Page 4 of From Rivals to I Do

“Now that doesn’t seem like an app for just friends, little bird,” I reply, shaking my head.

“Well, it’s for both, you know?” Sparrow says. “Finding friends. . . maybe kick up a little romance.”

“Now, I know you mean well, but I’m not at all ready to go out looking for someone new,” I say as I begin chuckling nervously. “I don’t need that headache.”

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Sparrow replies, rolling her eyes.

“It’s true,” I say with a shrug. “Why would I want to trade one headache for another?”

“Not everyone is a jerk like Dad, Mama,” Sparrow insists.

“Yeah, and look where chasing tail got your father, hmm?” I say, and Sparrow can’t help but burst into laughter.

“Like you always say, karma comes for those who deserve it,” Sparrow replies with a shrug.

“That’s not funny,” I scold her, but really, it is. Destiny had some crazy plans for Joseph, that was for sure, and it was all due to his little girlfriend. . . who also turned out to be a professional con artist.

Ms. thing was wanted in several states for the extortion of a handful of older men, blackmailing them into giving her their money—though I don’t know the details as to what exactly she had on them. Not only that, but apparently she’d hurt a few of them, and they were looking for her all over. . . and found out that she was with Joseph.

Since ol’ Joe didn’t fit the elderly, rich profile of men she’d usually take advantage of, the police assumed he was in on it too, and before I knew it, the Amarillo police department had been at my door asking if I knew where he was. But he had high tailed it out of Texas from what little Joe had said and was on the lam. A bit of just deserts if I don’t say so myself.

God does work in mysterious ways after all.

“Come on, it won’t hurt to give it a try,” Sparrow says, and she reaches down on the couch, picks up my phone, and begins messing around with it. Her thumbs and fingers quickly tap all over the screen before she hands it over to me.

“There,” she says. “Now you have it, and you can check it out when you want to.”

“Thank you,” I say as I heave a sigh and shove the phone in my pocket. We continue packing together, taking breaks for Sparrow to feed little Jade and for us to play with her.

We take a break to eat dinner, and then once it’s dark, they turn into bed in Sparrow’s old bedroom, leaving me to myself in the living room where I continue to wrap each figure carefully, unable to settle down.

Once I’m alone, I pull my phone out to check the weather and right on the front page of my phone is that app. Its stylish, little pink logo beckons me to take a look as my finger hovers over it.

Not a chance, I think to myself as I click on the weather app and settle down on the couch. Once I get there, I’ll make friends at work, I’m sure. I don’t need some sort of magic app to help me with that, and I certainly don’t need to try to find someone new. Why would I want to waste the next thirty years with someone just to end up alone and disappointed all over again?

I don’t think my heart could take it.

Chapter two

Chapter Two

A gentle breeze wafts into the window, and I open my eyes before my alarm goes off, the world outside still pitch black even as the

suncatcher on the porch begins to chime. It’s a nonsensical melody that is somehow still easy on the ears. I smile as I lay there for a

moment, remembering when my sweet Melanie had hung it up when we’d first moved in, telling me we needed a little color and flair

in our stark white farmhouse.

After a while, I stretch my arms and legs, roll over to get out of bed, glance at her picture on the nightstand, and heave a little sigh.

“Mornin’ Mel,” I say like I do every day before I get up and go to my dresser, hop out of my pj’s, and get dressed for the day. But

today, I’m trying to look more professional than usual. I’ve got a potential new hire coming in, and I want to look the part of a boss—

not just some scruffy rancher.

But first, it’s time to make breakfast.

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