Page 24 of Ocotillo Kisses
Ah, just great. She lowered her head a moment, but didn’t want anyone to see her defeat. So she looked up, a smile pasted on her face.
The smile wavered when Con touched Poppy’s waist. Britt felt it on her own waist, and her heart squeezed.
She had thought about Con since she’d been gone, of course. Maybe a little more since last summer when she’d visited, and saw him all grown up. More handsome than ever.
Sexier than ever.
She wanted to watch him with Poppy, but no. She’d better get out of here and leave them to their own lives.
And wonder what life would have been like if their plans had gone ahead.
She hurried out the door with only the slightest self-conscious wave in their direction.
They had had so many plans. So many nights they’d sat out on his porch, or stretched out under the stars. They were going to A&M together. He wanted to study veterinary science. She hadn’t really landed on a major, had applied to the business school, but she was flexible. They would live on campus their freshman year, but then move into a little house together. They’d both been so excited by the idea of playing house. By the time he graduated from vet school, his sister Claudia would already be graduated, and would take over the ranch, so Con and Britt were free to settle wherever. They’d thought about the Dallas/Fort Worth area, because after living so far from everything, they’d both wanted to be near a city.
And then Claudia had died and their dreams had fallen apart. They hadn’t even discussed the pivot they’d have to make. She wondered now, if they had talked about it, if they could have come through the other side together. If they would have come up with a solution that let them leave Broken Wheel, or if she would be stuck here forever with him, just because she’d loved him in high school.
She was grateful to get the call from Teresa at Austin’s office telling her that her grandmother was done with her appointment, and ready to go home. Britt swiveled away from the park and toward Austin’s office.
“Are we going to dinner?” her grandmother asked when Britt collected her.
“I thought maybe we’d go to Kimmel? Try something there?”
Her grandmother’s eyebrows drew together. “Why?”
“Con and Poppy are at the diner, and The Wheel House isn’t open today.”
“Con and Poppy,” her grandmother repeated. “So there is something going on there?”
“Looks like,” Britt said, forcing her voice to remain normal, forcing her brain to stay far far away from Memory Lane.
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“What are the odds she’d be in town the same time you are?” Poppy opened her menu, not looking at Con.
“Pretty low.”
“But we shouldn’t have to worry about it much longer?” She met his gaze over the top of the menu then. “She should be heading home by the end of the month?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I don’t actually know.”
“I guess it doesn’t really matter.”
“It will be nice not to have to think about running into her.”
“I understand, I guess. Just knowing there’s nearly the whole state of Texas between you isn’t enough?”
“The whole state of Texas and thirteen years,” he said, tipping his menu toward her. “You’d think that would outweigh three years of high school dating, right?”
“You’d think.” She drew out the words softly.
He blew out a breath. “Yeah. Yeah, you would.” So why wasn’t it?
