“You don’t look like you’re getting over it.” I meet Colby’s eyes in the rearview mirror. He looks worried. He’s grown attached to Kale. I let that happen.

“What kind of ice cream are you going to get?” I change the subject, almost to the diner now.

“Banana split.”

“I think I’m going to get a brownie sundae.” I pull into the diner, parking my car. I see that Chief Dane is already here. He used to eat dinner here almost every night. Until he went and fell in love with the new girl in town, Khloe. I think it broke half the girls’ hearts in town. He is handsome and all, but he never sparked my interest. No one has the way Kale does.

We head into the diner. Chief Dane is on his feet the second he spots me. His wife follows right behind him.

“I’m okay,” I say before they can start peppering me with questions. “We came to get some ice cream.”

“Are you sure? Kale is acting funny. I don’t understand why he wouldn't let you come to the gate the other day. I think something is wrong with him.”

I stand up straighter. I might be mad at Kale, but I’m definitely not going to let someone talk badly about him.

“There is nothing wrong with him.” I can’t keep the anger out of my voice. Dane lifts his eyebrows in surprise. He’s shocked by my tone as much as I am. Dane and I have had a few run-ins because of my mom. He’s always been nice to me and knows what’s going on with her. How she’s also dipping out on us and then popping back up. I never got snippy with him. Until now. I think Kale might be rubbing off on me.

“All right, I just worry about you. You’ve been through a lot.”

“Thank you, but I’m fine.” I can feel everyone staring at us.

“This might be out of line.” Khloe slides up next to Dane. He puts his arm around her, holding her close. My heart aches at their open affection. It’s something I’ll never have with Kale. He doesn't even like when I leave the house. Guessing he’s not going to want to come to town ever. I’m starting to see why Dane was shocked about Kale showing up at the diner and demanding I leave with him. “Dane told me a little about what’s going on and I thought I could offer you my old place to rent. It’s just sitting there. I haven’t had the heart to sell it. It would be no trouble for you to stay there.”

“We live with Kale,” Colby butts in. “We aren't moving are we, Summer?” Colby looks up at me. He still has that worried look on his face.

“Thank you for the offer, but we’re good at the moment.” I take Colby’s hand.

“The offer stands if you change your mind.” Khloe gives me a soft smile.

“She’s not gonna change her mind. They're going to get married.” I swear I can hear everyone turn to look our way.

“Colby.” I give him a hard look to zip it.

He doesn't. “What? You are. You sleep in the same room. That’s what married people do.” I close my eyes, wishing a hole would open up and swallow me.

“You left.” I suck in a breath at Kale’s deep voice. I will my body not to respond. We’re fighting. I slowly turn around to see him standing there. He looks extra pissed.

“I think you need to calm down,” Dane says. He tries to pull me behind him. Kale’s face goes from pissed to livid. I step out of Dane’s hold. Kale might be paying me to stay with him, but I’m well aware of his jealousy when it comes to me.

“Get in the car. We’re leaving,” he orders me. Colby starts to go all smiles that Kale just proved his point. I don’t let his hand go.

“No. We’re having ice cream.”

“Summer,” he warns.

“This is so good. Better than any of my shows. Anyone have popcorn?” I hear someone say.

“Be quiet, Pam, it’s hard enough for me to hear,” someone else adds.

“We’re getting ice cream,” I say again. “I’m not on the clock. You don’t pay for these hours.” I turn back around, sidestepping Dane, who is watching all of this like everyone else. I find a booth and slide in, wondering what he’s going to do next.

25

Kale

How heavy is that booth, I wonder.

“No you cannot lift the booth,” the chief barks in my ear.

“Why? You try it?” I ask, not bothering to look at him. I can’t believe I voted for this interfering SOB.

“Come on, Kale. This isn’t how you want it to go down.”

He’s right there. I didn’t want to come into town and I definitely didn’t want Summer and her brother to leave. Colby is unsure of what to do. He loves his sister and is loyal to her, but he likes it at the castle too. It’s his home now. Still, it makes sense not to cause a scene. “I have ice cream at home.”

Colby’s face brightens. “What kind? I didn’t see any.”

“It’s in the freezer downstairs.”

“In the kitchen by the pool?” he asks.

“Did he just say that Kale has a pool?” someone whispers loudly.

Colby turns around. ”Yeah, and it’s awesome. It’s big and has all these floaties and jets.”

“Big...floaties...jets...selfish asshole,” are some of the comments that float my direction. Colby’s happy face grows dark, and Summer looks pissed. She might not want to stay with me, but she doesn’t like hearing bad things directed toward me. It’s not the same as love, but it’s something. I can work with that, but only if she comes home with me. Out here there are too many influences that could convince her that I’m bad for her.

“Come on. Let’s go,” I say in as nice of a way as possible.

“Stop ordering me around. Like I said, I’m not on the clock right now. My hours are from 10 to 4 and anything that goes on the rest of my day are my choices,” Summer snaps.

Someone laughs, which causes Summer to whip around in the booth and glare in the offender’s direction until the laughter morphs into a cough. Her defense confuses me. Does she hate me or not? “Anyway,” she continues, “since it’s after hours, I’ll eat ice cream where I want, when I want, with whom I want.”

With whom? Like hell. I drag the table out from between the two bench seats. Summer releases a yelp and raises her arms out of the way. The chief lunges toward me while Colby dances toward the door.

“Dammit,” the chief curses as I throw Summer over my shoulder. There are other shouts and maybe even cries of dismay as I stride through the restaurant.

Summer’s pounding my back and telling me to put her down.

“Get the door, Colb,” I order.

“Don’t you touch the handle,” yells Summer.

“He has ice cream at home,” the boy replies, trying to cajole his sister into compliance.

“I don’t care if he has a whole creamery there. I want down.” She gives her legs a kick and narrowly misses my nuts. In the end, Colby doesn’t have to choose which of us to listen to because Colten appears in the threshold.

“You,” he sneers. “Since when are you brave enough to show your face in town?”