Read True North Book 3 - Finding Now Kate and Sam for Free Online Page A
Authors: Allie Juliette Mousseau
into focus. Strong arms were around me, and I realized Sam North held me firmly against his chest, keeping me still.
“I’m okay,” I lied and tried to push away, but my attempt was feeble. I hadn’t had an attack like that in public for over three months, since I’d left home. Damn my mom’s phone call!
“Let me get you home,” he said.
“No, no … I’ll get myself home,” I assured him.
It had been so long, I thought I’d beaten it. And in my panic I’d taken a whole pill, not half. How was I even going to get to the bus and not pass out on it?
I’d figure it out. I had no choice but to figure it out—on my own.
I pulled myself up to stand, but if not for Sam North’s steadying arms, I would have fallen down on my ass.
“Come on, my car is in the parking lot, let me give you a ride home,” he suggested.
“No! No car!” I shouted, panicked. When I realized how I sounded, I dropped my voice and looked around us. No one had passed by … yet. “Just help me to the bus stop. I can get home from there,” I insisted.
“Yeah, um, you’re not in any condition to be left alone on a bus,” he reasoned. “You know, maybe I should call 911.”
God, no! They’d shove me in another psych ward, I’d lose my job and my mother would tattoo Told you so on her forehead. “I don’t need that kind of help,” I told him firmly.
“Then let me see your phone, I can dial a friend or boyfriend for you?”
I gathered up what pathetic strength I could muster, pressed my hands against his chest and feebly pushed him away from me. “Leave me alone then … I can take it from here.” Great way to show gratitude, Kate, I sneered inwardly.
“KATE! KATE!” The screaming started up in my head again.
“Just”—I grabbed Sam North’s black leather jacket—“bring me to the bus stop, please. I’ll get home from there.”
He looked at me hesitantly but finally said, “Okay.”
Like a couple on a Sunday stroll, he tucked his arm behind my back, assisting me as I walked. He kept us behind the buildings and away from the students.
“Please talk about something, anything except this,” I pleaded.
“My gig went great that night. Right after we met. I kept thinking maybe you’d show, but you never did.”
“Really?” I panted. “Guilt is what you thought of first?”
“Okay, how about that lecture you gave the other day about wind turbines?”
“You suck at this.”
“My very good friend, who’s like a brother really, his name is Nate, fell hard for my younger sister. He’s all kinds of messed up.” He said it laughing a little, as if he were amused. That was good. Distracting.
“Yeah? Tell me more.”
“Okay, my hometown is Williston, North Dakota. My parents own most of the western side of the state, along with sections of Montana, Alberta and Saskatchewan. My dad is a successful rancher turned even more successful oil company owner.”
“Bakken Oil Field?” I’d heard quite a lot about it.
“Yeah. Anyway, when Nate was a kid he went to school with my older brothers, Jake and Caleb, and soon enough became a fixture in our household. His mom ran out on his family when he was young and his dad would bust him up a lot. I grew up with him around. He learned my dad’s business. Oh, and he rides bulls. Well, he was totally in love with my younger sister. So in July, during the rodeos up in Edmonton, the two finally admitted they were in love and ran off on a … I don’t know, pre-honeymoon. In August they were married.”
“It’s a good story.” I smiled. It felt foreign, but it was real.
The bus pulled to the curb. Sam took my arm and helped me up the steps and put me in a seat near a window. He went back to the front and dropped in a coin, came back over and sat in the seat next to me.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Making sure you get home,” he said, point blank.
“I told you—”
He broke in, “Anyway, you should’ve seen the rock he put on her finger!
“I’m okay,” I lied and tried to push away, but my attempt was feeble. I hadn’t had an attack like that in public for over three months, since I’d left home. Damn my mom’s phone call!
“Let me get you home,” he said.
“No, no … I’ll get myself home,” I assured him.
It had been so long, I thought I’d beaten it. And in my panic I’d taken a whole pill, not half. How was I even going to get to the bus and not pass out on it?
I’d figure it out. I had no choice but to figure it out—on my own.
I pulled myself up to stand, but if not for Sam North’s steadying arms, I would have fallen down on my ass.
“Come on, my car is in the parking lot, let me give you a ride home,” he suggested.
“No! No car!” I shouted, panicked. When I realized how I sounded, I dropped my voice and looked around us. No one had passed by … yet. “Just help me to the bus stop. I can get home from there,” I insisted.
“Yeah, um, you’re not in any condition to be left alone on a bus,” he reasoned. “You know, maybe I should call 911.”
God, no! They’d shove me in another psych ward, I’d lose my job and my mother would tattoo Told you so on her forehead. “I don’t need that kind of help,” I told him firmly.
“Then let me see your phone, I can dial a friend or boyfriend for you?”
I gathered up what pathetic strength I could muster, pressed my hands against his chest and feebly pushed him away from me. “Leave me alone then … I can take it from here.” Great way to show gratitude, Kate, I sneered inwardly.
“KATE! KATE!” The screaming started up in my head again.
“Just”—I grabbed Sam North’s black leather jacket—“bring me to the bus stop, please. I’ll get home from there.”
He looked at me hesitantly but finally said, “Okay.”
Like a couple on a Sunday stroll, he tucked his arm behind my back, assisting me as I walked. He kept us behind the buildings and away from the students.
“Please talk about something, anything except this,” I pleaded.
“My gig went great that night. Right after we met. I kept thinking maybe you’d show, but you never did.”
“Really?” I panted. “Guilt is what you thought of first?”
“Okay, how about that lecture you gave the other day about wind turbines?”
“You suck at this.”
“My very good friend, who’s like a brother really, his name is Nate, fell hard for my younger sister. He’s all kinds of messed up.” He said it laughing a little, as if he were amused. That was good. Distracting.
“Yeah? Tell me more.”
“Okay, my hometown is Williston, North Dakota. My parents own most of the western side of the state, along with sections of Montana, Alberta and Saskatchewan. My dad is a successful rancher turned even more successful oil company owner.”
“Bakken Oil Field?” I’d heard quite a lot about it.
“Yeah. Anyway, when Nate was a kid he went to school with my older brothers, Jake and Caleb, and soon enough became a fixture in our household. His mom ran out on his family when he was young and his dad would bust him up a lot. I grew up with him around. He learned my dad’s business. Oh, and he rides bulls. Well, he was totally in love with my younger sister. So in July, during the rodeos up in Edmonton, the two finally admitted they were in love and ran off on a … I don’t know, pre-honeymoon. In August they were married.”
“It’s a good story.” I smiled. It felt foreign, but it was real.
The bus pulled to the curb. Sam took my arm and helped me up the steps and put me in a seat near a window. He went back to the front and dropped in a coin, came back over and sat in the seat next to me.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Making sure you get home,” he said, point blank.
“I told you—”
He broke in, “Anyway, you should’ve seen the rock he put on her finger!