He nodded. “I can see that. Jonah would definitely give you the space.”
A string tugged at my heart. Jonah had given me space, yet he’d been close when I’d needed someone to understand. We weren’t friends, but we also weren’tnotfriends. “He doesn’t go to town very much, does he?”
Tate’s lips pressed together, like he was deciding what to say. “Teller said he leaves more than we think. I mean, he has to get groceries and get supplies for his business.”
“Right, the business. I had no idea he built furniture.”
“Everyone knows. His pieces disappear as soon as there’s a sales tag on them. So he’s going to town for drop-offs, and, uh... Plus, I mean...” He cleared his throat.
“What?” I narrowed my eyes on my brother. Was he blushing?
“He’s a guy.” He glanced at me, but I had no idea what he was getting at. Jonah being a man was the first thing I’d noticed about him. Tate sighed. “He has, you know,needs.”
I gasped, my primordial brain registering what Tate meant before I could mull it over like an adult. “He goes to town to get laid?”
“I don’t know if he and Jackie Weller have a thing or?—”
“Jackie Weller?”
“I don’t think it’s serious.”
I’d disliked her before, and when I crossed paths with her, I preferred to pretend she didn’t exist. She had been Jonah’s on-again, off-again high school girlfriend. Then after school, she’d married a guy who’d comethrough town to work for the oil fields and Eli had said she’d left Jonah without a word. Made him feel like crap.
I’d known she’d gotten a divorce and taken her maiden name back, but that she was hooking up with Jonah? Or more? That was news.
He would’ve mentioned a girlfriend, right? I hadn’t fucked up a relationship, had I?
A relationship. “How serious are they?”
“Can’t be too serious since she’s at the bar every weekend. I’ve seen her hopping in other guys’ trucks.”
A booty call. My relief wasn’t acute. The tightness remained in my shoulders and the anger hadn’t subsided. Why would Jonah keep seeing Jackie? She treated him like dirt. “I don’t like her.”
Tate’s gaze intensified. “Not many people do.”
My skin itched from his scrutiny. “He deserves better.” I wasn’t jealous. I was surprised. That was all.
“Preaching to the choir, sis.”
Sis. Another nickname. Like Mama’s honey, sweet pea, and my precious girls, I had shared that nickname with others. Generic. Some would argue that sunshine was as generic of an endearment as you could get, but I held it to me as something Jonah had called onlyme.
Tate was still watching me. I had to get inside and sort my thoughts. Like why I glowed inside like sunshine when Jonah called me that. I needed to rest and process the last few days. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Remember what I said.”
I definitely would, but we likely weren’t thinking about the same statements. I got out and grabbed one of my suitcases. Tate retrieved the other.
Mama was already opening the door.
“Hey, Mama.” I entered and set my bag down.
Tate came in, toed his boots off, gave Mama a peck on the cheek, and took the luggage I’d carried in. He went into the house and downstairs to the bedroom I’d be staying in.
I hung my winter coat up next to the one I had to return to Jonah. I had been tempted to wear it, but the fit was way too large to justify it to Mama or Tate.
She gave me a hug, squeezing almost as hard as she had yesterday. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes, but that was where they stayed. Was it abnormal that I hadn’t cried over Boyd?
She stepped back. “Wynter and Autumn are coming over tonight. Is that okay?”
