His eyebrows lifted as he walked away, his manly scent drifting toward me as I followed behind him. “Your room’s in here. Mama’s making dinner. She’ll cook breakfast, as well. I’ll order that tire first thing in the morning.”
“I’m not in any rush,” I offered, hoping to slow him down, but he didn’t take the bait.
“Well, I’ll try to get it here as soon as I can, but it might take a couple days.”
I shrugged. “That’s fine.”
“The bathroom’s across the hall.” He pointed toward an open door. “Mama’s room is at the end,” he explained, then walked away. “Come on, Buster.”
“Thanks,” was all I seemed to manage at his indifference. I didn’t consider myself an egotistical person, but when someone clamored to get as far away from me as possible, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t give my ego a beating.
Glancing around at the sweet blue-and-yellow room, I smiled to myself. It was comforting and homey, the decor tasteful yet not over the top. It was everything I’d expect a Southern bed and breakfast to be.
Tossing my duffel bag on top of the queen-sized bed, I unzipped it and unpacked a few of my things on the dresser and nightstand. The bag was disorganized and nothing was where it should have been, but I didn’t care as I rifled through it, searching for my stuff. Normally I was a complete neat freak, but the chaos of the past week had put my neat gene in check.
Not wanting to appear antisocial, I headed into the kitchen where Emily, aka Mrs. Montgomery, was rolling some kind of dough.
“Hi,” I said, not wanting to startle her.
“Paige. Is your room okay?”
“It’s perfect. How much do I owe you?”
She shook her head. “Oh, we’ll deal with that later. Once you figure out how long you’ll be staying.”
I pulled out one of the white bar stools and sat down at the counter. “Tatum said it would probably only be a couple of days before he got the tire.” I glanced around, wondering where he was.
His mom caught me and a smile reappeared on her face. “He went to go tow your car to the shop.”
I nodded, embarrassed that she knew I was looking for him. “Mrs. Montgomery, I know I’ve got no business asking you for anything else after all you’ve done for me, but can I ask you for another favor?”
“Of course, dear, but I thought you were going to call me Emily.”
I chuckled. “I’m sorry. I can’t. My mom never let me call her friends by anything other than by their last name. Is it okay if I call you Mrs. Montgomery, or will you be offended?”
She stopped working the dough and turned to face me. “Offended? Oh, heavens no. I just wanted you to feel comfortable. Now about that favor. What do you need?”
“I really don’t want it getting out that I’m here.” I stumbled over my wording. “I mean, to the press and stuff. Is there any way to keep my being here private?”
Her face crinkled with worry before softening with what appeared to be understanding. “I won’t tell anyone you’re here. This is a small town, though, Paige. Word will definitely get out to the locals, but I’ll see what I can do about keeping them quiet.”
“I’d really appreciate that.”
“I can’t make you any promises, but I’ll do my best. Tatum will too,” she added.
“I’m not so sure about that,” I said, and she tilted her head.
“Why would you say that?”
“I don’t think he likes me much,” I admitted honestly.
She waved a hand at me and said something that sounded like pshaw. “He’s just going through his own stuff. He’s harmless. All bark and no bite. It’s not you, honey, it’s him. That sounds like a blow-off, but it couldn’t be more true.”
I huffed out a hard laugh. “I do not believe that for one second,” I said, emphasizing the word not.
Mrs. Montgomery tapped her fingers on the countertop. “Well, he’s got you fooled then. Now tell me, hon. What are you doing all the way out here?” She leaned across the counter and reached for a pitcher of tea before pouring two glasses. Pushing one toward me, she waited for my reply.
I sipped the tea. “This is so good,” I said before taking another big gulp. “I just needed to get away for a little while. I think I’m having a breakdown or something.” I managed an awkward laugh.
“You don’t look like you’re having a breakdown. But I did hear about what that boy did to you. I’m so sorry for that.” She reached out and squeezed my hand before pulling away.
My heart pounded and I swallowed hard. “Thanks. It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay,” she said. “That sort of behavior is never okay. And from what I’ve seen of you, you don’t seem like the type of girl to deserve it. Not that any girl deserves that sort of thing, I reckon.”
I looked away, fighting to keep my eyes from watering. “Yeah, well, this isn’t even really about Colin. It’s about…” I paused, shaking my head from side to side as my breaths came out in a rush. “It’s about everything else.”
“I can’t imagine what it must be like for you.” Her tone conveyed a sort of compassion that I rarely heard when people talked about me.
“I don’t want to complain, because I know I have an amazing life and I get to do things that most people only dream about.” I was over-explaining, but I couldn’t stop myself. Mrs. Montgomery was so warm and understanding, she reminded me of my mom, and I found myself opening up. “But sometimes things just aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. You know?”
“I can’t say that I do. At least, not from your perspective.”
I stopped myself from laughing at her blunt honesty. I’d been so used to people constantly agreeing with everything I said and saying the things they thought I wanted to hear, that her words were refreshing, to say the least.
“I just wanted to do something normal, and everyone in my life told me that I couldn’t.”
She glanced around at her surroundings as if seeing them for the first time. “Well, hon, this town right here is about as normal as you’re gonna get. And I can’t imagine what it would be like to be told what you can and can’t do all the time.”
“Like I said, Mrs. Montgomery, I really don’t want to complain. Thank you for listening. And for letting me stay here.” I’d already felt more at home and peace than I had since the news of Colin’s cheating broke, but I wasn’t ready to give my whole story to someone who could sell it in two seconds if the opportunity presented itself.
“It’s no trouble, dear. No trouble at all. But I’m here if you need to talk about anything. Okay?” She smiled and then turned back toward the dough, lifting it and pressing it into a waiting pie plate, then crimping the top edges carefully.
“Thank you. That means a lot.” Swallowing the rest of my tea, I dabbed the corners of my mouth with my finger, wondering if I could truly trust her or not.
“Now it’s my turn to ask you for something. If you don’t mind, that is.” Her blue eyes pinned mine, and I couldn’t help but notice they were the same shade of blue as her son’s.
“Of course not.”
“Have patience with him. That’s all I ask of you,” she said, then let out a light laugh.
“Um, okay?” I practically choked on the words as they left my lips. “Your son’s not my biggest fan.”
“You never know. Lightning could strike.” She grinned and hummed a tune as she put the finishing touches on her pie.
Confused and unsure how our conversation had turned in this direction, I pushed through the screen door and sat down in one of the rockers on the covered porch. Birds flew through trees I didn’t recognize, and a breeze gently lifted my hair. The air was sticky and humid, but I didn’t mind it as the sun started to set. I found if I listened real hard, I could hear the sound of water splashing in the distance.
Being here for a couple of days wouldn’t be the worst thing that had ever happened to me. I could definitely handle this.