“They were always a competitive bunch, so it wouldn't surprise me if they were fighting it out for your attention,” Jenn said with a chuckle. “Lucky girl. So, how'd everything end? Did you pick one to go home with?”
“No!” I laughed, feeling almost scandalized. “I'm not that kind of a girl.”
“Pity,” she said, a wry grin on her face. “Those are the details I'd really like.”
“You're incorrigible,” I replied. “It ended when I left them at the diner. By myself. I just told them I
had to get home.”
“And why would you do that?” she asked. “Why not let them fight it out a little longer? You can't tell me that wasn't an insane ego boost.”
“I'm not saying it wasn't,” I grinned. “But, it all just felt weird. All that attention, all those questions – all at once. I guess I'm just not ready for all that right now.”
Jenn studied my face for a long moment as she fidgeted with the spoon in her coffee mug. I had an idea what was going through her mind. Even though she was married, I could tell that she had a thing for the McCormick brothers – unanswered questions, perhaps. And I had a feeling she was hoping to live through me vicariously.
“So what are you going to do?” she finally asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Are you going to date any of them? If so, which one?” She was smiling wide, clearly enjoying this.
I don't know,” I said. “None of them actually asked, so maybe I was imagining things after all. Probably so. I'm just terrible when it comes to reading men. You know that.”
“Or maybe not,” Jenn said, her tone light and teasing. “Look at you, coming back into town, looking all gorgeous, and getting all the good men. Leaving none for anyone else.”
“You tramp,” I said and laughed. “You're married.”
“I'm not talking about me – for the most part,” she said. “I'm talking about all the other poor girls who are forever stuck in Black Oak. Now, they have three less guys to choose from because they're all in love with you.”
She giggled and stuck her tongue out at me. I just rolled my eyes and shook my head. It felt so good to be back with Jenn again, laughing and talking the way we used to. I didn't realize until that moment just how much I'd missed her.
“In love with me? Now you're going way too far,” I said, shaking my head, but trying hard not to laugh. “It's not even like that. Besides, I told you I'm probably misreading the situation. But, even if I wasn't, I'm not really ready to date again. Not yet.”
That got a raised eyebrow and a curious look from Jenn. I hadn't talked about my ex back in California. I hadn't told her much – only, that I was seeing someone and now I wasn't. I wanted to keep it that way too. In my mind, the less I talked about it, the less real it became. And the less real it was, the less I had to deal with it.
And in that moment, I wanted nothing more than to not deal with it; to just pretend it had all never happened.
“Still hurting after your breakup, huh?” Jenn asked, obviously trying to get more of the story out of me in what she thought was a subtle way.
“No,” I scoffed. “Not in the least. I left him, remember?”
“Still doesn't mean you don't have a broken heart,” she said.
“I don't. Trust me,” I said.
My hands started shaking as unwanted memories of my time with Leo flooded my mind. The picture of his face, rising unbidden in my mind, filled me with a dark anger and an even darker feeling of dread. I gritted my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut, doing everything in my power to block everything out until I was able to calm myself down.
Jenn, sensing that something wasn't right, reached out and took my hands in hers, giving them a reassuring squeeze. I was so caught up in my own head that when I felt her hands on mine, I jumped, knocking my coffee all over the table and myself. Thankfully it wasn't scalding hot, but it was warm and wet – and my jeans were now soaked as I jumped up from the chair.
“Jesus Christ, Hailey, what's going on with you?” Jenn asked me, her eyes wide with surprise.
I stared back at my best friend, and felt my cheeks flush when I saw the expression of concern on her face. We both reached for the napkins on the table at the same time, our hands getting tangled up with one another.
“I'm so sor –”
I started to speak and then cut myself off when I caught sight of a familiar face coming through the front the door of the coffee house. Great. Just what I needed when I was as flustered and frustrated as I felt in that moment.
“Crap,” I groaned. “It's Cason.”