Page 33 of My Redneck Baby Daddy

"I'm tired," I said. "I'm tired of being asked about him. I'm tired of explaining a man who hasn't done one thing wrong since I met him. Patti Shoemaker has never once asked me about my weekend in nine years. Now I'm interesting, and I'm only interesting because of who I'm sleeping with."

"That's real," Regina said. "All of that is real, and I'm sorry."

I took a big deep breath. "And then some part of me wonders."

"Wonders what?"

I should have stopped there. "What if everybody sees something I don't?"

Regina's whole face changed. "Everybody who?"

"You know what I mean."

She stared at me."No, I don't. Because everybody didn't set you up with him." She leaned forward. "I did."

"You're not the one dating him, Regina."

I knew it was wrong before it finished coming out of my mouth.

"No," she said. "I'm married to a man who has worked beside him six years. Hamilton knows things about Bobby Jo Maddox that this town will never know, and Hamilton is the one who said your name to him first. You think I'd hand my best friend to somebody on a rumor?"

"That's not what I said."

"I know what you said." She sat back. "Listen. If you don't want him, then leave that man alone. Nobody would blame you. But don't you love him in private and be ashamed of him in public. Pick one."

Bobby Jo came over Wednesday with takeout and knew inside of four minutes that something was wrong.

"All right." He set the bag on my counter without opening it. "What is it?"

I shook my head. "Nothing."

"Rue?"

I broke then, and it was like a dam opening. "It's the whole town, Bobby Jo." I put my hands flat on the counter. "Patti at school. The pharmacy. A man told my father I was one of your Maddox boys' hobbies, except he said it worse than that."

His jaw moved. "What'd Charles say?"

"He put him out of the shop."

"Good."

"It’s not good. Nothing about any of this is good." My voice went up and I could not get it back down. "You don't understand what it's like. You've had thirteen years of people saying things about you. You're used to it."

He studied my face. "You think I don't care?"

That stopped me, because he said it quiet.

"You think I walk through Food Lion and it don't touch me?" He shook his head slowly. "I just don't got the option of quitting."

I should’ve heard that. I was too far into my own head, and everything I had been carrying for a week came out in the wrong order.

"My mother has spent twenty-six years watching what happens to people," I said. "My father knew your daddy before either one of us was born. Everybody keeps telling me the same thing and I keep telling them they're wrong. I need to know that I'm right, Bobby Jo, because how am I supposed to know I'm not signing up for your mother's life?"

The kitchen went absolutely silent and I wish I’d never opened my stupid mouth.

Bobby Jo did not move at all. "What?"

"That’s not what I meant."