My Montana (Cole Walter fanfic)

{Chapter 6 - Mistake}

Hot balls of oil spit underneath the bacon as it sizzles in the pan on the stove, the smell filling the house as it cooks. Cooked bacon was what woke Josie from her deep slumber, having no recollection of even falling asleep. She carries herself down the stairs, the need for food becoming more imminent. Hattie stands at the stove, the tip of a spatula placed on the bacon as she presses on it.

"You know that's not going to make it cook quicker right," Josie tells her as she passes behind her and to the coffee maker. Hattie smirks.

"It's cooked, I just want it to get some colour. Colour adds..." Josie looks over her shoulder and cuts her off. "Flavour, I know. I swear I hear you bang on about it every time you cook food," Josie fills her mug and walks over, planting herself in a chair at the table taking a sip of her black coffee, grabbing a slice of toast that was sitting between the metal wires of the toast holder. Hattie, having taken the bacon the pan, follows behind her, plate of bacon in hand.

"Well seeing as I don't cook that often, it's surprising that it has stuck with you as much as it has," Hattie comments as she takes her own slice of toast. Josie smirks, raising an eyebrow as she chews on her toast and swallows.

"I think that because of the rare insistence that you cook, the memories stay with me more," the room falls into silence, though smiles are both present on their faces.

"I don't remember falling asleep, it was like I passed out," Hattie nods at the comment, taking a sip of her tea.

"Yeah. I ended up coming back late, got called out to the Bennetts ranch due to a calf being breached, and had to do an emergency C-section."

"Did they survive?" Josie's eyebrows were knitted together in concern. Hattie shakes her head a bit and sighs.

"Mama was fine, but the calf died, there wasn't enough oxygen. Mr Bennett was able to get a surrogate calf from Mr Myers farm," Josie nods, understanding that, that was a normal thing in farming, stock died, it's mother nature. The room returned to silence again, a pause in the conversation as one topic needed for discussion, hanging in the corner of the room, waiting to be discussed.

"So... are we going to talk about what I walked in on yesterday?" Hattie purses her lips slightly as she glances at her niece from the corner of her eye. Josie places her mug down, cradling it in between her hands as she ponders her words.

"What do you want to know?" Josie asks quietly, causing Hattie to laugh, her hands lifting into the air a little as her face lifts.

"Oh, I don't know what is going on between you and Cole," it was such an obvious question and Josie didn't quite know how to answer it.

"There is nothing going on between us," Josie tells her aunt truthfully, Hattie's eyes lift in disbelief. Josie puts her hands out.

"No, I am being serious. Nothing is going on," Hattie leans back in her chair and crosses her arms.

"SERIOUSLY!" she shouted, and Josie couldn't help but groan.

"Yes, seriously."

"What is your guy's problem?" Hattie's hands untangle themselves and she places them on the edge of the table. "I mean come on, you were clearly having a moment before I interrupted," Josie scrunches her eyes up and nods her head.

"Yeah, you did. Thanks for that."

"Sorry."

"But I mean..." Josie brushes her hair back and she slides them over her head and rests them, connected, behind her neck. "He came over, we had hot cocoa, ended up having a water fight and then next thing I know, he is pulling me to him, and we are dancing in the kitchen. And it has just thrown me into a spanner, Aunt Hat. I mean what does this mean?" Josie spirals and all Hattie can do is place her hand on the younger girl's forearm.