Loner by Harloe Rae Page 0,2
Being an adult isn’t all cupcakes and rainbows.” That’s the understatement of this century.
“All right, Mama. I’ll be your little girl forever.”
“Cross your heart?”
“Uh-huh, yeah.” She clears her throat. “Mama?”
“Yes, sweet girl?”
“Can we get a puppy?”
My heart clenches at her meek question. I swallow the growing lump in my dry throat. “M–maybe?”
“Maybe really means no.” Her deepening frown threatens to break me.
I blow out a stream of air rather than release more flimsy excuses. She’s right to call me out—I’ve been putting off getting her a pet for years. The timing never seems right, but who’s to say it ever will be? I brush my thumb down her splotchy cheek. “Let’s get settled into our new home first. Then we’ll talk about getting a dog, okay?”
“Promise you’ll really think about it?”
“I promise.”
“All right, I’ll wait a little longer.” She gets quiet after that, more so than usual with me.
“What’s wrong, Millie?”
She tucks some hair behind her ear. The shade of golden sunshine matches mine. “What if the kids in the Silo town don’t wanna be friends with me?”
I furrow my brow and try to smooth the lines away from hers. “Why would you ever think a silly thing like that?”
Her eyes skitter off my face. “That’s how it is here. They never ask me to play tag or go on the swings.”
The children around these parts are a bunch of rich snobs. I don’t tell her that, though. “Millie, you’ll be the most popular. Everyone will want to hang out with you. Wanna know why?”
She nods. “Uh-huh.”
I kiss her button nose. “Because you’re smart and beautiful and kind and good. So very good.” Right down to her marrow. She’s the most genuine soul and wouldn’t hurt the fuzz on a fly.
Her cheeks dent with deep dimples as she curls the corners of her lips. “M’kay, Mama. I hope you’re right.”
“This will be a good move for us. You’ll see.” I stand and begin picking up my mess of laundry. “All right, enough serious talk. Let’s get on the road.”
“We get to meet our new house now?”
“Yes, sweetie. But first, let’s get some ice cream.”
The megawatt smile she grants me is all the assurance I need. The strain knotting my stomach eases with another long exhale. Our lives are changing for the better, starting today.
Healing Hug #2: Exchanging simple comfort without needing a side of fluffy words.
“It’s about time you start dating again.”
I choke on my sip of coffee. A very unladylike stream of brown liquid spews from my mouth. To add further insult, stray droplets dribble down my chin. I wrinkle my nose at the frothy mess. What a waste of much-needed caffeine. After getting my mess under control, I glare at my best friend. “Pretty sure I misunderstood you. Care to rephrase that?”
Josey narrows her dark eyes at me. “Oh, come on. It’s been over a year since the Kirk debacle. That might as well be ancient history at this point.”
“I disagree.” I allow my thoughts to wander while gazing outside through the front window of Steeped. There are moments when it feels like yesterday. I fled with Millie from Kirk’s hoity-toity high-rise to the sleepy town of Silo Springs and didn’t bother glancing in the rearview mirror. Best decision I ever made. This community welcomed us with open arms and never let go. And aside from her random bouts of meddling, Josey is the greatest reason to remain rooted in place for years to come. “I just finalized my mortgage. How about we celebrate that rather than bring up old skeletons from my disastrous history with men?”
She swats the air. “You would so go there.”
“Without a doubt. And I’m glad that’s settled.” I roll my gaze to the wooden beams lining the ceiling. “Can I return to enjoying my morning in peace now?”
The light tapping of her nails against the table is answer enough. “I’m just getting started, lady. This has been brewing inside of me, and I’m ready to let it out.”
“Is that so?” I purse my lips while offering her an unflinching stare. This isn’t the first round we’ve battled on this topic. I’m not naive enough to believe it’s the last. Deterring Josey is usually easy enough, but there’s an unfamiliar spark in her eyes today. She’s got something sneaky up her chiffon sleeve. A laundry list of possibilities begins forming while my heart picks up a faster beat. This conversation could lead in far too many directions. The silence stretches taut enough to snap.