Chapter Four
Tex
I don’t usually follow women around. In fact, I’ve never followed a woman before. The whole concept is desperate and a little stalker-like, which isn’t my thing, but I make a special rule for Marley.
Something isn’t right.
When I saw the picture of Richard online, I could tell something was off about him, but I figured it was that I hated him by default. He’s touching the woman I love. That’ll make me hate anyone.
Meeting him in person, I realize that I hate him for actual reasons too. He’s a fucking asshole. Who the fuck says they love someone then puts them down the way he did at the store? That and he’s clearly pushing his agenda on her with this no wedding bullshit and the modernization of the bookstore.
The Marley I know wants a house full of kids, a cabin in the valley, and a big wedding by the river with a fancy white dress, a pair of red boots, and a horse that carries her away.
This Marley is a Marley making concessions, and I don’t like that. That’s something that will never work for me.
I wait for her to finish at the bookstore then follow her car up the mountain, past the Christmas tree farm, and toward the cabin where her friend Kit lives.
I remember Kit quite well. She’s one of Marley’s closest friends. We’d often do game nights with her or meet up at Mullet’s for a beer together after work. I don’t need to approve of Marley’s friends, but if I were approving of them, I’d approve of Kit. I’ve only ever heard her lifting Marley up, which is exactly what I want. I never want a day to go by that she doesn’t feel like she’s the best thing that ever walked the face of this Earth.
Damn it! I need to get a grip.
What the fuck am I doing? It’s been eight years. Eight years.
It’s over. She’s an adult. A fully grown woman with her own life. Maybe she does have new dreams now. Maybe she decided she hates kids, weddings, dogs, the whole thing. Maybe she’s happy with the guy and I misread what was happening. Maybe I should turn off the trail and leave her be. I’ve got enough to do with building a plan for the store and getting some benches built.
Then again, I could park at the end of the dirt road between a cluster of pines. I could wait for her to come back through. I could follow her home from here.
I tell myself this is all to keep her safe, to make sure she’s really happy, but I know the truth.
Deep down, I need Marley back, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure it happens.
Chapter Five
Marley
“I don’t know,” I say, dipping my chicken nugget into a bowl of barbeque sauce. I swear we eat like toddlers. “Tex is the same guy he was eight years ago. A little older but still really smart, and he had a lot of interesting thoughts,” I shove another nugget into my mouth, “so we’ll see.”
“We’ll see what? We’ll see like you’re going to dump Richard and go back to the one guy who treated you right? Or we’ll see like you’re still pretending you’ve got your shit together?” Kit jabs me in the side as she grabs a few chips from the bag.
I drag in a deep breath and take a sip of cold lemonade. It’s the kind from a bottle so it’s not that great, but the sweet notes really hit the spot with all this salty food. “We’ll see like… we’ll see if his ideas help the shop.”
“Okay.” Kit grins wide. “So, when do I get to know the real stuff?”
I load a sarcastic remark about her dad’s bestie but bite it back in favor of the desperation itching at my stomach. I need to talk to another human being about what happened today.
“Richard came by,” I say, pausing for dramatic effect, “he shook Tex’s hand, told him how stubborn I am, then Tex got all defensive of me. The second Richard left, Tex lost it. He startedasking me all these questions like he’s still interested, maybe, but obviously,I’m not.”
Kit stares toward me for a long minute, chip still in hand, but I can’t read the story her face is telling.
“What? Just say it.”
“Girl,” she pops the snack into her mouth, “when are you going to stop lying to yourself? Richard is awful. I’ve seen him in action. You’re not imagining it. And even if you were, he doesn’t make you happy. He makes you question everything. He makes you confused. Go home, tell him it’s not working, and jump on the giant lumberjack who clearly still has feelings for you.”
“Oh… my… God.” My cheeks heat. “You’re a mess.”
“I’m thirsty as fuck. That’s what I am. And if a big, sexy, emotionally stable man like Tex were showing any interest in me at all, I’d be figuring my life out really quick.” She tilts her gaze down. “I mean, you’re saying you have no attraction to the man at all? Your body didn’t react in the slightest?”
“Of course, my body reacted. I’m human!” I leave out the part where I’m starved for affection. “That’s not the point, though. Tex and I didn’t work then, and we wouldn’t work now.”
