“Is that enough for you?”
“It is.”
I sigh. “For now, right? Isn’t that what you want to say?”
“Do I want to know more about you? Yes. But I’d rather be with you and not know all that stuff than not be with you at all.” After we finish eating, he starts the truck. “Home Depot is right around the corner.” We park in the huge lot. “You sure you don’t want to come in?”
“I’m fine here.”
“Want me to keep the truck running?”
I roll down my window. “No need. It’s a beautiful day.”
“I’ll be back in five minutes. Ten tops.”
I pull out my phone and search for his aunt’s books. I find the one that looks like it might be about his parents. Maybe I will ask Andie if I can borrow it. I pull up the free snippet and start to read.
“DeeDee?” a boisterous voice shouts from a few cars down.
I stiffen. I immediately look at the Home Depot exit for Aaron. When I don’t see him, I turn in the direction of the voice. Delta Brown is already coming toward me.
“It is you,” she says. She sticks her head inside and looks me up and down. “Girl, you clean up real nice. When you get out?”
I start stress sweating. “A few months ago.”
“I told you to look me up. Got me a place on the other side of Fort Worth. Willy got me a job cleaning the movie theater. Don’t pay shit, but I get by. What you doin’?”
“I… I have a cleaning job, too.”
“Where at? The pay any good? Maybe they need someone else.”
I can’t tell her. I don’t want her showing up and ruining everything. “The pay sucks. Actually, I don’t even get paid. I sleep in a tiny room and get leftover scraps, is all.”
“Dayum, if a cute little cracker like you can’t get a decent job, ain’t no hope for the rest of us.”
Aaron emerges from the store, pushing a cart full of supplies. My heart races. He can’t see Delta. I open the door. “It’s nice to see you again, but I have to help my boss with a pick-up.”
“Got you gettin’ supplies and shit, too?” she says. “You best stand up for yourself and ask for more money.” Aaron’s getting closer. “That cowboy your boss? Take some advice, DeeDee—ride that cowboy like he a buckin’ bronco, and you be winnin’ first prize. You be out of that tiny room in no time.”
Sweat soaks my underarms. I have to get her out of here.
“Delta!” a man yells. “The fuck over here.”
“Gots ta go,” she says and finally leaves.
I try to slow the shaking of my hands as I lower the tailgate for Aaron. “Who was the woman you were talking to?”
“Nobody. She was asking for money.”
I’m helping him load things when a beat-up car drives past. Delta sticks her head out the window. “Remember what I said, DeeDee.” She laughs as tires burn rubber and a string of profanities comes from the driver.
Aaron looks after them. When they’re out of sight, he asks, “What did she mean, remember what she said?”
I reach for the nearest lie. “She was spouting something about Jesus and how we’re all going to hell if we don’t help each other out. I told her I didn’t have any money, but she didn’t believe me.”
“Yeah, but why in the hell would she call you DeeDee?”
“She’s clearly crazy, Aaron.”
“Seems strange she would call you that.”
I sidle up to him and rub against his hip. “I much prefer Dev.”
He smiles, and I can tell all thoughts of the crazy woman are gone. He pulls me into his arms. “What was it you said again about what you wouldn’t do for a Chick-fil-A sandwich?”
I stretch up on my toes to give him a kiss. “Take me home, and I’ll show you.”
Chapter Nineteen
Aaron
I watch her sleep. She’s gorgeous without even trying. Maybe that’s what I love about her. She’s so natural. So raw.
I try not to move. I don’t want to wake her. It’s the first time we’ve had a sleepover. Her room at the lodge isn’t ideal, but we were up on the roof, and she fell asleep. I carried her downstairs, and when I put her on the bed, she didn’t let me go.
I lightly trace the edges of her face. I need to ingrain every inch of her into my memory, because I’m not sure how long she’ll be here. I think she’s trapped inside a life she doesn’t want. She’s obviously having fun, and we have this inexplicable connection, but she’s at war with herself. She’s stuck, unable to get beyond a past that’s holding her hostage. Part of me lives in fear that I’ll wake up one day and find her gone.
I roll over as quietly as I can, get my phone off the nightstand, and take a picture of her.
Her eyes open. “Did you take a picture of me?”
“I couldn’t help it. You looked so peaceful.”
She pulls me down next to her. “Take one of both of us.”
I snuggle next to her, snap one, then look at it. She didn’t bother to push stray hairs off her forehead or straighten her wrinkled T-shirt. It’s a beautiful goddamn picture.
When I put my phone back on the nightstand, I see her notebook, a stack of money sticking out of the back. “You really should keep your money in a better place. Don’t you have a purse?”
“I don’t like to keep it there. It’s too tempting if I have it on me. Besides, I’m almost always on the ranch. Speaking of money, do you have any idea when Maddox will need more day laborers? The tips from the guests are great, but I’d like to get more.”
“Not until the stable is almost complete. A few weeks, maybe. I could ask around. Wyatt Jenkins is nice. I’m sure he’d hire you if he had a job for you.”
“No. I only want to work here.”
“If you need money, I’ll give it to you.” I glance at the thick stack in the back of her notebook. “But it looks like you’re set for a while.”
“I want to start saving.”
“For what?”
“My own place.”
“You don’t like it here?” When she doesn’t answer, I glance around the room that’s barely bigger than a large closet and chuckle. “What am I saying? Of course you don’t. This place is like a prison cell.”
She scoffs. “Hardly.”
“As if you’d know.” I spoon her. “I like having you close. The nearest rentals are ten minutes away. How will we watch the stars together?” A thought occurs to me, and before I can stop myself, I blurt, “Move into the cabin with me.”
She spins to face me. “You’re crazy.”
“No, I’m not. My cabin isn’t huge—it’s nothing like Maddox’s place—but it’s a lot bigger than this room. Hell, I’ll add onto it. I built it myself, so it won’t be that hard.”
“We’ve only known each other a month.”
“That doesn’t matter, Dev. It only took me a few days to fall—”
Her fingers cover my lips. “Don’t. Please.”