"Where have you been?!" Halsey cried as we all piled into the kitchen.
I looked at Cody then to Tate. Neither of them acted like they were going to speak so I did.
"Tate got upset and went to Rexburg." I started. "He never told anyone and Cody and I got worried so we went up there but by the time we got there we figured it was too late to try driving home so we just spent the night there."
"Why didn't you call anyone?" Chad said sternly stepping out into view.
I instantly stiffened seeing him only a few feet from me. My hatred for him was stronger than my hatred for anything else.
"My phone die on my way up." Tate explained "Too many people calling me."
Chad then looked to me, then to his son.
"I suppose all your phones died." He said narrowing his eyes on Cody.
"I didn't think it was important." Cody aid quietly.
"You didn't think it was important!" Chad cried. "That was a childish thing to do. Cody you are the owner of this ranch. You and Tate. You can just run off when ever you feel like it is deemed necessary."
"I'm not a kid anymore dad." Cody said through gritted teeth. "I can make my own decisions."
It didn't surprise me to see that the relationship between Cody and his father hadn't changed.
"Chad stop it." Halsey said glaring at her husband.
Chads state wavered for a moment before it fell.
"It wasn't Cody's fault, Chad. It was mine I made the reckless decision to up and leave and Cody was the responsible one coming out to find me." Tate said stepping forward.
Chad opened his mouth to say more but from the look his wife was giving him he quickly shut it. Instead giving a small nod and leaving the room.
Halsey turned to us and wrapped us each into a hug.
"Oh you had me worried sick." She cried.
"It wasn't even that long, mom." Cody whined.
"Courtney is worried, I think she went up to your house." Halsey told Tate.
Tate frowned and inmediantly left the room. Leaving us three and to say it was awkward, was an understatement.
"Have you eaten?" Halsey asked clearing the tension between the room as she turned her back to us and started pulling out pots and pans.
"I'm good ma, thanks though." Cody said walking over to kiss her cheek. "I think I'm going to go find Mollie."
Halsey nodded and o watched as he left. Not once did his gaze land on me.
"So." Halsey started making me Tate my eyes away from the closed door.
"You two survived in a truck for five hours."
I rolled my eyes at the huge grin that found its way onto Halsey's lips.
"We didn't talk really, and I was a sleep for most of it." I argued taking a seat on the stool I normally took.
"But you still didn't kill each other. That's an improvement."
"It doesn't mean anything thing." I shook my head looking down at the counter.
"Maybe not at the moment, but it will."
I was confused what she meant by that but I didn't have time to ask as Rowdy and Dusty came trotting in covered in mud. I laughed at the stunned look on Halsey's face.
"What on earth did you two do!" She cried, coming around the counter and shooing them back outside onto the back porch.
"We wrestled in the mud." Rowdy replied like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I chuckled following them outside and looked to see a long green house that was connected to the house stench all the way to Tilley's old pen that now looked like something was living in it. I walked over to the pen laughing as I listened to Halsey's remarks. Grabbing the hose which was still running.
"Alright boys you both need to be hosed off before you step foot inside." I shouted holding out the hose.
Rowdy's eye slit up at the sight of getting to run through water.
"Come on Dus." Rowdy said pulling his arms.
Halsey took there muddy shirts of and wadded them up as she carefully took them inside trying not to leave a trail of mud.
"On the count of three you both have to run through it okay?" I told them as I pointed the hose out away from the house.
They both nodded.
"One."
"Two."
"Three."
It happen so quickly I didn't even see it coming. But pretty soon I was getting soaked along with Rowdy and Dusty who found it absolute amusing.
I looked up to see that Kelby had managed to get the hose from me and spray all three of us.
Clearly shocked a smile grew upon my face as I watched him shake the hose around leave trails of water were ever he went.
"What are you doing?" I asked stepping closer but in returned he sprayed me with the hose. Getting me even more soaked.
I gasped gosling my hands out in front of me like that would help any. Quickly making distance between us.
"That was so un called for." I shrieked.
"Do it again, Kel." Rowdy shouted clapping his hands together.
Kelby smiled down at Rowdy and took a couple steps closer to me, causing me to take steps back. The water barley reaching my shoes. Pretty soon tho I was the one running and he was lazily walking around the backyard. It seemed like no matter where I went the hose would always be anble to reach there.
I gave up on trying to keep parts of me dry, I already lost that battle. Instead I had to get back at Kelby. I noticed my chance when I saw the hydrant and hose laid perfectly in front of the horse barn. Like it was just waiting for me to pick it up and use it as my weapon.
So I did. The hose wasn't as hardly as long as the one Kelby had, but it did the trick. Pretty soon I was soaking him too.
In the middle of it all Rowdy and Dusty were running through the water for the two hoses and there wasn't a trace of mud left on either of them.
"Okay okay, I surrender." Kelby said holding his hands up and dropping the hose.
I was about to agree when Rowdy picked it up and sprayed him. I laughed joined Rowdy in round two of soaking Kelby. Until finally I figured he had enough. I turned off my hose and ran over to Rowdy's turning it off as well.
I was laughing as I started to wring my hair out. Looking up to the house I froze. I didn't realize any one was watching. But sure enough Cody and the she devil were standing on the other side of the screen doors. Cody's expression was unreadable and I would give anything to be giving the clue in how to uncode it.
Halsey stepped out into the yard holding her hands up.
"Is the war over?" She shouted looking between us all.
"Sadly." Kelby said coming over to Halsey.
"Oh Kelby I haven't seen you in ages." Halsey cried. "How you been?"
I didn't even think about why Kelby was here or that him and Halsey had a relationship. But Halsey was like that nice and kind-hearted to everyone she met. That's what I loved about her.
"I'm fine, how about you guys?" Kelby asked giving her a short side ways hug since he was wet.
"Great, just great. Now what made you drive all the way up here. Surely it wasn't just to see this pretty girl." Halsey said winking at me.
I rolled my eyes joining in there conversation and ignoring Cody's gaze.
"Oh I was suppose to drop some papers off for Cody and I saw his truck parked here on the way up."
Halsey's smiled faded. And I didn't know why.
"His in the house." She said.
Kelby nodded mumbling a thanks ma'am before heading off to his truck. Leaving me and Halsey. I opened my mouth to ask her what was wrong but she simply waved me off.
"Boys." She said looking at Rowdy and Dusty, go on in and take a bath." She started to herd them inside.
I was about to follow but some,thing other than the fact I was soaking wet prevented me from walking inside. So I spun on my heel and walked over to Kelly's truck where the drivers side door was open and he was rummaging through a pile of papers.
"Hey thanks for getting my favorite shirt wet." I joked leaning up again this truck.
He looked up at me and smiled before going back to looking through the papers.
"Wanna go grab some lunch?" He asked pulling out two papers with a lot of words on it.
"Sure why not but you'll have to drop me off at Tate's so I can change out of these wet clothes.
He smirked.
"Alright, how about we just go back to my house and I can cook some lunch, less driving that way." He shrugged.
I smiled.
"I don't have anything better to do."
"Great, I just have to run these into Cody and then I'll be back out." He said quickly walking back up to the front of the house.
I know I probably shouldn't have but my curiosity was getting the best of me, once I made sure that Kelby was out of sight I scanned over the papers that were left on the seat.
Lifting one up to read it. It reminded me of one of the many papers I sign ever day. So many words in a small font with two X's and a long line at the bottom.
They were contracts for people. Some where signed some weren't, but hey we're all neatly in a Manila folder. I scanned through some one begin for Hillary Thomas who it looked like her husband had died so she let Bob Hunker buy the land from her.
But I didn't understand why Kelby was in charge of these. Quickly before he came back I placed the papers back where I found them. Not long after I did Kelby came around smiling at me. He gathered up the papers and tossed them in the backseat as I went around and climbed into the passenger side. Still curious at what Cody would possibly be signing a contract for. Maybe he was getting a loan for a new tractor or something. I told myself but deep down I knew it was something bigger.
The ride was silent until I couldn't bare it any longer I just had to ask the question that was bothering me so much.
"Do you have another job?" I asked turning to look at him.
A small smile formed at his lips and I knew, he knew.
"I just help people get loans and stuff, and get people houses and land that kind of stuff." He shrugged.
"What's the official name of that?" I asked curiously.
He chuckled.
"Hell if I know. I did want to be one -whatever I'm classified as- but it was a deal I made between my mom and me. She wanted me to have something to fall back onto if the ranch didn't work."
"But your rich because of your ranch."
He smiled. "And my mom said it would never turn out that way."
"Sometimes they never know what's good for us." I mumbled.
Kelby looked at me out of the corner of his eye.
"Sometimes they do."
I was silent for a moment. A moment too long because Kelby seemed to notice the uneasiness of the topic so he quickly changed it.
"Why where you so curious about those papers?"
I shrugged.
"You already know."
"I do, but I wanted to you say it."
I hit his shoulder playfully.
"Hey now unless you wanna be in a hospital I suggest you don't mess with the driver."
I shook my head smiling.
"No but really, why is Cody getting a loan? For a tractor or something?"
"I can't say." Kelby said shaking his head. "But his not getting a loan for a tractor."
I was quiet.
"You would tell me if it was bad right?"
He was silent and I took that as my answer, but he quickly spoke.
"It isn't really bad." He said running a head through his hair, " I really wish I could tell you but, they don't want me saying anything until its final."
"They?"
He frowned.
"I've already said too much. Go get changed." He said as we pulled up to Tate's.
"You can come in and wait." I said as I stepped out.
He shook his head.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
I sighed telling him I'd be quick before jogging inside. I trie dot by pass Courtney and Tate. But they were both full of questions.
"Are you alright?"
"Why are you wet?"
"Did Jane drop you off, I need to talk to her."
I ignored all of them and quickly changed into some dry clothes. Throwing my hair into a pony tail as I walked back out into the living room.
"I'm going to go hangout with a friend tonight." I told them both purposely leaving out Kelby's name. But Tate knew me well.
"After all that your just gonna go right back to him." Tate growled.
"You need to forgive and forget." I said as I slipped on a pair of shoes at the door.
"I told you why! Why can't you be on my side for this?" He whined.
"People make mistakes and you have to forgive them. You just have too, because if you didn't then they wouldn't forgive you for your mistakes."
"I never did anything like that, he killed someone!" Tate shouted so loud I'm sure Kelby heard.
"We have all done things." I told Tate through gritted teeth. "Just how you just up and left me when I needed you the most. But I forgave you Tate. And I except you to do the same."
With that I opened the door and walked out climbing back into Kelby's truck.
"You know." He started as he backed out. "I don't wanna come between you and your brother."
"Your not." I told him. "We are just friends and he will just have to get over it."
"I did do some pretty stupid things tho, his right I killed someone and got away with it."
I shake my head.
"I know and it's okay. I understand I don't want Tate to be the reason why we can't be friends any more."
A small smile found its way onto his lips.
"Good because I value our friendship."
I smiled.
"Me too."