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I snuck into the second to last row. That dang Bobby Jay moved past me and sat on my left, leaving my right side wide open, and wouldn’t you know it, but that louse sat next to me instead of taking the end of the pew and letting Marlowe sit by me. I scooted as close to Bobby Jay as I could. It wasn’t helping. I could feel the same electricity crackle between Ryder and me. My body didn’t know whether to sit on his lap or slap him Scarlett O’Hara style.
Ryder looked just as uncomfortable as me. He was sitting unnaturally still, though I had to say his eyes were fixed on my bare legs. The ones his hands used to rest on and caress. He could eat his heart out. Except next to him on his other side were a pair even longer and shapelier. The twins were known for those legs.
“I thought you told me last night that some idiot around here broke your heart,” Bobby Jay tried to whisper, but he was awful at it.
There was sudden movement to my right. I could feel Ryder’s gaze shift from my legs to my face.
Since we were in God’s house, I decided it was best not to lie, and perhaps Ryder needed a come to Jesus moment. He could confess his sins right here.
“You asked if he lived here.” I turned my head and faced the perpetrator. Ryder was waiting for me. Anger and confusion stirred like a chocolate vortex in his eyes. The only person he should be angry at is himself. I didn’t let it deter me. “He lives here now.”
Ryder’s eyes went wide before narrowing. He leaned in and whispered close to my ear, making me shiver and catch my breath. “You and I are going to talk later.”
I tried to act unaffected, but my hands were shaking so bad I had to hold them together. “Fine, Carroll.”
He smirked before facing forward.
“I hope I get to watch the show,” Bobby Jay laughed.
There was only going to be one private performance. I was going to have my say and then never look back.
~*~
Why did Marlowe have to invite them to the boutique? The better question was, why did they agree to come? Surely they had better things to do on Sunday, like drink beer and watch sports. I guess football season was a ways away, but I bet the Braves were playing. Or fishing. They both loved to fish, and rumor had it that Colorado had some of the finest fishing in the country.
I didn’t like the way Ryder was studying me like he didn’t know me. Like his slow hands hadn’t memorized all my curves. Oh, I had to stop thinking about it.
I was so grateful when Miss Kate came in with her two daughters to distract me.
“Shelby!” Olivia, Miss Kate’s oldest daughter, ran toward me. She was a pretty little thing all of fourteen years old.
I wrapped her in my arms. “Hey, sugar, how was the dance?” She had been in two weeks ago to pick out a dress for continuation. It was a dance they held for the eighth graders around here before they headed off to high school.
She squeezed me tighter. “It was so fun. I have some pictures to show you.” While she reached for her phone, her momma and baby sister, Libby, made it to us. Libby in her momma’s arms reached out for me. I happily took the redheaded cuddle bug. Libby snuggled right into me.
“She’s getting so big.” I smiled at Miss Kate.
“Ten months old today.” Miss Kate beamed at her baby.
I kissed Libby’s head and breathed in her baby fresh smell. My biological clock skipped a few minutes. It didn’t help that Ryder was in my line of sight standing over by the accessories and handbags. He tilted his head and, for a fraction of a second, I saw the warm smile he used to flash me. It was almost as if I could see him remembering the dozen times I’d told him that my life would be complete if we had a curly redhead like the one I had in my arms now. But just like that, his smile was gone and he was back to staring at me as if I was a stranger to him. I flashed him my own look that said the feeling was mutual.
Olivia pulled up the pictures on her phone that she wanted to show me. “I think this one is my favorite.” She blushed.
A gangly, nervous boy had his arm around her in front of the school. She was smiling up at him as if this was the greatest night of her young life.
“You are gorgeous. Going with the mint green was the perfect choice with that updo.” I smiled up at Kate. “You did good, Momma, with her hair.”
