“No probs!” She waved off the thanks. “But you know, put in a good word for me with my dad that I’m not a total screwup? I wanted to go with him on a meeting with hiscamera crew in Franklin today, but he didn’t even wake me up when he left this morning.”
She rolled her eyes and laughed it off, but Erin heard the frustration beneath. Why was he leaving his daughter alone in a strange town if he was worried about her getting into trouble? It didn’t make sense.
“I’m sure he knows you’re not a screwup.” Erin set the bag on the ground as the pack of teens returned to their convertible on the other side of the parking lot.
One of them whistled and Sarah’s attention was already zeroed in on the boys in the front seat.
“Yum,” she said aloud before covering her mouth with one hand and giggling. “That is—sorry, Ms. Finley. I just figured as long as I’m in town I might as well go to that dance.”
Sarah’s attention wandered again as Ally and Bethany emerged from the back of the store.
“Sarah, this is my daughter, Ally.” While Bethany made introductions, the girls arranged to meet at the village green later where Lucky’s Grocer and Restaurant would host the first Outdoor Night of the season.
The local market backed up to the village square, and the town council had given Lucky’s Grocer special permission to set up outdoor tables that spilled into the park at the center of town. It occurred only on one night a week during the warm months, but everyone looked forward to the Friday nights. Families arrived early and brought their food to the playground. Teens stayed late and took over the swings after the younger crowd cleared out. For everyone else, there was beer and ribs and dancing under the stars to live music.
Bethany winked at Erin while the girls chatted. “Ipulled Ally off the register. We waited until the store was empty, but I can run back inside?—”
“No.” Erin picked up the bag of clothes. “You’ve got your appointment. I’ll head in and maybe I’ll see you at Lucky’s later?”
“You’re going?”
Erin shrugged. “Might as well. It’s an easy way to see people and I’ve stuck close to home since I’ve been back in town.”
Bethany nodded, a thoughtful look in her eye. “I’ve noticed. I’m glad you’re getting out more.” She touched the ends of Erin’s hair, the strands that were newly colored warm bronze. “I don’t know what happened with that former guy of yours, but I’m glad to see you’re coming back to life.”
Erin’s chest ached at the reminder. It sucked to be someone’s fool.
“How about you?” she asked, eager to deflect the conversation from her failed relationship. “Will you be there?”
Bethany shook her head. “I try not to ask Scott for dates. We’re not there yet, and I don’t want to put too much pressure on him.” She swallowed hard. “I’m trying to give him space and time to see what we had and what we could have together again. But it’s not easy.”
Erin nodded. “I don’t imagine it would be.”
As Sarah and Ally finalized plans to meet later, Bethany headed toward the heavy-duty pickup truck she drove with the Finley store name painted on one side. Erin watched her go, wondering how a woman could pour so much of herself into a marriage and a man—a good man, for all Scott’s flaws—and still feel so lonely.
Her heart broke for them. But it made Erin all the morecertain of her decision to keep her boundaries in place where Remy Weldon was concerned.
Obtaining alcohol ateighteen years old was ridiculously easy. And since her father wasn’t around anyway…why not?
Sarah patted the six-pack on the passenger seat of her car now that she’d reclaimed her driving privileges after putting in her time being grounded. She congratulated herself on another successful liquor store run.
Four days in Heartache, Tennessee, and she was already working the town like a local. She had a place to go on a Friday night, and a fun new friend to hang out with. Sure her dad had blown off her every attempt to work with him this week, citing her punishment of being “grounded,” but honestly—screw him. She knew he didn’t care about being a father to her now that her mom was gone. He might have cared once, but now? Every day that he made excuses not to hang out with her only made her feel worse. If he wasn’t looking out for her, who would protect her?
There’d been atime when they did stuff together every weekend. But maybe that had only been to impress her mom. Too bad Sarah had really bought it. Ever since her mother died, Remy was stuck working and being sad all the time. He’d moved them out of that gargantuan house he’d built in Lafayette, Louisiana, and transplanted them to Miami, which she hated. Then he’d just retreated from her and everything else. Except for work. Oh sure, he pawned her off on people all the time. Responsible adults like the Stedders who could watch her 24/7. This was thefirst time in two years she’d pushed his hand to spend time with her and he was running away every chance he got.
If he couldn’t be bothered with her, she’d find someone, or something, else to entertain her. Like a dance under the stars, a new dress, and the name of the cute driver of the hot convertible she’d seen in the parking lot behind Last Chance Vintage today. Lucas Maynard.
Yum.
Ally Finley had warned Sarah to steer clear of him in a text she’d sent earlier. He had a girlfriend, apparently. But after the way Lucas had looked at Sarah, she had figured the girlfriend couldn’t be serious. The beer on the front seat had his name on it, in fact. Because really, the drinking thing was only a little bit for her. Mostly it paved the way with boys, who were always impressed and grateful at her ability to secure the goods.
Steering her car around the village square once to get the lay of the land, Sarah smiled with pleasure at how easy it had been this time. She’d sat outside the liquor store until a young guy pulled up alone. He hadn’t been super cute, but then, that’s just what she’d needed. The guys who were a little sloppier looking were all the more surprised and flattered that a girl needed help. Guys loved to play hero when she explained her “I forgot my license” dilemma.
She cranked her tunes as she spotted Lucas’s convertible. Sarah checked her lip gloss in the rearview mirror. Adrenaline pumping, she could almost forget about her dad ignoring her and the letter still hidden away in her purse. She pulled into a parking space behind the convertible and told herself that after some beer and some Lucas Maynard, she wouldn’t care any more about those things.
Tonight, she planned on having the time of her life.
If not forhis daughter, Remy would have never shown up in Heartache’s small-town square that night.
