Flagged on the Fourth (Curvy for the Holidays Book 5) by Annabelle Winters

Author:Annabelle Winters [Winters, Annabelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rainshine
Published: 2020-07-19T16:00:00+00:00

4

KEG

“I’m coming!” Kari says from behind me as I wait impatiently at the edge of the property. I shoot a quick look at Bud to make sure he’s occupied, and I smile when I see how earnestly he’s placing the hotdogs on the grill. The flames have died down, and Bud’s not dumb enough to try and mess with red-hot coals. I’ve put away the lighter fluid, so he can’t get into trouble with that. And we have no fireworks at home. I’ve seen too many families lose their homes (or worse—lose a fucking eye . . .), and I don’t allow them on my property. We’ll go down to the river to watch the show in the evening. Assuming Betty gets some sense into her fucking head and comes back home in time.

This part of the property is pretty overgrown, and Kari’s stepping carefully like she’s worried about snakes or maybe wild animals. It makes me wonder if she’s from a bigger city—after all, anyone who grew up in a small town would be used to the mostly harmless critters that live all around us.

I take three long, circular breaths—military style breathing to slow down my heartrate. I’m doing my best not to let my mind run wild imagining what’s going on with Betty. She’s been going AWOL since she was sixteen, but it’s different now. She’s got a kid now. Can’t be pulling that shit when you’re responsible for someone else.

“If I get eaten by a snake, I’m gonna hold you responsible,” Kari says as she finally catches up with me.

“Eaten by a snake?” I say. “That’s gotta be one big-ass snake.”

Kari opens her mouth in mock indignation, and then she pats her hips and glares at me. “You did not just say what I think you said,” she snaps.

“Oh, fuck, that’s not what I meant!” I say, holding back a laugh when I realize what it must have sounded like. “Your size is just perfect, Kari. And your ass is even more . . .” I close my eyes and shake my head as I step deeper into the hole I just dug with my dumb-ass mouth. “OK, I’m just gonna stop talking.”

“That would be wise,” Kari mutters, her brown eyes twinkling, her round cheeks red and rosy in the most beautiful way. She can tell that I meant what I said about her size being perfect. She can also guess how that sentence about her ass ends. “Now, what were you gonna show me?”

I take her hand and lead her to the old tree that’s been here longer than my ancestors. We stop beneath the shade of its lush green crown, and I tap on the gnarled old trunk.

She looks, and then her eyes go wide when she sees the old carving that’s faded but still clear as the day I etched it into the wood with my pocket knife.

A crudely drawn heart.

A heart enclosing two interlinked letters.

“Are those two K’s?” Kari says, touching the edges of the carving that have been smoothed out by age.

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