Page 71 of Not Our First Rodeo
I surprise us both by wrapping my arms around her. She smells like she always does, like expensive perfume and the body oil she lathers herself in after every shower. She smells like my mom, and, strangely enough, I’m comforted by it. “Thank you for coming.”
She nods when I pull back. “We will be at the party too.”
My eyes lock on Beau’s. His expression is locked somewhere between pride and concern. He’s no doubt wondering what my parents said in voices too quiet for him to hear over the din of young girls being congratulated by their families.
“Party?” I ask, unsure if I’m talking to my mom or Beau.
He moves closer to me, his hand finding its place on my lower back, a comforting touch that I shamelessly lean into. “Something to celebrate,” he says.
I stare up at him, unblinking. “The recital?”
A patient smile coaxes his lips, and he tightens his hold on me. “Yeah, Els. We all want to celebrate your first recital.”
The house is lit up from the inside, and I can see the decorations all the way from the driveway. Something swells in my chest at the sight of it, and my throat feels thick with an emotion I can’t quite name. Something warm and sticky and tender.
Beau and I drove separately since I had to be at the performing arts center hours before the recital, and he beat me home, along with half of the Jenningses, so when I let myself into the house, I’m followed by a loud burst of applause and congratulations.
I’m clutching Beau’s flowers to my chest when he makes his way to me, and all I can think to say is “I can’t believe you did all this.”
He shrugs like it’s no big deal. “I can’t believe you did allthat.” He shakes his head, a look of wonder on his face. “You’re incredible, you know that?”
The feeling in my chest expands and explodes, effervescent glitter sparkling everywhere.
Behind me, the door opens and Tonya enters, grinning maniacally. “We did it, honey!” she shouts, wrapping me in a hug. I barely saw her after the performance, and when I caught her eye while she was talking to a parent, she shooed me off and told me she’d see me in a bit.
I tighten my arms around her, sinking into her familiar warmth. “We did.” I pull back, looking into her dark eyes. “Thank you for everything.”
She shakes her head, gray curls bouncing in the warm light. “I didn’t do anything. You just needed a soft place to land and someone to tell you that you could do it.”
Tears prick at the backs of my eyes, but I push them down and give her one last hug before I truly lose it.
“Let’s have cake,” Jade shouts from somewhere behind me, pulling a grin out of me and making the tears stay firmly in place.
The night feels magical. I eat enough cake to make my stomach hurt, and I sip on apple bubbly while everyone else drinks champagne. My heart swells enough that my chest hurts, and everyone stops to congratulate me.
Cash and Ryder bring me cards they made. Willow put Ruby in a shirt with a picture of my face on it. Cooper gives me a hug and tells me he’s proud of me. Clint kisses my temple and Lottie pats my cheek in that comforting yet practical way of hers. Even my parents raise a glass when Beau makes a toast. And Beau never leaves my side. Any time I turn around, he’s there, grinning like he’s never been more proud of me, his eyes soft, his body warm beside mine.
“Have you picked out what you’re going to wear to the baby shower?” Jade asks as I scrape off another icing flower from my cake and spoon it into my mouth.
“No,” I groan. “I was too focused on finding something to wear for this. Maybe I’ll just repurpose it.”
She makes a face. “Maybe we will just go shopping.”
A sigh heaves out of me. “I really don’t see why I need to get dressed up.”
I finally relented when the might of the women in the family harassed me into having a baby shower. I’ve been completely out of the planning since I’ve been devoting every waking minute to the recital, so I don’t even know the theme or food or games. But I’m assuming it’s going to be low key. They may have convinced me that some of the hostility from the town was all in my head,but they’ve only managed to make me believe that the people of Larkspur are indifferent to me. They may not toilet paper the house, but they’re not going to purchase diaper cream off my baby registry either.
“Because you can no longer get away with unbuttoned jeans,” Jade replies.
She’s right. They’re no longer making it over my hips. I’ve been relying on Beau’s boxer shorts and plain tees that barely cover my growing stomach.
“Fine, we’ll go shopping, but I still don’t see the point when it’s just going to be family there.”
She rolls her eyes. “Your pessimism is astounding.”
“Your optimism is unrealistic,” I tell her.
She only shakes her head. “You’ll see, Els. Look around you.” She motions at the people gathered around my house, too many to fit on the furniture. “You’re as much a part of this town as any of us.”
