Page 2 of Coming Home Country
There might be memories lurking around every corner in that town, but it wasn’t like I would bump into him. He’d left Rust Canyon to attend one of the most prestigious medical programs in the country. There was no reason for him to return to our small town when his prospects were better elsewhere.
At least, that’s the hope I clung to so I didn’t chicken out.
I was twenty-eight years old. I should be over some silly teenage heartbreak by now.
But deep down, I knew I would never get over it.
The buzzer on the intercom at the door to our high-rise apartment sounded, and Aaron left the bedroom to answer it.
“Babe, your car to the airport is here!”
“Coming!” I shouted, lugging my suitcase off the bed.
Looping my leather travel backpack over my shoulder, I stepped out of the bedroom and into the living room. Aaron stood by the door, and when he caught sight of me, he flashed me that charming smile he used when trying to woo prospective clients, our little tiff in the bedroomseemingly forgotten.
“Come here, Rebecca, and give me a proper goodbye.”
I almost snorted. He’d already gotten his “proper goodbye” when he shoved me to my knees in the shower this morning, but I wasn’t about to point that out—or the fact that he’d gotten off and left me hanging—and stir up more shit before we were set to spend a week apart.
So, like the dutiful fiancée I was, I closed the distance between us and let him pull me into his arms. His lips descended on mine, his tongue demanding entry. I parted for him, but my only thought was that he’d never set my soul on fire. I faked a lot of orgasms. I was practically a pro at it by this point.
What we had was convenient. Honestly, I didn’t know how anyone working at the firm had time to find a significant other outside of work; there simply weren’t enough hours in the day to carve out time for a personal life. It just made sense to accept a proposal and build a life with someone who understood the rigors of the job and I could actually see during the day.
I’d made my peace with it and told myself that plenty of people survived in practical, satisfactory marriages. My life now was very different from the one I’d imagined for myself as a girl, but sometimes, there were factors outside of our control and we were forced to pivot.
Gently pushing on Aaron’s shoulders, I broke our kiss. “See you on Thursday, right?”
He gave a firm nod. “Thursday.”
Aaron opened the front door, giving me what he deemed a playful swat on the behind when I stepped through. “Gonna miss you, babe.”
Probably will miss the blow jobs more than you’ll miss me.
Giving him a bright smile I prayed he wouldn’t see was fake as hell, I tossed over my shoulder, “You too.”
The elevator doors slid closed, and I sagged against the mirrored wall. Tilting my face toward the ceiling, I let out a heavy exhale.
Ten days. Ten days to lay the past to rest and move on for good this time.
The flight from Chicago to Oklahoma City took less time than it did to drive from the airport to Rust Canyon. It had been a decade since I’d traveled these country roads, but I still knew them like the back of my hand.
When I finally reached town and rolled down Main Street, memories assaulted me without warning.
That time I’d convinced Quinn at the salon that my mama had given permission to cut my butt-length brown locks so that they barely brushed my shoulders, as well as the subsequent scolding when I came home missing the majority of my hair.
That time Aspen and I had hidden in the back corner of the bookstore to read a copy of the bestselling romance novel our moms were whispering to each other about, and our curiosity got the better of us.
That time Mr. Sullivan, Aspen’s dad, taught me to ride because my own dad wasn’t around, and he’d declared that any good country girl worth her salt should feel just as comfortable on horseback as she was walking.
That time my heart was shattered into a million pieces, and no amount of glue could piece it back together, so I ran from the only home I’d ever known.
That night altered the course of my future, and the mere thought of it had tears burning behind my eyes.
Fuck, I’d been back in this town for less than five minutes, and already I could tell being here was going to be harder than I imagined.
If there was one person I could go to for comfort, it was my best friend. So, instead of simply passing through on the way to my mom’s house, I pulled over on Main Street.
The sun glinted off the ostentatious diamond resting on my left hand, and I wrenched it off, stuffing the ring into the glove compartment for safekeeping. This week was about Aspen and Mac; I didn’t want to steal any focus away from them. Especially when their marriage would be built on a foundation of love, whereas mine was going to be more about convenience and companionship.
