Page 39 of Spurred On

“Dallas is nice. Big. Busy.”

“Do you ever miss home?”

“Home?” What a funny word. It had so many meanings.

“Snake Gully?”

Oh. That home. “I miss my family. Wish I could spend more time with Dad.”

“Yeah. Sorry about your mom, by the way.” In the past five years, Mom had started slipping away, a piece at a time. Now Sidney was lucky if she even recognized her youngest daughter.

“It’s hardest on Dad,” she said.

“I guess.”

“Do you ever think about moving back?”

Sidney chuckled. “Have you been talking to Hanna?”

“Um, no. Why?”

“It’s her mission in life to get me to come back.”

“Would that be so bad?”

It would be. If he was here. Seeing him more frequently than once every ten years would definitely wear down her resolve. Hell, one day, and she’d already hopped into bed with him. What did that imply?

“People don’t move back to their hometowns.”

“Some do.”

“Like who?”

“Cade did.”

She snorted. “Cade was discharged from the military. That’s different.”

“Not really. He could have moved to Dallas. Or anywhere.”

“Cade had a reason to move back here.”

“And you don’t?” The way he pounced on that, like cat on a quivering mouse, made her think this had been his angle all along. “Your mom? Your dad?”

“Trying to make me feel guilty for living the high life in Dallas?” In a dingy one-room studio over a Chinese restaurant in a rough part of town? “Trust me. That won’t work. Hanna’s tried it.”

“Surely there are other reasons you should move back?”

She eyed him warily. “What are you driving at?”

For some reason, he looked flustered, like a cock with ruffled feathers. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“No. It’s not.”

He sighed and scrubbed his face. “I’m talking about us, Sidney.”

This, of all things, made her bolt upright in her chair and stare at him in shock. “Us?” she squeaked—like that mouse.

“Yes.” He smiled. A gamine grin, with dimples and all. The one that made clear his delight that she’d uttered that two-letter word he coveted.