When she murmurs against my chest, I have to strain to hear her. “I was being stupid. I don’t know what got into me. Alcohol, I guess? I clearly need to stop drinking, and that’ll solve all my problems.” She glances up at me, laughing lightly.
“Did he say something awful to you again?”
She nods.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Will you just come inside and sit with me while I get ready for bed? I’m not ready to be alone yet.”
“Of course.” I follow her toward the door, determined not to ruin the little seed of trust she gave me by admitting that. “You know, I’ve been missing your skincare routine. My skin hasn’t had the same shine since you helped me.”
When she looks up at me, I feel like I said the right thing because she says, “I can do it for you again.”
“I’d like that. I’ve been watching some YouTube videos on how to braid hair too. I think I’m ready to give it another go.”
She laughs. “I don’t believe you.”
“I’m not kidding. I’ll prove it right here, right now.”
We shuffle quietly through the front door, and I can tell her thoughts are still swirling. I want to make her laugh and smile again. I try to think of something clever to say, but once she locks the front door, she spins toward me. “I want to check another thing off my list tomorrow. I need to do something for myself again. I’m tired of being the old Lauren, lost and hurting.”
“Is this because of tonight?”
“No.” She drags her lower lip through her teeth. “Maybe? I don’t know. I think it’s been an accumulation of things, but tonight opened my eyes to everything I was missing out on when I was with Austin. It made me realize he didn’t treat me half as well as I deserved, and I’m ready to let go of it all and be better. I need your support though. I need you to bust down my door and drag me kicking and screaming if I’m being shady.”
I laugh as I drape my arm over her shoulders. “I can do that. Where do you want to start?”
Chapter Eight
Lauren
Jax metme at five o’clock this morning to help me around the ranch, but we haven’t spoken much. I’m sort of relieved. I’ve needed the time outside with my horse, working with my hands, to process everything. Plus, I really don’t want to talk with him about the nasty things Austin said to me last night. I don’t even want tothinkabout any of it.
The silver lining is those belittling and shaming words opened up my mind to the possibility that maybe our relationship ending wasn’t because I wasn’t good enough to keep us together. Maybe that’s at least one place in my life I didn’t fail, because no human should ever talk to someone the way Austin did to me last night. I’m thankful Callie was there with me to help me see that, but I kind of wish she were around today to keep me from beating myself up for not seeing it sooner.
“Will you help me with this last bale of hay?” I ask as I lift one end.
Jax lifts the other end, drawing my attention to his taut forearms, just as my phone starts ringing.
“Shoot! I need to check this.” I drop the bale. “I’ve been trying to get ahold of someone from Herford about a bull for our July calving season.”
Jax sets down his end of the bale, swiping his forehead. “Go ahead. I can wait.”
When I pluck my phone out of my pocket, my brother’s name is staring at me on the screen.Huh, not who I was expecting.
I swipe the answer button, lifting the phone up to my ear.
“Hey, Char. What’s up?”
I briefly register the wince on Jax’s face before Charlie explodes. “What the hell happened last night? Why did Jax have to pick you up from the sheriff at Austin’s parents’ place?”
“Well, hello to you too. Things are going well. Thanks for asking.”
As a strained silence hangs on the other end of the phone, I scrunch my face in annoyance at Jax. Charlie starts yelling at me again as I spin around and step out of the barn.
Unable to stand the chastising anymore, I cut in. “I know I was being stupid. It’s not going to happen again, but honestly, I kind of needed last night.”
“What do you mean? You needed to break into your ex-boyfriend’s backyard and steal his dog?”
