Page 84 of Where We Call Home

I laughed, though it sounded more like a dying animal. “Oh, God, no. I wouldn’t even know what to say.”

Did I want to tell Rhodes? Yesterday’s kiss made me believe he feltsomething, too. Would putting it into words make things... weird?

“How did you do it, Aspen?” I asked, searching for some guidance. Whatever she did clearly worked.

She laughed, shaking her head with a sly grin. “I was naked in his bed, wearing nothing but his cowboy hat.”

“I love that for you,” Penny giggled, reaching over to high-five her. “You know what you need to do.”

I raised a skeptical eyebrow. Penny’s ideas always came with a side of caution.

“It’s a good idea!” she insisted.

I sipped my sparkling juice, glancing at Aspen, who was clearly gearing up for whatever wild plan Penny was about to pitch.

“You should print the photo of you on top of him and put it in his wallet. Maybe print a few. Then put one in his truck.”

I nearly choked, the juice threatening to shoot out of my nose. The sound I made drew every eye in the salon, which only made the choking worse. My cheeks burned, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes.

“Wait!” Aspen exclaimed. “Thatisa good idea.”

“See?” Penny said, grinning triumphantly.

The woman doing my pedicure arrived just then, settling into the low chair in front of me and getting to work.

“What if someone else sees it?” I whispered.

“That’s the fun,” Penny replied with a wink.

I had to admit, itwouldbe funny. It could break the ice, and if I didn’t make a move, who’s to say things would change?

“I’ve always been direct about what I want,” I mused, almost to myself. “Why stop now?”

“Exactly,” Penny said. “After this, let’s go get them printed. I want one for myself anyway.”

She winked again, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

Thirty-One

After Rhodes had fixed my car, he made an appointment with Gus to have it checked out. Not that I didn’t trust him or his amateur mechanic skills, but he thought it might ease my mind to have a “professional I trusted” take a look.

Instead of Rhodes taking me, my mom offered. He’d been around so much over the past few weeks that I felt guilty leaning on him again. When I mentioned it to my mom, she said it would be a good opportunity for us to spend some time together. I couldn’t argue with that. Now that I wasn’t living with her anymore, I saw her even less, and it had been weighing on me.

Rhodes dropped my car off early this morning before heading to work. He didn’t want me driving it until he was sure it was in perfect condition. He even arranged for Boone to pick him up and take him to the ranch.

This man and his thoughtfulness—he really was chipping away at the walls around my heart, walls that had only just started to thaw.

My mom picked me up, and we were on our way to the shop. The trees flashed by in a blur, the silence only broken by her not-so-subtle prying questions.

“So… care to fill me in about Rhodes?” she asked, hands perfectly positioned at ten and two on the steering wheel, eyes focused ahead. I rolled my eyes and leaned my head against the headrest.

“Do I have to?”

“I mean, no, you’re a grown woman. But I’d like you to.”

When she put it like that…

“Fine,” I sighed, feeling the weight of the moment settle in. “Things are good. He’s been really sweet, and I think I’m starting to really like him.”

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