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We eat some pastries and drink out of our travel coffee mugs, enjoying the lovely morning. It’s warm out but not too terribly hot yet. I’m always grateful for that because humidity makes my hair double in size.
Once we finish, Jonas closes the boxes, and we walk them back to the truck. We make more small talk, but all I can think about is kissing him again. I wonder if it will feel the same without the alcohol that was included in last night’s activities.
Maybe if we kiss, and I feel nothing this time, then I can stop fantasizing about him during every waking moment. I’m convinced at this point that it had to be a mixture of alcohol, loneliness, and my unrelenting libido. That’s the only logical explanation. I’ve only known Jonas a couple of days. There’s no way I can have this strong of a connection to him.
Right?
His deep voice pulls me from my thoughts. “So, any idea what you want to do now?”
I think for a moment because honestly, I have no idea what all this town even has to offer. The whole thing can practically fit in my pocket. I doubt there is all that much to do in the town of Grady.
“Just show me around. Give me the grand tour. Let me know what you like so much about this small town,” I say.
“You want to know aboutmylife?” He sounds surprised.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
He shakes his head and smiles. “Usually, no one cares too much about the small-town boy who opted for the quiet, small-town life.”
“Well, I want to know,” I say. I add for emphasis, “And for what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re just some small-town boy.”
We get back out of the truck and begin to walk the streets of Grady. He points out The Saddle, which is the only bar in town. I figure that with a name like The Saddle, it’s more of a ‘honky-tonk rather than a lively nightclub.
He shows me the local elementary and secondary schools, which are right next to each other, and he shows me the bushes where he beat up the boy being mean to one of his brothers. He shows me where he crashed his bike and had to get 61 stitches from his knee to his ankle.
People say hi to us as we pass by, and although there are still looks, most of them are curious rather than nasty.
We round the corner, and I run smack dab into a woman with fiery red hair. With the look she gives me, I’m surprised I don’t catch on fire.
“Sorry, I didn’t see you there,” I blurt out.
When she hears that I don’t have the same Southern accent that everyone else does, a tiny, evil smile crosses her lips as if puzzle pieces are clicking into place.
“You must be the new girl.”She practically snarls.
“Yeah, I’m Andi.”
“Arlene,” is all that she says in response. She turns her stare to Jonas and begins to speak again. “Hey, Joe, Nicole and I were just talking about you. When are you two going to stop kidding yourselves and finally get back together? We all know that you are perfect for each other.”
Jonas’ tone is cold. “Give it a rest, Arlene. That ship sailed long ago, and you know it.”
“We’ll see,” she says before looking me up and down. “So sorry to see that you’ve traded down.”
Anger grips me from the inside out because I have no idea what I have done to make this bitch so rude. When I look at Jonas’ face, though, I realize that he knows precisely what is going on, and the way his jaw is clenched, it’s taking every ounce of strength not to lose his cool.
In an effort to make this little encounter end, I grab Jonas by the hand and begin to pull him away. For dramatic effect, I say, “Come on, honey. Let’s go.”
His head snaps to me, but when he sees the look I’m giving him, he quickly catches on. “Okay, baby.”
He wraps his arms around my waist and leads me around the raging redhead. His arm there should freak me out, but it instead puts me at ease.
Once we are out of earshot of Arlene, I look up at him. “Sorry, I just had to get away from her.”
“Don’t be sorry. I kind of liked you calling me ‘honey.’” He smiles.
“But do you want to explain what that was about?”
“Of course. How about we head back to the house for a while, and I’ll show you around the ranch?”
