Page 74 of Back in the Country
The door bursts open and Waylon comes flying in like a bat out of hell.
“I want you to stay,” he all but screams at me when our eyes lock across the kitchen. To say he startled me would be an understatement.
“Excuse me?” I look at my empty mug and wonder if maybe I didn’t actually consume any caffeine.
“I don’t want you go, Marlee. I want to be with you. I lo—”
“Don’t you dare say it!” I practically screech.
“But I do, Marlee, I—” He’s pleading…almost begging, but I hold up my hand.
“You don’t get to burst in here and say it after all that stuff you said to me.”
“What stuff?” Sorren growls.
I ignore him and focus on Waylon.
“I was wrong and I’m sorry, Baby Girl. We can make this work. I’mwillingto put in the work.”
I squint at him as my brain tries to make sense of all this.
“I’m not sure I understand.”
Scrubbing his hands over his face, he takes a deep breath before looking at me. “I should never have let you go the first time, and I’ll never forgive myself if I let you go now. I know it’s selfish but I want you to stay. Here. With me.” He glances at Sorren. “But if Nashville is what you really want, I’ll go with you. I just can’t lose you again.”
I squint harder as he keeps talking.
“And we’ll figure out the Caleb situation together.”
“What Caleb situation?” Sorren growls.
Ideally, I should be over the moon with all these declarations but…I’m not. Not even a little. I have a feeling we’re not having the same conversation, and if he thinks an apology will fix anything, he’s sorely mistaken.
“Waylon,” I say as calmly as I can muster, “what are you talking about?”
He must not pick up on my tone because he answers immediately.
“You going to your big meetin’ and then startin’ your new job in Nashville. You definitely deserve it, and I’m so proud of you, but I don’t want you to go.”
“Waylon, I live here.” I wave my hand around the kitchen. “You’re acting like I won’t be coming back here in a week.”
He points at my suitcase. “You have an apartment in Nashville; your life is still there. It was always temporary to be with your brother and help him get settled and now your new job—”
“You think I came back only for Sorren?”
This gives him pause. His head tilts slightly to the side.
“Well, he said…”
“Where do you think I’m going to put those chickens I was talking about, Waylon? Think I’m going to put them in my Nashville apartment? Which. I. Don’t. Have. Anymore.” I enunciate the words because I am flipping fuming.
“Umm…”
“The job you’re so worried about is a remote position. I’ll be working from Clementine Creek.”
“But what about Caleb showing up here? All the texts?”
“He what?!” Sorren roars and I spin to face him.
