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As I pull out of the driveway, my mind races with all sorts of thoughts. I can’t believe my parents still expect me to get married and settle down, especially after everything that’s happened with Dan. It’s like they don’t understand that I have my own life to live, and it’s not going to revolve around finding a husband and popping out kids.
As I hit the road, Riley calls. I can’t hit the answer button fast enough.
“Thank God,” I gush. “This is a nightmare.”
“Oh, so you made it home.” She laughs out loud.
“And it’s worse than I imagined.” I shake my head. “What am I doing here?”
“Getting some much-needed rest. Doctor’s orders.”
I huff out a breath. “Maybe I should leave.”
“Let me guess. Your parents? If they’re already stressing you out this much, then yeah, you should.”
The thought is so tempting, but if I were to leave Fort Williams, I wouldn’t have anything else to do.
Which is why I’m staying. As overbearing as my parents can be, this is better than having an empty plate.
I’m coming up on Josh’s ranch, and I risk a glance at the field he was in before, but he’s nowhere to be seen.
“I miss Fort Williams,” Riley is saying.
“That’s because you’re crazy.”
“No, no. There’s something so magical about that place. The open fields, the fresh air, the cowboys.” She sighs dreamily. “It’s like something out of a romance novel.”
I roll my eyes. “You and your romance novels. I’ve got enough real-life drama to deal with, thank you very much.”
Riley chuckles. “Have you run into anyone from high school yet?”
Instantly, I think of Josh. “No.”
“Well, keep an eye out. You never know who might be around.” Riley’s voice is teasing. “Maybe you’ll run into your high school crush and spark up a romance.”
I shake my head, even though she can’t see me. “I highly doubt that. Miles Napier moved to Seattle years ago.”
“I’m not talking about Miles.”
My heart jumps. She’s not talking about Josh, is she?
I don’t even want to know.
And yet, I can’t stop myself from commenting. “If you mean Josh, you remember what a jerk he was to me at that party, right?”
Riley laughs. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean he’s still a jerk. People can change, you know?”
I roll my eyes. “I highly doubt it.”
“Well, keep an open mind. You never know what kind of surprises Fort Williams has in store for you.”
It’s been years since I’ve seen him, but the memory of that night is still fresh. I can still feel the sting of his rejection, the sickening feeling in my stomach as he turned what briefly was his sweet attention into cruel joking. It’s not like I was in love with him or anything, but the way he treated me was enough to make me never want to see him again.
And yet, here I am, driving through our old stomping grounds, feeling a curious itch to see him once more.
I must really not be well. Maybe Sakina was wrong and I actually did hit my head when I fell down.
Taking a deep breath, I steel myself. It’s only three weeks. I can make it that long. Maybe I’ll get lucky and I won’t even see him again.
