Eleven
ELEVEN
Tag
J esse leaned on the back of the Chevrolet, which now had two inches of mud caked into the treads. Bea’s Prius sat in the driveway, a river of dirt and water swallowing up the gravel drive. Cade was having the time of his life spraying it off.
I had my arms slung over the edge of the bed, staring at the suitcase, stained heels and sweater, and guitar sitting on my front porch. If it weren’t for Glory written across the front of that guitar case, I would’ve convinced myself last night was some kind of dream.
But no, she was here. Not her words. Her—in the flesh.
Sometimes, memories go dark. It’s a normal part of aging and even a pretty normal response to traumatic events. They just kind of disappear. I spent a lot of time wishing there was a way to pack up and ship off my own memories, because living to forget was exhausting. But they persisted like a nighttime cough—drumming up trouble when I most needed the quiet.
But, if mine had gone dark…I might’ve forgotten her. And she was the one memory I intended to take to my grave. The day I met her remained as vivid as if I lived it a few hours ago .
But she was supposed to stay a memory.
She was a flash of light in my painful childhood—nothing more, nothing less.
A tap on my arm jerked me out of my thoughts.
Jesse frowned. “Are you good? You’ve been staring into space, not hearing my questions.”
I straightened. “I slept terrible. What’d you ask?”
“I asked if Gilbert answered your text about driving.”
“Oh. Right.” I turned away from the porch, so I wouldn’t see Glory. “Uh, yes, he did. Said he wouldn’t be able.”
Jesse heaved a sigh. “You’re due to leave in an hour.”
I figured this would happen, and I should’ve let Billy know already. Not only would I be failing to deliver, I’d be putting people in a bind last minute. I only said, “And you should already be outta here.”
“Tag…man, I still don’t feel right?—”
The side door banged open. Jesse did a double take, words dying off.
Bea ambled down the porch steps, wearing my t-shirt and sweats. Her dark hair was a wild mane, contrasting against her fair skin. Last night, I thought her hair was black, but now, wearing my black clothes, it was clear the color was chocolate. Milk chocolate. Matched her eyebrows and set off the pink in her lips.
She walked toward us, one arm tucked around her breasts, the other attempting to tame her hair. “Good morning. I would’ve called you, but I left my charger in the Prius.” She spoke with a gentle smile.
Jesse, finally waking from a trance, said, “Morning!” He stepped around the truck and offered her his hand. She quickly shook it then tucked that one around her chest, too, hiding what fabric alone would not. I swallowed, working hard not to let my brain snag on the fact that one of my favorite t-shirts was wrapped around her soft body.
A frown pulled into my brow.
After introducing himself, Jesse made oblivious small talk. “Sorry to hear about your trouble getting in last night.”
He needed to shut up and let the woman go get properly dressed. Please .
Bea shook her head. “I don’t know what I was thinking, driving off into the mud like that.”
Jesse puffed a laugh. “We got it out just fine.”
She perked up, eyebrows raising. “You got it?”
Jesse pointed around the house. “Yes ma’am.”
She turned to look. “Oh, thank goodness. I hate you guys had to do that.”
“It was no trouble.”
Liar. It took us forty-five minutes and the damn Prius almost lost a bumper.
He said, “We put your bags on the porch.”
“Cool. That’s what I was coming out here to see about.”
“Need help getting them in?”
She waved him off. “No, I got it.”
“I can grab your charger.”
I rolled my eyes his direction. Jesse was coming off a hair eager. I glanced at Bea again and noted the sweet smile she offered him. Hell, couldn’t really blame the guy.
She finally looked to me, her dark eyes curiously roaming over my cowboy hat. “Good morning, Tag.”
Tag.
Hearing her say my name didn’t affect me. Not at all. I lifted my chin in greeting.
Jesse watched her as she drifted back up the stairs, grabbed her belongings, and ducked inside. Then he turned to me, quiet disbelief in his wide eyes. “She’s going to be here for three weeks ?”
“Yep.”
“You said you know her.”
“Mmhm.”
“How? Old friends or something?”
“Something.”
He gave an annoyed snort. “You’re chatty.”
“I don’t wanna talk about it, alright?” I stalked off toward the barn, and Jesse followed me, clearly unwilling to let her drop.
He clicked his tongue. “Do y’all have bad history?”
I sighed. “She’s an old friend I never thought I’d see again. That’s it.” I walked through the barn corridor to see the sheep penned up in the holder, ready to be herded into the trailer. I needed to call Billy to break the news, then release them back into the pasture. Ducking into the tack room, I started gathering the checklist of things I’d need for the rodeo, lining them out on the table. Jesse came in, too, and leaned against the table.
“She’s…” He let his words trail off.
I glanced over due to his long pause. He stared into space, gave his head a gentle shake.
“Finish that. She’s what?”
After a long pause, he said, “She’s really nice.”
I gave a knowing laugh. “That’s not what you were thinkin’.”
“Well…it’s what I should’ve been thinking.” His words made my stomach twist. Jesse struggled with guilt regarding other women. Laurel had been gone awhile, but he still belonged to her alone. Miss America waltzing into Meadowbrook wouldn’t change that.
I let my tone soften. “She’s a guest, Jesse. We both ought’a leave her be.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” He scuffed at the ground with his boot. “Why don’t you ask her to drive?”
“What?”
“Ask her to help.”
I huffed out a breath. “She drove her car into the mud.”
“It was dark and raining. Anyone could’ve made that mistake.”
I grunted.
“It’s a solid idea. If she’s an old friend, she’d probably be happy to do it.”
“I’m not lettin’ a woman drive my trailer.”
He laughed. “Come on, boss, you’re too desperate to be prejudiced right now.” He crossed his arms, shrugged. “Penny drives a thirty-fiver. Laurel could, too.”
“Bea’s here to rest.”
“Pay her, obviously. Don’t ask for a favor.”
“Forget it. I’m not askin’ that.”
Jesse rolled his eyes. “Alright then, I’m gonna grab Cade, and we’re heading out soon. ”
He left, and I charged toward the horse pastures, angry for reasons I couldn’t fully grasp.
Why the hell was she here? I wanted to demand an answer, but it was probably best I give her a wide berth and stay out of the way. The less we interacted, the better.