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I know she’s right. Eliza made that clear to me multiple times over the two days I spent there as well. But hearing it from an outside perspective settles that last wiggle of doubt.
“Thank you,” I say, flicking my eyes between the two of them.
Bryce shoulders Poppy away from me and bundles me in a warm hug. “You can thank us by introducing us to the fluffy baby sooner rather than later.”
“What about tomorrow?” I offer.
Poppy weasels her way back to me and tosses her arms over both Bryce and me. I exhale, soaking in this moment. Six months ago, I could have only dreamed of this, and now . . . now it’s my life.
“After work? I’m picking you up still, right?” Poppy asks as we break apart.
“Yes, please. I really need to get over this stupid fear and start driving myself. I’m too old to be so codependent.”
“It’s no different than having a fear of planes and refusing to fly. It just makes life a bit more complicated,” Bryce says.
“Complicated and annoying,” I mutter.
Poppy grabs her abandoned cleaning supplies and finishes wiping the remaining two poles while I slip my sweatpants on over my spandex shorts. “Brody doesn’t seem to mind driving you around. I think he rather likes it, actually.”
“It doesn’t matter if he likes it because he isn’t here,” I point out, my tone snippier than I meant it to be. “Sorry, that was . . .”
Poppy brushes over my tone. “It was honest. Don’t worry about it. I know you’re missing him.”
Not wanting to continue talking about how damn bad I miss Brody, I try and steer the conversation elsewhere. “Need any more help before we leave?”
“Nah, not today. I’ll come back tomorrow and finish up. I’m still recovering my energy from Christmas, and today’s class was too much, even for me,” Poppy groans. She puts the cleaningsupplies back in their cupboard and starts making her way through the studio, shutting off lights and pulling blinds.
Bryce grabs our stuff from the floor while I shrug my jacket on. It smells like me now, Brody’s cologne long since worn off. The air has a sharp bite to it when we step outside, boots crunching in the snow speckled over the sidewalk. It’s been shovelled recently, but it’s been snowing for days now, ever since the storm hit. Luckily, it only took a couple of days for the town to plow the roads despite the continuous sprinkling of snow.
“Let me know about tomorrow. I’ll catch a ride with Poppy on the way to your place,” Bryce says, the three of us lingering outside Beautifully Bold. She starts her car with the remote in her hand, and Poppy does the same.
I nod. “I will. Drive home safe.”
Poppy and I turn around and head in the opposite direction toward her small red car. The headlights beam at the studio windows, lighting up the dark street, and thank God for that. If they weren’t, I wouldn’t be able to have seen the tall man rushing toward us, a black cowboy hat on his head and one gloved hand held slightly in front of his body.
I startle, eyes flaring wide as I glance at Poppy. She notices the man, too, and immediately swivels on her heels to stare him down. My brows tug together when he gets closer, nothing about him appearing familiar.
“Annalise Heights?” he asks in a rush, reaching the sidewalk and stopping only a few feet from us.
Poppy sets her hands on her hips and, despite the inches he has on her, attempts to look down her nose at him. “Who’s asking?”
“Spencer Sharp fromCountry Capital. Would you mind taking a minute to give me an exclusive?”
I stand frozen, anxiety buzzing beneath my skin. “An exclusive on what?”
He lifts his hand, and I notice the rectangular device in his hand. A recorder. My chest tightens.
“If you could just tell me a little about your relationship with Brody Steele, or a confirmation that you are indeed together, that would be fantastic. We’ve been tryin’ to reach his team for weeks but haven’t received an answer,” he explains. “Is he cleared medically to come back? Will he finish Killian’s tour with ’im now?”
The interest in his eyes makes my stomach turn. He’s a nosey reporter too far from home if the heavy twang in his voice is anything to go off. His smile isn’t a pleasant one. It’s greedy.
“You can get lost, Spencer Sharp fromCountry Capital,” Poppy hisses, shifting in front of me. “Go back home before you get run out of town.”
He doesn’t heed her warning; instead, he keeps pushing. “I just need’a tiny statement. A yes or a no.”
“You’ll get my foot up your ass if you don’t get lost. Anna has nothing to say to you.”
I set a hand on her shoulder and move to her side. “She’s right. Please go. You’re not getting anything from me.”
