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“Yeah.” A humorless sound came out of me. “That’s what I thought.” He wasn’t going to explain because there was nothing to straighten out. And I had a really bad feeling I’d been had.
Everything I let myself believe, this crazy insane risk I’d taken, had just flopped in front of me.
“Sunny, it’s just…” He stopped talking, and I waited. But again, he didn’t say another word.
When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. Sadie’s words played on a loop through my head. She’d said that after those first couple of days before she encouraged me to go into town. Sadie had reminded me of why I had taken a chance on a marriage of convenience. I’d needed a change. A new place to restart my life, regardless if things worked out with March or not.
“Sunny, the whole thing was freaking complicated and—" March kept talking, but I wasn’t hearing him.
I soaked in the sight of the backyard. Memory after memory filled my mind’s eye. I could still picture us dancing beneath the stars and March giving me my very first kiss. So much had happened in the last month. I felt like a whole new person compared to the nervous one he’d picked up from the airport.
I picked up my phone and sent off a message, hoping the sheriff hadn’t gone too far. “Who are you texting?” he asked. I didn’t glance at him.
“Look, March, I’m tired. Today was a lot and—" I started to shake my head when his hand took mine in his.
“Sunshine, please look at me.”
“March, honey? Sunny?” January West called from the slider door that faced the backyard. My eyes dropped to the ground. I shut them and breathed in deep, hating how his scent mingled with the smell of the fresh cut grass and sunshine.
You don’t really hate it, a sad voice whispered in my head, and I had to swallow the tears that threatened to slip from my eyes.
“Why don’t you two come in and we can talk?” The woman meant well, and if things were different, I would have loved being her daughter-in-law. You are! Don’t give up! that hopeless romantic inside of me tried to argue, but I ignored it.
I shook my hand from March’s and tried to smile in the direction of the woman who shared the same bright blue eyes as her son. “Thank you, Mrs. West, but I should get going.”
“Get going?” she repeated. Her eyes bounced between March and me.
“Yeah.” My phone pinged, and relief hit me. “My ride’s actually here.” I started to walk, ignoring the heat from March’s glare but very aware of the fact he wasn’t trying to stop me. I stopped in front of Mrs. West and gave her my most convincing smile, which wasn’t much, but it was something. She was a beautiful woman, a nice one.
“I’m sorry for the misunderstanding today, Mrs.—"
“January,” she cut me off and corrected. “My daughter-in-law should call me January or Jan or mom.” My lips wobbled at her kindness.
“You’re so sweet. I am going to get going. Hopefully, I see you again soon.” I leaned in and hugged her because I couldn’t help it. Something about the woman made me feel like it would be okay to do it, and by the way she wrapped her arms around me, I hadn’t been wrong. She gave great hugs.
“Honey, but who is?—"
“Hey!” a deep voice sounded from the front door. Sheriff Lucas Clark stood waiting for me. He quietly assessed the situation and thankfully wasn’t going to ask why I needed a ride. “Sunny, you okay? Ready?”
“Luke! What are you doing back?” January was clearly surprised, but I didn’t want to explain. It wasn’t on me to do that. That had to be March’s job. I skirted around her and waved at the younger West brother March had told me about and smiled weakly at the sheriff.
“Thank you for coming back.”
“Anything, Sunny. You okay?”
“Where do you think you are you going?” March stomped through the house, and I knew he was close as he rushed toward me. Not that I was going to turn around and look at him.
“To town. Maggie said she has a room above the coffee shop I can rent,” I lied without sparing him a glance. If I did, my resolve would dissolve like sugar in water.
And with that, I walked out, my bright yellow luggage rolling next to me and right to the SUV. I heard deep voices and March call my name, but I ignored him.
It wasn’t until Luke opened the door and I got into the sheriff’s vehicle and we were almost into town that tears started to roll down my face.
March had promised.
He’d told me he wouldn’t hurt me.
He’d said he wouldn’t break my heart.
