Or it might feed the fire Jonathon Turner ignited the moment he caught my eye from across the room. Jesus, I was going to be literally and figuratively fucked no matter what decision I made.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Mitchell said, drawing me out of my own head as he parked the Mule outside the main barn.
Smiling, I replied, “Sorry. Thinking about the dance studio. Too many decisions still need to be made.”
He looked at me like he knew I was a damn liar. “I bet.”
We started toward the two vehicles we had driven down to the barn. “Will you be at dinner this week? You know how much Mom and Dad love having us all there.”
“Mom said Thursday, right?”
He nodded.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. When I pulled it out, I saw a text from Jonathon.
Jonathon: I found this and thought of you.
The picture of a stuffed turtle appeared on the screen and I couldn’t hide the smile on my face.
Me: Pick up a stranger in Vegas?
Jonathon: She was cheap. Like you told me, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
This time I let a chuckle slip out.
When I glanced up, Mitchell was leaning against his truck. He motioned toward my phone with his head. “That him?”
I nodded. “It is.”
“Well, the guy can’t be all that bad if he makes you smile like that.”
My chest squeezed.
Mitchell held up his hands. “It’s complicated. I know. I’ll see you around, sis. And for sure at dinner this week, right?”
“I’ll be there.”
Mitchell kissed me on the forehead, turned back to his truck, and climbed in. After starting the engine, he rolled his window down.
“I love you, sis.”
My heart melted. “I love you too, Mitchell.”
He drove off toward our folks’ house and an emptiness settled into my chest. Maybe it was more jealousy that I couldn’t admit to myself.
Closing my eyes, I wrapped my arms around my stomach and breathed a deep breath, slowly letting it out along with my negative emotions. When I opened my eyes, the sun began to lower in the sky. It was breathtaking.
“A new beginning,” I whispered. And maybe that beginning was Jonathon.
Chapter Five
Waylynn
I stood in my bedroom and stared out the window. The morning sun shone through the clouds and caused the dew on the grass to glisten. It was one of the most peaceful things I’d ever seen. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
Jonathon had sent me a text late last night. He wanted to talk, and yet all I wanted to do was hide.
Ugh. Pull yourself together, Waylynn Parker.
Feeling melancholy and a tad anxious, I mumbled, “What is this day going to bring?”
“Shopping!”
Screaming, I grabbed the first thing I could find and threw it at the intruder.
“Ouch!” Amelia said as she, Corina, and Paxton all laughed.
Clutching my chest, I shot them a dirty look. “You scared the shit out of me! What are y’all doing here?”
Amelia walked into the room and headed to my closet. She started flipping through my clothes.
“Seeing if you wanted to go into town. There are a few cute boutiques that opened up on the square.”
Paxton sat on my bed. “I can’t believe how much growth our little town has seen.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’d have the dance studio nearly done if that old bat hadn’t tried to shut me down before I even got started.”
Amelia grabbed a black dress and held it up. “Oh my! Can I borrow this for a date night with Wade? Holy crap, it is sexy as hell.”
Sighing, I plopped on the bed next to Paxton. “Sure, Lord knows I won’t be wearing it anytime soon.”
“You haven’t decided on Jonathon yet?” Corina asked, leaning against the dresser.
“I told him I’d talk to him when he got back.”
“Are you going to give it a try?” Amelia asked.
Chewing my lip, I looked around at all three of them. “I think I want to.”
They jumped up and started screaming. Their infectious excitement made me smile because I knew these three would have my back, no matter what.
“Wait!” I shouted as I stood and held up my hands. “I said, I think. I haven’t said I was going to. There is a lot that could go wrong.”
Paxton scowled. “Like what? You get caught doing the deed in public? Again? Waylynn, why are you so scared?”
Dragging in a deep breath, I walked to the table next to my bed and opened the drawer. I pulled out the Oak Springs newspaper and handed it to Paxton. “That’s one of the reasons. The other reason is that I want to have a baby. Sooner rather than later.”
“How do you know Jonathon doesn’t want that as well?” Corina asked.
I stared at the floor. “We’ve fucked one time. I hardly think he is ready to settle down and start popping out kids.”
Paxton shook her head. “Why are you in such a rush, Waylynn? You’re only thirty-two! You’ve got plenty of time for kids. And you sort of need ‘help’ in order to get pregnant. What man is going to turn down sex with you?”