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"She's going to do whatever she wants to do." Peach is all indignation. "She's going to focus on self care with ice cream and spa treatments."
"She's going to get so drunk she can't even remember his name and find someone better out on the dance floor." Blue shakes her hips, an arm tight around my shoulders.
Josephine continues to stare me down, but I don't get the feeling she's expecting me to disappoint her. It's more like she's curious about what I'm going to do. Like maybe she believes I can do more than what's expected of me. "I'm going to make this farm the most popular tourist destination this side of the Rocky Mountains." I throw my good arm around Blue's shoulders. "Then I'm going to go out and find someone better on the dance floor."
Josephine grins like she's proud of me. "You know, it is possible to be happy without a partner. I have been for fifteen years."
"She doesn't need a partner, but we all need sex on the regular." Blue is as blunt as usual. I have a feeling she and Xavier would like each other, or try to kill each other. And now I'm fighting tears again.
"You aren't picking up anyone for sex here." Josephine points at Blue and Peach in turn with a warning glare. "You girls come with me. I've got coats and hats for you. Children visit this farm, you know."
To my utter shock, not even Blue argues with her.
"Thank goodness." Peach hurries after Josephine. "I'm freezing. I thought you were exaggerating how cold it is here."
Blue looks back over her shoulder to roll her eyes at me. Peach isn't dumb, she just doesn't always think through what she's saying or clue into reality. She can probably recite the names of the book boyfriends in the last five books we read, but can't pick Colorado out on a map to save her life.
It's more the result of her chaotic and dysfunctional upbringing than her intelligence.
By the time Josephine gets back with my cousins, who are wearing cleavage-covering scarves and warm hats but no coats, our first group of tourists is arriving. Only five people get off the shuttle bus, but it's better than nothing.
I stay busy enough through the afternoon to avoid thinking about Xavier, but it's unavoidable when his truck pulls up at five thirty.
My heart jumps, hoping he's changed his mind, but his grim expression when he gets out puts that hope to rest quickly.
"Isn't that…?" Peach asks, her eyes wide with interest.
"That's Xavier."
Instantly, her expression hardens. Or gets as hard as Peach's expressions ever get, which is only a slight variation from her usual sweet demeanor.
"That's the asshole?" Blue yells from the other end of the barn where she's cleaning up after the mess left behind by an afternoon of about thirty tourists. Not bad at all for the first day.
"That's him," Josephine yells back. "Go tell him you don't need a ride, Cherry. Your cousins will drive you home in their rental."
But Xavier's walking toward me and I can't move. I can barely blink.
"She doesn't need a ride." Peach is all sass as she lifts her chin high.
Xavier smiles. It seems like a sad smile, but maybe that's just wishful thinking. "It's good to meet you in person, Peach."
"It's very nice—" She glances at me and swallows her smile. "It's not nice to meet you in person at all. You hurt my cousin."
If I could move, I'd slap a hand over my cousin's mouth.
Xavier's smile falls, and he looks confused. "I didn't mean to hurt your cousin. We're friends. I hope we can still be friends."
"No," I manage to get out.
Blue steps up next to me and slides her hand into mine. I squeeze hard, fighting tears, fighting not to let him see how much I'm hurting.
"You should leave." Blue's voice is as hard as nails, her protective mode activated. "Cherry doesn't need anything from you anymore."
Xavier pales and looks a bit like Blue just punched him in the stomach. "Cherry, do you think we could talk? I was busy this afternoon when you stopped by and I—"
"You should go." If he stays another second, I'm going to throw myself at him and beg him to give me a chance. I might even offer to be his friend, which would be disastrous. I can't be his friend until I'm completely over him and positive I won't be hoping for more every time I see him. It would be like getting my heart broken over and over again. "It's not your fault. I changed the rules and you can't help how you feel about me. But I need some space, Xavier."
He opens his mouth like he wants to argue.
