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“Give me a break! Y’all aren’t that far apart. Heck, you could come home every weekend, or he could go to Fort Worth.”
“We’ve already talked about him coming to my duplex next Friday.”
“I know his work schedule is pretty flexible, so he could probably arrange to stay longer, like until Monday or Tuesday. You two could have an extended weekend together.”
“I would love that.”
“You might be a little sleep-deprived and a whole lot sore, but I think you’d agree it would be worth it.” Macie shimmied her shoulders at me.
“Stop!” I said, feeling the red in my cheeks. “Y’all, come on and help me unload everything.”
Per pasture party protocol, everyone brought snacks and drinks to share. Rhys more than covered it for both of us by getting several party-size bags of Ruffles Potato Chips and Nacho Cheese Doritos, plus three dozen fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and a case of bottled water from the grocery store. His YETI cooler—full of ice, a new bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey, four bottles of Josh Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, and a stack of Solo cups—was in the backseat, along with the snacks and water.
“Jackson and I will get that,” Rhys said, walking up to my girls and me.
Macie grinned at him. “We appreciate it.”
“No prob.”
“You surely look happy, Rhys.”
He glanced at me. “I am.”
“We all are for you and Riley.”
Macie and Rachel hugged him while Jackson hugged me. Then, the handsome Silverman brothers set the snacks, water, and cooler on the tailgate of Rhys’s truck. I didn’t have to say a word. My high school sweetheart opened a bottle of wine, poured some into a cup, and handed it to me.
“Would y’all like some?” he asked my girls. They said yes.
When he was done fixing their drinks, Jackson told Rhys to help him light the bonfire. Before they walked off, Rhys kissed me. Afterward, he rubbed the tip of his nose back and forth across mine and smiled, making me do the same. The moment he and Jackson were out of hearing range, Macie turned me.
“Rhys just made a statement by kissing you in front of everyone out here,” she chuckled. “He essentially said, ‘She’s mine!’”
“I know, and I love it.”
“Do Momma and Daddy know how serious things have gotten between you and Rhys?” Rachel asked.
“Yes, and they’re happy about it.”
“I knew they would be.”
“So, BFF, I must know if you’ve received anything else from Mr. Douchebag.”
“I received a text from him this morning. He wanted to come to Cypress Hills today to talk to me, but I told him no.”
Macie huffed. “What will it take for him to see that his efforts toward you are pointless?”
“He’ll eventually get the message. It’ll likely be when he and I have our final talk. It’s got to happen.”
“What is there to talk about?”
“I want to tell him exactly how much he hurt me, and not just physically. It was emotional, too. Then I’m going to return my engagement ring to him. I also need to get my stuff from his house.”
“Do not return that ring. Sell it and buy something that you really like.”
“I can’t do that.”
“You are way too fucking nice.”
