My Favorite Place by Hilary Dartt

Author:Hilary Dartt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hilary Dartt

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Trace

* * *

Although he tried not to get his hopes up, Trace sort of expected Abby to call or text him Sunday afternoon when she got home from Utah. But she didn't. The later it got, the lower his hopes fell.

At six, he took a beer out of the fridge. Before he opened it, though, he switched it out for a sparkling water. If she did call, he wanted to be able to drive over to her place. At seven, he opened the refrigerator, looked at the beers, and closed it again. Not that he was desperate for a drink, but it would help pass the time. By eight, he'd run out of things to do, having already watched three episodes of his favorite comedy and scrolled through his social media apps.

All the while, his eyes flicked up to check the time every thirty seconds.

“I give up,” he said as the minute hand hit the twelve. “If she were gonna call, she would’ve called by now.”

In the short time they'd been talking, he realized that she went to bed pretty early. The chances of her wanting to meet up after eight p.m. were slim to none, so he grabbed a beer. Then he walked on down to the barn, where he knew he could always find a listening ear. Sure enough, even though it was late, Heidi's ears perked up when she saw him coming. She made a soft noise in greeting.

"Hey, girl," he said. "How are you doing?"

As always, Heidi relaxed her cheek into Trace’s open palm as he pet her. "I've been waiting all afternoon for Abby to call. But nothing."

The horse nodded, as if she were sympathetic. Then she took a step back, and Trace laughed. "No, you're never second-best to me. I needed to get out of the house. And you're the first one I wanted to see.”

Trace jumped when he heard a voice behind him.

"Hey, bro," Sawyer said, ambling over.

"What are you doing down here? I thought you were shacking up with Montana every night.”

Sawyer gave him a cocky smile. "I decided to give her the night off."

Trace rolled his eyes. "I don't know what she sees in you. You're a pig."

"I'm kidding, you know that. Montana’s back at my place. To tell you the truth, I got a weird feeling. Something off. Then I saw movement down here. That sixth-sense factor was so strong, I didn't even think it could be you. But here you are.”

Sawyer reached up and combed his fingers through Heidi’s mane. “What are you doing out here, anyway?"

In the old cottonwood tree on the other side of the barn, a cicada started singing. Another joined it, and within a few seconds a whole chorus rose. The sound was almost deafening.

"I don't know," Trace said, not wanting to admit he'd come to the barn because he was pining away after a woman who hadn't shown him as much enthusiasm as he would like.

"Abby was gone this weekend, right?"

Trace closed his eyes, only briefly.

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