Breaking Stars - J. Sterling Page 0,29
made sense. There was no way Tatum’s eyes did anything except narrow with annoyance at my presence. Partner in crime? No way. He probably wished I’d just head on right out of town.
Unsure how to respond to that, I mumbled, “Well, I guess I’ll go grab that towel now.”
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Paige. I’m sorry.” Mrs. Montgomery set her coffee mug down on top of the counter and took a step toward me.
“You didn’t. I just…” I paused and shrugged. “I just think you’re wrong about Tatum and me is all.”
She nodded and waved me off. “You’re probably right. Now, the swimming hole is about a ten-minute walk down the path. You don’t need to stray from the path at all, it will lead you right to it. It’s real peaceful, I think you’ll enjoy it.”
“I still can’t believe places like this exist,” I said with a smile.
“Surely you’ve been to the South for filming before, haven’t you?” she asked as she tilted her head to the side.
I shook my head. “I have, but it wasn’t like this. And I didn’t get a chance to explore or go sightseeing, you know?”
“Well, you’re here now. In the true South. Might as well enjoy it.”
My smile widened. “I couldn’t agree more.”
No Rush to Leave
Tatum
Fresh coffee and sandwich in hand from the café, I walked side by side with Buster down the narrow street back toward the garage. Buster was my dad’s dog, and he used to bring him to work almost every day. The damn dog even had a giant puffy bed thing in the corner of the office. Dad used to say that the dog would sleep all day long, snoring away through the pounding and the machines. He used to think that was the funniest thing ever, the way Buster would sleep through life. But he loved that dog. And I loved my dad. It sucked without him here.
I pulled my old man’s chair back from the desk, sat down, and turned on the computer. Buster whined at my side. “What’s the matter¸ boy?” He did that sometimes now. He’d stare at me and whine like he was telling me some secret I couldn’t understand, or he’d head over to the place where we found my dad’s body, then lie down next to it. Damn near killed me when he did that shit.
Pushing the memory from my mind, I shook my head and sipped my coffee. Opening up the latest e-mail from my tire guy, I read his response carefully.
It will most likely take me a few days, maybe even a week to get that kind of tire in. Who the hell is driving a BMW in these parts?
I laughed to myself and wrote back:
Just a tourist. Take your time with the tire; she’s in no rush.
Pressing Send, I sat back. What the hell did I just write? Take your time? She’s in no rush? Who the hell was I to speak for Paige? Clearly, I was the one who was in no rush to get her out of town. The bigger question was: Why?
A response pinged on the computer, and I winced at the e-mail’s title:
You’re in luck!
I clicked on the message to reveal the whole thing.
The tire will be in first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll have it delivered by the afternoon.
I responded with a quick thank-you, then slammed my fist on the desk before grabbing my coffee cup. Tomorrow? The last thing I wanted was Paige out of my life by tomorrow. Thoughts of her leaving drove me half mad.
I picked up the phone and dialed Mama’s number. When she answered on the second ring, I impatiently tapped my pen on top of the desk and asked, “Hey, Mama, is Paige there?”
“I just sent her off to the swimming hole. Sorry, hon.”
I stopped tapping. “Did she go there alone?”
“No. I sent her with all her friends.”
Smartass. “Very funny,” I snapped. “What if people are there, Ma?”
She sucked in a quick breath. “Shoot, Tatum. I didn’t even think about that.”
Even though the swimming hole was on our property, my high school friends and their little brothers and sisters would sneak on and hang out there most days in the summer. It wasn’t like we didn’t know they were doing it; we just didn’t care. It never mattered before today if our water was the most popular hangout spot in the area.
“I’ll head over there and make sure she’s okay,” Mama offered, and the fine hairs on