Chapter 4
Winnie sat curled into the beanbag in the corner of her living room, her favorite spot in the whole world.
Behind her, the New Year’s Day sun shone over her shoulder, and she had two purrers on her lap.
Salmon had finally given up pawing her to pet him, and she’d been texting with her best friend back in Oklahoma about Ty for the past twenty minutes.
Just text him and tell him you’ll go to lunch with him, Amelia had said. He’s probably going crazy by now, and I’m not going to answer you again until you’ve told me you’ve texted him.
Amelia could be hard-nosed if she needed to be, and right now, Winnie really appreciated that. She’d been staring at Tyson’s name on her phone for the past several minutes, and she sighed as she looked up to the movie she’d put on.
When Taylor had gone down the hall to get ready for her evening date, Winnie frowned because she didn’t understand why her sister had turned her visit into a date-as-many-cowboys-as-possible fest.
To be fair, Taylor was going out with Burt again tonight, and Redwood only sat two hours from where Burt lived and worked near Amarillo.
Still, Winnie wouldn’t want to do a long-distance dating thing, and the reason she hadn’t texted Ty yet was because she wasn’t sure she wanted to do “a dating thing” at all.
“It’s been ten months,” she whispered to herself.
Ten months since Carver had shown up on her doorstep, his cowboy hat in his hand, his bags packed, and his truck still running in her driveway.
Ten months since he’d left town the moment he’d finished telling her he didn’t want to marry her.
Ten months since he’d left Winnie to pick up the pieces of her life and the life she thought she’d have, as well as the shards of her heart.
Ten months of being alone again, after so long of being part of a couple.
She’d stayed in Redwood for a couple of months before starting to look for another job, and she had moved to Three Rivers almost seven months ago now.
She looked up again and watched the characters on the TV trying on dresses. She kept the volume low and the captions on, but she didn’t hear them or see them. Instead, Winnie took a few moments to really evaluate how she felt. Right now, right here, in this moment.
“Guide my hands, my feet, and my life,” she prayed. “Please, God.”
She didn’t need big, grandiose shows of God’s love for her. She’d always known He was there and always believed that He would take care of her. She didn’t need to test Him, and as a peaceful feeling came over her and settled in her heart, Winnie took a breath and blew it out.
With it went all the negativity of the last ten months, all the ways she felt inadequate to be a girlfriend or a wife, how her hair wasn’t the right color, and how she carried too much weight, and how she pushed people too far, and that she spoke too loud, and she volunteered too much, and she inserted herself in conversations where she wasn’t wanted.
Winnie had been through it all and blamed herself for everything that had gone wrong—between her and Taylor, between her and Carver, between her and everyone.
After all, she was the common denominator, so didn’t that make the problem exist within her?
As she opened her eyes, she saw her house with new vision. No, she wasn’t perfect, but neither was anyone else. She’d rather not be married than married to a man who didn’t love her and didn’t want to be with her.
She wanted to be around people who appreciated her for her opinions, and her knowledge, and her ability to refuse to text them back until they texted the cowboy who’d asked them out.
She looked down at her phone, turned it back on, and tapped to start typing a message to Tyson.
I’m not sure I ever said it, but I’d love to go to lunch with you on Saturday.
She stared at the words, knowing she hadn’t told him yes or no while at brunch earlier. They’d gone into one of their back-and-forth banters, and the man had outright used the word date. Winnie liked that she didn’t have to guess at his intentions.
And honestly, she’d rather know now if she was walking into a disaster next weekend.
There’d probably be hundreds of people at the Glover wedding, many of whom Winnie had started getting to know in the past few months.
She wanted to belong to this small town, and if she couldn’t even go to a lunch date with Tyson, they certainly shouldn’t be attending a wedding together.
“It’ll probably save us both,” she whispered, and then she dropped her thumb onto the arrow to send the text.
A circle appeared and went around once, and then the text said Delivered.
If you let me know what time I need to be ready, that would be great. Here’s my address. She typed that in, because Ty would certainly have no way of knowing it, and he’d need it for the wedding anyway.
Great, Ty said back. Mitch and I usually work with the dogs until about eleven-thirty, so I bet I could be to your place by about twelve. If that works.
That’s the perfect time for lunch, Winnie said.
Is that emoji an indication of where you want to go? I’m taking requests.
Winnie grinned at her phone, feeling flirtatious and fun—something she hadn’t felt for a long time.
I’m new to town, cowboy, and I like to eat. So I’m sure anywhere we go, I’ll be able to find something I like.
Okay, that’s easy, Tyson said.
Since she’d been working with him in a professional capacity, Winnie knew he wasn’t particularly verbose. He didn’t volunteer information, and he never said more than he needed to.
A flash of loneliness struck her, and she looked back at her phone, hoping a question wouldn’t annoy him too much. She stopped and gave herself a mental shake.
“If a question annoys the man, you don’t want to date him.” Winnie didn’t want to live her life on eggshells, which was why she’d had to leave Redwood in the first place, and why she couldn’t wait for Taylor to hit the road tomorrow morning.
What soup did your momma make?
You’ll die, Ty said. It’s called Cabbage Patch Stew, and believe it or not, it’s actually really good.
Vegetables? Winnie’s smile felt bigger than it’d been since she’d moved to town.
It’s mostly vegetables, yeah. Cabbage, crushed tomatoes, black beans, and ground beef. She puts a lot of chili powder in it, and it makes my nose run in the best way possible.
A picture started to come through, but it didn’t load before his next text popped up.
Of course, the real prize is the cornbread with lots of honey butter.
The buttery, glistening cornbread made Winnie’s mouth water.
Wow, that looks amazing.
What are you having for dinner? he asked. Wait—if I only get one question, I don’t want it to be that.
Her smile started to fade. Who said you only get one question?
I don’t know, he said. I guess if you’re willing to answer more than one, you can tell me what you’re having for dinner.
Well, now I want to know the other question.
I was going to ask if you’re really not going out with Cross.
Warmth moved through Winnie’s chest, and her smile came roaring back. No, I’m not going out with Cross. Apparently, they had tickets to the brunch at the orchards today, and the woman he was going to take backed out at the last minute, and Taylor made me tag along.
She sent that text, her thumbs already flying across her screen for another message.
And I was probably going to order Chinese for tonight. Taylor’s going out with Burt again, so it’s just me and the cats.
Two more questions, Ty said. And you can stop answering anytime. What Chinese restaurant and what kind and how many cats are we talking?
Do you not like cats?
I’m more of a dog person myself.
I’ve got two cats. Rocky and Salmon.
And I’m probably going to get the chicken rice teriyaki bowl from Wok This Way. It was the first restaurant I ate at after I moved to Three Rivers, and I loved it.
Winnie wasn’t sure if it was the food she loved or the freedom of being in a new town and picking whatever she wanted to eat, where no one knew her name and no one looked at her with an edge in their eyes that said they knew she must be hurting inside.
After all, wasn’t everyone?
Winnie intimately knew that a person could look okay on the outside—happy even—show up to work every day, pay all their bills, and still be shattered and bleeding on the inside. Some people, like Tyson, had to wear those wounds outwardly, but she knew they carried an inner hurt as well.
I’ve never been to Wok This Way, Tyson said. It’s your favorite place?
It was good, Winnie said. I’ve had the noodle bowl and the fried rice bowl, and I like them both.
I’m not sure the last time I ate Chinese food.
No? Are you more of a steak, burgers, sandwiches kind of guy? And soup, obviously.
Obviously, he said back. Honestly, I could eat eggs for every meal. They’re fast and easy and full of protein.
Winnie shook her head, a flirty buzz sliding down her spine. This is going to be bad news, but I don’t like eggs.
How can you not like eggs? he asked. Every person on the planet likes eggs.
Obviously not, she sent back.
You had eggs on your plate at brunch today.
Yeah—when I was finished eating.
What’s your favorite food?
Winnie started looking for an emoji she could send, but she didn’t think one existed for chocolate lava cakes or biscoff cheesecake.
Now that I know your favorite food is eggs, tell me your favorite animal, she said when she came up empty.
Horses, he sent back.
Winnie giggled like a little girl getting tickled by her daddy when Ty sent, I can send random emojis too -
Winnie finally found a food she liked and sent it.
Her love for guacamole arrived front and center, and she was already scrolling through the emojis for something else to send Ty.
I don’t like:
She sent a row of emojis just as Taylor asked, “Who are you texting?” and Winnie instantly slid her phone under her leg, her left hand moving to stroke Rocky’s back.
“Just someone from work,” she said, and while it wasn’t exactly true, it also wasn’t exactly a lie. “When is Burt going to be here?”
Taylor didn’t answer verbally, but stuck her hip out as her manipulative, cutesy smile appeared.
“Taylor.” Winnie sighed and reached to rub her fingers across her forehead, because a look like that meant only one thing: Burt wasn’t coming here to pick her up for their date, and Taylor needed a favor.
“I’m just meeting him at this barn dance,” she said. “I promise I’ll be back before midnight. I have to be on the road by nine tomorrow morning.”
Winnie looked at her sister, her weariness making her sink further into the beanbag. “What do you need?”
“Just fifty dollars for gas.” Taylor pressed her palms together as if praying. “I promise I’ll pay you back.”
Winnie sighed and gestured to the credenza holding up the TV. “Bring me my purse. You can have whatever cash is in it.”
Taylor squealed and danced over to her purse, practically throwing it at Winnie. She’d deliberately made sure she didn’t have much cash, and she pulled out a single twenty dollar bill, along with a ten. “This is all I have.”
“Thank you,” Taylor gushed. “I’m sure Mom and Daddy will help me with the gas to get home.”
Winnie simply watched her tuck the bills into her bra and turn to leave the house. She wanted to tell her sister that if she didn’t go gallivanting all over town, she wouldn’t have to beg for gas money.
Oh, and if she’d get a job, she could afford to buy the things she needed.
The front door clicked closed behind Taylor, and Salmon jumped down from Winnie’s lap as she pulled her phone out to see if Ty had responded.
He hadn’t; he’d gone silent after her row of mushroom emojis, and Winnie sighed, deflated and a hint of dejection running through her that the flirtatious moment between them had fled.
“Mrow,” Rocky said pathetically, and Winnie grinned at him.
“Yeah, let’s get you guys some dinner.” She heaved herself out of the beanbag, then quickly sent a text to Amelia.
I did it. I have a date with him on Saturday.
Yes! Amelia said instantly. Way to go, Winnie. I want outfit pics and a full run-down afterward.
Winnie tucked her phone in her back pocket and headed into the kitchen, first to feed her cats, and second, to bake something delicious for dinner.
“Maybe brownies,” she mused, because while Winnie didn’t love to cook, she did enjoy baking, and she had full freedom to eat only dessert for dinner if she wanted to. After all, she had a date with a handsome cowboy, and it felt like something to celebrate.