Every Yesterday (Boot Creek)

by Nancy Naigle

  Megan had wondered the same thing. She could picture Noah and Jackson teasing Ford as a thirteen-year-old boy, but then again it was hard to say. As confident as she was now, back in high school she’d been kind of a loner, preferring to spend her hours with a sketch pad rather than on center stage like Angie, but they’d still been besties.

  Katy balanced her boxes against the house and her knee as she twisted the handle on the screen door and threw it open.

  Megan caught it with her foot and held it open for Katy.

  “Thanks.” Katy led the way in and down the hall to the left.

  Megan stopped in her tracks. The foyer looked completely different. “Oh my gosh! I always knew this place was huge, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen it without all the stuff in it!”

  “I had the same reaction. And Naomi didn’t even take all that much from here. But moving the antique desk and the boxes and boxes of memorabilia she had displayed really opened up the place. The fresh paint made a big difference too.”

  “It looks great. Feels very different.”

  “Yeah, I think it’s starting to take on its new purpose.”

  “Where do you want these?” Megan asked.

  “Let’s put them in this first room to the right there. I’ve been starting to line things up for Saturday in here. For a simple reception, it sure has a lot of components.”

  “These things have a way of taking on a life of their own.”

  “I don’t mind. It’s good practice for the festivities we’ll offer a few times through the year.”

  Megan and Katy placed the boxes on a table near the door. On top of the bed, there were stacks of white tablecloths and boxes of napkins.

  “Y’all having fun without me,” a voice came from down the hall.

  Katy ran toward the door. “That’s Angie. She said she was going to come by this morning.”

  “She probably doesn’t know what to do with herself since yesterday was officially her last day at Blue Skies Café. I don’t know what they are going to do without her.”

  “Hey girl,” Katy called out as they walked toward Angie.

  “I just brought the wedding favors over,” Megan said.

  Angie’s lips formed a perfect O. “How’d they turn out?”

  “Beautiful,” Katy said.

  “Of course they did. I can’t believe in less than a week I’ll be Mrs. Jackson Washburn and on a plane to Tahiti.”

  Megan snapped her fingers. “I knew I was forgetting something.” She pretended to write on an imaginary notepad. “Pick up coconut bra and sunscreen.” She dropped her hands. “’Cause you know it’s the maid of honor’s job to be sure the bride makes good fashion choices.”

  “What would I do without you?”

  “Beats me. But on a happy note, we’re only days away and the checklist is nearly complete. Not even one hitch in the plan so far.”

  “Could y’all knock on some wood right now? I don’t want any hitches . . . not even one.”

  All three girls knocked on the dark wood trim.

  “That was loud enough to ward off all evil,” Katy said.

  “Good,” Angie said. “The guys are all going to get their tuxes checked today so that Carla can do any last minute adjustments. Jackson says he’s got all of that under control, so I’m letting him go with it.”

  “Great. I’ll check that off my list.”

  “Well, maybe you could check in. You know, just to be sure they’re all taken care of.”

  “You’ve got it. I had them on my list for Wednesday, so I’ll keep that on the schedule.”

  “Perfect. Do you girls want to get together tonight? Jackson said he and the guys have plans.”

  “Oh, great. ‘Guys on the town’ is always trouble.” Megan cocked her head. “Then again, at least if they’re determined to get into trouble, they’re doing it early in the week. We’ll have time to bail them out of jail.”

  “They aren’t going to get into any trouble. Derek’s going to be with them. It’ll be fine,” Katy added.

  “You think? I kind of got the impression Noah could cause some trouble,” Megan said, thinking about that feeling he’d stirred up in her earlier.

  “But he’s cute,” Angie said. “And from what Jackson says, he makes a pretty good living. Turned his hobby into a big business. Must be nice to get paid to play.”

  “Probably a player too,” Megan said. “I know his type.”

  “Be nice, Megan,” Angie said. “One of these days you’re going to have to lighten up and give men a chance to show you who they are before you shove them in a category.”

  “Not today—I’d thought we’d still be working on things for the big day, but we’re so caught up why don’t we do a girls night?”

  Katy brightened. “Y’all can come over here. We just set up the new media room. We can pop in one of our old faves or see what Hallmark Channel has on tonight.”

  “Works for me. I’ll text Flynn.” She pulled out her phone and worked her fingers over the keys. “She’s in.”

  “That’ll be good.” Angie bit down on her lower lip. “So, can I ask y’all about something?”

  “Sure. What’s up?” Katy moved toward the living room. “Come on in and sit for a minute.”

  “I don’t know if I should be worried or not, but I had the oddest conversation with Jackson this morning.”

  Red flags snapped in Megan’s mind. “Odd how?”

  “Well, you know the guys are moving all my stuff into Jackson’s house when he and I leave, right?” She sat down on the couch and pulled a throw pillow to her chest.

  “Yes. Lucky for you. I hate moving,” Katy said. “Not having to do your own packing is the best gift ever. Do you know what a moving company charges to do that?”

  “No idea.”

  “It’s a lot. Of course, no telling where things will end up if they unpack the boxes for you.”

  “I told them to put all the boxes in the garage, grouped by location. Since Jackson and I are combining households, no doubt there’ll be stuff we won’t need. I already donated quite a bit to the women’s shelter.”

  “We’ll help you go through the rest of it when you get back.” Katy sat down next to Angie.

  “What’s got you concerned?” Megan was determined to get them back on track. Red flags were nothing to ignore. Maybe she was the skeptic of the bunch, but someone had to be the voice of reason.

  “Right.” Angie looked away for a moment. “Maybe it’s not really a concern. It seemed out of the blue. Just kind of hit me funny.”

  “I’m sure both of you are going in about a million directions right now. Nothing like trying to play host, plan a wedding, get ready for a move and a honeymoon, and work, and raise a kid all at the same time.”

  “Put it like that . . . I need a nap,” Angie said.

  Megan folded her arms. “Me too, and I’m not doing any of those things. Probably ever! Are you stalling?”

  “No. So he asked me if I’d ever consider moving.”

  Megan straightened. “You mean, like, to another town?”

  “Or another state,” Angie said. “We’d never really talked about that before and I have to admit I felt a bit cornered by it.”

  “I would have too,” Megan said.

  “I don’t really know why, though.” Angie leaned against the wall. A worry line appeared as she squinted. “There’s nothing tying me to Boot Creek. I mean all y’all are here, but we’d be best friends no matter where I lived. It surprised me that he just brought it up.”

  Katy stepped closer. “Does he have a job offer in another place? I mean it’s not like he grew up here. He kind of just wandered into town, if I recall.”

  “Right. No. He said he was curious.” Angie shrugged. “Should I be worried?”

  Megan relaxed. “I wouldn’t sweat it one bit, Angie. I can tell you what I think this is.”

  “What?”

  “Those friends of his. They are trying to put doubts in hi
s head. You heard Noah’s backhanded speech the other night at your going-away celebration.” Megan took a step back and raised an imaginary beer in the air. “Skills he wouldn’t need if he stayed single,” she said impersonating him with exaggerated swagger. “Please.”

  Angie leaned forward in laughter. “He did not act that douchey.”

  “It was in the subtext.”

  “You like him.” Angie’s mouth dropped wide. “You think he’s hot.”

  “I do not like him. He’s hot. No question there, but he’s one confidence point away from gold chains and an open shirt.”

  “Oh, he is not. He’s super sweet.”

  “He’s not that bad. I’m just teasing, but I’m not interested. You are mistaking me for Flynn. But seriously, what is it about men? It’s like there’s this unspoken pact to try to keep each other from making a commitment. Do y’all think they teach that in gym class while they are telling us about our periods?”

  Katy dropped her face into her hands and groaned. “I hated that talk. I can still remember coming out of that classroom thinking all the boys were now thinking about us having periods. Why did I think they told us all the same thing?”

  “Relax. I’d put my money on Noah stirring up trouble. That guy is the poster boy for being single. I don’t know what his problem is.” And as soon as it came out of her mouth, she wondered why she’d just said that. He’d been nice to her.

  “Some girl probably broke his heart once.”

  “Jackson told me that Noah had been engaged before. I bet she broke it off. Or left him at the altar.”

  Katy pulled her hands to her heart. “Oh, my gosh. He’d be scarred for life.”

  “He probably deserved it then.” Megan pushed her hair back over her shoulder.

  “You sound bitter,” Katy said. “I thought I was the only one that had a recent past bad enough to make a person feel that way. But then Derek swept that stuff aside so fast I barely had time to pout about it. Something in your past I don’t know about?”

  “No. I just hate that men manipulate women for their own agendas.”

  Angie inhaled a deep breath. “It was a long time ago, Katy. Megan’s not sharing the whole story, and it’s not likely it even matters. But can we at least agree that all men are not like Kevin?”

  Katy’s mouth took an unpleasant twist. “Sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “It’s fine,” Megan said, but it wasn’t fine. When it came to Kevin, her feelings were just as confused and bruised as the day he died and the ugly truth started seeping out. That he’d not only lied, but stolen from her. “In my head I know that, but I just can’t forget it. I never want to feel that way again. And you’re right, Angie. I can’t go casting those stones against everyone I meet. Just because I don’t want to be in a relationship does not mean that it’s wrong for someone else.”

  “My ex broke some big trust, but they aren’t all that way. It’s not always a gamble,” Katy said.

  “Fine. But no one ever broke Noah’s heart.”

  Angie started smiling. “How do you know that?”

  “I asked.”

  “Really? When? And how the heck did that come up in casual conversation?” Katy and Angie grinned.

  “Stop grinning like that. It was nothing.” Megan regretted saying anything. “It came up last night. No one is that hell-bent against marriage without some reason. If that reason is in the form of an ex-wife or a broken heart, I get it, but there’s that whole breed of self-centered bachelors that require quick and early screening. I screened him.”

  “If you’re not looking for a man, then why are you screening them?” Angie’s eyebrow rose so high it practically hid behind the swoop of her bangs.

  “Public service.”

  “You want someone in your life. Admit it.”

  “No. I’m different. It’s in my DNA. I’ll never marry.”

  “How can you even say that?” Katy asked. “Spinsterhood days are over.”

  Angie said, “You don’t really believe that. Tell me you’re joking.”

  “Look at my parents. They couldn’t make it work. If I take after my mom, then I’ll let a man walk all over me. And I almost did. Look what happened with Kevin. I was absolutely clueless about what was going on. I will not put my guard down like that again. And if I take after my dad, well, we all know his story. So why bother? I’m a divorce waiting to happen. No, thank you. Besides, I have a good life with a lot of freedom to do as I please. I like that. Why mess up a good thing?”

  “It can’t be that bad,” Katy said with a laugh.

  “Whatever.” Angie rolled her eyes. Megan hated it when Angie did that. “You’re just jaded. You never think straight when it comes to relationships. Kevin’s faults were Kevin’s. Not yours. And I still think if you ever let your guard down long enough to feel something, you’d feel differently.”

  “That was deep, Angie. If I let my guard down to feel, I’ll feel something. No kidding. That’s the whole idea. Back to the real question at hand.”

  “And off of the subject of you?” Angie said in a mocking tone.

  “Exactly. Would you, Angie Millwood-Drinkwater-almost-Crane, ever consider living anywhere else?”

  Angie let out a long sigh. “Boot Creek is all I’ve ever known. I didn’t even get to go away to college like the rest of you did. My whole support system is here. But my life will be with Jackson and I adore him, and so does Billy. I know we’d be fine no matter where we were.”

  “Then all is well,” Megan said and Katy nodded in agreement. “Okay, so we’re doing girls night here tonight?”

  “Yes!” Angie raised on tiptoe. “Please. It’ll be great. I’ll bring stuff to make margaritas.”

  “And I’ll make my special queso dip,” Katy said.

  “Great. I’ll bring some chips,” Megan said. “This will be fun. It’s been too long. You want us to pick you up, Angie?”

  “I’ll probably come over early and help Katy.”

  “Okay, we’ll be here around seven. That should give Flynn time to visit with her grandparents and get them fed before we come over.”

  “This is perfect. Y’all are the best friends. You’re keeping me sane this week,” Angie said.

  “I’m pretty sure that’s our job.”

  “And our pleasure,” Katy said. “I can’t wait to fire up the media room. Derek went hog wild with it.”

  “Great. I’ve got to run. I’ve got work to do today if I’m going to be playing with you gals all night.” She turned to leave then stopped and turned back. “Angie, don’t let those boys cast any doubts. I know I may not be the marriage advocate of the group, but I do believe you and Jackson are going to have a wonderful and long-lasting relationship.” And Megan meant it, but now those words had her worried. Not about whether Jackson was holding something back, she really didn’t think that was the case.

  But did she really have a problem that was going to keep her from ever trusting someone? She’d never thought of it as a problem before. She was happy. Wasn’t she? Had Noah somehow gotten under her skin? Maybe a teeny bit? Were the girls right?

  She got in her car and headed home with that niggling worry dancing in her mind. Was there more happiness out there that she was missing out on? She tried to picture her life differently. Imagining herself in Angie or Katy’s position, with a man who loved her and didn’t mind showing it. A true partner in every way. Could there be someone out there for her like that? She couldn’t even picture it.

  She cranked up the radio.

  I’m perfectly fine with that.

  Chapter Nine

  Megan had tossed and turned half the night. In her dreams, Noah’s eyes—those gorgeous, dark chocolate eyes that seemed to lock in like he was gaining access to her mind—had the power to access her thoughts.

  Her pulse quickened. That dream had been sexy. Really sexy, and now that was a little awkward. How was she supposed to act around him after what she’d seen in that dream?

  It w
as odd enough to meet a guy who seemed to be her doppelgänger from a behavioral standpoint. They had a lot in common, but the last thing she’d expected was to be dreaming about him. She wasn’t even interested in him. In anyone.

  Lord, help me.

  This probably wouldn’t have happened if she’d talked to the girls about Noah last night. But she was afraid she’d slip up and ruin the surprise about Billy’s room. And they’d been drinking. She sucked at keeping secrets when she’d been drinking.

  Besides, they’d have jumped to the wrong conclusions for sure. She wasn’t interested in him like that. She just found him . . . interesting. He made her smile, and that was fun. Nothing wrong with fun.

  But one thing did bother her.

  Everything Noah had said mirrored her thoughts and beliefs exactly, but she questioned that. He’d seemed aloof, and a little too overconfident in what he’d said. Did she seem that way to others? She hoped not.

  She remembered in psych class talking about how the things that trigger a negative response in you are the very things you need to work on.

  Great. Now I’m psychoanalyzing myself. And based on one semester of a class I barely paid attention in. If that didn’t spell trouble, nothing did. And Kevin is not like every man that I’ll meet in my life? How can someone who’d been gone for so long still influence me so much?

  She got out of bed and checked the weather on her phone. Another scorcher.

  With a pair of denim shorts and a T-shirt from the annual Blackberry Festival on, she tugged her hair up in a clip and then tucked her ball cap into her big purse. She’d want that when she was painting later, but her mom would have a fit if she wore a hat into a restaurant.

  Mom has a lot of rules. She’d probably have a conniption over her not being dressed up to meet with Flynn and her grandparents for tea at Bella’s this morning anyway, but really no one else would even be there. Not like the queen was going to show up for a spot of tea. It was Boot Creek for goodness sake. And she had things to do today.

  The heat hit her the instant she stepped out of her house, the humidity hanging from her like a winter-weight poncho.