Page 116 of Talulah's Back in Town

“I’d like to say it won’t be for long, but...”

“I know. I won’t push you. If you come back to me, I want it to be because you love me, not because you don’t want to disappoint me.”

“Thank you for that,” she murmured. Brant was the first man she’d been with who seemed to care whether her feelings were as strong as they should be. And the fact that he was willing to give her the space and time she needed made her love him all the more.

“I’ve got the portable AC unit in my truck.”

Talulah sighed heavily as she glanced around the bedroom. It was bare, but not nearly as empty as the other rooms in the house. She purposely hadn’t sold the bed, in case she needed to use it in the future. She hadn’t sold the dressers, either, since they matched the bed.

“I can move this stuff out of here and store it for you, or sell it once you list the house,” he said, gesturing at the furniture that remained. The window he’d ordered for her had come in, and he was going to install that, too.

She turned to face him. “Thank you, Brant. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to you—for everything.”

He rested his forehead against hers. “I wish you weren’t leaving.”

“So do I. I don’t know what’s waiting for me in Seattle, or how I’ll deal with it.”

“You’ll call me, though, when you get in, to tell me you’re safe?”

He’d offered to drive her to Seattle and fly back, but if he did that, one of his brothers would have to go to Bozeman to pick him up at the airport. And if he took her home, that would only cause more problems with Paul, who wouldn’t be leaving for his family reunion until Friday. He’d messaged her to ask if she was still returning on time, so they could talk and she could get back in the groove of taking care of the diner; she’d agreed, hoping that accommodating him might mitigate some of his anger. “I will,” she promised.

“Paul had better treat you right,” Brant muttered.

She closed her eyes as she held him close. “Whether I come back or not, I want you to know this.” She looked up into his face. “I love you.”

The drive through Missoula and across Idaho was some of the prettiest country Talula had ever seen. She’d admired it the entire time she was coming to Coyote Canyon. But she paid little attention to it on her way back. She didn’t seem to be the same person who’d made this trek a month ago, before the funeral, before getting closer to her family, before confronting her past—before Brant. But she had so much unfinished business in Seattle. She had to go back, regardless of how it all played out.

As she was passing through Coeur d’Alene, a message came in from Paul, which the computer in her car read to her.Are you coming today?

She used Siri to reply.On my way.

When will you get in?

Late. I didn’t leave Coyote Canyon until after noon.

Just had to fuck Brant one more time, huh?

He had no idea how much work she’d had to do while she was in town. But he didn’t care about that.

Really? Do you have to be so crude?

Call me when you get here. I’ll be up.

Talulah wasn’t convinced she’d have the reserves to deal with Paul tonight. It wasn’t until midnight that the lights of the city appeared in the distance ahead of her. But she decided she might as well see him right away—get it over with.

I’ll be at my place in thirty.

See you there.

He had a key to her apartment. He’d agreed to bring in the mail and water the plants. Since he’d become so hostile to her, having him inside her house felt like an intrusion, but when she’d made the arrangements, she’d never anticipated that their relationship would go in this direction. Now he seemed like too big a part of her life in every aspect.

Once she parked in the underground lot and grabbed what she could of her bags, she dragged them to the elevator and pushed the button for the tenth floor.

Sure enough, when she let herself into her apartment, she found the lights and TV on—and Paul sitting on her leather couch with a beer.

“Welcome home,” he said sarcastically.

“Are you going to make this terrible?” she asked, leaving her bags in the entryway and proceeding to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

---