When he took the seat farthest away from me at the table, I suddenly wondered where his dad was and why they didn’t come in from the shop together. When I asked, the table grew silent except for the clang of Mrs. Montgomery’s fork as she dropped it onto her plate. Tatum’s jaw clenched and his hands balled into fists, and I wondered what I’d said wrong.
As Tatum’s face paled, his mom reached for her dropped fork. “Tatum’s daddy died a few years back.”
Drawing deep on my acting skills to hide my shock, I offered a meek apology. Tatum jumped up and stormed away from the table, then dropped his dishes into the sink with a crash before he rushed outside. The screen door slammed behind him, and the sound of his boots stomping back and forth as he paced across the wood-planked front porch drifted through the open windows.
“I’m so sorry,” I offered again.
Mrs. Montgomery leaned forward and whispered, “Not you, it’s him, remember?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, not truly believing her words. “Do you think I should try to talk to him?”
“It’s worth a shot,” she said, giving me a sad smile.
I rose from the table slowly, unsure of how to handle this situation or him. The screen door squeaked as I pushed through it. When my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed his silhouette as he sat on a porch step, his head in his hands.
“Tatum,” I said softly, trying not to scare him off.
“Go away.”
His sharp tone and rejection cut straight through me. I lowered my head and reached back for the door. Before stepping inside, I turned in his direction and said, “I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am. I didn’t know. It must be really hard, and I bet you miss him a lot.”
Without waiting for a response, I headed back inside and down the hall toward my room. Regret filled me as I realized that no matter what I did, it seemed like I couldn’t do right by Tatum. An internal battled waged in my head about whether it was all my fault. I wanted to yell at myself and determine why I cared so much, but I knew the answer. Simply put, I was that kind of person. I cared about others, no matter who they were or where they came from. I didn’t find joy in causing others pain, and my curiosity had hurt Tatum.
After getting ready for bed and changing into my pajamas, I plopped onto the top of the bed and let my mind drift for a while. Realizing that I didn’t have to wake up early the next morning and drive, I almost felt panicked. I couldn’t remember the last time I had no plans or obligations.
I fought the urge to call Quinn or my mom, not really understanding why I was fighting it to begin with. Maybe I should send them a quick e-mail?
“Mrs. Montgomery?” I opened my bedroom door and yelled toward the kitchen.
“Call me Emily, Paige. Really.”
“I can’t do it,” I yelled again and she laughed.
“Yes?”
“Do you have a computer I can borrow? I’d like to send my mom and best friend an e-mail letting them know I’m okay.” I suddenly wished I’d brought my own laptop, but not being able to get online whenever I wanted was a blessing. Having no readily available Internet access meant that I didn’t have to avoid looking at all the gossip sites and reading about my life as if I weren’t the one living it. I knew for a fact that I didn’t want to see what was currently being said about me.
She popped her head around the corner, curiosity alight on her face. “Not using your cell phone?”
“I don’t want to be tracked, and I can’t trust that my agent wouldn’t do exactly that. I’d really hate for them to show up when I just got here.”
Mrs. Montgomery shook her head. “Your life is so crazy, I can’t even imagine. The computer’s in the back house with Tatum. Go on and head back there.”
I leaned back in surprise. “Tatum lives back there?”
“Oh dear, I thought you knew.”
“Maybe I’ll just use it tomorrow after he leaves for work.” The idea of seeing Tatum again after I’d just upset him didn’t appeal to me. “I’m sure I’m the last person he wants to see right now,” I mumbled, knowing that I couldn’t bear to face him again after he’d just told me to go away.
His mom shook her head. “Don’t be silly. Go on back there. I’m sorry about his behavior earlier. Losing his daddy hit him real hard.” She tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “It hit us both hard.”
“I’m really sorry for bringing that up. I feel so bad.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. You didn’t know.”
Still not sure this was the best idea, I pushed myself off the bed and made my way to the converted barn behind the main house. Knocking on the front door, I waited nervously for Tatum to open it. When he did, he stood silently in the doorway, shirtless, his hair wet, and I had to force my jaw to stay closed. Good Lord, this man’s body could cause drool fests worldwide. Tatum Montgomery was a fine specimen of a man, and despite his unfriendliness and gruff personality, he made me all hot and bothered.
When I realized that I was staring instead of speaking, I looked up at his eyes, feeling the heat in my cheeks rise. “Your mom said I could use the computer, but I can come back tomorrow when you’re gone if you don’t want me around.” I had turned to walk away when a strong hand gripped my wrist and pulled me inside.
“Come in,” Tatum said, his voice sounding defeated.
I glanced down at where his hand held mine before tugging out of his grip. Part of me didn’t want to break the contact, my skin tingling at his touch. I figured I’d probably let him lead me around town like that all day if he wanted to. Apparently I turned stupid when it came to good-looking men. Colin had already proved that. I sighed to myself and walked through the door he held open.
Once inside, I glanced around, amazed at how a barn could be converted into a guest house. It was adorable, with two bedrooms you could see from the living room, a bathroom, and a full-sized kitchen area. It was perfect.
“You live here?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
He nodded and led me toward a large desk near a window. “The password and stuff is here,” he said, pointing at the sticky note stuck to the top of the monitor. “If you need anything, just holler.”
“Thank you,” I said before clicking the power button on and logging in. I wanted to e-mail my family and Quinn, but I didn’t want to see all the e-mails directed toward me. I hadn’t checked my voice mail or anything since I left that day; I’d gone on complete radio silence. And as much as I loved the idea of being cut off from everyone, I knew that eventually I’d have to pick up all the pieces I’d left scattered behind. I briefly wondered if this would be worth all the trouble in the end.
Logging in to my e-mail account, I noted two hundred fifty-three e-mails. Glancing quickly at the names of the senders, I realized that most were from my agent and Colin. Colin’s e-mails were relentless at first, but had tapered off as the days passed. I assumed it was because I never responded to a single text message, phone call, or e-mail from him, aside from the one time when Quinn answered the phone for me. I looked at the date and noticed there hadn’t been an e-mail from him in two full days. I expected my heart to ache with that fact, but instead it beat with relief.
Interesting.
Scanning the rest of the e-mail list for any from my parents or Quinn, I read them all hastily. My mom expressed concern for my well-being, but she just wanted me to be safe and happy. She was sad I didn’t just come to our family home to get away, but she understood why that wasn’t the best idea. She urged me to check in with her as soon and as often as possible.
Quinn already knew I was leaving, so her message was short and sweet:
Go find what you’re looking for. And then bring some back for me.
I fired off a quick e-mail to them both:
Hi Mom & Quinn,
First off, I miss you both so much. Sorry for the combined e-mail, but I’d send you both the same thing anyway. Ha. So, I got a flat tire in Texas…or maybe it was Louisiana? I’m honestly not sure exactly where I am, but I wanted you guys to know that I’m okay. Better than okay, actually. This tiny town is charming, and I’m staying with a really nice family at their B&B. Can you believe there are no hotels here? Heck, there’s not much of anything here. I’ve never seen a town so small before (unless it was a set).