huffs another laugh. “Uh, I think it was… Carmody. Yeah. Taylor Carmody…Officer.”

I rear back from her unexpected sass, unable to stop my own smirk but before I can retort, I’m startled by the distant sound of a gunshot ricocheting through the quiet afternoon air. Soldier spooks and snorts loudly, both of us lifting high and looking in the direction the shot came from. The east pasture. Fuckin’ Christ.

“Cole?” Clara’s voice calls through the phone, pulling me back to her. “Was… Was that a gun?”

“Uh, yeah,” I try to play it off, not wanting to scare her.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. This is a ranch, darlin’… not uncommon. But I gotta go, ’kay?”

“O-kay…”

I don’t say goodbye—honestly, I don’t know how—I just end the call and tuck my phone back into my pocket, loosening Soldier’s reins and clicking my tongue, giving his sides a firm squeeze with my boots. I gotta haul ass back to the east pasture to see what the fuck these idiots are doing and who the fuck’s shootin’ shit.

It’s dark when I turn into the drive, the truck bouncing as I navigate the uneven dirt.

The house is lit up against the night and for the first time since I’ve owned it, the place looks like a… home. A soft yellow glow shines out through the windows. The porch light is on, illuminating the front yard. And as I shut off the truck, I can’t hide my own smile when the front door swings open, a little girlwith a shock of blonde curls stepping onto the porch, peering out at me curiously.

“Mommy, it’s Mister Cole!” Billie exclaims, all excited as I hop out the cab.

“Howdy, Miss Billie.” I tip my hat, unlatching the tailgate and hefting myself up onto the bed.

“Oh, h-hey,” Clara’s voice rings through the air, causing my head to snap up.

She looks freshly showered, dressed in nothing but a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top. I can tell by the way she’s standing, legs crossed at the ankles, arms wrapped around herself despite the warmth from the day lingering in the night air, she wasn’t expecting me. I don’t necessarily want to because she’s a sight for sore eyes, but I turn away, focusing instead on the big box in front of me.

“What are you doing… here?” Clara asks from the top of the steps.

“New oven.” I slap my hand against the box before bending at the knees and lifting it.

Clara gasps. “Oh my god, Cole! You really didn’t?—”

“You got cookies to bake,” I interrupt Clara’s objection, glancing pointedly at Billie, her big eyes beaming bright. “Ain’t that right, Miss?”