“I’m sorry that happened.”
“Me too.” She cries softly. “He should land in the early afternoon. So …”
“I’ll be gone. And I’ll have your things gone.”
“Thank you.”
I look around, feeling helpless.
“I’m going to go,” she says.
“Are you sure? I don’t want you alone right now. I’m happy to talk you through all of this or just sit here and listen to you cry. I’ll cry too. We can be criers together.”
She laughs through her sniffles. “I need some time alone. I need to make some calls too.”
“I get it. Text me if you need anything. Call me. Anytime.”
“I will. Love you.”
“You more.”
She hangs up without another word.
I set the phone on the counter again and take in a long breath.
While Ted would not be my choice of husband—for me or Libby—I am shocked that he wants a divorce. Libby seemed so happy. And, in his own Ted way, he seemed happy too. But how could he not be? She’s wonderful and beautiful, and her kindness runs as deep as the ocean.
They were planning for the future. They had a five-year plan for crying out loud. I once heard Ted say that every couple should attend therapy regularly so they could avoid problems and keep their marriage strong.
I shake my head.
If Libby and Ted can’t make it work—if Ted couldn’t be faithful to someone as lovely and lovable as my cousin, there’s no hope for any of us—
Least of all me.
Nine
Boone
Ding!
The microwave stops whirling. I open the door and take out the bowl of spaghetti, cursing under my breath as the heat of it burns my fingers.
The kitchen is filled with the midmorning weekend sun. It always seems brighter on Saturdays.
Steam pours off the leftovers, and I blow across the bowl to quicken the reduction in temperature.
It’s not that I’m starving. I ate more when I got home from Wade’s last night than I’ve eaten in a long time. I must’ve forgotten to eat lunch yesterday. That or I was just up later than normal trying to wrap my brain around Jaxi Thorpe.
My gaze drifts to the window toward Libby’s, but there’s no sign of life. There hasn’t been since a light came on briefly in the middle of the night.
I swirl some spaghetti on my fork, willing to risk eating with my mouth open if it’s still too hot. My phone rings before I can take the bite.
“Hello?” I say, letting the fork rest inside the bowl.
“Hey, Boone. What are you up to today?” My cousin Larissa seems way too chirpy for ten in the morning.
“Having breakfast. What about you?”
“What are you having?”
“Spaghetti.”
“Odd choice, but okay.”
I walk around the kitchen aimlessly. “It’s all I have, to be honest. But it’s also really fucking good.”
“Where’s it from?”
Jaxi’s face sweeps across my mind. I grin.
“My neighbor’s cousin is staying over there, and she made me dinner last night. But Wade called in the middle of it and made it sound like he was going to lose his business or something if I didn’t help him. So, Jaxi left a bag on my porch with dinner.”
“That was nice of her.”
“It was.” I stroke my chin. “But I really think this is from Hillary’s House. They have that weird oregano-y sauce that I love, and this is it. It has to be. That or she’s a crack cook, and if that’s the case, I need to put a ring on it.”
Larissa laughs. “You? Put a ring on it? Okay, buddy.”
“Anyway,” I say, laughing too, “what about you? What are you up to this morning?”
She blows out a sigh, and I know I’m in trouble.
Besides Coy, Larissa is my best friend. We grew up playing in the creek behind my parents’ house, and she stayed with us more than she didn’t. We were a three-person wrecking ball our entire lives—well, until Coy took off to Nashville a few years ago. Then it was Larissa and me for the most part.
I know her well. By the delay in response, she needs something.
“What is it, Riss?” I ask.
“Well, since you asked ...” Her voice trails off. “Are you busy today?”
I want to tell her I am because I fucking hope I will be. My goal for today is to get Jaxi’s attention and figure out how to spend some time with her. I’m thinking that her meal as a thank-you was really a hint that she’d love more of my scintillating presence. Who wouldn’t? But I can’t tell Larissa that in case she really needs me.
“Why?” I ask.
“I just … I need you to entertain Hollis. Just take him to golf or for a drink or to a game. Are there games right now?”
“You want me to entertain Hollis? Why?”
“I don’t know. He just needs a distraction.”
I peer out the window. No Jaxi.
“What does he need distracted from?” I ask. “Work with me a little.”
She sighs. “He’s been looking for his sister, Harlee, and he can’t find her. It’s like she vanished into thin air.” Her voice drops. “The state only kept records until she was eighteen and even getting those hasn’t been easy. It’s driving him crazy.”
My heart sinks.
Hollis Hudson is one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met. A former collegiate football star, he can outrun you, show you up on family game night, and can eat and drink you under the table with ease. He’s also a talented songwriter. I don’t think Hollis even understands how much Coy thinks of him.
I knew Hollis was going to try to find his sister. I didn’t realize the search had started, nor did I know it was not going well.
“It’s driving me crazy too,” Larissa says in an almost whisper. “Can you imagine not knowing where one of your brothers were?”
“No. It would be the worst.”
“The worst,” she says, echoing my sentiments. “Anyway, could you do something with him? Help him take his mind off it for a while today?”
“For sure,” I say, biting my fingernail. “I’ll call him later.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate it.”
I grin. “I mean, you owe me one for it, though.”
“Boone!”
I laugh. “I’m kidding.”
A comfortable silence settles over the phone. I turn back to my spaghetti and see that the steam has stopped rolling off it.
“So, tell me about her,” Larissa says. I know her well enough to know a smirk has settled across her lips.
I also know what she’s suggesting.
I also know she’s not wrong.
“Who?” I ask cheekily.
“I think you said her name was Jaxi.”
Hearing her name makes me grin. “Oh, her.”
“Yeah, her. Are you into her or what?”
Not like I’d like to be.
“I mean, I don’t know how you define that,” I say, laughing. “But I’m kind of hoping to see her today, yeah.”
“Is she going to be a part of the harem?”