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“I don’t want his flowers.”
“Then let’s get them the hell out of Momma and Daddy’s house,” my sister said.
“Yes, let’s!”
My girls scarfed down what was left of their street tacos, and then the three of us jumped into my car. Macie held the bouquet in her lap while I drove over to the bayou and parked.
“Y’all stay here. I need to do this alone,” I said.
After walking over to the water, I tossed the vase into it and stood on the bank, watching the white tulips float away. Macie was right about me feeling other emotions as the days passed. The one that I was feeling at this moment was sadness. I’d started feeling it before but had pushed it away. I would have to do that again because I didn’t want Macie or my sister to see how upset I really was about Chad and me being over.
When I returned to my car, Macie asked, “How did that feel?”
“Good.”
“Um, you have company,” she continued, peering out my driver-side window.
When I turned my head and saw who it was, butterflies filled my stomach. Rhys was parked next to me and getting out of his truck. I kept my eyes on him as I lowered my window and didn’t miss the concern on his face when he rounded the front of Black Betty.
“Hi,” I said when he reached me.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes. Why?”
“I was on my way to the hardware store and saw you driving down to the bayou. I can count the number of times you’ve done that on one hand, and it worried me.”
“I didn’t mean to worry you. I just came here to do a little ritual of sorts to get rid of some negativity. That’s all.”
Rhys flashed his dimpled smile at me. “Doing a little Ms. Lenora-kind-of-stuff, working some magic?”
“Something along those lines. I appreciate you checking on me.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I hate to end this conversation, but I’ve got to get my girls back to their cars at my momma and daddy’s so they can return to work.”
“I understand. Hi, girls,” he said, dipping his head to see them.
“Hey!” they both replied.
“I’ll talk to you later, Riley.”
“I’d like that.”
Rhys’s eyes gravitated down to my lips. Then he looked back up at me and said, “So would I.”
After giving me a wave, he returned to his truck and drove off. I looked back at Macie and Rachel to see shit-eating grins on their faces.
“What?” I asked.
“I felt that between you and Rhys. Now that was magical,” Macie teased.
“Shut up.”
“No way. I speak the truth.”
I looked at my sister in the backseat. She wiggled her eyebrows at me.
