Twenty-six
Cody
The best barbeque and fried pickles could be found at The Dixie. At noon it seemed like the entire town of Koppe could be found there, including Seth and his brothers.
Sitting in the graveled parking area, I stared at Seth’s red pickup. I banged my fists on the steering wheel. I couldn’t believe how stupid I was, thinking that he would just go away after graduation and leave Cassie and me in peace. And now . . . what he did to Cassie . . .
Pushing away images of what Seth and his brothers had done to her, I jammed my Stetson on my head and slammed the truck door shut. Pebbles crunched under my boots as I walked toward the entrance. Violently, I flung the door open; the cowbell, hanging on the door handle, clanged loudly. A few of the patrons lifted their hands, squintin
