Page 62 of Steal My Heart (Prosperity Ranch 2)

“Well . . . this is your decision, obviously, but I hope you at least give Carson a chance.”

Evie closed her eyes, grateful that Becca couldn’t see her in person. “I’m not running. I’m just cutting spring break a couple of days short.”

Becca’s non-reply was a reply by itself, and by the time Evie had hung up with her friend, she was feeling hollowed out.

But this was what it was like to make a decision that someone didn’t agree with. It would be much easier to cave to everyone’s expectations and wishes, as she had her entire life, to avoid the self-doubt. She could do this; she would do this.

After dinner, of course.

The dinner hour crawled by, and Evie hated every minute of it. Not even Ruby was enough of a distraction, since she was seated on the other end of the table. Instead, Carson sat by her, and although his arm was half-draped over her chair part of the time, he otherwise didn’t touch her. He mostly talked to Holt and Lane, though there were plenty of times they included her in the conversation.

Evie kept her answers short, all the while wanting to get away, to have time to herself. Maybe she could even go back tonight. But she knew there was no late-night bus service, and she hadn’t even broached the topic with either of her brothers to give her a ride.

Carson would probably offer when he found out, but then he might cut his spring break short, too, and that would completely defeat the purpose . . . The purpose of returning to campus alone without her roommate Becca, and without the man next to her who’d wrapped his way around every part of her life, making her second-guess what she’d decided a long time ago.

“You’re going to Racoons?” Lane asked, laughter in his tone. “Does Evie know?”

Carson glanced at her. “She’s the one who suggested it.”

“I did,” Evie said, putting her fork down. She’d hardly eaten, anyway. “Y’all should come.”

Lane’s brows furrowed. “I am going; I just didn’t think you would go.”

“Why not?” Evie said in a flippant tone. Lane was moving the irritation meter higher than she had patience for.

Lane shrugged and picked up his glass of water. “Thought you were keeping Carson all to yourself.”

Evie’s face burned, not just because of what her brother said, but because it was at the dinner table in front of the whole family. She laughed a fake laugh and asked for her dad to pass the salt. After salting her already-salted chicken, the conversation had moved on. Yet, she felt Carson’s questioning glances.

She just had to get through tonight, and tomorrow, then she’d be free of all the memories that going into the school had brought back like a blow. Even now, she felt shaky at the thought of walking those halls again. What had she been thinking? Marching in to talk to Ms. Jarvis like it was something she’d done every day.

As the family conversations swirled about her, her mind replayed the first day that she’d shown up to school wearing makeup, with a perm in her hair. Evie had been a week past her thirteenth birthday, and her mom had finally given her permission to wear makeup. But at school, she got the opposite reaction that she’d hoped for. No one stopped and told her she looked pretty. The guys didn’t suddenly notice her. In fact, the popular girls had smirked and talked about her behind her back. Including Jana. Who was apparently still friends with Barb and would be at Racoons tonight.

Evie might as well get it all over with. Face her past, then hightail it out of town in the morning. She admitted she was curious about Jana, but mostly, Evie wanted to prove to herself that she could go to a major social event and not be the shy girl in the corner.

She was weeks away from an undergraduate degree, and she was potentially working for the top newspaper in San Antonio.

“All right, then,” Holt said. “Everyone have a good night. We’ve got to get this little girl to bed.”

“I’m not a little girl,” Ruby declared from her booster chair. “I’m your little darlin’.”

Holt chuckled, and he moved to help Macie clean up her daughter’s mess.

Evie watched the easy way that Holt and Macie acted around Ruby. For a moment, her heart strings tugged for Knox, but he’d effectively cut himself off from his own daughter. So it was Holt who Ruby was growing closer to every day.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Macie said, walking around the table and touching Evie’s shoulder.

Evie loved that about Macie. No matter what was going on in their big family, Macie always singled her out.

“Yep,” Evie said, and inside, she thought, if you’re here really early in the morning. She didn’t want to make any announcements just yet. She’d tell Carson after Racoons, then she’d figure out her ride later on.

When Mr. Hunt was preparing to leave, he said he’d walk if Carson wanted to stick around longer.

“Oh, I’ve got to get ready,” Evie said. “So you two go on ahead.”

Finally, she was alone again in her bedroom. She sat on the edge of her bed and opened her emails on her phone.

She reread the one from San Antonio Daily News once again, waiting for that elation to kick in, but all she felt was nerves. Maybe Carson was right, and she needed to believe in herself more.

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