Page 16 of Unbearable

“Do you have anything in mind?” she asked.

“Uh… not really. Do you?”

“How about we don’t have guests over, unless otherwise talked about, maybe?” she offered.

“Sure, I don’t generally have anyone over except your brothers occasionally. Would that be okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, I don’t mind them. I just don’t want people I don’t know or feel comfortable with in the space I am staying. Is that okay? I know it’s your house. If you want me to leave, I can do that.”

“No, Dot. I told you, you are welcome here. I don’t have guests over.”

“You probably already know this, but no peanuts, please,” she said. Dotty had been allergic to peanuts since we were kids. Growing up, we never had any peanut products around because of it, and I kept that habit throughout adulthood.

“I don’t keep peanuts in the house, so no worries,” I said.

“Well, that’s really all I got. I clean up after myself. You do too, at least, according to my brothers.” She smiled, but it didn’t meet her eyes. “I like your place. It’s nice here, very rustic chic.” She looked around and her smile started to lift more at the corners.

My house wasn’t the nicest house in Woodstone Falls, but it was mine. I worked hard to get a down payment and get approved for the mortgage. With help from Colt and Dorian, I had renovated the kitchen, installed new flooring, and painted all the walls over time.

“Thanks, I’ve done a lot of work on it, but I did hire a virtual designer to help make some decisions because I am not good with that stuff.” I scratched my beard, needing something to focus on other than her in those tiny fucking shorts.

“Well, it’s a beautiful home. I especially love the porch.” She gestured around us.

“You did always say the only thing the ranch house was missing was a wrap-around porch. That and a few extra bedrooms so no one had to share.” I paused, unsure if I should have let on how much I remembered about her even after so much time had passed. “But… uh, at least now you can enjoy the cabin’s porch.” The only sound was the creaking of the rocking chairs.

After several moments of silence, she finally spoke. “Yeah, it does need a lot of work though.”

“What’s your plan?” I asked.

“I don’t exactly have one. My goal today was to go back and create a list of everything I can do and what I may need to hire out for.” She shrugged.

“I can help out. I know a lot about fixing a place from renovating this place and also working around the ranch for years.” I didn’t exactly have a lot of free time to help, but I’d do anything to get back in Dotty’s good graces. This might be the first step to do so.

“Why?” She sighed before continuing. “I mean, why would you want to help? We haven’t talked in years, and the second I come back to town you want to talk to me and help me as if we didn’t ignore each other for ten years?” Her voice was raw. It was the first time either of us had mentioned our past.

“Dot, I know what happened can’t be changed, but it’s in the past. Let’s start over. As friends?” The pleading in my voice could not be hidden.

She sighed as her fingers twisted her necklace. “Acquaintances. I can do acquaintances.”

There was little to no difference between friends and acquaintances to me, so I agreed.

“I want to help because I care about the cabin and your family, and I cared about your grandparents. Despite what you might think, I also care about you. The cabin holds a lot of memories for me, and just because we haven’t spoken in years doesn’t mean I forgot our childhood together.”

Her cheeks flushed red at my last sentence. She clenched her jaw, looking down at her coffee as if searching for the right words. Finally, she looked up, her eyes sharp and determined.

“You can’t just waltz back into my life and act like nothing happened. You say you didn’t forget our childhood.” She looked up at me, and the heaviness of her eyes made my stomach drop. “So, did you conveniently only forget everything that wasn’t left as a pretty painted memory in your brain? You may be able to move on from that, but I can’t. It’s not that simple.”

I felt a pang of guilt, knowing she was right. “I’m sorry, Dotty, and I know I can’t change the past, but I’m here now. I want to make things right. Even if it takes time, even if it means we start as acquaintances.”

She scoffed, pushing back her chair abruptly. “Don’t expect me to just fall in line with your plans. It’s going to take more than your pretty words and charming smiles.”

“Would this be a bad time to point out you think my smile is charming?” I teased.

She pinned me with a glare that the devil would be scared to be on the receiving side of.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

She cut me off with a sharp scoff. “I’m done talking about this.” She stood up, her face a mixture of anger and pain. “Just stay out of my way.” She stormed off, leaving me sitting there, feeling the weight of her unresolvedanger that I deserved every ounce of. The door slammed behind her, echoing in the silence, and I was left with nothing but the distant sound of a bird chirping and the lingering tension in the air.

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