“Yes! Yes, those.” My mom grins widely, slapping my thigh in triumph. “They’re helping him.”
“How are you, Momma?” Her tired blue eyes meet mine. Where my father has the dark blue of the deepest ocean, my mother’s are as pale as they come. Eyes that should be icy and could appear cold have only ever exuded warmth.
“Baby, I’m gonna be fine. It’s just a rough patch, but you know what you could do for me?” A glint sparkles as a mischievous grin spreads.
“Anything for you, Momma.”
“Bring me a grandbaby before I die,” she winks.
If only she knew that’s one of my top five thoughts about Betty Hughes. That woman pregnant with our baby is what I dream about most.
Chapter 18
Betty
My flyaways stick to my forehead and neck as I exit my car in the small lot down the street from the bar we’re meeting at for girls’ night. River insisted Gray would pick me up, but I needed those few minutes alone. I’ve avoided nights like this since college, when I no longer needed to pretend I actually enjoyed them. Not to mention the confrontation with Nash has me twisted in knots so tight I’m not sure I’ll be able to undo them.
Sweat coats my palms as my nerves kick in. This was to be a small thing, but the list kept growing. River invited Sadie and Joy. Joy is bringing her friend Reyna. Then I invited Harper. I figured that if we were adding to the list, we must all need this night off.
I wasn’t sure Harper would say yes, but then the woman practically jumped at the opportunity to get out of the house. Her parents are in town for the Summer Explosion festivities, and so she had a built-in babysitter.
There’s a lazy vibe as I enter through the front double doors. With low lighting, the red interior is set ablaze, creating a mysterious ambiance. Massive leather couches surround tables with low-lit candles, both lining the walls and positioned at the center of the space.
River had mentioned the grand opening about a month ago, and we thought it would be a great place to try this weekend. Tourists crowd the smaller towns, but they tend to avoid larger cities such as Carruthersville and Harper’s Hallow. They’re too much like what they can get at home.
Plus, tomorrow is the big parade, and they have the beach meetup after. I hadn’t joined them last year, but River assured me it was a massive reunion. Fun time or not, I won’t be there. You can find me on my couch with a movie playing, avoiding the crowds.
“Betty!” Joy calls, waving me toward a massive curved corner booth. All the girls are here, including a stunning woman I don’t recognize, but Harper is still missing. Checking my phone, there’s a text from her.
Harper:Running 20 min late. Be there soon.
Me:No worries. I just got here.
“Hey,” we all smile as I hug Joy, River, and Sadie. “Betty,” I introduce myself to Joy’s friend Reyna.
“Betty, this is another one of our childhood friends, Amalie. She’s a new mom of twins and definitely needed a night out,” River introduces me to the glamorous woman beside her.
“Hi,” I smile wide, shaking her hand. “Is your husband with the babies?” I ask, taking the drink River shoves at me.
I notice that she and Joy are the only ones with soda water. I say nothing, though. It’s possible that River is exhausted from the workday, and who knows about Joy? Alcohol puts me to sleep as if I were hit with a dart tranquilizer when I’m that tired.
“Yeah,” Amalie rolls her eyes. “The big baby was scared to be with them alone for the first time, so he’s got his sister and my mom there with him.”
We all laugh. Men can be such babies, but that’s to be expected.
Time seems to pass at a rapid pace as we sip our drinks and gab about nothing. It’s nice having women I actually enjoy spending time with. There are several girls from high school I still see from time to time or keep in touch with, but mostly our lives don’t align, and that’s okay. But for once, I don’t have to pretend to be happy, or bubbly, or fun. I can groan and roll my eyes or be disagreeable, and the world isn’t crumbling at my feet.
I’ve had my brother and the bar, and now I have Miller Inn and River and…
Well, there’s no Ward anymore, is there? If I go to him and tell him I choose him, my eyes will lie. My heart will eventually betray me because it still belongs to Nash. And that will only hurt him more in the long run. I refuse to do that to someone else.
I’d considered what Nash said to me today. Every word has been turned over in my mind a million times. I shouldn’t believe him. His actions have only shown that he is here to do nothing but play games. He has proven time and time again that he can’t honestly want me or care because otherwise he wouldn’t string me along, knowing how I feel about him. No good person would do that.
So, I then considered that maybe Nash isn’t the good man I always thought he was. Maybe he’s nothing more than this image I concocted in my head at ten years old. I’ve seen othersides of him these past months. Angry. Possessive. Sweet. Aloof. Uninterested. You name it, it’s been there.
But I felt him too. I felt his response to me and the way he held my cheek and kissed me. The question isn’t whether he finds me attractive. I think that much is clear. He does. His body reacts to my touch, and his eyes smolder with heat. But being attracted to me isn’t what I want from him.
I want it all. I want everything.
