Running on Empty (Highland Falls) by Kat Ryan

Author:Kat Ryan [Ryan, Kat]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Rims Publishing
Published: 2023-08-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Walls

Allyson

Logan’s house was positively alive with energy. Lamps glowed from every room, Charlie bounded from person to person looking for attention, and Van Morrison poured from the speakers, reminding us all that there would be days like this.

After an excellent dinner, we were relaxing as we put the place back in order. Linnie and Frank danced by with a kitchen towel thrown over Frank’s shoulder as they swayed with his hand on her hip, him singing into her ear. Levi and Logan faced off in the kitchen, going round after round regarding the chances of the Blackhawks moving on in the playoffs this year. While their voices were raised, the amusement on their faces belied their enjoyment of this clearly familiar conversation.

I’d come over three hours ago and walked straight into a version of controlled chaos. The four of them had all been cooking in the kitchen, Linnie directing everything, Frank chopping and washing like a champ. Levi and Logan moved in a way born of years of cooking as a family, almost anticipating the next direction that Linnie was going to toss at them. And for a while, I’d stood and marveled at the noise level as well as the mountains of dishes on the counter; I was more in awe of the laughter and expressions of love.

Not once, not in my entire childhood, had I ever experienced anything like this.

Finally, I’d left the safety of observation and waded in. Linnie had given me a cutting board, knife, and a bowl of apples, instructing me to peel and chop.

There had been conversations pinging from sports to politics to people back home that I didn’t know to relatives to concerts to food and on and on and on. Every once in a while, someone would break into song with the music that was coming from the speakers. The songs ranged from current hits to ones I’d place around Linnie and Frank’s generation. Whether it was Neil Young or Pink, all members of the Traub family could sing along.

The feeling I had was positively electric, and I never wanted it to end.

Ostensibly, I’d been invited over because tomorrow was D Day, also known as our camping trip. This week had been filled up with quick meals or time with Logan’s family. And if I was being completely honest, I’d loved it all.

We were leaving in the morning at dawn to get up to Starved Rock in time for an early-morning hike. Linnie had said that it just made sense for us all to stay at Logan’s tonight. And thus I was here and freaking way the hell out when I had a moment to process. Why was I freaking out, you might ask? Because your girl was trying to ignore the feeling that this all felt right, which was just a recipe for heartache that I was working to ignore.

Returning to the present, I was reminded once again how wonderful this family was. Frank spun Linnie another time as they moved through the open living room, laughter following them in a wake.

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