Page 89 of Between Now and Forever
I’m practically beaming. My cheeks ache from the smile that’s been plastered on my face since last Saturday. It’s been a week and I’m still walking on air.
Cricket doesn’t laugh. She only acknowledges it with a sly grin of her own.
The sky is gray with black clouds jetting over our heads. A few rumbles of thunder rocked the church this morning, but no rain has fallen. It’s the only reason Cricket agreed to walk with me. The sun isn’t out.
“You haven’t been together in front of the boys, but have you been together without them?” she asks, stepping over a skateboard. “I would imagine you’re still in the dating honeymoon phase of things when you can’t keep your hands off each other.”
I sigh blissfully. “We’ve been together at some point every day, even if it’s for a few minutes. Sometimes it’s just at lunchtime when he comes by to eat at my house, if you get my drift.”
“Ooh.”
“Yeah.” I shiver at the reminder of how well that man takes care ofevery part of me. “He’s helped me build the new stairs. The boys were home but didn’t pay a bit of attention to us. He’s helped me with the drains, things like that. I’ve gone over there after the kids have gone to bed most nights. We’ve snuck in something every day. We’ve made it work.”
“How long are you going to play it like this?”
“Hey!” Scottie is standing on her porch and waving at us. “What are you guys doing?”
We stop at the white gate across the sidewalk leading to her house.
“We’re walking,” I say, laughing. “Did you think we were about to break out into a sprint?”
She snorts. “Maybe if it had just been you. The only way Cricket would run would be if Martha Stewart were standing at the end of the road.”
“Hey,”Cricket says, smiling.
“Della’s here if you want to take a break and come in,” Scottie says. “But be warned, I’m midcrisis.”
Cricket side-eyes me and opens the gate. I pass through without a word.
I still don’t know these women, aside from Cricket, well enough to know what a crisis looks like to them.What are we walking into? Is it a financial situation? A robbery? Did she lose her job?
“I need to borrow a dog.” Scottie waits for us to enter before closing the door behind us. “Or a cat. But cats and I really don’t mesh well.”
Cricket seems startled by this.
Della pokes her head over the couch and rolls her eyes. Then she holds up a cocktail before sliding back into her seat again.
“I don’t understand,” Cricket says. “Why on earth would you need to borrow a pet?”
Scottie sits on a wicker chair across from Della. Cricket sits beside Della, and I take up the rocking chair near the window.
The house is quaint and comfy. There are lots of pictures and decorations, most of them in warm reds and golds. If I didn’t know it was just Scottie who lives here, I could imagine a family hanging out and sharing meals.
“I met a man.” Scottie’s eyes sparkle. “His name is Grady Brundage and he’s midthirties, so smart, and he likes to garden.”
The words almost hold back her entire squeal.
Ice clinks in Della’s glass as she takes a long drink.
“I still don’t understand where the pet comes in,” Cricket says.
“Oh. Right. He’s a vet. And I don’t have a pet and I really don’t want one. But two things,” Scottie says, holding up a finger. “One, I can’t let him think I don’t like animals because obviously he does. He’d take that as a red flag. And two, I don’t know how I’ll ever see him again if I don’t force it.”
“Scottie,” I say carefully, “I’m not sure if faking a love for animals is a great foundation for a relationship.”
“Listen to her,” Della says. “She just bagged Jay Stetson.”
I stare at her.How does she know?I look at Cricket to see if she’s guilty, but she just shrugs and chuckles.
