Page 48 of Falling

“I had a great time with Uncle Pierre. And he’s so willing to do whatever he can, excited that I’m here and all that. Which is just…” She puts her hand on her heart like she’s moved.

“But?”

“His circumstances are just a little different than I realized,” she says. “He doesn’t even have the barn I’ve heard about all my life…that housed all the emus.” She makes a face. “Which I should’ve never assumed was still here, but…I had no idea that was gone or that he’d moved into a one-bedroom condo.”

I grimace. “I was afraid you might not have known that. Grinny told me last night about the condo—I didn’t realize he didn’t still live in that house on Heritage.”

“And I talked to Junior yesterday,” she adds.

My blood does that slow roll into a boil the way it’s done since I first heard what an ass he is.

“As soon as my RV is fixed, I need to get back to Utah and see what I can do about the emus.”

I knew her visit was temporary, but still, I was hoping it wouldn’t be this soon.

“I just have no desire to be there…at all.”

This perks me up. “Really? You’re not missing home?”

“Not even a little bit.” She glances at me shyly. “Ireallylike it here.”

My heart gallops out of my chest.

Her cheeks flush. “I mean, last night, seeing how cute everything looks decorated for Christmas…and The Dancing Emu is amazing…”

“Oh, right.” Does my disappointment show that she wasn’t talking about me when she said that? “Yeah, the town goes all out for the holidays.”

“But I don’t trust Junior to take care of things on the farm, and my cousin Kess promised she’d look after them, but she’s in school full-time and will be moving to California in January. She doesn’t really have the time to focus on this too.”

“Does Junior want you back?”

Of course, he does, what am I saying?

She gets a strange expression on her face and shakes her head. “No. I mean, yes, he’s pretending to be all sad about things, but I think he’s really just embarrassed that I didn’t marry him. He says I’m overreacting…and that what I overheard him say was just…the way guys talk.”

“What did he say?” I grit out, already knowing I won’t like it.

This woman thinks the best about everyone and everything. For her to walk away from him, he can’t be a good guy, that’s all there is to it.

She takes a deep breath and Dolly comes over by her, like she can tell Ruby is unhappy about something.

“I heard his friend Mitch ask if Junior was really ready to be married. Mitch is not the best.” She makes a face. “And Junior said outright that it was only for a year.” She pets Dolly, her eyes distant. “I like his friend Charlie a lot more, even though what he said that day sounded pervy.” Her cheeks get pink and she glances at me, embarrassed. “Charlie said ifhehad me in his bed, he’d keep me for longer than a year.” She starts talking faster and has no idea how I’m fuming. “And what Junior said next is what I’ve repeated to my family because it was just so…I don’t know…degrading? But really, the whole tone of the conversation was just as bad.”

“What. Did. He. Say?”

Her eyes flicker to mine in surprise and her mouth parts. “Uh, he said, ‘Meh,’ which really isn’t the worst thing someone could say about me, but…meh?Really?That’s what he says about me to his friends on our wedding day? And then he sort of corrected his statement by saying, ‘No, sheisa great lay,’ and that he wasn’t quite ready to give that up.” She rolls her eyes. “But the damage had been done, right? Not what anyone wants to hear from their future husband. And then that the real prize is the land he’s getting…that the wedding was just a formality. He had the audacity to laugh about my parents’ peace and love bullshit and how they believed the land was mine too, but that my name was not on the deed. And if all that’s not bad enough…they laughed about Dolly and called her an idiot.”

She turns to look at me, fire in her eyes now, and I have to bite back a grin. “That’s the line that sealed it for you, isn’t it?”

“You’re damn straight it is!” She puts her hand on Dolly’sback. “She’s the smartest emu I’ve ever met, and I’ve met a lot.”

“Ruby?”

“Yeah?”

“That isnotthe way guys fucking talk. My brothers and I talk about everything…well…theytalk about everything with me,” I pause and she smiles, “and they’d never talk about someone they love like that. Ever. We wouldn’t talk about anyone like that. It’s sweet that you’re fired up about Dolly, and it’s understandable to be upset about his fuckery with the land, but the way he made you feel small, the way he laughed about you…thatis inexcusable, and reason enough for you to stay the hell away from him.”

Her eyes fill with tears.

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