Page 16 of I Do With You

“What if I could help?” I look around, not sure who said that. When two matching pairs of blue eyes land on me, I realize I’m the one who spoke, and nearly swallow my tongue to eat the words because I’m not sure what I’m talking about. Quickly making it up as I go, I add, “You could hang out with me. Show me around Maple Creek for a few days while you figure your shit out. It’d help me figure out mine too.”

In a perfect world, neither of us would need to escape from our lives, but life isn’t perfect. Nothing is, so we have to work with what we’ve got. And right now, that’s us, this town, and a few days’ time.

Stop the hands on the clock. Capture forever in a moment. Explore the space within you.

“Oh, I couldn’t do that—” Hope says.

At the same time, Joy points at me. “I like it.”

In unison, they look at each other and say, “What?”

They are definitely twins.

Joy takes charge, seeming used to the role. “You can’t leave. You said you needed to get out of Maple Creek, but Dad and Shep would hunt you down, and I don’t think Mom and I could stop them. But if you’re here keeping a low profile, I think they’d go along with it and give you the time you need to figure things out. And like I said, you have friendsin low places around here who’ll help you by not telling Roy or Sheriff Laurier a damn thing. But first ...” Joy turns to face me fully, narrowing her eyes as she glares into mine. I’m sure she thinks it’s intimidating. For some, it might be. For me, I’ve dealt with worse.

“What?” I grunt.

“What’s your shit that needs figuring out? Are you getting my sister into something stupid, dangerous, or otherwise ill-advised?” She ticks the options off on manicured nails.

I meet Hope’s eyes instead. She’s the one I’m risking it all for, so she’s the one who deserves to know. But, mindful of Joy’s profession, I’m careful as I say, “Me and my boy Sean work together. Lately, it’s not going well, but we need it to.Ineed it to.”

That admission sucker punches me in the chest. I don’t know what I’d do without my brother-in-arms, and I sure as fuck don’t want to find out.

Hope presses her lips together in understanding. She nods, but there’s uncertainty in her eyes. About the arrangement, not me. “Are you sure about this? I’m not a tour guide—”

“Coulda fooled me,” I interject, and she smiles a tiny smile, likely remembering all the recommendations she made last night and on the way here.

I can see the war raging in her mind as she decides. But before she has a chance to, Joy is physically shoving us toward the door, apparently reassured that I’m not a serial killer or fugitive on the run. “Sounds like a plan. Here’s your bag. It’s packed for your honeymoon, but I figured that’d work.” She pulls out a duffel from somewhere and throws it my way before she directs us down the hall and toward the front door. To Hope, she says, “Your phone’s in there too. Send me the address of where you’re staying so I can keep tabs on you.”

With that one, Joy shoots me a look of warning. “I’ll give it to Shep and Dad, too, just in case.”

“Joy, I don’t know about this,” Hope tries to tell her.

But Joy’s not hearing it. She puts her hands on Hope’s shoulders, looking deep into her eyes and speaking firmly. “You have a chance to rip every page out of your story and completely rewrite every chapter. Whether it’s with Roy or not, you deserve to choose it with your whole heart and mind, with zero doubts.”

Hope freezes, hearing the truth in her sister’s words. Suddenly, Hope is wrapped around Joy like a jellyfish, arms and legs and hair going everywhere as they hug and sway in the lobby. “Love you, sis.”

“Love you more. Now, get out of here before the early lunch-edition reporting is over and people see you.” Joy looks behind her as she extricates herself from Hope’s hug.

“Oh!” Hope hears what Joy means—that there might be people here on Roy’s side, not ours.Ours? When did it become ours, not hers?“I’ll call you later.”

And then we’re crossing the parking lot and getting in the car. I glance over to find Hope looking shell-shocked, staring vacantly with her jaw dropped open. “You okay?”

A slow smile steals across her lips, and she nods. Ever so softly, she whispers, “Yeah, I think I am.”

Chapter 7

HOPE

“Where to?” Ben asks, starting the car.

Joy’s words are echoing in my ears and bouncing around in my head as I try to make sense of them. There are people rooting for me to leave Roy? I expected a few jealous types to want him for themselves, considering he’s always had girls chasing him, but I never thought people would want something different forme.

Something better for me than Roy?

“Rosemary’s Diner.” It was the first recommendation I had for him, and I’m sticking with it. I need to know if Joy’s telling the truth, and Rosemary doesn’t have an ounce of fakeness in her. She’ll give it to me straight.

“She on Team Hope?”

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