He sighed, and she could imagine him running his hand through his sun-kissed blond locks like he always did when he was annoyed. “I registered for college classes. My parents made me apply back in the fall, but I didn’t think I was actually going to go. I don’t know what my major will be, but I want to get a degree. I also started working for my dad.”
Ryan’s father owned a huge computer software business, but Kalista didn’t know anything else about it because business talk was boring. “I thought you said you would never work for your dad.”
“I changed my mind, and I actually like having a job.”
She almost told him about her carrier job, then stopped herself. Their conversation was already embarrassing enough.
“We had some fun times together, but I’m moving on. Sorry if that hurts your feelings.”
Kalista didn’t answer, and her feelings hurt deeply. No one wanted to be called immature or lacking substance. But at least he was telling her the truth, unlike Abbie. “It’s okay,” she said.
“Really? I thought you’d be mad and yell at me.”
She probably should be. For some reason, she wasn’t. “Thanks for keeping it real.”
“Good luck, Kalista, with whatever you decide to do with your life.”
She hung up, conflicted feelings washing over her. Her father had called her immature too, and that made sense coming fromhim. But having an eighteen-year-old say the same thing hit differently, because a couple of weeks ago, Ryan had been just fine engaging in the same things he berated Kalista for doing.
Except now that she looked back on their relationship, she remembered there were instances when he would beg off going to a party, and a few times when they were at the beach with their friends, he seemed disconnected, like he was preoccupied. She’d barely paid attention to it back then, but for some reason it was clearer now. This wasn’t a last-minute decision. He really had been thinking about it for a while.
Kalista got up and pushed the chair back to the table. She should call Abbie and demand to know what the problem was between them. Then again, why bother? Their friendship was over. The reason didn’t matter anymore.
She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, then paused to look in the mirror. Not only had her shoulders gotten sunburned, but her face had too. Of course that would peel as well, but for once she wasn’t panicking about it. Lotion would help, and it wasn’t like she was going to see anybody during the week other than Viv and Bo in the evenings. And Tyler at work. Maybe Mr. Hudson if they happened to run into each other. But mostly Tyler.
Tyler. An overly nice, enthusiastic guy who worked not just one job but two and seemed to enjoy both. Up until yesterday in Viv’s kitchen, she hadn’t seen him upset, downcast, or irritable. Just happy. He was her age, and he was writing newspaper columns, making sure people got their newspaper on time, dealing with subscriptions, and all the other things that went along with his many responsibilities. He did it all with a great attitude. A mature attitude.
She shook her head, so lost in her thoughts she didn’t realize she was still looking at her reflection. What did people think whenthey saw her? She’d always assumed they were jealous because she was so pretty, wore great clothes, and knew how to have a good time. Now she suspected people saw her differently than she viewed herself. At least Ryan did. Abbie too.
Was that what Tyler thought? That she was shallow and immature?
Why should I even care?It wasn’t like he was handsome. Well, that wasn’t true. He was nice-looking in a dorky kind of way, and when he smiled, he wasreallynice-looking. He also had great hair. She’d noticed that right away.
Flipping off the light, she headed to bed even though it was barely sundown. She didn’t care what Abbie, Ryan, or even Tyler thought about her. She didn’t need to change.I’m just fine.The only person she had to accommodate was her father, and that was only for a few months. There was nothing wrong with liking clothes and spa treatments and parties.
She shoved the covers over her body, wincing when the fabric swished over her painful shoulders. Humph. There were plenty of people back home who liked her. Even if they didn’t, she could find new friends. There was always someone in LA who was willing to hang out with a multimillionaire’s daughter.
A lump formed in her throat. She didn’t need this kind of negativity in her life. Forget them.Forget all of them.
* * *
“You had some good luck today,” Seb said to Logan, who was putting logs in the fire ring on the back patio. Logan had called Seb after church, asking him to come to the cabin. Seb obliged, and the two of them fished for the rest of the afternoon. They barely spoke to each other the whole time they were sitting on the bankof the river that was a few miles away from the cabin. But it was peaceful, and Seb wasn’t going to push Logan if he wasn’t willing to talk about what had happened between him and Jade yesterday at the hoedown. From the kid’s silence, Seb assumed he didn’t.
The lack of communication forced Seb to entertain his own thoughts, and of course he was thinking about Jade. More specifically, their dance. Holding her had transported him back to when they were together, when just thinking about her made him happy. After they parted, his arms felt empty as he headed to talk to the Biscuit Boys. Even as he conducted the interview, he had to resist seeking her out again. By the time he went back to his office to write up his notes and meet up with his team to get the Monday issue ofThe Timesready for print, he was second-guessing putting her off until Tuesday. He needed to nip the whole Harrington conversation in the bud, and he had intended to do that after church. Logan had interrupted that.
After they fried up their fish and ate them with a side of Viv’s award-winning potato salad that Seb had brought with him, Logan seemed to be in a more talkative mood.
“Thanks for coming over,” Logan said, staring at the newborn fire. “And for letting me stay a little while longer.”
“You can stay as long as you need to.”
“I have to leave soon. I only had a couple days off. I was going to leave yesterday, but I decided to try talking to Jade again. Mabel told me she was at the hoedown.” He sighed. “I guess she’s really mad at me now.”
Seb tried to find some words of encouragement. “Siblings fight. Can’t be avoided. It’s been a while since Evelyn Margot and I have gotten into it, but when we were younger, some of our arguments were epic.”
Logan nodded but didn’t look Seb’s way.
A few minutes ticked by and he thought Logan was done talking. Which was good, because Seb’s curiosity was getting the best of him, despite his vow not to get involved. It was hard seeing the young man so down, and Seb didn’t have any advice for him. Jade’s MO seemed to be cutting people off. She was doing it to Logan.She did it to me.
