Page 15 of Hello Heartbreaker

He seemed to understand what I was saying and glanced down at his plate. “I need to use the restroom. Excuse me?”

I nodded. “Go ahead.”

He walked toward the back of the restaurant, and as he went, a blond woman called, “Rhett. Rhett!” Giving up, she stopped by our table. She shook her head, blond curls swinging about her face. “I swear that man has a one-track mind.”

My lips parted as I realized who she was. “Lola.” She’d changed her hair from the red it used to be, and she must have spent less time in a tanning booth now than she did in high school, but I’d recognize her anywhere. Especially when she was seared in my mind, wrapped in a sheet and standing behind Rhett at his door. Cheeks red, her hair a mess.

Her lips parted. “Oh. My. God. Magnolia! I didn’t know you were back in town.” If she felt any awkwardness, she didn’t show it.

“I’m working at Rhonda’s,” I said, trying to fight the nausea in my stomach.

“Good for you.” She gave me a patronizing smile. “Will you tell Rhett I’ll be by around eight?”

“By where?” I asked, my vision growing hazy.

“His place, silly.” She giggled and turned to walk away. “Good to see you, Magnolia. Welcome back to town.”

I couldn’t find the words to speak. Not over the rush of blood pounding in my head. Lola, of all people, was going to his place tonight? On the night he was begging me to make up with him? On the night I was ready to set aside all that pain and try to turn over a new leaf?

I heard Rhett’s voice before I saw him. “Miss me?”

I glanced up, seeing that grin on his face. It made me want to puke. “So,Lolawanted me to pass on the message that she’ll be at your place tonight at eight.”

His lips parted. “Mags, it’s not like that. I—”

I shook my head at him. “I don’t want to hear it.” I stood up, grabbing my purse. “God, I can’t believe I almost got sucked back in. Our relationship is in the past, and that’s where we need to leave it. Have a nice life.” I turned away from the table, and he moved to follow me.

“Mags, let me explain.”

I turned to face him. “Save your breath. I’m sure Lola will give you a ride to your truck. And probably another one at eight.”

8

RHETT

Liv listenedto my sob story as I got all the shit for Little League out of the bed of my truck. She came early to help me sort everything. The parks and rec lady had given me bags of softballs, a bundle of bats, the world’s oldest catcher’s get up, and a handful of gloves in case any of the girls forgot theirs.

“It was awful,” I finished, having told her all about my disastrous get-to-know-you dinner with Maggie.

She cringed, rubbing her stomach as she walked beside me. “Yeah, I don’t know how you’re coming back from that one.”

“Liv,” I said, frustrated. “A little help might be nice.”

We rounded the metal bleachers, going through the gap in the chain link fence by the dugout.

Liv questioned, “I mean, I have to know... Why the hell was Lola coming over anyway?”

I set the bats in the dugout and continued toward home plate. “She had to pick up a piece I made, and that was the only time I could do it because I had that dinner with Mags.”

“Ah.” Liv frowned. “I mean, surely Maggie’s cooled down a little since yesterday. Maybe you can explain it to her tonight.”

I stopped at home plate, dropping the bag of softballs. “I’m supposed to show up at her house again?”

Her eyes widened, and her lips parted. “No one told you?”

“Told me what?” I asked, worry settling in my gut. Had she decided to move out of town already?

Several yards away, I heard Maggie’s voice. “Oh, hell no.”

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