Page 11 of Wannabe in Wyoming
“Why is that? You don’t like cooking?”
“Nah, I cook just fine. Just gets lonely eating by myself sometimes is all.” He worked on peeling the label from his beer, not looking up as she diced the chicken and put a skillet on the stove.
“I apologize in advance if this is none of my business, but why are you single, Jeremiah? You’re handsome as all get out and a great guy. Any woman would be lucky to have you. No one around that strikes your fancy?”
He froze, before slowly rising his head and meeting her gaze. He studied her carefully, seeming to be debating something with himself.
“Can I trust you?”
Hearing the seriousness in his tone, she gave him her full attention. “Of course, you can. You’re the closet thing I have to a best friend around here. Anything you tell me stops with me.”
He paused, as if weighing his words. “I don’t like any of the women around here. Actually, I don’t like women at all. I’m—I’m gay.”
The implications of his confession hit her like a ton of bricks. The small town of Antelope Rock wasn’t progressive in any way. There was not a single rainbow flag anywhere in town. It was an archaic boys-club type of place where homophobia was alive and well. To be gay and a rancher in a small community had to be . . . hard. She was honored he trusted her with his secret, and she would take it to her grave if he wanted her to.
His eyes were downcast, as if he didn’t want to see her reaction, so she did her best to lighten his load. “So, does this mean we can check out hot cowboy asses together? There’s just something about a tight pair of Wranglers . . .”
Jeremiah threw his head back and laughed so hard, tears welled up in his eyes. “Oh, woman, you never cease to amaze me. Thank you for that. Coming out is never easy for anyone, and you’re the only person in my family or this backwater town that I’ve ever told. I’m sure my parents suspect at this point, but we don’t talk about it. They’re retired and live in Arizona, and we don’t see much of each other anymore. And to answer your questions, yes, ma’am, a nice tight ass in Wranglers is a sight to behold.”
As she finished cooking, they laughed, joked around, and teased each other. Their conversation flowed easily, as if they’d known each other their entire lives. She hadn’t had a close friend since before her marriage. Having one now meant everything to her. Being here, in Antelope Rock, was beginning to be the best thing that had ever happened to her.
“So, what about you, Willow? Have any of the single guys in town caught your attention yet?” When she blushed, his eyes widened, and he leaned forward. “Oh, c’mon, girl. I just bared my soul and came out to you, so you can damn well give me one of your secrets in return. Which one is he?”
Smiling, she shook her head. “It’s no one in town. No one in Wyoming even.” As they ate, she proceeded to tell him about Nathan, doing her best to stick to the facts and keep the adolescent gushing to a minimum. She held out her left wrist where she’d been wearing the bracelet Nathan had sent her ever since she’d received it. It was colorful but would’ve gotten lost against her tattoos on her other arm. “He got this for me. The locals make them where he’s deployed.”
“It’s pretty. He’s got good taste.”
“Do you think I’m crazy, fantasizing about a guy I’ve never met in person, Jeremiah? Hell, we haven’t even spoken on the phone or video chatted—just old-fashioned, hand-written letters.”
He shrugged. “People find their soulmates in all different sorts of ways. Over a hundred years ago, mail-order brides were a thing, and I’ve heard of romantic relationships that started out as pen pals before. Nowadays, people are marrying the love of their lives that they met over the internet. When that boy gets back to the States, invite him up here. Just wondering about it will get you nowhere. Maybe he’ll get here, and you’ll find you’re not attracted to him romantically, but you could still be good friends. Lord knows you can never have enough of those. But maybe you’ll discover he’s your soul mate. You won’t find out until you take that first step. And if you really want to win him over, cook him this dish.” He used his fork to point to his almost empty plate. “It’s the best damn thing I’ve eaten all year.”
Her smile grew. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
As they finished their meal, Willow realized it’d been forever since she’d had a friend over for dinner. Even back in Philly, there had been very few times she’d had people over to her apartment. Since she was starting a new life here in Wyoming, she mentally added having company over more often to her list of things to do.
Jeremiah was helping do the dishes when her cell phone rang from where it sat on the kitchen island. The sound startled her, making her drop a plate into the soapy water with a splash. “Damn, no one ever calls me. Who the hell could that be?” Although she suspected she already knew.
When she picked it up, however, she didn’t recognize the number or area code. It wasn’t from Philadelphia or any of its surrounding counties, so she swiped the green button and said, “Hello?”
“Willow? Oh hey, babe, it’s so good to finally hear your voice.”
Her blood ran cold, and she felt the blood drain from her face.
“Andrew, what the hell do you want?” Jeremiah looked sharply at her upon hearing her icy tone. He mouthed,you okay?She frowned in response, plopping down on a barstool at the kitchen’s island in disbelief and agitation, but held up a hand to stop him when he reached for her phone. The last thing she wanted was for her new friend to get caught up in whatever mess her ex had found himself in. And she was sure that was the reason Andrew was calling. “Did you not figure out I didn’t want to talk to you after I sent your calls to voice mail, blocked the numbers, and didn’t call you back?”
“Ah, come on now, baby. Don’t be that way. I can’t call you up?”
“No. You fucking can’t. You gave up that right when I found you balls deep inside Mindy.” She ignored Jeremiah’s eyes bugging out of his head.
“Now you know that was a mistake, and I regret it. She didn’t mean anything to me.”
She gritted her teeth as fury assaulted her. The nerve of her bastard of an ex-husband never ceased to amaze her. If only she’d realized it before she’d married him. “You have two seconds to tell me what the fuck you want, after that I’m blocking your number. Again.”
“Well, honey, I heard about your father, and I just wanted to call and give my condolences. I didn’t know you’d found him.” She wasn’t going to explain it all to him, but before she could tell him to never call her again, he asked, “Why did you move out there? Your home is here, baby.”
God, she hated the syrupy endearments he threw out at the drop of a hat. At one time, she’d thought the words proved he cared about her and loved her, but now she knew they meant nothing to him—just like she meant nothing to him. “It’s none of your business. You’ve given your regards, now fuck right off.” She ended the call, cutting off whatever he’d started to say and sorely missing old phones that you could slam onto the cradle. Swiping a button just wasn’t as satisfying.
“Willow?” Jeremiah sat on the stool next to her and placed a comforting hand on her shaking arm. “Are you okay? Who was that?”
