Chapter 19
Nineteen
“ U gh!” I groaned, flopping back onto Rhodes’s couch. Or, I guess, our couch now. Was his furniture mine, too? If I had people over, would I say, you can sit at my table ? Or would it be, you can come to my room , or just the room ?
Too many questions for a brain running on fumes. Those were answers for another day. For now, all I needed was rest.
Rhodes and I spent the entire day moving my stuff in—not that there was much to begin with. My room at Mom’s wasn’t big, and after spending so much of my adult life on the go, I hadn’t bothered collecting too many belongings.
The baby’s stuff, though? That was a different story.
She had claimed the entire dining room at Mom’s house with mostly gifts from the gender reveal and stuff accumulated over time. We loaded Rhodes’ truck bed to capacity and filled the back seat to the brim. Luckily, we managed it all in one trip.
By “we,” of course, I meant Rhodes. I was barely any help. There wasn’t much I could carry, and by my fourth trip inside, I was winded and in desperate need of a break.
While I caught my breath, Rhodes made three trips for every one of mine. When I got back to work, he still lapped me, and the whole time, he never complained or lost the determination.
Now, after getting the rooms semi-set up and my stuff into its designated spots, Rhodes still hadn’t slowed down. Watching him do everything was unsettling. I wanted to pitch in more, lend a hand, but there was no denying how much I needed the help. Accepting help was becoming easier, but feeling helpless? Not so much.
I grabbed a throw pillow and pressed it over my face, muffling a loud groan. My feet were throbbing, and my ankles had swollen to three times their normal size. I hadn’t even known that was possible.
“Ugh!” I yelled again, dragging it out this time.
The cushion under my legs dipped slightly. I didn’t even bother moving to make room for Rhodes to sit down.
“Are you okay?” he asked, a small laugh escaping him.
“Does it sound like I’m okay?” I snapped, yanking the pillow off my face to glare at him.
Rhodes just smiled, unfazed by my snarky remark. He tapped my legs and pointed upward. “Lift them.”
I shook my head.
“Theo, lift your legs. Let me try something that might help.”
Help. There it was again.
As much as I hated feeling like the damsel in distress, the possibility of relief was too tempting. With a sigh, I gave in and lifted my legs.
“Wait,” I said suddenly, pulling my legs back. “Do you have a foot fetish or something? Is this going into your spank bank later?”
“Haha,” Rhodes replied dryly, his tone as unamused as his expression. He gestured with two fingers, beckoning my legs back. Somehow, like he’d cast a spell, they obeyed and settled across his lap.
He pushed my sweatpants up past my calves, and a wave of panic hit me. When was the last time I shaved? I debated pulling my legs back, but the ache in my feet won out. Rhodes wasn’t the type to care about a little leg hair. Plus, shaving was getting harder every day.
Still, the reminder was a nudge: I needed to book an appointment with my wax lady. No way was I giving birth in a few months looking like an untamed jungle.
“I like your socks,” Rhodes commented, pulling me from my thoughts.
I propped myself up on my elbows and looked down. The fuzzy cow faces stared back at me.
“I’m a sucker for a cow,” I said with a small smile.
“Would you want to come by the ranch sometime? I could bring you to the barn and see the cattle I work with.”
“I’d like that,” I said. “I’ve been there so many times over the last few months, and I still haven’t seen a single cow. I was starting to think the whole thing was a cover for something else. Drug ring? Money laundering, maybe? What does Boone Cassidy really want with Aspen?”
Rhodes scoffed and began applying pressure to the bottoms of my feet.
He wasn’t denying it.
The pads of his thumbs worked deep into the tissue, massaging away the tension. It felt really good. And not just because of the relief—it was the way his hands moved. The veins shifting beneath his skin, the delicate precision of his fingers...Was it hot in here, or was that just me?
I stayed propped up on my elbows, watching as he worked. He moved to my ankles, then up one calf, kneading with just the right amount of pressure. A groan of relief slipped out before I could stop it.
“Where did you learn this?” I asked.
“The internet.”
“What a weird search history you must have. How to give epic foot massages ? I’m dying to know why.”
Rhodes cleared his throat, set down my first leg, and moved on to the second. There was avoidance in his gaze, like he didn’t want to answer the question fully.
“So, what are you thinking of wearing to the Halloween party?” he asked. My face crinkled into a curious expression at his shift in topics.
“What party?”
“Boone and Aspen’s. The Halloween party they're having next weekend.”
I frowned, caught off guard. A party? I hadn’t heard anything about it. Maybe I missed a text? The thought stung, though I wasn’t about to pull out my phone and check in front of Rhodes. Then again, it wasn’t like I’d been putting in the effort lately. I’d been dodging Aspen and Penny for weeks, avoiding the confrontation I wasn’t ready to face. Maybe after the baby was born. Maybe...never.
“I didn’t know about it,” I admitted finally, my voice quieter than I intended. “So I guess I’m wearing nothing. And no, I don’t mean my birthday suit.”
Rhodes chuckled, the sound warm and easy. “Why don’t you come with me? I don’t really want to go alone.”
“Oh, Rhodes, I don’t know.” My gaze drifted back to his hands as they worked, steady and capable. “It’d be weird.”
“Let me guess—you haven’t talked to Penny or Aspen yet?” His voice softened, cutting through my carefully constructed walls.
“No,” I sighed. “And I don’t think a Halloween party is the best place to start.”
“I have to disagree,” he said, his tone light but insistent. “It’s perfect. Everyone will be in costume—it’ll lighten the mood. You’ll all feel a little silly, and it’ll make the conversation easier.”
I bit my lip, considering. He had a point. Costumes and a crowd could act as a buffer, easing the tension I’d been dreading. And really, what was the worst that could happen? I’d already been avoiding them for so long; maybe facing them wasn’t as terrifying as I’d made it out to be.
“Plus,” Rhodes added, his voice dropping slightly, as if coaxing me, “Penny and Aspen aren’t cruel people. They don’t have a mean bone in their bodies. They care about you.”
His words struck a chord I couldn’t ignore, disarming me the way only Rhodes seemed able to. He was right. Penny and Aspen cared about me—even if I wasn’t sure I deserved it right now. And maybe...just maybe...they missed me as much as I missed them.
I leaned back, letting the realization settle over me like a wave. Growing up, I’d never had strong friendships. I’d been teased, left out, labeled “poor” because I didn’t have the newest clothes or gadgets. I’d carried that baggage with me all these years, dragging it into relationships that didn’t deserve it. I’d built walls, assuming rejection where there wasn’t any.
“Hey.” Rhodes’s voice cut through my thoughts. He paused the massage and tapped the bottom of my foot gently. “What’s going on?”
“They’ve never done anything to make me feel unwanted,” I admitted, my voice soft, almost hesitant. “I think…I think I’ve been projecting my own insecurities onto them.”
It felt strange to say it out loud, but at the same time, it made so much sense. Hearing the words, giving them life, was like flipping a switch. A light bulb went off, illuminating things I’d tried to ignore.
“I wasn’t the kind of kid who had strong friendships growing up,” I confessed, staring down at my hands. “I was teased, bullied, and always left behind. Kids at school used to make fun of my clothes, but I won’t bore you with the pity party. I guess I just assumed that’s how everyone saw me.”
Rhodes exhaled sharply, his voice rough with understanding. “Kids can be fucking cruel,” he said. “But, Honey, you’re not that kid anymore. And they’re not those kids. I think you owe it to yourself and to them to have the conversation. Not that I’m telling you what to do,” he added quickly, a small grin softening his tone.
I smiled faintly, nodding. “No, you’re right. And the Halloween party…maybe it’s the perfect place to start.”
“Exactly.” He smiled back, his expression full of encouragement.
I sat up, pulling my legs from his lap and scooting closer. Without hesitation, Rhodes lifted his arm, and like it was second nature, I nestled into his side. He pulled me closer, his warmth wrapping around me like a heavy blanket on a crisp autumn night.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my words barely audible.
“Anytime, Honey.”
I felt peace—no ache in my chest, no racing thoughts, just quiet comfort. With Rhodes’s arm around me, I had a plan. I had a safe place. And for the first time, I believed everything might just be okay.