Page 82 of Just Business

Whatcha need?

Quickly, I type out my plan. I know she’ll understand how important this is.

Cassie

Yep, I’ll head there. Is it alright if Liam and Jackson come? I’m at the bar with them.

Of course! The more the merrier. I’ll order pizzas.

Twenty minutes later, Cassie, Liam, and Jackson come walking up my driveway. Greg hands them boxes and I tell them the plan. He must have texted Lisa, because soon after she pulls up with Ed and Carol right behind her. I know if Josie could be here she would, but she’ll be proud of me when I fill her in later.

It’s long past time to clear out these two rooms and make this house my own and not a shrine to everything I’ve lost. There are things I’ll keep, pieces of my past that deserve a place in my future, but letting it all sit here untouched is just keeping me down.

Greg and Ed select some things they’d like, and we get to work boxing up the rest. The pizzas arrive, and we eat, laugh, and pack the night away. I’ve decided to send everything to the North Alabama Women’s Shelter, but I’ll have to wait until Monday to call them. Until then, we stack box after box against the wall of my parents’ bedroom, the pile growing higher as the night goes on.

* * *

Hours later, I’m alone on the front porch swing, the night air cool against my skin and my heart lighter than it’s been in years, when my phone rings. I smile when I see Austin’s contact photo. It’s the one I took at the drive-in, my lips pressed to his cheek, his eyes wide with surprise. My heart leaps straight into my throat. God, I’ve missed him.

I accept the Facetime call, and the second his face fills my screen a flood of emotion rushes over me, blurring my vision. He looks tired, but not in the hollowed out way he looked when he first arrived in Singing River. This is different. This is the look of someone who’s been working hard. Until this moment, I hadn’t fully realized just how much I’ve ached for this man.

“Penn.” Austin’s face lights up as soon as he sees me. “God, I’ve missed you,” he continues, settling back against the headboard of the bed. “What have you done today? Tell me everything, like I’m right there with you.”

So I do. I tell him about paying the loan off, going to the cemetery, and my decision to clean out the bedrooms. His eyes crinkle at the corners, a proud smile spreading across his face as he listens.

“I’m so proud of you. You did all this all on your own,” he says once I’ve finished.

My smile is wide, mirroring his, as his words sink in.

“I’m kinda proud of me, too,” I admit, with a surge of pride and accomplishment.

“I know you said you’d be with me when I decided to do this,” I say. “But I think it happened exactly how it was supposed to.” My voice catches and I take a second to breathe. “It’s like something clicked today. I’ve spent all this time feeling like I have no one, like I’ve been carrying everything alone, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

I exhale, the weight of that realization hitting me all over again. “They’re my family, and they came through for me when I needed them most. I needed this to happen exactly the way it did.”

“So what’s next?” Austin asks. “What do you see yourself doing now?”

“I can’t quit the studio altogether, I have to eat my candy salad and pay the electric bill,” I say, half-smiling. “But I do plan on taking a little more time for myself. I’d like to see if my dream of performing has legs.” The words leave my mouth before I can second-guess them and a nervous flutter stirs in my chest. He’s the first person I’ve told this crazy idea to.

His dimple makes a full appearance as his face breaks into a huge grin. “It has legs, baby. I know it does.” Then his expression shifts, and his voice turns teasing. “Oh, and by the way, some country singer I know has been working on a few more duets…in case you’re interested.”

“Oh, is that right?” I toss his teasing tone right back at him.

“Yep. Just tell me when you’re ready,” he replies, winking at me through the phone screen. “We’re gonna be so good together, baby.”

“So what do you plan on doing with the two bedrooms?” Austin asks, segueing into another topic.

“I don’t really know. I haven’t gotten that far, to be honest. It wasn’t easy taking this step. Maybe I could turn one into a home library slash office in one. I need a little more time, but I’d consider moving into my mom and dad’s bedroom.

“And what would you do with your bedroom?”

I shrug, noncommittally. “I guess I’ll see what I need. I can leave it empty for now.”

There’s a brief pause before he speaks again. “Would you ever want it to be a nursery?” His voice is hesitant and the question hangs in the air. “Ignore me. I didn’t mean to make things weird. I just miss you and my mind is racing a little.”

“What if I don’t wanna ignore you?” I ask.

We’re both quiet while my words sink in.

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