Her line of sight goes to my hands and she smiles. “I’ll have to tell Etta and Dylan you took their advice and got one of those.”
“Yeah,” I say, grinning at my hand, “I went and got it a few days ago. I’ve been feeling more settled, and better in general. This helps when I start feeling fidgety.”
“Go figure,” she giggles, reaching around my legs to scratch Harley’s head. “So really. What are you doing out here?”
I look at her sheepishly. “I decided today was the day I wanted to meet Jared.”
“As long as you’re not stalking your neighbor,” she says, patting my leg as she cranes her neck around, taking in the view. But she snaps her head back my way suddenly. “You aren’t, are you? Stalking him?”
“What––,” I say, choking on the most perfect sip of my latte. “No. I’m curious about Jared, that’s all.”
“The mailman who dresses up?”
I nod and toast the air with my mug. “I know. It’s a good and busy life I have here in the country.”
“Would there be another reason you’re sitting out here?”
Is there? Of course there is. I hate admitting it to myself, and I’m going to hate saying it out loud to Georgie, too, but she’s here and I’m feeling vulnerable.
But does that mean I have to tell her right now? I take another sip of my coffee and nod toward my house. “My HVAC is also getting fixed today.”
“So being perfectly of right mind, you decided that was another reason to sit outside and hang out. You afraid he’s going to drive by the place?”
Pursing my lips, I attempt to stare straight ahead, not wanting her to know she’s got my number. But she does. I have a feeling if I didn’t tell her how I was feeling, she’d already know anyway. I’ve discovered I have the kind of friendship with Georgie where it’s like we’ve known each other for years. I’m grateful for it and know I’m super blessed she’s my first real friend to have here in Sweetkiss.
Time to come clean.
“And I didn’t want to sit in my house, looking across the field one more day wondering what’s going on at”—I jerk my thumb over my shoulder—“his place.”
“Ahh,” she says, sitting back in her seat, her shoulders visibly relaxing. “Well, that’s why I’m here.”
“About me stalking Austin?”
“No,” she moans. “Because Austin was called back to Tampa.”
“Oh.” Does my tone have an edge to it? Little bit.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Austin?” I’m playing a deflection game as she nods, and I shake my head.
A thousand words fly to my mouth at one time, but they’re all caught at the exit, like a panicked crowd that can’t get out of a stadium. I’ve been trying to figure out the feelings I’ve developed in such a short amount of time myself, but I can’t. It makes no sense, until it does.
Because part of me knows that I began to fall for him the moment I met him, way back, before Georgie and Levi were married. I think in some ways my journey to Austin began the day she introduced us, and I just didn't know it.
“I’d rather not discuss the fact I’m falling for that man.” I sit up a little taller, refusing to get teary.
“Okay,” Georgie says, putting her leg underneath her as she angles herself on the chair, pulling sunglasses off their perch on her head so they rest on her nose. “Then we’ll just sit here and not talk about Austin.”
“Great,” I mumble as my phone rings in my lap. Recognizing the number in a blurry kind of way, I answer. As soon as I hear the voice, I know it’s Harley’s pet sitter.
“Is she with you?” Felicity asks.
I look down at the dog sleeping peacefully at my feet. “Sure is. I guess you guys will need to get her back for the owners?”
“Well, that’s the thing.” She half-laughs. “I’m calling you with a weird question. Like, so weird I’ve never done this before.” She’s quiet for a moment before pressing on. “The owners have been back for a few days now, actually.”
That’s surprising. “Really?”
