Page 131

He looked up, eyes watery. “There’s not enough days in the world for me to grieve your mother.”

“I know,” she said, voice softening. “But Mom was happy before she died. Don’t you remember all the shopping trips we took? The mani/pedis Mom and I got together? Our days at the hair salon? She wasn’t that devastated mother anymore. She became my best friend in the entire world.”

He blinked hard. “She loved you more than life itself. It killed her what happened to you.”

Dakota nodded. “But she moved on. She found the silver lining, Dad. Every cloud has one.”

He chuckled. “She always did say that, didn’t she?”

“She did.” Dakota leaned her head on his shoulder. “We all miss Mom. But she didn’t die because I got hurt. She was stronger than that.”

“I reckon she was.”

“And I’m strong like her,” Dakota continued. “That’s why I won’t let it stop me from having a great life. My life isn’t ruined, Dad. It’s just getting started.”

He wiped at a tear leaking from the corner of his eye. “You’re so much like her,” he muttered. “She never would let me stay mad, either.”

Dakota gave a sad chuckle. “She was irritatingly cheerful sometimes.”

“Ha, like you’re not?” I said.

Dakota stuck her tongue out at me, and Dad turned his laugh into a cough. He wasn’t ready to be happy about this situation. But the urgency of his anger had bled away.

He looked over at me. “There’s no changing your mind, is there?”

“No,” I said. “I’m not just messing around with Joey, Dad. I love him.”

“Ah, Christ.” He rubbed his hands over his face. Shook his head. This wasn’t going to be easy for him. I could see that. “I don’t know how to handle that.”

“I know. I didn’t know how to handle it at first either.” I took a breath. “But Joey is a good person. I know that he’d change what happened that night if he could. And that has to be enough.” I shrugged. “He’s trying to be a better man. I want to do the same.”

Which meant I really couldn’t be here anymore. I turned for the door. “Sorry, but I’ve got to go!”

“Give Joey my love, too!” Dakota called after me.

Joey wasn’t at home, and he wasn’t answering his phone. He could be anywhere in town, but there was only one other place I knew for sure to check.

I drove by Paws & Claws Pet Store, and sure enough, Joey’s ugly Hummer was in the parking lot. I pulled into an empty space and cut the engine, trying to decide what to do.

Joey was at work. I wasn’t sure he’d appreciate me barging in. On the other hand, I didn’t want to leave things as they were. Joey must think the worst right now. If I could clarify the situation, I should do that, right?

It was a little selfish, too. I didn’t like the finality of his words when he left this morning. Didn’t like the thought that maybe it was too late to tell Joey I hadn’t been using him all this time. That it wasn’t just sex and hate between us, but something much deeper and complex.

I crossed the parking lot, heart slamming, palms sweating. What if Joey didn’t want to hear what I had to say? That would serve me right. I’d taken too long to get my head out of my ass. Getting my heart broken by Joey Whittaker would serve me right.

The automatic doors whooshed open when I stepped forward. I walked into the store and swiveled toward the checkout counter.

Joey was there, a customer before him. I paused, taking a breath to calm my frantic thoughts. This wasn’t about me. It couldn’t be. I’d made everything else about me.

This had to be about him.

I stepped into line behind the gentleman in front of him. I’d be polite, wait my turn, and respect Joey’s wishes⁠—

“You oughta be ashamed of yourself.”

The customer’s words sank through my noisy thoughts. What the hell?

“You belong in prison for what you did to that nice woman,” the guy said. “Better yet, they should have run you over at the scene. Saved us all a lot of trouble.”