Page 40 of Dependable Cowboy

They’d been right about Wayne. Maybe not at the very start. But there was no arguing with the way things had turned out. Not anymore.

“We shouldn’t have taken sides so fiercely,” her mom admitted, sounding awfully sad herself. “It caused a rift we never wanted. It’s true that we both had a feeling about Wayne. But we’re so sorry that it came to fruition.”

“We’d do anything to fix things for you,” her dad added. “To make it to where you and Kara never had to suffer any of that.”

And Joy believed them. She truly did.

“Aaron will come back to you,” her mom whispered, but Joy wasn’t so sure.

“I don’t know, Mom. Not this time. I think I’ve wounded him too deeply.”

“Love forgives, Joy.”

She stared at her mom. “You think Aaron loves me?”

“I know he does. He did when you were kids, and I have no doubt that he does now.”

This was news to her.

“But…” They’d never said the words this time around. Never outwardly expressed any feelings other than through those kisses they’d shared. For her, because she’d been cautious. And for him, maybe it’d been because the last time he’d said the L-word to her, she’d dumped him to go right off mere weeks later and fall for Wayne.

“Am I a terrible judge of character?” she asked her parents, looking at first her mother, then her father.

“I wouldn’t put it that way,” her dad hedged.

“More that you were young and inexperienced,” her mom took over. “And a teeny bit rebellious.”

Joy snorted and brushed the tears from her face. That was one way of putting it. Rebellious and hard-headed. And seeking excitement over dependability. Now, dependability didn’t seem so bad.

In fact, it seemed anythingbutbad.

Because Aaron Hunter was the most dependable person she knew, and she craved to be with him. Especially now that she couldn’t be.

The next day during her lunchbreak, she stopped off at her apartment to retrieve some of her and Kara’s belongings. Staying at her parents for so long meant they were each running out of clothing and a few other necessities. Kara’s favorite coloring books and story books were there, as well.

Joy had collected everything she planned to bring back in one of her mother’s laundry baskets when she pushed her door open and right into someone standing there on the landing.

“Ow. Watch it, baby. I might need that arm later.”

Wayne. It was Wayne.

She peered at him for only long enough to notice that he seemed bedraggled and twitchy. High, then. He had to be high or strung out on whatever he was on.

Perfect.

“You need to leave,” she ordered him in a firm voice. He wasn’t manipulating her again. Not anymore. “I filed a restraining order against you, so you have to go. If you don’t…” She yanked her phone out of her purse. “I’m calling the cops.”

Wayne simply regarded his feet, his hands fidgeting at his sides. “Call then if you have to. I deserve it. I deserve to be punished for so many things…” And that was when he burst into tears. “I’m sorry, Joy. I’m so, so sorry. I’m sorry for leaving you for so long, for leaving Kara. And Kara, she must hate me, despise me…”

Then, whatever he might have wanted to say became lost in a fit of what could only be regret. It took several minutes of outright shuddering sobs before he became coherent enough to speak again.

“Please forgive me, Joy. Please. I’ll do anything. Anything at all. And Kara. I need her to forgive me, too. I don’t deserve it, I know. But I need it. I need for you both to come home. To come back with me. I can fix everything if you do. I promise I can.”

Joy seriously considered going ahead with her call, but internally, she couldn’t help but give him one last chance. Not for a relationship—that ship had definitely sailed—but to listen to his side of things. To hear him out.

“Tell me where you’ve been all this time.”

“I… I was involved with some bad people. Far away. Far away from here. Far away from Hollywood. I can’t say more than that. But I managed to get away. I paid off my debt to them.”

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