I gripped the reins, crossing my arms over my chest. “Seriously?” I smirked.
“Don’t look at me like that, darlin’. You know I’ve never been one to share someone else’s story.”
“I know, I know. Cowboy’s honor and all,” I said, defeat riding across my face.
“And don’t go discounting Quincey Falls so quickly. Our little town is the perfect slice of heaven, and sometimes people are desperate for a slice.” He shifted his weight again. “Now come on,” he said, leaning forward and signaling to his horse to pick up the pace. “Show ’em what you got.”
Chapter Sixteen
“I’m so sorry, honey.”
It was Christmas Eve.
Mom and Dad were supposed to have landed earlier this morning, but due to an improbable but brutal winter storm trekking across the southeast, flying anywhere was impossible.
“It’s okay,” I lied. “I’m just sad. I was really looking forward to seeing both of you. I feel like it’s been forever.”
“That’s because it has. We haven’t been back to Quincey Falls since…” She hesitated, the steady rhythm of her breath lingering on the other end. “Well, since the wedding, and that was almost nine months ago.”
“Yes, Mom. I’m very aware,” I joked. “You can say it out loud. I’m not going to shatter into a million pieces when you bring it up.”
“I know, honey,” she said. “Honestly, it appears you’re doing better now than you were when you were engaged. You seem lighter. Happier. And this job at the paper seems to be exactly what you needed. We know you never wanted to leave QuinceyFalls, and maybe you weren’t meant to, despite what your father and I thought.”
Mom had always had her doubts about Zane. She never said as much, but she didn’t have to. Her little comments here and there, combined with her incessant need to ask me if I was sure about marrying Zane, gave away her stance on the relationship.
“It really is. I truly love it. I know you thought Chicago was going to be my fresh start, but maybe my fresh start was just me, being on my own, here in Quincey Falls,” I suggested.
“Maybe you’re right. Dad has shown all of his friends your article. He has it saved on his phone so it’s easily accessible.” She laughed. “He even showed the woman who was checking us out at Winn-Dixie yesterday.”
A single tear spilled from my eye and I quickly swiped it away, feeling a little silly that at thirty years old I was crying because my parents weren’t going to be here for Christmas.
“That’s incredible. He’s the best.” I sighed, a tiny laugh getting stuck in my throat at the mental image of Dad holding up the line.
“What are you working on now?” she asked. I could tell by the shift in her tone that she knew I was upset.
I peered out my window just as the first few snowflakes floated down from the sky. Snow in Quincey Falls wasn’t a guarantee, so when it did happen, it felt like magic.
A fire warmed the depths of my belly.
“It just started snowing!” I beamed.
“Oh, I bet it’s beautiful.”
“It is,” I said, watching the snow slowly pick up. “Um, but I’m working on a pretty big project right now actually. Ever heard of Stetson Walker?”
It had been a couple of weeks since Donna assigned me the project. Stetson and I had had a few more run-ins since that dayat the recording studio, but they’d all proved to be professional—intense, but professional, at least on the surface.
Dad’s voice piped up from the background, refocusing my thoughts. “Is that the country singer who’s always in the headlines for doing stupid shit?”
“Ha. Yep, that’s the one. He’s here, in Quincey Falls, writing his next album. Donna got access to cover his story, and I’m the lucky one who gets to write it.”
“That’s huge, Scar. An artist of that size could really get your writing some acknowledgement. What an incredible opportunity,” Mom said, her voice full of excitement.
“I know. It’s overwhelming and has me questioning myself on a daily basis, but I can’t let Donna down.”
“And you won’t,” Mom said.
“Damn straight. It will be the best damn article that’s ever been written about this Stetson cat,” Dad confidently yapped.
