Shelby Rae walks over to me and furrows her brows. "To visit?"
"No. Permanently," I admit.
Her face instantly falls. "But you and Colt ---."
"Are over," I tell her before she can even finish her thought.
Shelby pulls me to the back room. "What happened?"
It takes me a few minutes to gather the courage to even say the words out loud. And when I think I'm stable enough, I tell her, "He cheated on me with Ruby Sue."
She wrinkles her nose as if Ruby Sue's name has a horrible smell attached to it. "Are you sure? Because that Ruby Sue's been known to spin a few lies about her love life. That's what I've heard anyway."
"Oh, I'm sure." I sigh and then say, "I saw them with my own two eyes."
"Havin' sex?" Shelby gasps.
"Making out," I say, correcting her.
"Okay. So maybe they didn't ---."
"I asked, and Colt told me he doesn't remember what happened."
Shelby scoffs. "How convenient."
"Yeah. That's what I said." I frown when I think of the fight that ensued soon after I took that low jab to Colt. It's really not his fault that he has memory problems, and I feel like shit for even saying what I did. But there's nothing I can do to take it back now, and it's not like I've seen Colt around to even tell him I'm sorry.
I grab an apron from the counter and wrap it around my waist. "But the truth of the matter is that he kissed her, and she spent the night. Even if they didn't sleep together, he kissed her; and it's still cheating in my book." I pause before saying, "I don't think he was even going to tell me about it. That's what hurts the most."
"It's cheatin' in my book, too. That no-good sonofabitch," she says with a huff, seething. "So now he's the reason you're going to New York?"
I hesitate. Is Colton the only reason I'm going? When I get right down to the nitty gritty, yes, he is the only reason. I like Tucker, but I don't know if I could ever fall in love with him. So I'm definitely not basing my choice on being with Tucker and getting into a relationship with him. And being his campaign manager in New York is definitely not my dream job. In all reality, I would much rather stay here in Alabama and cook and bake pies for the bar...with or without Colton by my side. That kind of life might not seem like much to anybody else, but it's what I could see myself doing for the rest of my life. At least it would make me happy. I wasn't happy in New York. I felt…invisible when I lived there, as if the world was still spinning around me even though I had felt like my life had come to a dead stop. The only time I felt a sense of happiness was when I went to culinary school. But even then I missed home. I still felt lonely and insignificant.
"Yeah. He's the only reason," I finally answer.
"Oh, Penny, don't let Colt drive you away from your home. Buddy and I need you here."
I smile through my tears as I look up at her. "I can't stay. I can't stay and watch him get married someday and have kids with someone else." I sniff and sigh miserably. "It would destroy me."And I already feel like I'm broken beyond repair, I think to myself.
She pulls me into her arms and lets me cry on her shoulder. "I know it would. But I hate to see you go." She runs her hand up and down my back, soothing me. "Promise me you'll come back to visit as often as you can. We finally got back in touch, and I'd hate to lose you again."
I pull back to look her into her eyes as I say, "I promise."
Shelby nods as if satisfied with my answer. "Good." She cups my cheeks and uses her thumbs to wipe away my stray tears. "Now, let's get to cookin'. We're gonna have some hungry people in here soon, and I don't want Buddy on my ass about fallin' behind." With a whisper and a wink, she adds, "Well, maybe I do want him on my ass, but you know what I mean."
Snickering, I toss an apron at her. "So you and Buddy…" I start, but she doesn't let me finish.
"I don't think that will ever happen," she whispers with a shake of her head.
"You should give it a chance. He seems to really like you, Shelby Rae."
"Oh, he's happier than a dog with two wieners that I'm back in town, but that man just won't make a move."
I bust out laughing.
"He won't! He's as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockin' chairs." She puts her hands on her hips, stomps her foot and says, "I have no idea why he's so timid around me."
I laugh so hard I snort, and that in turn makes us both crack up laughing. I've missed Shelby and her sassy, southern mouth over the years. I just didn't realize how much until now.
