Big Girl Boots

Sixteen

Even in the dark, I could tell that Kellan's eyes went wide at my suggestion. "And just how in the hell are you gonna pull that off?"

I chewed my lip for a moment. It hadn't escaped my attention that the idea was a little far fetched, but that didn't stop me from wanting to do it. "I don't know. I guess we just call them up and see if they'll come over?"

Kellan sighed and I watched the outline of his body as he ran a hand down his face. He tended to do that when stressed or frustrated.

"C'mon, Kel," I almost begged. We both knew that I wouldn't be able to pull this off alone and it was the only thing I could think of to lift Coda's spirits. "Please? For Coda?"

Even in the dark, I knew he'd caved. It was common knowledge that he'd do anything in the world for that pretty little blonde. It used to be because he was head over heels for her, but now it was the fierce protectiveness that came with being a part of our family. Like it or not, Coda would always have me and Kellan in her corner ready to kick the shit out of anybody that tried to hurt her.

"Okay."

"So you'll help me?" I couldn't get rid of the grin that spread across my face, wider than the whole state of Texas.

"Yeah," he yawned, stretching one long arm over his head, "I'll help you. But you owe me one."

***

"Did you get ahold of them?"

I almost yelped when Kellan appeared out of nowhere and began speaking. I'd been hiding in the pantry for twenty minutes now, just scrolling through instagram and eating christmas cookies that were supposed to be off limits. He was about the last person I expected to be caught by, but I was grateful that it was him and not Mama Callie. She wouldn't swatted me good and hard for eating the food she'd spent days making specifically for tomorrow.

"Jeez, you scared me," I hissed, holding a hand to my heart. Kellan smirked at the sight of the half eaten sugar cookie in my hand and took a sly bite out of a snowman shaped one I watched him sneak from the plate.

"But yeah, I got ahold of them. Charlie's staying with Tommy for a week over break and he promised he'd be here with Torrin tomorrow at five."

Kellan groaned softly and I was grateful. God knew we didn't need to get caught. "Too early."

I lifted an eyebrow and grinned. "Am I rubbing off on you or something?"

He snorted. "No, I'm just tired all the time. Doing homework for three is a lot harder than you'd think."

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes, sneaking one last cookie. He adjusted the few left so there weren't any bare spots on the plate and we both exited the pantry, trying not to look guilty.

"Do you know when your parents are supposed to get here?" He questioned, brushing the crumbs off his wranglers.

I shook my head and glanced to the window. More snow was falling but it was letting up some. When I woke up a seven it was impossible to even see out of my window due to the flurry of huge, white flakes being blown this way and that. While it was pretty now, I knew I'd be getting tired of the eternally white, frozen landscape by the end of January. And according to Coda, sometimes it wouldn't be all melted off even in April.

"Wait, is that them?"

My ear perked up as Kellan rushed to the front window and peered out. Shoving him over so I could see, I looked out, too.

There were two pickups chugging slowly up the lane. I couldn't quite tell what color the second one was, but the first rig was obviously my parents'. My dad's second gen dodge always stood out no matter where we were. The paint was a royal blue and the silver cross-box on the back always sparkled in the sun.