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“Shitty things have happened to you. Your life isn’t shit. Take a look around. Shitty things have happened to us all. I lost your father. One day, he was here, and the next, he was gone. There was no fight. No anger. Just a kiss good-bye, and off we went about our day. Throw a rock, and anyone it hits is dealing with something shitty. You could trade with them, but guess what. Shit is shit. It’s just different shit, is all,” she says.
“Can you stop saying shit?” I ask.
“Shit, shit, shit,” she chants.
Sara-Beth starts to giggle, and before I know it, all three of us are laughing out loud.
“You’re right,” I tell her once I catch my breath.
“I know. I’m old, so being wise is what I do,” she says.
“Mayor Gentry, huh?”
“He’s a silver fox, and he likes my cookies,” she says.
“I bet he likes your cookies,” Sara-Beth mutters.
“Okay, I’m out,” I say before excusing myself and running upstairs to get ready for the day.
Mom calls up after me, “The cookies might be mature, but they’re still tasty!”
“I can’t hear you,” I yell from the landing.
Their laughter floats up.
Crazy old ladies.
I walk in the office door ten minutes late.
“Crap, I’m sorry I’m late. It’s Mom and Sara-Beth’s fault, I swear,” I tell Erin as I come barreling through the door.
“It’s fine,” she says.
I sit down and turn on my laptop when she speaks again.
“Your cell phone is in your top drawer.”
“My what?” I ask as I slide open the drawer to see my phone is indeed tucked inside.
“Yeah, Graham came by. He said you left it at his house, and he didn’t want you to panic when you realized you didn’t have it.”
“Oh,” I say.
“Oh, nothing. Spill,” she demands.
“There’s nothing to spill,” I tell her.
“Girl, you are covered in a morning afterglow, so don’t even try. I’m calling Jena and Ansley. We’re having a lunch meeting,” she says before picking up the phone to dial.
“A lunch meeting?” I ask.
“Yep, and you are going to tell us everything.”
I get up, run over to her desk, and grab the phone. “No, you don’t. I don’t need any rumors started. I’ve already had to deal with my reputation being ruined in one town.”
She huffs. “First of all, Jena, Ansley and I would never start rumors. What are we, sixteen? Besides, reputations are just history passed down the gossip train. You can change them anytime you want to.”
“You don’t care what people think about you?” I surmise.
“Nope, and neither should you,” she points out. “Besides, why is getting your freak on with a hot single man anything to be embarrassed about?” she asks.
“I’m not embarrassed. I just have to be careful because of Caleb,” I tell her.
“Then it’s a good thing Jena nor Ansley have your boy on speed dial. Now, give me back my phone and get ready to share all the tawdry details.”
She holds her hand out, and I set the phone in her palm.
“Fine. Lunch meeting it is,” I surrender.
I’m dying to tell someone anyway.
