Just Want Somebody to Love (Bella Warren Book 1) (29 page)

Lunch had come and gone. His assistant had come through at some point and put a sandwich on his desk, but he hadn’t gotten to it yet. If he stopped and ate, he’d lose his train of thought.

There was too much flooding out of him at once to risk stopping the flow. Likes, dislikes. Hopes, dreams. Hang ups. Things that made her nervous. Things that pissed her off. That’s where he put his name.

He went through pages of circles linking to more circles.

Then he got another sheet, followed the same pattern of likes and dislikes for himself until he had a page full of honest notes there. Including uncomfortable things his brother had said about him. Things old girlfriends had yelled. And most important, things Whitney had accused him of.

After this was over, he needed to work on his character, because on paper, he was a jackass.

He arranged the notes side by side and still got more paper for a Venn diagram. He again sorted and linked their crossover items into the center. Then he got to the section of small towns.

Where Whitney loved hers.

So much that he’d taken the time to underline it three times. She had been tempted to leave before, but his assistant was right. He needed to fit in her life, since Whitney had no need to fit in his.

He pushed away from his desk and the hours of work he’d spent over it. His back was tight, and it popped as he stood to face what he needed to do.

If he wanted her back, he was going to have to move.

Whitney sat on the floor facing the kitchen. Kara and her mom buzzed around each other like a hive made of two bees. Planting season was over, but no matter how often Whitney said she was fine, her mom wasn’t convinced yet and stayed.

Mostly, Whitney figured she hung around to make sure Peanut wasn’t taking over the place.

As if the dog could hear her thoughts, she picked up her head and gave Whitney a thoughtful look. Whitney rubbed over the top of her head. “Who’s a good girl?”

Peanut’s bark bellowed, and a shriek out of her mom echoed. Whitney hugged Peanut with laughter falling out of her. The dog climbed all over her and sat best she could in Whitney’s lap. A dog who didn’t know her own size? That would be Peanut.

Her mom shook her head. “You two keep it up and I’ll put you both outside.”

At the word outside, Peanut cuddled against Whitney and rested her head on Whitney’s shoulder. She hugged the big pup to her chest and patted the downy softness of her fur. “She didn’t mean it.”

Her mom rolled her eyes but smiled. “I’m just glad you’re happy.”

“I am. This is what I need.” She glanced to her dog and back to her mom. “But if you want me extra-extra happy, bacon for both of us would do the trick.”

Peanut sat up and barked and had the dog face down to an art.

Kara laughed and brought them three pieces. And Peanut got them all. Kara shook her head. “Spoiled. Both of you.”

She grinned. Yes, they were. Very much. Peanut had her own bedroom. With her own toddler bed. It didn’t take her long to settle in her new home. They watched TV, ate, and took walks through the woods together.

Wade caught her digging in the fields once, and he’d yelled loud enough people in town could have heard. He’d hurt Peanut’s feelings and she hadn’t stepped back in the fields since. She also won’t go near Wade, and more often than not, growled at him when he was in Whitney’s house.

The backdoor opened, speaking of the devil. Whitney couldn’t see the door from her spot on the floor. To give him a heads up so not to catch Peanut off guard, she yelled at Wade, “We’re in here.”

Kara and her mom both froze. Then they recovered at the same time. “What are you doing here?” Their strong tones got the hair up on Whitney’s neck, and Peanut lifted.

“I was looking for Whitney.”

That voice ran ice through her veins, and she stilled with her hand halfway across Peanut’s back. Any chance of staying hidden from him were gone the moment he’d walked in the door since she’d gone and opened her mouth.

Footsteps brought him closer. Each hard thud of her heart pounded on the walls of her chest.

“You’re not welcome here,” her mom said.

“I won’t stay long.” His voice again.

He was off the walls nuts if he thought he’d get her back. Kara keyed over her phone. Hopefully to Wade who wouldn’t be too far away. So she only had to survive another minute.

Another step. Then he appeared around the corner and startled back a step. “That’s a huge dog.”

Look who wasn’t blind and could state the obvious.

He cleared his throat. “Sorry for dropping in on you. I knew before you’d gotten a lot of comments and stuff when I came back to town, and I didn’t want you caught off guard by any questions.”

Oh. That was not what she expected. She still didn’t have anything to say to him, though.

He gave her a small smile and a nod. Then offered a similar smiling nod to Kara and her mom. “Sorry for interrupting. That was all.”

Then just as fast and strange as he appeared, he was gone.

“What was that about?”

Both women’s eyes landed on Whiney, but she didn’t know why. She didn’t have any words to explain. “I don’t know. I think he was trying to be considerate, but that would require him to have a considerate bone.”

Kara shook her head. “He’s up to something, and I don’t like it.”

Whitney didn’t either. That feeling didn’t improve when a week later he was still in town. He worked in the bar at night, and best she heard, he did nothing else. Just working. Keeping his head down. Except for Sunday when she heard he’d gone to church.

Church.

They’d had their last morning study planned in pjs with their Sunday school group, and none of them had wanted to pass that up yet. So she’d missed him during that event. From what she was told, he was pleasant and everyone was so glad he returned and some were planning pot-lucks. Everyone didn’t know what kind of person existed under his good looks.

Based on what she was being told, he was stingy on details for why he was around. Just visiting. Ha. Please. He got his papers signed before he left town. That much she knew for a fact because she’d combed the Internet and got hits confirming it. He should be way too busy for a long visit.

She walked with Peanut through the wooded trail that lead from her house to the park. The idea of hiding in her house until he left again was more appealing than she’d like to admit, but this was her town. Her happy place.

He invaded her space. She’d also wanted some ice cream, and no man got between a girl and her frozen yogurt. The trail widened and Peanut stayed by her side as she ran across the road and around the backside of the ice cream shop.

Animals and food didn’t mix, no matter how often Whitney had assured them she didn’t shed too much. And she only stole food you left on the counter. It was hard to blame the girl for stealing Kara’s warm plate of biscuits that day. Whitney would have done the same if given the opportunity. She stepped in the back door, and Peanut raced to her new bed in the corner with the pile of dog toys in the center.

She checked her things, then went to the empty table and gave Whitney a look.

“I’m sorry,” Whitney told her. “The kids are in school. They’re not here.”

Another look and Peanut turned and collapsed on her bed to play with her rope toy. Chuckling sounded through the room, and Tasha stood at the doorway. She waved a treat in her hands. “Peanut?”

Her pup wasted no time in racing across the room and grabbing it to take back to her bed. Tasha shook her head. “I love that dog. She can stay with us any time you need to do something.”

“You’d never get her to sleep with your kids.”

She laughed. “Then they’d all sleep in because she’d wear them out. I like the plan. You want something?”

Whitney nodded. “ A cone will be good.”

“Your new usual of plain vanilla frozen yogurt?”

“Yeah.” Because she couldn’t resist tossing the end to Peanut to share. Who’d have thought she could love someone so much she’d give up chocolate? Like Peanut again knew she was being thought of, she lifted her head and her tail thumped the floor.

Tasha closed the lid on the far end and handed over her vanilla treat. “Any word from him?”

Whitney shook her head. “Nothing. Not since that day. He even quit texting me.”

Tasha blinked. “Really?”

“Yeah. I kind of miss those now, to be honest.”

“Uh-oh.”

“Not as in miss him. Just miss the reminder that he wanted me, I guess. It feels sick and twisted and like I should feel bad for being glad he’s miserable. But I don’t.”

“I wouldn’t either.” Tasha gave her a thoughtful look. “Have you gotten through them all yet?”

“Not yet. I’m maybe half way.” When the texts had stopped, she’d checked the messages. It started because she’d wanted to see if he’d sent a final this-is-the-last-one post. Instead, she saw something about seeing a truck with a bumper sticker. She made the mistake of scrolling up to see where he’d tried talking to her about anything. Like he was lonely.

He texted her about weeds and that he had the urge to tug them out.

Weeds. She didn’t know if she should be flattered or offended.

“Is your mom still in?”

“I think she’s leaving tomorrow. She’s gotten it through her head that I’m okay and that Wade isn’t going to kill me if Peanut poops in his fields.”

Tasha laughed. “You want to do poker tonight? Could be fun with your mom.”

“Let’s do that. I’ll let them know when I get back.” Whitney went out the back the same as she’d come in and strolled down the broken and cracked sidewalk toward the park.

It was a nice day, and she was going to enjoy it. A few cars eased passed, and she waved as they honked.

She skipped across the grass and sat on her favorite park bench. Peanut climbed up and stretched across her legs and stared at her cone with every fiber of her being. Whitney rubbed over her ears and ate the cone to the last bite and then fed it to her. She tipped her head back against the rough tree and enjoyed the spring breeze until a car interrupted it.

She turned, feeling too much déjà vu that she was almost afraid to look, but it wasn’t him walking across the grass. It was Maddy Booth. Just, perfect.

She sighed as she leaned against the tree. “I’m not in the mood for whatever you want.”

Maddy balanced a foot on the seat of the bench and leaned forward. “I’m just trying to do you a favor, but if you don’t want it, I’ll leave.”

Whitney had a lot of doubts about that. “I never thought I’d hear those words come out of you.”

Maddy shrugged. “Everyone wants to know what’s going on, and I’m the only one with enough balls to ask you. Everyone else would rather just guess and make shit up.”

“I’m confused on where the favor part is.”

“No one likes being talked about.”

“True.”

“So I’m asking so I can set the record straight.”

“Or you’re asking because you want to know.”

“That too. And I want to know about Justin. Because I don’t know why he’s in town. He’s not saying much, and no one can figure out if he’s single or not.” Maddy shrugged. “I don’t take other people’s stuff.”

Whitney nodded and she just didn’t have the energy to argue. “You’ve always been good about telling it like it is.”

She lifted a shoulder. “I don’t have any reason to be afraid of who I am.”

“Are you saying I do?”

Maddy shrugged. “I don’t know you to answer that.”

True. On some level, Whitney was afraid she didn’t know herself to answer that either. She gestured between the two of them. “Don’t you ever get tired of this?”

Maddy glanced around and looked almost afraid. Kind of afraid, like they were on a hidden camera show. “What do you mean?”

“This bickering. This started over some purple glitter.”

Maddy jerked back. “What are you talking about?”

“In elementary. You stole all the glitter when you knew I wanted it.”

Maddy’s gaze fell and her brows dipped. “I don’t remember that.”

“Then why did you hate me?”

“It started because you stole the seat from me in front of Brett Carmen.”

Whitney sorted through her head and tried placing that name. “I don’t remember him.”

“He was at school for half a semester. I sat in front of him, but you couldn’t see the board over Jeremy Stokes, since you’re short.” She put short in quotes. “Everyone knew I liked him. Mrs. Bellington swapped us.”

She didn’t know what the quotes were about, Whitney was
short, so moving to the front of the class happened a lot. At least until they got older and the front row became the most uncool place to sit. Then it wasn’t an issue anymore. “I’m sorry I couldn’t see.” She moved her foot. “You want to sit down?”

“What’s the catch?”

“No catch. Just trying to offer a truce.”

“All right.” Maddy eased on the corner. “Now what?”

Whitney laughed and rubbed over her face. “I don’t know.”

“What happened between you and Justin?”

“What does everyone think happened?”

“Everything between you’re pregnant and he left you, to you said you loved him and he left you. Also that he got what he wanted so he left. But now he’s back, so the pregnant idea is circling and you’re trapping him.”

It was a wonder her eyes didn’t fall out of her head. “I love how all those seem like it’s my fault.”

“Justin is a charming, good-looking guy who clung to your shadow. People figure you did something wrong to chase him off.”

“I suppose if I tell you the truth, you’ll run and tell everyone?”

“Is the truth worse than everyone thinking you’re pregnant?”

Since Maddy had in fact been the subject of that gossip line once upon a time, Whitney was careful with her words. “In a few months they’ll realize I’m not pregnant.”

“I guess. People are going to make up something new when that happens.” Maddy shrugged. “There’s some perks to having the only pair of balls in this town. I guess it depends on what you have to say on whether or not I set the record straight for everyone.”

God. What was worse? Pity looks and pats from people again feeling sorry for her. Or people thinking she’d become a stage nine clinger when a boy took interest? There was no good choice here. “He was using me to win a bet. If he got me to fall in love with him, then he won.”