Page 21 of All I Need

“Focus!”

“I am. I know I taught that boy to share.”

“Stop interrupting. Like I was saying, that night we talked all night on the porch but over this past week she’s opened up a little more every day. We’ve had a chance to get to know one another better, spent a lot of time cooking together and relaxing. She told me she’s never felt at home… before now. Do you know how that made me feel, Walker?”

“I’m happy she’s happy with you,” I tell her honestly.

“And now you need someone to replace Linda,” Miss Polly declares out of nowhere.

“Uh. What?”

“You heard me. Don’t even pretend you didn’t. It’s like Fate,” she cheers.

I sigh and will her to relax, not continue in the direction I think she’s going. “You don’t believe in Fate.”

“I do if it works out with the plans I was putting into place.”

I bite my tongue from letting out a string of curses because just as I feared, I know exactly how this is going to go. If I fight her on this, she’ll call Linda and the two will gang up on me.

“Have her come in sometime this week and I’ll talk to her.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow night for dinner,” she amends.

“Polly,” I groan.

“What did I tell you? Don’t fight me. I know what’s best.”

“Sure you do,” I mutter.

“Don’t sass me, either. Listen to me. I’m not setting you two up. She’s not ready for that anyway.”

For some reason, I have a hard time believing her.

“I love you, Walker, but I see a lot of me in her. Right now, she needs me and you know what? I kind of need her, too. Do I think you two would be great together? Yes. And so do you, if the look on your face when you see her is anything to go by. But that’s not the point. It’s not what I’m focused on because the break up with that jerk of an ex is too fresh. She doesn’t have anywhere else to go,” she says, her voice dropping to just above a whisper.

“Shit.”

“She needs us,” she repeats quietly. Well, kind of. I apparently have been added to the list of people she needs. I can’t deny that I like the thought of that.

I sigh again, heavier this time so she knows I’m irritated—even though I’m not really. “I’ll be there tomorrow night.”

“Thank you, Walker,” she says quietly.

“Yeah, yeah. See how you’ve beaten me down? I can’t even put up a fight anymore.”

“You can’t see me, but I’m patting myself on the back.”

“I have no doubt. Can I bring anything tomorrow night?” I know the answer to that question before I ask it but it’s rude not to at least ask anyway.

“You’re so sweet to offer, but no. We’ve got it covered.”

Don’t think I didn’t pick up on the we she just used. Not setting us up, my ass.

“See you tomorrow.”

“You will. Come hungry.”

She hangs up before I have the chance to reply. I throw my pickup in reverse and back out to head home for the night.

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