Just then, a damn Katharine Hepburn quote popped into my head.
As one goes through life, one learns that if you don't paddle your own canoe, you don't move.
Damn my mother!
I packed up my stuff and loaded it into the Jeep. Then, I went back into the cabin and cleaned up a bit. Shit, who’s going to clean all of these flowers out? I wanted to bring them all home with me. Knowing Jeff, probably paid Jenny to clean it up.
I walked over to the kitchen table and pulled out my phone. Good I had a strong signal. Looking through my calendar, I went back to last November, thinking of the day Jeff and Rebecca would have been together. By my calculations, she would be about thirty weeks. I searched the Internet for a pregnancy calculator and found that mid- August would be her due date.
Just then, I heard Jeff’s truck. I jumped up and started to make my way to the door to leave. Before I could get out the door, I knocked over a bucket with Stargazer lilies and bluebonnets. Shit! I ran and grabbed some paper towels to clean up the water. I worked as fast as I could before Jeff could walk in.
I hurried and threw away the paper towels. As I turned to leave he walked into the door. He gave me that damn smile of his, and I stopped dead in my tracks. Okay, Ari, time to grow some fucking balls and just face this shit.
I smiled back at him. He walked up to me and hugged me. I almost started to cry. No! I will not shed anymore tears over that bitch.
“Ari. I love you, baby, so much. Please tell me what’s bothering you.”
Really? I wanted to laugh out loud. What a stupid fuck.
“If you have to ask me that, Jeff, then I certainly don’t feel the need to tell you the answer.”
He closed his eyes, and leaned his forehead against mine.
“Ari, I’m sorry. I didn’t want this weekend to be like this, baby. I wanted it to be special for you. I’m so sorry.”
“Me, too, Jeff, I just can’t seem to forget the fact that you might be a father in two months. That one little problem just seems to be a fucking thorn in my side.”
“How do you think I feel? I don’t want to have anything to do with Rebecca. She’s nuts. You should’ve heard her just now…”
Oh my god. He called her. My whole body started to shake. He talked to her on the phone. What did they talk about? I couldn’t breathe.
“Ari, are you okay, honey? Ari?”
I shook my head and held up my hand. I needed a minute to process this.
“You talked to her?”
“Well, yeah. You were the one who told me to fucking call her!”
I know that! Dickwad!
“I know. What did you talk about?”
Jeff stepped away from me and ran his hand through his hair. “I, um, I talked about meeting her for lunch tomorrow. I asked if you could come, and she said no. I couldn’t talk her out of the restraining order. I’m sorry, baby.”
Oh, gag me. I wanted to throw up at the thought of him having lunch with her.
“S’okay. Where are you having lunch?” I asked, trying to act like none of this was bothering me in the least bit.
“Um, we’re meeting at Hula Hut. I guess she’s been craving for their Hawaiian fajitas. I’m meeting her there around 11:30.”
I had work to do. I needed to get back to Austin. Now.
“Okay. Well I have a few errands that I need to run tomorrow, so I’m really ready to go home now. Can we leave, please?”
Jeff tilted up my chin so that his eyes captured mine. I wanted nothing more than to just strip down and spend the rest of the day in bed with him. I tried so hard to give him a normal smile.
His eyes lit up when I smiled. “I love you, Arianna, more than anything. It’s all going to be okay. I know this baby isn’t mine.”
“I love you, too, Jeff, and I pray to God you’re right.”
***
After Jeff took out my stuff from the Jeep to put into his truck, he headed back to the main house. I took the Jeep back to the barn and started to walk up to the house. I noticed Jeff and Josh were standing at Heather’s car with the hood up.
Heather looked like she was going to be sick.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked noticing Heather trying to hold back tears in her eyes.
“This stupid dumb-ass new car of mine won’t start. I bought a new car, thinking it was reliable, and then it fucking breaks down on me!” Heather yelled.
Wow! We all snapped our heads over to Heather. She never swore unless she’d had a few drinks in her.
“What? I’m mad! How am I going to get back to Austin? I have to go to work tomorrow.”
I noticed Lynda was sitting on the front porch, looking pissed-off beyond all get out. “What’s up with Lynda? She looks pissed,” I whispered to Heather.
Heather glanced over at her and then shrugged her shoulders.
“Don’t know. I guess she’s ready to leave as well, and Josh is her ride. She needs to get back to Austin too.”
Jeff shut the hood to Heather’s Toyota Camry. “Heather, I think you need to take it to the dealership.”
“What? That means having it towed to Austin!”
Josh walked up to Heather and took her into his arms. “Don’t worry princess. The dealership will pay for it since the car is still under warranty.” Josh said.
Heather was now in full-on crying mode. Lynda jumped up and started to walk toward us. Just then an idea popped into my head.
I blocked her route to Josh. “Lynda, Jeff and I are heading to Austin right now. Why don’t you ride back with us?” I smiled sweetly at her.
At the same time, Jeff, Heather, and Lynda all said “What?”
The only one who didn’t say anything was Josh. He was too busy being in heaven from holding Heather.
Jeff tugged me off to the side. “Ari, we really need to talk, and we can’t do that if Lynda in the car!”
I just glared at him. Then a black BMW pulled up the drive. Gunner’s Uncle Jim got out and started to walk over towards us.
“Daddy? What are you doing here?” Lynda asked.
Jim smiled at each of us, but he gave Heather a small frown. I guessed it was because he could tell she’d been crying.
“I drove back out here to pick you up. I didn’t think anyone would be heading back into Austin, so I thought I’d better come get you.” Jim explained.
I knew Lynda was pissed because she couldn’t ride back Austin with Josh. I could see it all over her face. I was pissed now because I had to drive back to Austin with Jeff alone, and I knew he wanted to talk about Rebecca.
Jeff shook Jim’s hand, and they spoke for a few minutes. I helped Heather move her overnight bag and a small suitcase into Josh’s truck.
“Ari, why can’t I ride back with you and Jeff?” Heather practically begged.
“Heather, Jeff and I really need to talk about this whole bitch Rebecca bullshit.”
Even though I wanted to jump at the chance to have Heather to ride with us, I wanted her to get closer to Josh. If it meant driving in a truck alone with Jeff back to Austin, then so be it. The tension between Heather and Josh was getting unbearable.
Heather let out a sigh and gave me a quick hug good-bye. Josh avoided Lynda like she was the plague. He jumped in his truck so damn fast that I had to giggle. I watched as his truck disappeared down the gravel road.
When I turned around, I saw that Lynda was also watching the truck. I instantly got a very bad feeling about this girl, considering the way she’d been hanging all over Josh last night and now today. I knew this would not be the last we saw of Lynda.
After packing Lynda’s things into his car, Jim said his goodbyes and drove off. I was going to have to ask Ellie about this Lynda chick.
Jeff and I headed inside to let everyone know that we were leaving. After we said good-bye to Emma, Garrett, my parents, and Matt, we started to make our way to Jeff’s truck. Before we left, I noticed when Jeff stopped to say something to Matt. The smile that played across Matt’s face gave me butterflies in my stomach. He loved Jeff so much, and Jeff loved him in return.