Page 27 of Barbed Wire Fences
“How’s your mom doing? I still haven’t had a chance to stop by and see her since I came back,” I ask, changing the subject to his family instead.
“She’s about the same. She’s taken on after-school care for a few young kids in the neighborhood, which is the primary reason I think she won’t move out of the park and come live with me, though I ask her to just about every week. She said she feelsconnected to our little cul-de-sac and the children who live there.”
“Do you think that’s true?”
Rhett shrugs. “I think so. You know the families that live in the park, hell we both came from them. Their home life isn’t good. My mom gives them a sanctuary from that and structure. Rules that aren’t just to break them, chores that teach them responsibility and hard work, and food to put in their bellies when their parents insist on spending that money on their selves.”
His gaze flicks to mine, lingering just long enough for me to catch the flicker of doubt in his expression, like he’s wondering if he’s overstepped. But with Rhett and me, there were never really limits to what we could say to each other—at least, not until the end.
We’ve seen the messy parts of each other’s lives, carried the weight of secrets no one else knew. His mom had been my sanctuary once too and so had Rhett. Ignoring that now would feel dishonest, and unappreciative no matter how things ended between us.
“You know, she’s asked about you over the years,” he says softly.
I bite down on my lip and nod. Another reminder that I didn’t keep in touch with the good people who helped make me from this town. I know I was like a daughter to her, and she was the only caring, parent-like figure looking out for me.
“What have you told her?”
He shrugs. “Told her you were living your dreams.”
I nod, grateful that he didn’t tell her everything. About the way we ended and the ways I know I hurt him.
He leans back in the booth and stretches his arms overhead, twisting side to side before his lips twist up at the side into a smile. “Remember that time you scraped up your back when you fell off that metal swing?”
The rest of lunch shifts into lighter territory and Rhett has me laughing so hard I almost forget how awkward and heavy this reunion could have been.
He tells me about the chaos of starting his own business and the ridiculous antics of the guys that he’s hired, and I talk about how school went and how much I love working as a nurse.
I’d forgotten just how funny he is. How easily he can make the world feel a little less serious when we’re together. For a while, I let myself forget about my disastrous date with Owen last week and the looming storm cloud that is Monday when I’ll have to face my mom for the first time in years and unpack my father’s last words.
By the time the clock hits five, hours spent catching up have passed, and the cashier at the counter calls out Rhett’s name, letting him know his to-go order for game night is ready.
“Well,” he says, rising from the booth, “I better grab that. I wouldn’t be surprised if the owner has already texted her granddaughter three updates by now.”
I laugh. “That sounds about right. Small towns never change, huh?”
He smirks, grabbing the big platter of sides and pulled pork then returns to the table. “Not even a little. But speaking of food, you’re still good for seven tonight, right?”
“Will you even be hungry again in two hours?” I tease.
He raises a brow. “Jael, is that even a question? You know me—I’malwayshungry.”
I grin because, yeah, that part of him hasn’t changed. Not one bit.
He points a finger at me as he backs toward the door. “Seven o’clock. Lainey and Lark’s place. I’ll text you the address. You better be there.”
I shake my head with a small smile. “I’ll be there.”
Chapter 10 – Jael
“Jael! Oh my god. I can’t believe you’re here!” Lainey shouts, pulling me into a hug the second I step through the front door of her cozy house.
The scent of pulled pork and something sweet wafts through the air, and despite never being here before, it’s all so nostalgic it almost knocks me off my feet.
“When Rhett mentioned you were coming for game night, I just about lost it. I actually dropped Nathan’s sippy cup, and I think it cracked the tile. I wasthatshocked.”
I smile at her, taking in the laugh lines framing her mouth and the way her bright blonde hair seems to glow under the warm light of the entryway. She looks so grown up yet so unmistakably Lainey, and it hits me how much time has passed. She’s beautiful, radiating that effortless happiness I’d always admired.
A small pang of self-consciousness settles in as I wonder if she notices the ways that I’ve changed and doesn’t see them as beautiful. Is the extra weight that I’ve gained noticeable? Have the things that I’ve lived through become etched into my face like a map of every hard-earned moment?
