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“Leaving things out is almost the same as lying, you know.”
Tristan didn’t have to worry about answering that because just then, a petite woman with long blonde hair came out on the patio. Tristan noticed her first and nodded to Adler, who turned around.
She was wearing a see-through tank top which barely covered her naked and perfect ass. “Hey.” Her voice was groggy with sleep. “I was cold, and you weren’t in bed. Come back and keep me warm.”
“Okay, babe. Go back inside. I’ll be there in a minute,” Adler answered. She blew him a kiss as she turned around and sauntered back into the house. He stood up. “Well, gotta go.”
“Yeah. Have fun.”
Adler raised his beer as he turned toward the house.
“By the way, Warfield,” Tristan called to Adler. “That’s not Missy from last time. Missy’s a brunette.”
“Really?” He paused. “Interesting.” Adler shrugged. “We’ll try to keep down the noise. Don’t want to bother you.”
“How thoughtful.”
“You’re welcome.”
Tristan watched as Adler entered the house. He drank his beer and sat staring at the sky. Thoughts of Stacey wouldn’t leave his head. “How do I tell her about all this? Maybe Ishouldjust move.”
Sunday morning found Stacey feeling hung over, though it was just exhaustion of working six days straight with only Wednesday off.
She sat with her head in her arms on the kitchen counter, with a mug of coffee beside her. “Oh, my God. I’m too tired to pick up my coffee. I should have brought home an IV to drink it.” The house was quiet. She figured Kristen and Jacob were at church and would be expecting her to meet them at The Pizza Place for lunch.
She grabbed her phone and noticed a text from Tristan. Her pulse sped up just reading his good morning message. She missed him, and it’s only been two days. Thankfully, that streak will end this afternoon. He’s coming over. Thank the Lord.
She froze. Wow! She never wanted to be around a guy this much. She really had feelings for him. Absently, she scrolled through all their texts over the past many months. He was such an amazing guy. He really cared about her and was so encouraging, even when she did not want things to go further. What made him keep pursuing?
His comment that he almost stopped because he thought he was wasting his time entered her mind, and her heart faltered.Stacey, you’ve got a man who is caring, thoughtful, loving…wow, he is. Don’t. Screw. It. Up.
She answered him back and glanced at the time. “Ten-thirty!” She dropped her head heavily back in her arms. “A shower. I need a shower. It’ll wake me up.” She pulled herself up and gulped down the hot liquid in her coffee cup before forcing herself to the shower.
She eyed her bed when she passed it, feeling a pull to hop back under the covers.Do not touch that bed.
She made it. It was noon, and she was in her car, driving the short distance to the town square to The Pizza Place. Jacob and Kristen, Elizabeth and Brady, were saving her a seat at a table.
“There she is.” Elizabeth stood up and gave her a welcoming hug.
“Hey, everyone.” Stacey took a seat, and a big sip of the Coke sitting waiting on her. “Where’s Jessica and Chad?” Jessica and Chad are total opposites but made a perfect couple. Chad was Jacob’s best friend and the jokester of the group. His girlfriend, Jessica, was the sweetest, tiniest thing you’d ever lay eyes on.
“They were going to eat with Grams. She hasn’t been feeling well, so they took her lunch.” Jacob explained. “But they’re looking forward to your birthday party Friday night.”
Stacey put her elbow on the table and laid her head in her hand and groaned. “I thought I told you we weren’t doing that!”
“What!” Elizabeth and Kristen squealed at the same time.
Her other hand went to her head. “Can you two please keep it down? My head is banging like there’s a little man in there with a hammer.” She took another long drag of her Coke.Come on caffeine. Do your thing.
“Sis, you know we’ve got to do something for your birthday. There’s no getting out of it.”
“Yeah, isn’t it your thirtieth?” asked Brady. Stacey just shot him a look that she hoped would burn him.
“Oh, man, you said the big bad word.” Jacob lowered his voice to a whisper. “Thirty. We don’t say that. We say twenty-nine and holding.”
“Damn straight we do.” Kristen intervened. “No one turns thirty. We just hold at twenty-nine.”
Brady took a bite of pizza. “You’re thirty, Kristen? Jacob, you got yourself a cougar.”
