#willwalter

Chapter 6 - Mistake (My Montana)

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.

"Hey. Listen to me, okay. I don't know what this means," Josie's face drops, and Hattie puts her free hand out. "But I think it's safe to say that there are clearly some feelings there from Cole's side. But clearly, he is not very good at expressing, verbally, what he is feeling," Josie scoffs.

"Oh, you can say that again," she takes a sip of her coffee and Hattie sighs.

"Look all I know is that there is something between you and Cole, and one of you need to grow a pair and say something, because at this rate you two are going to drive me to drink, and I already have 101 reasons to become an alcoholic as is," Hattie comments and Josie smirks at her aunt's antics, her face quickly changes as she leans back in her chair, her face becoming serious.

"It's just... my nightmares, me mentally right now, Danny. these things I take into consideration before starting a relationship. If there is a relationship to start."

"But what about what June said about being happy. Allowing yourself to be happy and that it might help the nightmares to become less severe. And I'm sure Danny isn't as blind as you think to what is going on between you and Cole," Josie snickers.

"Trust me, I love Danny, but he sometimes can be so oblivious to what is going around him, he almost deserves a medal for it, though I can't blame him. I mean when you have that big of a family and you are seeing and hearing about all the shit that is going on with them, I can't really blame him for not seeing it."

"Doesn't mean that the others haven't," Hattie comments and Josie smirks, shaking her head.

"Yeah, Alex. Guess he is the best perspective. But that is just because he watches every detail of Cole's life, waiting for him to slip up so that he can hold him to it forever. Not letting him forget the little mistake he has made. It's toxic," Hattie nods.

"Yeah. These two together have never been a good mix. Sometimes siblings are just made to argue, and that is Cole and Alex," Josie smiles.

"Where you and Mom like that," Josie asks and Hattie laughs as she reminisces.

"Oh, your mother was a pain in my ass. In a good way," Josie laughs. "She used to steal my clothes a lot when she started dating... you know," Josie smiles drops and looks down at her mug and nods understanding what her aunt was insinuating.

"And next thing I know, she was married and out of the house and moved to another state. And I would do anything to have one more day to argue with her," Hattie's voice cracks and Josie can do nothing but stand up and wrap her arms around her aunt in a hug. Hattie smiles as she wraps her arms around her niece.

"Hey, none of this now. Too early for this now. Why don't you go and get ready for the day. I'm sure the boys will be here soon to pick you up. You sure you don't want me to drive you?" Josie pulls away and shakes her head.

"No, it's your day off. Go back to bed, sleep some more and relax. I'll be fine," Josie tells her before putting her plate in the sink and running up the stairs. Hattie sat and sighed as she took a sip from coffee.

"God please let her be okay, and figure everything out. For my sake and your Aub," she speaks to nothing but herself.

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Josie hated chemistry. She really did, like how was she going to be able to use this in her life. Yeah, she might not know exactly what it is she wants to do yet but she knows one thing, chemistry is not going to help her in any case.

"Okay class, can anyone tell me the atomic structure of oxygen," Josie puts her head down, continuing to doodle at the corner of her page.

"Anyone? Josie why don't you tell us," Josie lifts her head, eyes wide.

"Umm...it has protons and electrons," she states dumbly.

"Correct and how many protons and electrons are there?" The teacher asks her and Josie was stumped. A foot hits her, under the table and she turned and Danny has written on the corner of his page the answer.

"8 protons, 8 neurons" the teacher smiled and nod.

"Correct well done Josie," they moved on and continued the lesson. Danny nudged her with his elbow and she looks at him again.

"You okay?" Her lips lift up a little and she nods.

"Fine."

"You sure, you keep zoning out," Josie nods again.

"I'm fine, just tired. And it's doesn't help that chemistry makes absolutely no sense to me," Danny nods understanding where she was coming from.

"I know she is a few grades below up, but I heard that Jackie is quite good at science. I think she's in advanced classes. Maybe you could ask her to give you some help you know," Josie sits there and thinks about it. It would be useful, with Jackie living at the Walters and all, it not like Josie isn't there herself most of the time.

"Yeah, yeah. I think I will."

"So how was yesterday," Josie chokes on her water, coughing as she tries to catch her breath.

"Wow," Danny hands her a napkin and she wipes the drops of water running down her chin.

"Thank you," Danny chuckles before shoving some food in his mouth.

"So, how are you feeling after yesterday," Danny asks again and Josie nods her head, eating her food.

"Yeah, you know. Tiring, you know what June is like she doesn't leave any stone unturned. You would think after me going to her for so long she would have less to weave through," Danny shrugs.

"I don't think therapy is ever meant to be easy," Josie snickers at the comment.

"You can say that again," the pair chuckle between themselves. Josie eyes trail behind Danny and she sees a certain blonde waltzing in. She freezes for a moment as their eyes meet, he slows for a second, taking a longer look at her before he tears his eyes away from her, his eyes now falling to the floor and walking towards his friends. He slides in next to Erin, his arm draped over her shoulders as she turns and smiles up at him. Josie bites her tongue as she takes a breathe and looks down at her food. She should have known better.

"Hey, I'm going to go and see Miss Jacobs quickly before lunch ends," Danny looks confused.

"Yeah okay, is everything okay?" Josie nods as she grabs her back.