Magnolia squinted. “But I thought you told me you had to convince him to take money from you.”
Good point. “But if that isn’t the case, why hasn’t he tried to contact me?”
“Oh, honey.” Magnolia patted her hand. “That’s a million-dollar question.”
“A lot of men have ghosted you?”
“Well . . . no. But being on the other side of ghosting, I can tell you that it probably has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them. Maybe Jaxon has commitment issues. When things get too serious, it makes him feel like his entire insides have broken out in an itchy rash he can’t scratch. The more serious the feelings, the thicker the rash. Until finally he thinks up some stupid excuse to break things off and runs for the hills.”
When she noticed Tully staring at her, she waved a hand. “Not that I do that, but it happens. So you shouldn’t blame yourself for something that’s wrong with him. Although I don’t think you should let him get away with it either. I was always woman enough to break things off with my exes face to face. Jaxon should be man enough to do the same.”
Tully threw down her napkin and stood. “You’re right! Let’s go confront an arrogant jerk.”
Except on the way to the Hennessys’ in Uncle Otis’s old Volkswagen microbus—that was a moving billboard for Time To Read with a row of classic books painted on the sides from fender to fender—Tully started to lose her nerve.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s best if we just let things end. I’ll stay away from the Hennessys . . . and Honky Tonk Heaven.”
“Absolutely not!” Magnolia shifted gears and the grating noise had both women cringing. Magnolia claimed to know how to drive a shift stick, but it was obviously an exaggeration. “You can give up a sexy bad boy, but I refuse to let you give up your dream. You want to own an infamous dancehall, you’re going to own an infamous dancehall.” She winked at Tully. “Besides, I’m looking forward to being friends with the owner of a country bar and getting free admission whenever I come into town to visit.”
Just the thought of Magnolia leaving made Tully feel even sadder. “I wish you didn’t have to go back to California at the end of the summer.”
“Oh, I have to go back. My daddy would be all alone if I didn’t. But as soon as I get him married off to the right woman, I might just decide to come live in Promise Springs and hang with my bestie at her dancehall.” Her gaze shifted to the passenger side window. “And speaking of the dancehall, isn’t that Jaxon’s truck?”
Tully glanced out the windshield and sure enough there was Jaxon’s classic truck parked right in front like it had been the first time she’d seen it. The doubt she’d been having about confronting him grew.
“Don’t stop, Maggie. I mean it. I don’t want to talk to him, after all.” She wasn’t ready to know for certain that what they’d had was over.
But Magnolia didn’t listen and pulled into the huge lot, parking directly behind Jaxon’s truck.
“Don’t worry. We’re not going in, but he shouldn’t get away with ghosting you without some form of retribution.” Magnolia smiled the same smile she’d given Tully when she’d suggested they steal the Nutty Buddys.
“You are not going to pull a Carrie Underwood on Jaxon’s beloved truck, Maggie.”
She flapped a hand. “Of course not. I’m not that vindictive. I’m just going to let the air out of his tires.” Before Tully could stop her, she was out of the car and heading to Jaxon’s truck.
Tully would have gone after her, but her door got stuck and she couldn’t open it. She’d rolled down the window and was trying the handle on the outside when a blaring car alarm went off.
Magnolia popped up like a jack-in-the-box and started running back to the car. Tully was amazed at how fast her friend could run in five inch heels when one of those heels broke and she stumbled.
That’s when the front door of Honky Tonk Heaven opened and the Hennessys came flooding out. It only took a second for them to figure out what was going on.
Huck and Poppy started laughing. Dawson took off after Magnolia, who for some reason had changed course and was now hobbling toward the river.
While Jaxon just stood there and stared at Tully.
Which Tully understood. She was frozen in her seat staring back.
His jeans and T-shirt were covered in sawdust and most of his hair had fallen out of his ponytail and framed his beautiful face. Yes, beautiful. Because as upset at him as she was, she still loved that face. It broke her heart she would never wake up with it every morning and go to sleep with it every night
“Put me down, you hillbilly caveman!”
Magnolia’s yell pulled her out of her heartbreaking thoughts and she turned to see Dawson come around the side of the building carrying a struggling Magnolia over his shoulder. The sight had Tully kicking the door open and hopping out as Dawson replied.
“Not happening, Ditzy Barbie. I have to put up with your crazy when I’m at Time To Read, but I’ll be damned if I have to put up with it on my own property.”
“Put up with me? Ditzy Barbie? Why you?—”
“Put her down, Dawg,” Jaxon cut in, although his gaze never left Tully.
