“I asked if you wanted to talk about this and you said yes,” I stated matter-of-factly. I couldn’t take it back now.
He shook his head as he chewed and swallowed about half a doughnut. “I do. I just didn’t expect that. Go ahead.”
“What? You didn’t expect I’d tell him?” I was confused about what he meant. Wasn’t that how things went?
“No. I didn’t. Has he told you that before?” His expression showed he really couldn’t believe what I’d done.
“No. I said it first. What’s wrong with that?” Was that weird? Didn’t people just say it when they felt it?
“Wow,” he said and bobbed his head looking at the ground. Looking maybe a little impressed. “There’s not a damn thing wrong with it. Good for you.” Then he laughed and relaxed a little.
“I don’t get it.” Why was he being so weird?
“No. You do get it. That’s what it’s all about. Having the balls to say it. Telling someone how you feel.”
It was getting clearer.
He continued, “I never had the balls to do it. Good for you.”
“I’ve got big balls, Dean.” I tried to lighten the moment, and he chuckled a little so I went on. “Anyway, that’s not the reason I’m here. After I said it, he said it. Then he asked me to move in with him.”
I waited to see his reaction. I expected him to have the one I thought I should have. That shocked, it’s-too-soon look.
Because it was, wasn’t it?
And when he didn’t react that way, I thought I’d lost my mind.
“So what?” he asked.
“So what? What about my dad? I live there. That’s where I’ve always lived. And the way Dad’s been lately. I’m worried about him being alone. I can’t just leave him.”
“He’ll be fine. You can’t stay with him forever just so he isn’t lonely, Mutt,” he argued.
“It’s just too soon and I hate the thought of that.”
He stood and grabbed one more pastry. “Know what? I can’t even believe I’m saying this. I think you should move in with Vaughn.”
Hearing that come from Dean’s mouth was insanity.
I needed another doughnut.
I stuffed a good half of it in my mouth and plopped back down on my half of the lift.
“Are you shitting me?”
“I shit you not, girl. You said yourself you love him. He loves you. What more are you waiting on? What can’t you figure out along the way?”
It was more complicated than that. I needed more time. I needed to think and I knew the best place for that.
“Okay, these doughnuts are good and all, but I got shit to do.” I hopped up and kicked his foot. “Get out, or lock up for me.”
“I’m gonna fuck around here for a while. I’ll lock up. Go.”
I ran in the office and grabbed my keys then ran back into the garage to say goodbye.
“Dean, thanks for breakfast.”
He’d picked up a broom by then and propped his chin on it as he said, “You’re welcome.”
The store wasn’t too busy when I pulled up. Everyone was at church. I walked in past a woman about my age in white pants and heels, who I’d never seen before, and thought, “Excuse you,” when she shuffled past me with her one grocery bag and huge purse, putting her designer sunglasses back on her head.
I ran past the counter, heading straight for the coffee. I was out at the cabin.
When I got to the register, Rhonda was giving me a funny smile.
“Good morning, Rhonda.”
“Oh hey, Mutt. How are you doing, honey?” she said strangely. Almost sympathetically. She was being weird.
“I’m fine, thanks. How are you?”
Perplexed and surprised at my answer, she said in a hushed voice, “Don’t you worry about that woman, Mutt. There are plenty of other men in this town who would knock a bull over to get to you these days.”
What the hell had she smoked? And what fucking woman?
She read my what-the-hell face correctly and added, “Well, honey, that woman just told me she was Dr. Vaughn Renfro’s fiancée. I hadn’t heard she was in town.”
Oh no, she did not just say that.
Was “excuse me” bitch with the bag Rachelle?
“That was her?” I screeched and pointed to the door where she’d just walked out five minutes earlier.
“Yes, Mutt. That’s what she said?” Then Rhonda hit her top speed in checking shit out, knowing she’d just made a huge mistake and that obviously I didn’t know she was in town either.
“I think I said something about you to her too, Mutt. I’m sorry I didn’t know. She asked if I met him and I said how cute you two were.”
I didn’t say another word.
I paid and left.
Then I barked my tires for a good solid block on my way to Vaughn’s.
When I got there, just as I’d expected, her vehicle was parked in the driveway. An ugly red Prius.
What a bitch.
By the time I got to the front door I heard them talking. Mostly, I was concentrated on Vaughn using a tone he’d never used with me.
“I don’t care if he went back to his wife, Rachelle. That has nothing to do with me.”
“It does, don’t you see? I’m back and I’m sorry.”