“You mean more than something to me.”
She gave me a knowing look and grinned through her tears.
“You know what I mean.”
I nodded.
“I’ve always been the easy girl. The girl who loved to party and hang out with the guys. The girl other women whispered about when she walked into the room, and not in a good way. It’s way past time for me to grow up and want something more. I just can’t seem to grab onto anything.”
Emily broke down with sobs and I pulled her into my arms.
“I get what you’re saying, but life moves at a certain pace. Sometimes you can alter that pace, while other times you can’t. I love you more than words can explain. If it hadn’t been for you I wouldn’t have had the chance to start again. Well, I would have, but it most likely wouldn’t have turned out as good as it has. Yes, I bitch and complain about small things but over all, this life I live has turned out better than I could imagine…and the majority of that is owed to you, Emily Colt.”
She laughed through her tears and squeezed me tightly.
“I love you, too, Arbor Kenton. You’re the best thing that has come my way in such a long time.”
“You’re gonna make a girl’s head so big she can’t walk out of your bedroom. Then you’ll be stuck with me for the rest of your life.”
She continued to roll with laughter. “I’m okay with that.”
“But when I get back, we will start working on you. Okay? I hate that I have to leave for a few weeks, thanks to my lovely cousin Libby. I honestly don’t know why I agreed to it in the first place, but it’s a little too late now.”
“You agreed because you’re a good person. Your heart is pure.”
“Aw.” I looked up for a second. “I felt my head grow some more.”
Emily gently slapped me and giggled.
“And you said I’m the nut of the group.”
She leaned her head against my shoulder. “You sure you don’t want me to tag along in case things get shitty?”
I smiled and rubbed the side of her head. “As much as I appreciate the offer, I have to do this on my own. She probably expects me to bring someone with me. Even though I’m going to be the loner at her wedding without a date.”
“I’m sure Everett would be happy to come down for the wedding.”
The thought had crossed my mind.
“I don’t know…” I nibbled my bottom lip.
“Look at your smile when his name comes up!”
“Stop it.” I chuckled and tried to stop the mega-watt smile from spreading across my face but failed miserably. “He has a lot on his plate. I can’t just ask him to uproot for a couple days to come to Tennessee for a wedding. My cousin’s wedding at that.”
“Why the hell not?” She arched an eyebrow at me.
“I—I actually have no response to that.”
“Exactly.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “If you don’t ask him, I’ll be sure that he knows about it.”
I face-palmed and groaned.
“If you don’t want me to tell him, I won’t,” Emily back-pedaled.
“No, it’s not that. I haven’t even told him I’m leaving town for a few weeks.”
“Oh. You might want to do that.”
“Yeah.”
“It’ll be the perfect time to drop the wedding bomb on him.” She grinned.
“I just…” I sighed. “I don’t know if I want to open the door of my past to him just yet.”
“Does anyone back home know?”
“Hell no!” I stood from the bed. “The only person that knows the truth is you.”
“Then there’s nothing to worry about, right?”
“You haven’t met the people back home, Emily. No one likes me there.”
“Why is that exactly? They have to be some backwoods assholes to not like you. You’re the most awesome person I’ve ever met…besides myself, of course.”
I shook my head.
“I don’t know really. I mean, people were nice to me but I didn’t have any true friends and the little bit of family I had left after my parents died pretended I died right along with them. It’s odd really.”
“Family isn’t always blood, Arbor. I know that firsthand myself.”
She pulled me into a hug.
“I couldn’t agree more.” I rolled the heart locket between my fingers.
The following couple weeks were going to be long ones. I hoped I could keep it together and make it through them emotionally unharmed.
Fifteen
The last time I drove this highway north I didn’t imagine I would find myself driving it south again. Unless I was heading to where the ocean breeze lives and the fruity drinks were plentiful. Sadly, that wasn’t the case.
I’d spent most of the night trying to pack, overthinking every piece of clothing I put in my suitcase, wondering if I was making the right decision. Of course I wouldn’t back out once I gave someone my word. Hell, I hadn’t heard a peep out of Libby since our phone call when I told her I’d be a bridesmaid.
She wasn’t the only person I hadn’t heard from. Everett had fallen off the face of the earth after our date night, or shall I say shower night. My mind kept wondering if I’d done something wrong by initiating what had happened, but he hadn’t stopped himself either. I’d tried calling his office but the receptionist would only tell me that he wasn’t in, nothing more. His cell would ring at times but then voicemail would pick up, while other times it would go directly to voicemail. I didn’t even get the chance to tell him I was leaving town, and I didn’t bother leaving a message with it. If he wanted to talk, he’d reach out to me.
Hopefully he would reach out to me.
The “Welcome to Jonesborough” sign made its appearance as I turned off the exit. My heart leaped in my chest while my throat felt like I hadn’t drank a drop of water in days. Anxiety at its finest. I rolled my neck and took a deep breath as I awaited the light to turn green.
Not much in the town had seemed to change in the three years I’d been gone. A few businesses had new names or new paint jobs. I drove slower than usual as I took in the town I’d grown up in. The town that made me feel so unwelcome to the point I had to get out. The town that took my parents from me.
Why did I come back here?
My phone buzzed and I jerked it from its resting spot in the front cup holder. The name on the screen wasn’t who I was hoping for.
“Hey, I just got to town.”
“Well it’s about time.”
The sound of Libby’s voice made me want to gouge my eyes out.
“Seriously, Libby. You told me to be here today and I hadn’t heard shit from you since. I’m here, so be a little nicer or I’ll turn this damn car around and head back home.”
“Home?” She paused. “This is your home, Arbor. Whether you want to believe that or not. And I’m sorry for being rude. You haven’t had to plan a wedding at the last minute before.”
I was about to ask why it was last minute when my attention was pulled elsewhere. Marlee’s Bed and Breakfast and The Lounge were still standing. Even though Marlee’s looked to be closed.
“Is Marlee’s closed now?”
“What?”
“The bed and breakfast across from The Lounge.”
“Oh, that old place.” She sighed. “The old lady who owned it passed away about two years ago. There’s been no one interested in running it.”
“Dammit. I was going to try and get a room there.”
“There’s no need. We have plenty of space in the pool house out on the farm. You can stay there.”
“Thank you, Libby, but I can’t intrude.”
“You won’t be intruding, Arbor. There’s no one staying in it currently anyway. So I’ll see you in thirty minutes.”
I ground my teeth. “Perfect. See you then.”
Staying in the pool house at Mack Farms wasn’t where I was expecting to stay. But I couldn’t pass up the offer, even as badly as I wa
nted to.
I pulled into the parking lot of Marlee’s and got out. Sadness filled my chest at the looks of the place up close. From the road you couldn’t tell that the home needed some TLC. You could only tell the plants were dying and it was most likely vacant. The once beautiful rose bush just outside the door looked pitiful. Green mold was beginning to grow where the gutter wasn’t draining properly and it was flooding the sidewalk when it rained. This place held two major memories for me, the last being life-altering. I hated that no one had kept Marlee’s running. The history it held was amazing, and to see it so rundown hurt my heart. I gave the front door a gentle push but it was locked. A part of me hoped it was open so I could take one good walk through, but it wasn’t in the cards. Honestly, it was probably for the best, too.
“The place is closed.”
An elderly man from the house next door called out as I headed back to my vehicle.
“How long has it been closed?” I crossed the yard so he didn’t have to yell.
“About two years now. Mabel passed away a few months before.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“She was a wonderful woman, died in her sleep out back in a rocking chair on the patio.”
“That’s awful.”
“Not really.” He smiled. “She loved that place. Her health had taken a turn unexpectedly and she enjoyed sitting out back listening to the birds and rocking in that chair. The doctors said she didn’t have any pain when she passed. Even had a smile on her face when I found her.”
“Oh, you found her?”
“Sure did.” He cleared his throat. “I always joined her for coffee bright and early, before any of the guests seemed to wander down from their rooms. She was a good friend of mine since I moved in three or so years ago.”
I remembered the house being empty the last night I was in town. He must’ve moved in shortly after I’d left. I smiled knowing Mabel had someone there for her for those years. I didn’t personally know her, but it’s nice to know someone as sweet as she was didn’t die alone. Even in a bed and breakfast where she truly was never alone.
“I’m glad you had one another.”
“Me, too.”
“I should be going.”
“Before you go, if you don’t mind me asking, what brought you here? You must be from out of town since everyone local knows this place is closed.”
“I’m in town for my cousin’s wedding.”
“Ahh. Robert Mack’s daughter’s wedding I’m guessing.”
“You guessed correct.”
“You don’t seem like you’d be one of that bunch.”
I laughed.
“I’m not really. She asked me to be here, so I’m here.”
“Good for you.” He turned to head back to the porch he’d been sitting on. “Enjoy your time here, and I hope the wedding turns out how she hopes.”
“Thank you…”
“Old Man Gab is what the locals call me.”
“Well, thank you for everything, Old Man Gab.”
“Drive safe now.”
He waved me goodbye as I slipped into my car and shut the door.
The Mack’s had a reputation in Jonesborough, that was for sure. Even an elderly man that hadn’t been a part of the community for that long knew it. He didn’t have to come right out and say it, but it was obvious. I was thankful my parents had raised me away from the horse racing lifestyle. Libby grew up deep in the middle of it. The whispers in town of the wrongdoings to the horses, the under the table bets and bribes, it all fueled the mess of a town. But the Macks lived for the drama because it kept their name in everyone’s mouths, and their faces on the front page of the paper ninety percent of the time. Being relevant was their number one priority. It made me sad to think people could raise a child in the midst of it all. I was happy my parents separated us from them. No matter the disastrous fallout it brought in the family.
The long, winding road back to Mack Farms was still as perfectly manicured as I remembered it being. Large stone pillars every so many feet with fencing connecting them, with one field full of horses galloping on their own and a practice area in the other field. I watched a woman sitting high on a gorgeous black beauty with a man directing her and the animal as I drove up the long drive. Neither person looked familiar, even though I couldn’t fully make out their faces from where I was.
One thing I fully remembered about the farm was that they had designated parking areas. I didn’t want to start off overstepping my boundaries so I pulled into the parking spots that were labeled guests. Yes, the parking spots had those small signs to designate who could park where.
I took a deep breath and slowly let it out before popping a piece of gum into my mouth and practicing the overly friendly smile I had to tie on when I waitressed. I was out of practice, but I had a feeling the next few weeks would put me right back on that wagon.
Before I was fully out of my car, I heard Libby calling my name.
“You can pull around to the pool house. There’s no need for you to take up that parking. Vendors will start coming within the hour to begin preparations for the bridal shower tomorrow afternoon.”
I gave her a nod and got back into my vehicle, waving as I drove around the house and down a short road to the pool house. Their pool house was just about the size of most people’s actual homes. Made from dark stone with large windows around the side that faced the pool, it was beautiful, that’s for sure.
There was a four-car garage with two of the doors open, so I pulled into one of the empty bays, knowing if I was in the wrong spot Libby would be sure to let me know. No one was around when I got out of the car. I grabbed my suitcase and duffle bag from the trunk and took in the smell of the south as I exited the garage. Indianapolis didn’t have that smell. Instead it was filled with polluted air from all the vehicles driving around. You couldn’t beat the fresh air of the south, even when it was mixed with the faint aroma of animal poop.
The sound of a motorized vehicle coming down the road interrupted my peaceful moment. I knew it was Libby so I didn’t bother turning around to check. The gate to the pool was unlocked so I pulled my luggage in and left it sitting there. I kicked my sandals off and took a seat on the concrete at the edge of the water and slipped my feet in.
“Perfect temperature.” I sighed.
If I was the only person staying in the pool house, it might actually be like a small getaway. Unless Libby was bride-zilla, which wouldn’t surprise me.
“There you are.” Libby’s head came into view over the gate. Her hair was perfectly braided to the side, not a strand out of place. Her bright green eyes were covered by a pair of aviators and bright red lips accented her perfectly straight white teeth as she smiled.
“Here I am.” I held my arms up and grinned, pleased that I hadn’t taken my sunglasses off, so she couldn’t see my true feelings in my eyes.
“The pool feels wonderful, right?” She stepped through the gate and stood beside where I was sitting. “We had them come back out and redo it after it was installed. They forgot to make it heated. Who gets a pool without it being heated?” She scoffed.
“Ninety percent of America,” I mumbled.
“What?”
“I would definitely get a heated pool if I had one.”
“Well, be sure it’s one where the temperature can be adjusted. It’s the only way to go.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I pulled my feet from the water and stood.
Libby was tall for a girl, and she got it honest. Her mother towered over many women, as did her father with men, so it was only fitting that she’d be the same way. Something about their height made them even more intimidating to the regular folks. But not me, I felt that it only meant they would fall harder when their time came.
“So how have you been?” Libby leaned in and gave me a quick hug. I almost fell back from the unexpected gesture.
“Great. Enjoying my new life in Indianapolis.”
“We
’ve all been wondering about you.” She pressed her lips into a thin line. “You up and left without any word. It was kind of scandalous, don’t you think?”
“There’s nothing scandalous about leaving a small town for a big city. Especially when the town holds nothing for you.”
“I beg to differ. Jonesborough has loads of opportunities, even for someone like you.”
And there was the stab. Someone like you. Libby had most likely been waiting to twist that knife from the moment she sent me the invitation to be a bridesmaid. It always made her beam with happiness that the two of us had nothing in common, that we were on different spectrums of the popularity chart. Anytime we were even close to similar she had to change it. The one time my hair took on an auburn tone in the summer she had a breakdown until her mother allowed her to get blonde highlights at ten years old.
But she didn’t have to worry about that anymore. My hair was so dark, it was almost black where hers was auburn, while my eyes were icy blue compared to her bright green ones. We couldn’t be mistaken for one another on any level. She was super thin and tall, while I had more of a curvy, toned figure with quite a bit larger breasts and was a good four inches shorter than her.
“I’m a bit tired from the drive. Do I have time to catch a nap before the festivities begin?”
“Of course! Mother is hosting a dinner tonight at the main house around seven thirty. You probably don’t know, but I live on down back behind the tree line there.” She pointed to the right.
“How nice. Everyone is still within a few miles of each other.”
“It’s the only way to be.” She beamed.
“So I’ll see you around seven thirty then.”
“Oh, but Arbor, Mother and Father have been dying to see you. You must come say hello way before dinner time.”
“I’ll be sure to do that.” I grinned and collected my bags as she headed back toward the Ranger.
If Love was Fair Page 12