MacKenzie Fire(11)

“Yes.”

“So why’s he still being a prick?”

Andie sighs as she stares into her cup. “An excellent question. Do you want my version of why?”

“Of course.”

“I think he wants to be in a city somewhere.”

I snort. “No way.”

“Yes way.” Andie looks up again. “He’s an architect. I guess he was headed to Portland to start a new job when the whole marriage thing fell apart. He stayed here for whatever reason, but he’s not happy about it.”

“Why doesn’t he just leave if he’s not happy?”

“You’ll have to ask him that. I don’t dare rock that boat.”

“What do you mean?”

Andie gets up with difficulty and waddles over to the sink to wash her mug out. “He’s very touchy about anything having to do with that stuff, and to keep things copacetic between him and Mack, I stay out of it.”

“Wow. That’s very adult of you.” And so not like how I would handle it. I’d be all up in their business if I lived here.

She turns around and grins over her shoulder. “I’ve learned a few things since I moved out here.”

“I think your mother-in-law is rubbing off on you.” I pause before clarifying. “I mean that as a compliment, by the way.”

“And that’s how I’m taking it too.” Andie comes over and sits back down with a grunt. “She’s my adopted mom. I love her to pieces.”

“What’s up with your real mom? You haven’t said much about her.” I finish off my tea as I wait for her answer. Andie’s mom is kind of an *, but she came to the wedding, so I have to assume the * is trying. I haven’t asked Andie about her much over the past year because I’ve wanted to avoid unhappy issues.

Andie shrugs. “She’s in Seattle. I don’t see her much. We talk maybe once a month. It’s the best I can do with her right now.”

“That’s better than nothing, I guess.”

“Yeah. Maybe.”

“Do you have to work today?” I tap my fingers on the table, searching for something to talk about when this conversation is done. This place is way too quiet for comfort.

“Nope. I cleared the decks for the birth. I’m pretty much just checking messages a couple times a day, but otherwise, I’m free. Are you bored yet?”

“Who me? No, don’t be silly. This place is beyond stimulating.”

She laughs. “Come on.” Standing is a struggle, but she manages. “Let’s go into town.”

I get up and walk with her to the front entrance. “What’s in town?”

“Civilization,” she says with a smile. Then she points to the boots she tried to get me to wear and suddenly goes serious. “Put those on and don’t give me any crap about it, either.”

I stare at the hateful things and whine. “But they’re soooo ugly!”

“Tough. We can buy you new boots at the store.”

That cheers me considerably. “Okay. You’ve sold me.” Leaving my cowgirl awesome boots by the door, I slide my feet into the surprisingly comfortable but still way-too-fugly clodhoppers Andie provided.

As soon as I step out onto the icy snow, I can appreciate that old adage that looks aren’t everything. “Oooo, squishyyy,” I say, smiling when the sound of the crunching snow does not also mean I’m on my ass staring at the sky for a change. These puppies are eating up the ground. I feel like a man on the moon, bouncing up almost in slow-mo with every step.

Andie talks while she waddles to the car. Her feet crunch the snow with every short stride. “Trust me, I learned pretty quick around here to adjust my mindset about a few things, footwear being one of them.”

I scoff. “Maybe in winter, but not summer.”

“Wrong. Summer too. There are snakes out here, so sandals around the ranch are a bad idea.”

Snakes? I run to catch up to her and stop only when I’m attached to her side. “Snakes?” I look over my shoulder to make sure none of them are trying to sneak up on me.

Andie tries to slap me away, but I’m not dissuaded from self-preservation that easily. I cling harder.

“Not in the winter, goof. They hibernate in the winter or go dormant or something.” She finally succeeds in pushing me off when we reach the driveway area.

“Or try to find somewhere warm to curl up,” I squeak, jumping up onto the running board of the truck she’s pointing her key ring at. Its lights flicker and the horn beeps once as the locks open.

“Just relax. You don’t need to worry about snakes right now. Mountain lions, yes. Snakes, no.”

My jaw drops open as I watch her walk around the front of the truck. My voice comes out high and squeaky. “You can’t be serious! Mountain Lions? Really?”

“Hurry up and get in,” she says as she opens her door. “There’s a lion over there behind those rocks, and I don’t want him to eat my best friend.”

My heart convulses in my chest and I squeal involuntarily as I try to get the door open, while at the same time trying not to knock myself off the truck’s running board.

“Lion! Lion!” I whisper loudly, without even realizing I’m doing it until the words are out. I fail miserably in my attempts to get in the car, and land in the snow on my knees. There’s not enough time for any of it to melt and get me wet though, because I can move surprisingly fast when the idea of being eaten alive is motivating me.