Page 45 of Small Town Frenzy
Even if a little damaged, hearts will remain intact.
I sit down with a cold glass of iced tea and flick on the TV. After I find a preseason game out of Houston, I discover a puzzle piece to complete the corner I’ve been working on. This life isn’t so bad.
I glance over at my phone. No message.Yet.
This is different. I can’t say I’m comfortable waiting to hear from someone I like. It’s a bit eye-opening to feel anxious, wondering if she’ll contact me. With my knee bouncing, I place a puzzle piece to connect a whole corner and am immediately reminded of the table Cricket moved in her office when she didn’t need to. Her nerves were getting the better of her.
I don’t know what she’s doing to me, but I shake my head, guessing this is karma paying me back. But I smile right after because I can’t wait to see her again.
CHAPTER 19
Cricket
“So you know . . .”Savvy starts, handing me her phone. “I approve of him.”
I work through a few word search options with no luck, but ask, “Who?”
“Nice try,” she says with a laugh. “He’s cute. Just like I said the first time you saw him.”
No point playing dumb when she saw more than she probably wanted of me and Griffin this afternoon. “I’m glad you approve, but don’t get too ahead of yourself. No matchmaking.” I glance at her next to me. “No leaving me to hitch a ride from him tonight. No setups at all.” As I try a few new words and am victorious with the word crawl, I add, “Please let things happen organically. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.” I hand the phone back to her.
She looks at the progress of the game we’re playing, then back at me. “And if it doesn’t, are you still going to tell him about Jacob?”
My breath stops hard in my throat before I can exhale.In the dark of the back seat of the car we hired to drive us to Whiskey’s Bar tonight, I can barely make out her features, other than the little light drifting in through the windows. The gas station lights are blinding for two seconds as we pass. When my eyes adjust to the dimness of the vehicle, I whisper, “I told him about Jacob, Sav. This afternoon.”
“You know what I mean.”
I lick my lips as my heart starts thumping. “I’m not following.” Fine, I wasn’t going to play dumb, but I feel forced into a corner, and it’s all I can think to do to protect the secret I’ve been keeping from her about Griffin.
She angles her back against the car door, knocking her knees into mine. “I’m not trying to put you on the spot or upset you. But we both know he’s Jacob’s father. You basically copied and pasted that kid straight from his dad.”
I catch the driver’s eyes on us in the rearview mirror. Readjusting for more privacy, I face my cousin and lower my voice even more. “What makes you so sure?”
“First, you’re not denying it. Second, I wasn’t that drunk in Costa Rica. You were.”
I try for indifference when I reply, “I knew what I was doing.”
“I’m the last one to judge. We’ve both had plenty of good times in our lives. Some of those times, we made a pact to go to the grave with those stories. But this isn’t the same as going topless our senior year of college at the Paldino’s private pool in Vegas.”
The way she can recall events in an instant is impressive, but also a tactic to take me down.The traitor.“Do you remember everything?”
Shaking her head, she says, “No, but I remember him. Hard to forget. I’d imagine it’s tougher for you since you got a parting gift before he left.” Leaning forward, she glancesthrough the windshield. “I also saw him leaving your room the next day. The man is a giant, and if I must admit, which I feel strongly that I do, he’s gorgeous. He’s hard to miss all around, which is probably what drew you to him in the first place.”
“It did,” I confess too quickly, but I don’t need to lie to her. “The moment I saw him, I was tripping over myself to meet him. And maybe a few too strong margaritas played a part as well.” Pointing my finger at her, I add, “But I didn’t really drink after that, so I was sobering up all night with him.”
She throws her hand up with her clutch in it. “Again, I’m not judging. But even I saw him enough back then to recognize him on the team now. So I know you did.”
The red sign in the middle of nowhere shines like a beacon around these parts.
Want a good time?Go to Whiskey’s.
Rough day?Go to Whiskey’s.
What’s not to love about strong drinks, fried food, bar games, and live music to dance to?Nothing.That was how I knew it would be the perfect place to meet up. “If you knew all along, why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“Because this was the one time,” she says, reaching over to rub my arm, “I knew you needed to figure it out on your own. I can’t tell you what to do or force you to do anything. Trust me, I’ve tried over the years.” She gives a glimmer of a smile, which I find reassuring. I know my cousin only wants the best for me, as I do for her. Despite all of our family issues, we can always rely on each other.
“Admittedly, I’ve been stubborn in the past.” Holding my hands up in surrender, I say, “Guilty as charged.”
