Page 35 of Let Me Love You
Chapter Nine
It had been a long three weeks. Mainly because they’d been Ren-free.
Stacey had periodically peeped out her den window, watching as he hopped into his Jeep or a friend’s car, coming and going from his parents’ house.
A few women had stopped by. One, a beautiful blonde, bounced up his driveway and threw herself into his arms. He’d pushed the girl back like he knew Stacey was watching, but he’d still smiled as he and the blonde chatted. Shannon had even appeared with a big smile to talk to them both.
Her stomach snaked into jealous knots, even though she had no right to feel that way.
She’dlethimgo.
For an entire afternoon, Ren and Jay loaded boxes into the back of his dad’s Silverado. Shannon had a forlorn look on her face as she carried small items to the truck, but she hugged Ren twice before he and his dad drove off. Stacey assumed they moved him into Tyler’s as his Jeep was no longer in the driveway at night.
Stacey hid in her office, working hard on trying to work hard. This book wasn’t going to write itself. But it was difficult to focus with her emotions tied up like a large pretzel in her belly. She missed him.
Ren’d texted once, the day after the huge blow up with Shannon:Time. You need it. I’ll give it.
That’s all he’d said.
But his actions said way more.
She found a bunch of lilacs on her front porch once a week. Her favorite flowers. Another time, she’d walked out to her car and found the vehicle washed and waxed. He’d must have done so in the middle of the night because she headed out for her run by six that morning.
Her front yard was mowed weekly and her driveway pressure-washed while she taught her creative writing class at the community college. He cleaned the pool every week and would leave her favorite white wine in a chiller on the outdoor table on the patio. She never saw him do any of these things, but knew he did.
She couldn’t get over how much he must have paid attention over the years to know what these things would mean to her. Her heart swelled larger than the Grinch’s and she fell a little more in love with him with each touching and gallant gesture.
He hadn’t approached her the few times he’d seen her walking to her car. He waved and gave a sexy smile that made her insides go all gooey. She’d wave and plaster a smile on her face, hoping her grin didn’t reveal how hard staying away from him really was.
Shannon didn’t talk to her, but did pass tight smiles. Better than the middle finger. Jay was polite, asked her how she was and exchanged small talk across the yards.
It didn’t seem like Shannon had conversed with the meddling neighbors. At least Stacey hadn’t been subjected to the evil eye or malicious whispers.
Her summer class at the community college was small, only ten students, but she loved teaching creative writing. That engagement often inspired her own writing by getting back to the basics. Plotting. Character development. Active versus passive voice. Point of view. Discussing the topics and demonstrating her techniques and tools with those interested enough in her craft to take her class got her creative juices flowing. Having those stimulating mental moments helped her to move past the writer’s block named Ren.
Evenings she’d write. She found several times wanting to call him to run some of the football terminology past him, but refrained. Despite her body and heart wanting desperately to connect, she couldn’t give him any hope that something would happen between them. It had already gone too far. She couldn’t stand another shattered heart. Even though she’d put her heart back together, the pieces were still fragile.
So, when Todd had asked her out on a date, she said yes. Not because she wanted to date him, but she wanted to get her mind off Ren and all the things he did that had her second guessing her decision to end things. She wanted to get out, do something besides sulk about all the ways her life wasn’t turning out how she’d planned. She’d grown tired of the pity parties she threw for herself.
Todd was another English teacher at the community college. They had a quiet dinner at Salt Rock Café, talked about the politics of college, and the highs and lows of teaching English and writing to a bunch of twenty-somethings. Mahuffer’s was the last stop, the night cap, so-to-speak, before their date ended.
“I’m glad you said Mahuffer’s.” Todd’s deep voice penetrated as they found a table off to the left of the main bar. “I love this place.”
“Me, too.” Stacey smiled.
Mahuffer’s was an institution along the Pinellas beaches. A door-less beach bar with nothing special other than its unique decor. License plates from all over hung on the walls. Signed dollar bills were stapled on any piece of open wood available. Bras and underwear dangled from the rafters. Bumper stickers were slapped on the tables, the bar, and walls. And though hours were set, the establishment opened when the owner was ready, and closed that way, too.
Randy had never wanted to grab a beer here. He’d called the place a dive.
Mahuffer’swasa dive, but one of the most popular dives in Tampa Bay.
Now, Stacey could do what she wanted, go where she wanted without worrying about what Randy thought. Freedom that had taken her a while to discover underneath her broken heart.
Stacey looked at her date across the small table. “Thanks for dinner.”
Todd’s sandy brown hair lay ruffled on his head, giving him a surfer look. He had a lean body like a runner. Not her usual type, but a nice guy.
Nice. She hated that word. So ordinary, so nondescript. As an English professor and an author, she should be able to come up with something better thanniceto describe her date.
