“Fuck off, Wyatt.”
Wyatt opens his mouth to respond, but from the end of the table comes the old, measured voice of my grandpa. “Warner, my eyesight might be closer to bat than man, but even I can see you’ve got it bad.”
At first, it’s just Jessie with a small, stifled giggle. Then it’s Wyatt, and he doesn’t hold back. Next, it’s everyone, a cacophony of laughter. Even my dad wears a reluctant, bemused half grin.
“I hate all of you,” I say, swiping bacon from the platter in front of me. I grab more than my share and stare at Wyatt. “And you, asshole, I’m eating your portion of bacon.”
Wyatt laughs again and flips me off. There’s bacon in my mouth when I return the gesture.
26
Tenley
My mother’s calling and I know what it’s about, and I do not want to answer. But if I don’t answer, she will call over and over. Then she will call Gretchen, and Gretchen doesn’t need to be a part of that. Besides, I’ve already talked to Gretchen this morning.
“Hi, Mom.” I tuck the phone between my shoulder and my ear and open the fridge. I’d like to make a smoothie, but Wyatt doesn’t have a blender. It’s the first time since coming to Sierra Grande that I’ve really missed something about my home. But then I remember that my blender was actually Tate’s blender and he took it when we broke up.
“Hi, honey,” my mom answers. “What are you up to?”
Her breezy tone is too on purpose. I see right through it like it’s gossamer. “I’m headed into town in search of a smoothie.” Last week on the set I overheard two crew members talking about a place they found in the middle of town. It can’t be hard to locate.
“How nice. Anything new?”
I roll my eyes as I pull Pearl out onto the road that leads around the homestead and through to the main road. “Mom, do you have something to ask me?”
“Your new… friend is making a splash this morning.”
“Technically, he made a splash last night.”
“What do you think about it?”
I sigh quietly. Warner looked pissed off in the photo, but he also looked strong. Protective. Capable and in control. And I still can’t figure out how the picture was taken in the first place. Wyatt said nobody in this town would take a picture like that, not after what he’d done to get my underwear back. He still hasn’t said what he did, but I believe him. The only logical explanation is that there was a second pap we didn’t know about. In LA, they’re everywhere. But here in a small town, I felt relatively insulated. That’ll be changing soon, if what Gretchen said is true.
When she called this morning, she informed me that she’d heard there were paps headed here, hoping to catch Warner acting ill-tempered again. “America’s sweetheart meets bad boy cowboy, or something like that,” Gretchen had said.
“The photo isn’t what it seems, Mom.”
“It never is. Tell me more about it.”
I open my mouth to answer, then remember what the pap said. “Why did you put Aspen on the market? I thought you had time.”
She’s quiet. It’s taking her too long to answer.
“Mom,” I nudge her on.
“The people your father owes grew impatient.”
“How impatient?”
She’s quiet again, and it frightens me more than anything else could. “They didn’t hurt us, if that’s what you’re wondering. But you can’t tell people like that to wait. The word ‘no’ does not exist with them.”
“Please let me pay off the debt for you, Mom. Please. I can make this all go away in seconds.”
“It’s not your place to clean up your parents’ mistakes. I won’t put you in that position.”
“So instead, you’re putting yourself and Dad in danger?”
“We’re not in danger. Honestly,” she adds, which doesn’t make me feel any better. “Are you?”
I make a face. “What are you talking about?”
“Your cowboy. He lost his temper.”
My arms go rigid and my knuckles whiten as I grip the steering wheel. “He’s not experienced with paps, Mom. Comments don’t roll off his back like water off a duck.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I’m not upset.” False.
She switches subjects. “I hear filming is going well. The sex scene is this week.”
I take a deep breath and blow it out my nose, letting my defensiveness of Warner seep out of me. “Yep.”
“Are you nervous?”
“Nervous about having to passionately kiss and pretend to have sex with my childhood friend? All in a day’s work.”
Mom barks a laugh. “You’re only sarcastic when you’re nervous.”
“I’m not nervous, exactly, but I’ll admit that it’s weird.”
“That’s what I figured.” She sounds pleased with herself.
“Mom, I’m pulling into a parking spot. Can we talk later?” We say I love you and hang up.
Ten minutes later, on my way out of the store holding a raspberry banana smoothie, I see a woman a few cars from mine, struggling to load something heavy into the back of her vehicle.
“Can I help you with that?” I call as I approach. When she looks up, I recognize her from my birthday dinner. “Jo, right?” I put down my drink and place my hands on the opposite side of a large, heavy box. Together we slide it into her trunk.
“Thank you so much.” She grins at me. “I won’t even pretend to only halfway remember your name. Hi, Tenley.”
We finish loading the next two boxes, and she tells me they’re full of wine. “The delivery truck broke down on the way up the I-17, so I had to run into town and buy out the local selection.”
“Maybe I’ll come in for a glass sometime soon.” Sitting at a table at The Orchard with a glass of wine sounds like a good way to spend an evening.
“Please come in. Your first glass is on me.” Jo closes the trunk and starts toward the front of the car.
I wave goodbye and head back to Pearl. Warner texts just before I back out of the parking spot. He’d been at his parents’ house all morning, first for breakfast and then because Wes needed help fixing a tractor.
Warner: I’ve already seen the photo, and I don’t give a shit. There’s a beautiful woman who lives a stone’s throw from me, but I stopped by her house and she wasn’t home. Do you know where she’s gone?
I grin at his words, my thumb running over the screen.
I don’t know where she went, but would you like me to pass her a message?
Warner: Tell her to get her gorgeous ass back here because I need to kiss her.
Anticipation curls through my stomach, delicious and exhilarating. I press down a little harder on the accelerator.
***
Warner is waiting for me on my front porch when I arrive. With one foot out of the car door, he grabs me and spins me around. He sets me down, pressing me up against Pearl, and he’s hard against my stomach. He kisses me like he’s been without food for days, and I’m dinner.