14. Ronnie
Ronnie
“I know what you’re thinking,” I mutter to my grandmother as I drive into town. The boys are in the back seat of the car, playing a cartoon DVD at top volume. Yes, I’m one of those moms that parks her kids in front of a screen sometimes when she needs five minutes of peace.
The two of them have been acting differently today. When they wanted to go outside, they scratched at the door. Brock tried to lie on the back of the sofa to watch TV, and Branson wanted to eat his cereal without a spoon, just his face. Maybe they’re playing horses or something.
“I haven’t said a word,” she answers.
“He was just there to help…with my job.” I let out a soft breath.
“Oh, honey, don’t you think I was young once too?” She puts a hand on my arm and gives me a sympathetic look.
“You never had a torrid love affair with Sylvester.”
“He was the best I ever had.”
“I don’t need to know this!” I complain as if that’s going to stop her.
“There’s nothing wrong with loving a stallion. Every girl needs one to ride.”
“Eew, grandma.”
“All I’m saying is if you found your own stallion, that’s natural and there’s nothing to be ashamed about.”
I open my mouth to reply then realize the sound of cartoons has faded from behind me.
“What’s a stallion, Mom?” Brock asks.
“It’s a horse, sweetie.”
“You ride horses?” Branson asks, fascinated by this new information about me.
I groan as Grandma cackles and answers for me, “Yes, honey. Your mom loves to ride.”
I glare at my grandma before turning my attention back to the twins. “Do you boys know what shoes you want to get?”
“Boots like Flint!” Branson answers.
“Boots like Flint,” I agree and snag a spot in the front of the parking lot.
Shoe shopping with the boys was completely exhausting, and I was on my own. Grandma went to the salon to get her hair done while I searched through thirty-five pairs of kids’ boots to find ones that looked close enough to Flint’s to satisfy the twins.
After that, I pressed my debit card into Grandma’s hand and sent her into the grocery store with the boys. Flint’s place is well-stocked but there are no dinosaur nuggets in the freezer.
While they’re running that errand, I’m hanging out with Mira for a few minutes. It’s the first time I’ve seen her in weeks. She’s so happy she practically floated into the little donut shop called Sprinkles.
“How do you like your job?” Mira asks. She’s glowing as she sips an iced coffee, her skin clear and her eyes shining. She looks better than she ever has.
“It’s good,” I answer, my cheeks going warm as I think about what Flint and I were doing today in the office. One day, I want him to bend me over that antique desk and slide deep inside my body.
She grins. “What is it? Do you think one of the cowboys is cute? Somebody keep coming in a little too frequently?”
I hesitate. I haven’t told her anything about this. It’s not that I didn’t want her to know. At first, we were missing each other on the phone most weeks. Now, it feels like there’s so much to tell that I don’t know where to begin.
Her expression changes and she lowers her voice.
“Is someone harassing you? I swear to God, I’ll kick his ass.
Cord will help too. He won’t know what hit him.
All I need is a name.” She’s already pulling out her phone like she’s going to call her new husband, and I don’t doubt for a second that Cord will help her bury a body.
He’s the kind of steady loyal that Flint is.
“Stop that. No one is harassing me!” I look around to make sure no one is listening to us. “Do you know Flint?”
Her expression is guarded. “Yeah, I do.”
“Okay, well, he’s the cowboy you sent me in the Cuddle a Cowboy auction. We met up at the motel and one thing led to another and—“
She gasps. “You did the cowboy tango with Flint?”
“Keep your voice down!” I shush and add, “Yes.”
“Well…?” She’s sitting there looking both pleased and smug, like she already knows what my answer is going to be.
“Best I’ve ever had.”
“I knew it!” She squeals. “This is perfect! He’s best friends with Flint which means our husbands are best friends, so we’re going to share all of the holidays when you guys get married.
And our kids are going to grow up together!
Oh, do you think if we start trying right now, we could have girls in time to marry Brock and Branson? Then we’d be in-laws too!”
“Who said anything about getting married?” I ask, my voice tight. She can’t be serious. I can’t marry Flint. What if he leaves?
The look she gives me is filled with glee. “Oh, sweetie! You fell in love with a cowboy from Courage County. You’ll have a ring on your finger and be knocked up by Christmas. It’s just how they are here.”
“You don’t know?” I ask softly. I figured that in his excitement, Flint would eventually slip up around Cord and tell him about the baby. It’s why I’ve been so nervous about talking with Mira. I didn’t want her to feel like I was intentionally keeping her in the dark.
She completely missed my question. She’s still mentally planning our future.
“Now, do you know what color you want the nursery to be? I’ve been thinking of green for mine, but I’d be happy to coordinate with you.
Maybe one of us does a forest theme and for the other, we do a sage green.
Vintage garden meets Victorian melancholy with just a dash of—”
“Mira,” I call her name softly, my throat tight. When she found out Stuart was cheating on her, she talked about being almost thirty and wanting kids. Now here I am on my third and even though I shouldn’t feel guilty, I do. “We’re not together.”
She waves it away. “Small detail. Flint will take care of it. Bet he’s already picked out a ring for you.”
“We’re not together,” I repeat. “But I did get pregnant.”
She freezes then, and my heart squeezes. She’s the one person I never want to hurt. We’ve been there for each other through all the painful, hard moments. But in true Mira fashion, she’s up and around the table. She squeezes me in a hug so tight I can barely breathe.
“I’m so happy for you!” She whispers.
Tears prick my eyes. Here I was worried about her reaction, and her first thought is to be happy for me. She’s the kind of best friend you feel fortunate to have for the rest of your life.
She hugs me for a long moment before she plops into the chair next to me and says, “Tell me everything. How far along? How long have you known? Do you have a name picked out?” She lowers her voice.
“Shit, I’m sorry. Does Flint know? What did he say?
If he wasn’t supportive then I’m going to kick his ass, and Cord is legally obligated to help me, whether it’s his best friend or not. ”
I chuckle, though it’s a watery sound. “He was so sweet. He has been since the moment he figured it out. Even before that. He’s…he’s the kindest, most thoughtful man I’ve ever met. Besides Dad.”
“So, then you’re marrying him.”
“No, I’m not doing that! Right now, we’re just…roommates. Me and the kids and grandma are staying with him until my cabin is fixed,” I explain even though it sounds weak to my own ears.
She opens her mouth.
I sigh softly and admit the truth, “We’re doing everything out of order, the baby and living together and him meeting the boys. We barely know each other, and I don’t want to overwhelm him and have him disappear to Thailand.”
She frowns. “You think Flint is that kind of person?”
“I think the girl who pledged to love Richard forever didn’t understand that sometimes people are really good at hiding behind a mask for a very long time,” I swallow hard. “I have kids, Mira. Really amazing kids and I don’t want to see them hurt.”
She takes a sip of her iced coffee. “I know what it’s like to be cheated on and betrayed by the man you think you love. I’ve been there, but I don’t know what it’s like to have kids in the mix when that happens, so I’m not going to say anything or make you pretty promises.”
“Thank you.”
“All I’m going to say is that I’m here for you, whatever you need. A listening ear, a babysitter, future wedding planner, whatever it looks like. I have your back.” She gives me another tight hug and whispers, “I’m your sister for life.”