Carrie’s jaw dropped. “But everyone had you guys pegged for homecoming king and queen. “What happened? You seemed so happy with him.”
“He wants someone who will stay here in the valley and settle down right away. His daddy is going to train him in the business then hand it over to him in a few years.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad.” Carrie looked at her in disbelief. “Matt’s a great guy and can offer a good, stable life.”
“I want more. I’m too young to think about marriage.” She leaned against the sturdy trunk and envisioned her future. “I want to attend college and experience life away from here. To be honest, I’m not sure if I even want children, and Matt wants a large family. Is that so wrong?”
Carrie’s loud gasp revealed her shock at the revelation. They’d been raised with traditional values. Surely, she couldn’t imagine not wanting a family, especially when the head of that family would be Matt Russell. “Mom and Dad will be disappointed. They love Matt.”
“I know.”
“They’ll get over it, though. I think they’ve always known you wouldn’t stick around.”
“Really?” She’d expected a lecture, not support.
“They love you, Monica. They want us to be happy with whatever we choose.”
“I sent in my application to GW yesterday.” Moonlight glinted against the fence. She’d miss it here, but not enough to stay.
“That’s great! I’m sure you’ll be accepted.”
They continued sitting in the tree, talking as sisters had a way of doing. The conversation drifted from topic to topic, until Carrie told her about the latest book she was reading. She lamented being a year behind Monica and having all the same teachers Monica had the year before.
Monica grinned. “And why’s that a problem? You’re the picture-perfect student.”
“But you’re Ms. Popular, beloved by everyone including teachers.”
Heavy footsteps on the stairs brought Monica back to the present. The memories faded to the recesses of her mind but left her soul warm. What had once seemed complicated she now remembered fondly as a simpler time in her life.
“Good morning, baby girl.” Dad greeted her with a fatherly kiss to the cheek.
Monica groaned, and she gave her obligatory protest. “I’m not a baby anymore.”
“Of course not.” Dad’s wink told her he wouldn’t relent calling herbaby girlany time soon.
She couldn’t begrudge his favorite pet name—he’d been her staunchest supporter over the years, always deterring the conversation when it came to her finding a husband and settling down. In an unlikely move, he’d readily accepted her decision to attend college and when her scholarship to GW hadn’t covered the full expenses, he’d taken out a second mortgage, so she could attend her school of choice.
“How much longer are you sticking around?” His glance her way was full of hope as he poured a cup of coffee. Wrinkles that hadn’t been there a year ago spidered from the outer edges of his eyes.
In her distant thoughts, she’d known her parents weren’t as young as they’d once been, but she hadn’t given it thought until now, and the awareness softened her tone. “I’m off work indefinitely. If Mom can stop smothering me, I’ll stay another week and then make a trip around the country to see old friends.”
“I prefer to call it loving,” Mom said, entering the kitchen. She dropped a kiss on Monica’s cheek. “You haven’t been home for this long since you left for college. Indulge an old lady please.”
Monica smiled then took the mug her mom handed her. “You poured me a cup of coffee just now all in a matter of thirty seconds. I bet you’re already planning breakfast down to how many pancakes will be on my plate and how you’ll put the butter between the pancakes, so it gets the top and bottom. Not to mention the five times you called while I was out yesterday for no other reason than to make sure I was okay.”
A guilty, unapologetic laugh bubbled from Jane Hughes. “Old habits die hard. Hardly seeing you doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop worrying about you. It’s only because I love you.”
“I know, Mom, and I love you too.” She sighed and relaxed her shoulders. If she had a choice between her overprotective mom and one who didn’t care, she’d choose her mom a hundred times over. “How about I give you a break, and I’ll make dinner tonight.”
Her mom hesitated—Jane never allowed anyone else to cook in her kitchen. “That would be great.”
Chapter Four
Rex woke up with a pounding headache, rolled over on his mattress, and fell hard on the floor.What in the world?He hadn’t been in his bed after all but had spent the last few hours on the sofa. A blurry reel of the previous night played in the back of his head as he sat up from the living room floor.
Rubbing his temples in a vain attempt to ease the headache, he tried to remember details. A distant recollection of an argument with Lucas surfaced and an even more vague memory of a phone call.
He fumbled for his phone and pulled up his call history, groaned in horror. It couldn’t be true. His phone had to be lying. There was no way he called Monica. Never, in all his drinking days, which until recently he’d put behind him after college, had he drunk dialed.
