“Hey!” Jen said to Cheyenne with a big smile. But Cheyenne couldn’t answer. All she could do was stare at Joey’s hand on Jen’s waist.
“Did you get something to drink, Cheyenne?” Joey asked. “There’s a keg downstairs. Or if you’d rather have a soda, they’re in the cooler out back. I’ll be happy to show you.” He looked at Jen and smiled. But this smile was different from all the smiles he’d given Cheyenne. It was softer and . . . loving. “You want me to bring you something, babe?”
Suddenly, the blinders Cheyenne had been wearing fell off. Everything became crystal clear. Joey Mac had never liked her. He treated her the way he treated all the girls who stared at him with stars in their eyes. He smiled and flirted, but he had never looked at Cheyenne the way he was looking at Jen. And he never would.
Tears welled in her eyes. Before they could fall and totally humiliate her, she turned and fled down the stairs and out of the house. She wanted to run home and cry in her daddy’s arms. But she couldn’t. Not when she had lied to him. And she couldn’t call Nathan either. She didn’t want him knowing that he’d been right all along—Cheyenne had been just one of the many girls who had fallen for Joey Mac’s charms.
Feeling like a complete idiot, she headed to Simple Park where she planned to wait until shecould call Nathan to come pick her up without him becoming suspicious. But before she could get to the park, a car pulled up to the curb next to her. The window rolled down and Jolene Applegate poked her head out.
“Cheyenne?”
Cheyenne quickly brushed at the tears that had dripped down her cheeks and pinned on a smile before she turned to Jolene. “Hi, Jolene. Pageant rehearsal ended early, so I’m just heading home.”
The smile and the lie didn’t work. Jolene’s eyes filled with concern before she put the car in park and got out. She didn’t say anything. She just pulled Cheyenne into her arms. The tight hug made the tears Cheyenne had been trying to control flood from her eyes and she sobbed against Jolene’s shoulder.
“I’m so stu-u-pid.”
Jolene patted her back. “No you’re not. You’re smart and beautiful and the kindest young lady I’ve ever met. Now let’s get you home to your daddy. It’s freezing out here and you aren’t wearing a coat.”
Cheyenne drew back and shook her head. “I can’t go home.”
“Why not?”
Since she couldn’t come up with a good lie, she just repeated herself. “I just can’t go home yet.”
Jolene studied her for a moment before she nodded. “Then I guess you’re coming home with me.”
The last time Cheyenne had been at the pink house was when she and her daddy had helpedBoone and Emma move out. They’d left the house almost completely empty. Now the living room held new furniture that looked like it had come straight off the showroom floor of an expensive store. An overstuffed off-white couch and matching navy striped chairs surrounded the fireplace, along with dark wood coffee and end tables. There were candles and knickknacks on the mantel and framed art on the walls.
“Wow,” Cheyenne said as she entered the house.
“Do you like it?” Jolene set the grocery bag she’d brought in with her on the table in the foyer and removed her coat. “The furniture store I bought it from said I wouldn’t get it until next week. But then I got a call at the bank today saying it was going to be delivered early—everything but the dining room furniture and kitchen table.”
“It looks great.” Homey. Just like what Cheyenne had dreamed of.
“Thank you. I’m pretty proud of myself. It’s my first try at decorating.” Jolene picked up the bag. “Why don’t you sit down and I’ll make us some hot chocolate.”
When she disappeared into the kitchen, Cheyenne took a seat on the couch. She didn’t feel good, but she wasn’t as upset as she had been. Now that she thought about it, it made sense. Joey and Jen made a perfect couple. They were both popular and beautiful and the same age. Even their names went together. Joey and Cheyenne didn’t sound nearly as cool.
“Here we go.” Jolene walked back into theroom with two mugs. “I’m afraid I don’t have any marshmallows.”
“That’s okay. I don’t really like marshmallows.”
Jolene joined her on the couch. “Me either. My sister thought I was crazy because I always gave her the marshmallow chicks the Easter Bunny brought me every year.”
“Those are awful.”
“Completely agree. You might want to let that cool a little.” Jolene set her cup of hot cocoa down on a coaster on the coffee table and Cheyenne did the same.
There was an awkward silence before Jolene spoke. “You want to talk about it?”
Cheyenne shrugged. “Not really.”
Instead of pressing her, Jolene glanced at the space in front of the window. “I’m thinking about putting a Christmas tree right there. What do you think?”
“I think it would look real nice. With it being so close to Christmas, we’re running a special on artificial trees at the hardware store. I could get you one for cheap.”
“Thank you, but I much prefer real trees to fake ones. I love the smell and the way you’ll continue to find pine needles long after the holidays are over. You should see the tree I put up in the library at my house—I mean my father’s house.” It was easy to read the sadness in Jolene’s eyes.
