She threaded her arms around my neck. “Yes, and we can have a house on the ranch for holidays and the off-season.”
“I like it. I’ll teach the kids football and you can teach them to ride horses.” I hugged her so tight that her feet came off the ground. When I set her down, the toes of her shoes were on top of mine. “Do you think your family will make me wear a cowboy hat?”
“Definitely.” She smoothed my hair. “You’re gonna look so hot.”
I laughed. “So. I was thinking….” I nuzzled her cheek. “We could live in the house you and your mom lived in. We could renovate it. Granite countertops, redo the wood floors, new lights and cabinets. Add a wing on the back for all those babies.”
She tilted back and looked me in the eye. “Seriously?” Her eyes were wet. “I would love that.”
“Don’t cry, sweet Anna. I just want to give you the world.”
“Blue. Youaremy world. This has been the best month of my life. You know that, don’t you?”
“I know it’s been the best month ofmylife. Hands down.”
“Yeah.” She pushed up, digging into my toes. But I didn’t care because she was kissing me right here in Food Lion, in Sweet Grass, Virginia. We were talking about the future and babies and love. It was what I’d dreamed of for four years and it wasn’t a daydream anymore. It was actual real life. And yeah, that future was years down the road, but it was ours. Together.
A laugh from the next aisle over brought Anna to a stop. Who was that?
“That’s Brooklyn,” she whispered, her brow crinkled. “She said she went home for the day.”
Brooklyn laughed again, flirty and light. It was super weird. I’d never heard Brooklyn flirt before.
Anna looked amused and confused. “Let’s see who she’s with,” she whispered. She tiptoed in that direction and giggled as we peered around the corner.
Brooklyn and a curly-haired blond guy were standing chest to back much like Anna and I had a moment ago. He had his arm around her waist and she had her arm over his, snuggled against him. It was sweet and odd. I’d almost thought Brooklyn didn’t like guys. She was so emotionless about them. Or snarky. Almost like she hated men.
She definitely didn’t hate this guy though. I’d say she liked him quite a bit.
Anna let out a little gasp and stepped away from me, dropping my hand. Brooklyn’s head whipped around. Like Anna, she stepped away from her guy. They looked at each other, wide-eyed, the air suddenly heavy and tense.
“Anna?” Brooklyn choked. Her face went from shocked to ashamed to shattered in less than a second. Then she whirled and took off in the opposite direction, leaving her boyfriend standing there watching.
Without a word, Anna jogged after her, passing the blond guy like he wasn’t even there. He looked familiar. Had I met him before?
I sauntered over. “This is awkward. What just happened?”
He stared at me, a bit wary, a bit…angry?
I offered him my fist. “I’m Blue. Anna’s boyfriend. Brooklyn and I were friends in high school.”
“Yeah.” He huffed out a laugh, not happy. “I know who you are.” He did not bump me back.
“Ohh-kay.” I folded my arms not knowing what the heck was happening.
Just then Anna came back around the corner grinning, leading Brooklyn by the shoulders as she choked out tiny sobs. Anna whispered something and Brooklyn laughed through her tears.
Blondie eased up a little and tilted his head at Brooklyn, a smile playing at his lips. “Told you she wouldn’t care.”
“Are you kidding?” Anna’s eyes were wide, a perfect smile splitting her face, her pearly whites shimmering like she was doing a toothpaste commercial. “This is amazing.” She passed Brooklyn off to him. “Two of my favorite people, together?” She gave him an awkward side hug that he didn’t return.
Then she sidled up next to me and linked her arm around mine. “Blue, this is Jonah. Jonah, this is Blue.”
Oh crap.
Her ex.
Her ex was dating Brooklyn?
