4. Lacey

CHAPTER FOUR

lacey

T he gravel of Jalynn's driveway crunches loudly under the tires of my truck as I pull up to the little gray ranch-style house. Blue skies hang over the flat, open land. A barbed wire fence runs through the field on the right, and a single shade tree looms above the house from the backyard. As I climb out of the truck the front door of the house is flung open and Jalynn comes barreling off the porch and into my arms.

"You made it!" Jalynn says too loudly in my ear as she squeezes me.

I squeeze her back and rock us back and forth, unable to contain the joy exuding from me over our overdue reunion.

"It's been too long!" I remark, still not letting go. "It's beautiful out here, by the way. No wonder you deserted me."

"You're here now, and that's all that matters!" Jalynn says. She pulls back and looks me over as if she can't believe I'm actually here. "We'll figure out what to do with your camper later. I want you to stay here with us for now."

"I couldn't—" I say as Jalynn pulls me by a clasped hand toward the house.

"Oh, Lacey, it's still so cold out at night. You will freeze in that old camper. It's not reasonable up here this time of year," Jalynn says over her shoulder to me.

"I kinda like being in the camper. It's cozy. And it does have a heater. All I need is a good place to park it and to find myself a job."

"Speaking of jobs," Jalynn says, "I got that job interview lined up for this afternoon like you asked me to. After you get freshened up, we can head into town."

"You're the best! Thank you for setting that up. It'll make me feel so much better once I know I have a job."

"I'm sure. And this one will be perfect for you. I'm just glad that I happen to know the owner and knew that she was looking for help. You're gonna love her floral shop. I swear, this job was meant for you. It's almost as though the universe knew you were coming," Jalynn says, her free hand waving animatedly as she talks.

Finally, she lets my hand loose to open the front door. I step inside, seeing my friend's home for the first time.

"It does sound like a nice idea. I wouldn't mind a change from waitressing, either," I agree, my eyes scanning over the living room, the inviting essence of the place pulling me in. The house isn't large or fancy, but I notice the peace that washes through me. It's a home built with love. I follow Jalynn through the open living room to the kitchen, where she pulls open the fridge door and offers me a bottle of water. It's just a cold bottle of water from the fridge, but it's also one more reminder of how differently our lives have played out so far. "Where's George?"

"He's out on the ranch somewhere. He'll be back in time for dinner," Jalynn says, pulling a skillet of corn bread out of the oven. "I've got a stew cooking as we speak. He was pretty excited when I told him you were coming to stay for a while."

"It's gonna feel an awful lot like old times," I say, following Jalynn when she heads down the hallway from the kitchen.

"Like old times for a while at least...until the baby's born," Jalynn says with a sly grin, stopping at an open door and motioning for me to look inside.

"No way! You're pregnant?"

"We just found out. You're the first to know. We're waiting to announce it, so you'll have to keep it a secret for now."

"I'm so happy for you guys!" I say, wrapping Jalynn tightly in a hug. We walk into the room she's already started redecorating for a nursery. The walls are painted in a soft neutral beige, and a crib still in the box and a pile of new nursery décor sit in a corner, clearly the start of a boho-themed nursery.

"Thanks. I'm so glad you're going to be here for it," Jalynn says and motions to the neatly folded towel sitting on the foot of the full-size bed in the room. "Here's a towel. You can get cleaned up, and I'll just be waiting out in the living room for you when you're all done," Jalynn says, flipping on the light in the bathroom, then heading back down the hall.

I comb the tangles out of my hair and switch on the blow dryer after the much-needed shower. Once I have my hair done and makeup on, hopefully I'll feel ready to interview for a new job. Nervous butterflies are already fluttering around, doing fancy fighter jet tricks in my stomach. I hope this interview ends up being everything Jalynn suggests it will be and that I do get the job.

Waitressing isn't bad, and I've always made decent tips, but I've been waitressing since high school. It would be nice to finally have a change, especially a full-time job without late-night hours.

I pull clothes out of my suitcase, searching for a suitable outfit. I'm not sure how formal this interview is supposed to be, and that makes it more difficult to decide what to wear. After several minutes of debate, I finally settle on a brightly colored, knee-length floral dress with a gathered waistline and blush pink flats. I inspect my outfit again and wander down the hall in search of Jalynn. She's in the kitchen checking the stew.

"Are you ready to go?" Jalynn asks, looking up from the crockpot.

"As ready as I'm gonna be, I guess. I don't have a résumé. Think I need one?"

"Eh." Jalynn waves off my concern. "I'm as good as some fancy résumé with Mrs. Jones. You'll be fine."

Jalynn picks up her purse and keys and motions for me to follow her.

"I'll drive," she says.

I climb into the passenger seat of Jalynn's SUV and buckle my seatbelt. It feels like old times again. Jalynn was almost always the driver when we went somewhere together. Once the car is started, I get to work fulfilling the unspoken yet dire responsibility of the shotgun rider...I handle the music.

We ride with the windows rolled down, belting out the words to our favorite songs since high school. In this moment, I don't care if my hair is wind-blown and tangled for my interview. I know I should, but I can't put off this cruise down memory lane. It's too good to postpone. Reba leads into the chorus of "You Lie," and my mind drifts back to North Carolina.

Our voices belt out, together with Reba McEntire's voice ringing through the speakers of Jalynn's coupe. Ben and I had another fight, so Jalynn and I grabbed some snacks from the gas station and hit the backroads to help me get out of my head. Our childhood wasn't one filled with movie theaters and bowling alleys. We didn't have any of that in our town. We were left up to our own devices to entertain ourselves, which frankly was probably the cause of a lot of the trouble we found ourselves in.

"Where does this road go?" Jalynn asked me, pointing to the road up ahead.

"I have no clue. Let's find out," I said with a shrug.

Jalynn whipped the car down the unknown road. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail, tired of it whipping against my face as the wind blew into the car but enjoying the fresh air too much to roll up the window. The sun shined down, kissing my arm that hung out the car window as we cruised down the road.

"Jay . . ."

"Yeah?"

"I've got to pee."

Jalynn pulled up the gravel driveway of a tiny white country church. We both got out of the car to stretch our legs. Jalynn meandered over to the graveyard to read the headstones while I looped around the back of the church, looking for a good spot to pop a squat.

I glanced around me again to make sure the coast was clear. Satisfied with the location I'd scouted, I dropped my drawers. Mid-stream, a buzzing began to circle my head. Followed by another and another.

"Ouch!" Burning pain radiated from a sharp pinch on my left ass cheek.

Bees.

I pinched off the draining of my bladder and took off running around the church, trying to pull up my pants as I ran, hooting and hollering for Jalynn to get back to the car. She was already starting the car back up when I swung around the front corner of the church and went barreling full speed for the passenger seat.

"Go! Go! Go!" I yelled, only halfway in the vehicle.

Jalynn didn't ask any questions. She laid her lead foot down on the gas pedal and slung gravel behind us as we fishtailed out of the driveway and back onto the road.

"Look over there." Jalynn points out through the windshield, bringing me back to Montana. "You don't see that very often back home, huh?"

We pass a herd of buffalo grazing in an open field. The Montana landscape is beautiful, and I admire the view on our way into town. Broad fields roll out, one after the other, separated by fences meant to subdue the livestock. Astounding mountains stand supreme as the backdrop to this breathtaking view.

"Gosh, I'm sorry, Lacey," Jalynn says moments later, keeping her eyes fixed on the road ahead of us.

"Sorry for what?" I ask, bewildered by her random outburst.

I turn to look at Jalynn, searching her face and finding it riddled with guilt.

"I'm such a dreadful friend. I should have realized what was going on. How did a miss what a nasty piece of work Ben is? When y'all finally broke up, I shouldn't have let you go back to him. It's no wonder you didn't confide in me. There you were, dealing with all of that, and I was too wrapped up in myself, marrying George, and running away to Montana. I should have noticed. If I hadn't been so selfish, maybe I would have seen the signs and been able to help you?—"

"Jay, stop. Don't do this. It's not your fault. Honestly, it was no secret how much you hated Ben. You'd been trying to get me to break up with him since we graduated high school. There's nothing more you could've done. You were there for me every time I needed you."

"Yeah, but..." Jalynn paused momentarily, struggling to form the words. "He hurt you. I thought he was just a colossal ass, but he was hurting you. And I had no idea."

"No, he was a colossal ass. And you didn't miss anything." Jalynn glances over at me and quickly returns her eyes to the road. "He...he hit me for the first time a couple months ago. He's always been a manipulative shithead with a horrible temper, but...you didn't miss anything. And you're here for me now."

Jalynn reaches over and grabs my hand in hers, squeezing it tightly. I squeeze her hand in return, then pull away, reaching to turn the volume on the radio back up. I change the song to another old favorite of ours, officially ending the conversation.

After about twenty minutes, we roll up to a four-way stop that appears to be at the center of town. The cutest park and town square, like one from the movies, sits to the right of us, with a bakery and coffee shop next to it. Jalynn turns left, putting the church with a tall white steeple and beautiful stained-glass windows on the corner lot to our left and a little diner on the corner lot to our right now. We pass a hair salon next to the church, and Jalynn pulls up in front of a shop that looks like it's straight out of a storybook. Underneath the blue- and white-striped awning, pink climbing roses form an arch over the front door of the shop. Stands holding buckets of fresh bouquets sit out on the sidewalk, and a chalkboard sign advertises the special of the day.

Frankly, the whole town is picturesque, but the flower shop is the icing on the cake. I have a feeling I'm going to be very happy here. I've always dreamed of traveling to new places. That dream is finally coming true.

The jingle of little bells announces our arrival as we walk in the door of the flower shop. Inside, a display of bright, beautiful flowers and shiny ribbons decorates the room. A white wicker loveseat, coffee table, and two matching chairs sit off to the left of the room with books and magazines of flowers spread out for browsing. On the wall behind the register hangs delicate floral prints in distressed white frames.

"Hello, Jalynn, dear," a bright-eyed woman welcomes us as she enters the front of the store from a door next to the checkout counter.

Her graying brown hair is pulled up in a French twist on the back of her head. A few curly flyaway strands hang loose on the sides of her face. She wears a green apron over her blue jeans and a soft yellow blouse.

"Hi, Mrs. Jones. Your shop looks as splendid as ever. No one would believe you're short on help...Speaking of which, this is my friend Lacey that I was telling you about. She just got here this afternoon and is anxious to get to work somewhere."

"Hello, Lacey," Mrs. Jones says, coming around the counter and reaching out to shake my hand. "Welcome to our little town. Jalynn has given you quite the recommendation!"

"You probably know how she's inclined to exaggerate, but I do need a job, and I've always dreamed of working in a shop like yours."

I take Mrs. Jones's offered hand and firmly shake it, hoping if I try hard enough to fake being calm and gathered, my nerves will follow suit.

"Why don't we have a seat over here"—Mrs. Jones motions to the wicker furniture off to the side—"and have a chat?"

"While you do that," Jalynn interjects, "I'm gonna run down to the post office real quick. I'll be back in a jiff."

Jalynn scurries out the door and the bells jingle, dismissing her. I follow Mrs. Jones to the wicker set and take a seat on one of the chairs as she sits on the loveseat. Mrs. Jones begins telling me about the position she has available. I try to focus on what she's saying, but my nerves keep dancing around, making it difficult to absorb her words.

I did catch enough to know that if given the position, I'd primarily hold the responsibility of working the front of the shop. I'd take orders and payments from customers and handle the nightly bank deposits. If time permits, Mrs. Jones might use me in the back, making arrangements to fill the orders we take and preparing stock that needs to be delivered to the other location in the city.

Mrs. Jones switches gears and starts asking me an array of questions about my background. I answer her as politely as possible without getting into too many dirty details. It strikes me as odd that her questions are more general, like she is trying to get to know me rather than gather my work experience.

"I don't believe Jalynn exaggerated at all in her description of you, Lacey," Mrs. Jones says. She stands up, indicating that our chat is now over. "I think we could get along just fine. How long do you need to get settled in before you start work?"

"You mean, you're offering me the job?" I ask, following her lead and standing, too.

"Dear, the job is yours. Frankly, it was yours when Jalynn called me. I just wanted to meet you more as a formality than anything," Mrs. Jones says with a genuine smile. "I know Jalynn to be a pretty good judge of character."

"Thank you! I can start as soon as tomorrow if you'd like."

"Then tomorrow it is. We open at ten. I'd like you here about thirty minutes early to help me get everything set up and ready for the day."

"Great! Thank you so much." I shake Mrs. Jones's hand again and make my exit before I can do something to screw it up.

Life isn't supposed to go this smoothly. It never has. It's almost as though I've slipped into another dimension or onto a movie set where dreams come true. If this is typical of life in Montana, I'm here for it.

I glance up and down the street, unsure of which direction Jalynn went. Across the street is a feed store and a doctor's office, then the diner on the corner. Deciding to head right, I turn toward the town square. I make the mistake of looking through the window of the hair salon as I walk by and see several sets of eyes watching me. Quickly, I look away and quicken my step to hurry out of their line of sight. I may be the pretty new toy in town, but I'd prefer to make it longer than a day before I make the town gossip mill. Without slowing down, I walk by the church and step down into the road to cross over to the town square.

A flash of red from the middle of the intersection catches in my peripheral vision. Realization hits, and instead of getting out of the way, my feet turn to stone. I throw my hands up between me and my assailant to brace myself for impact, as though that will actually make any difference. The red mass jolts to a stop about five feet away from me, and I turn to face it head-on. I stare into the cab of the red pickup truck. Electricity pulses through my body as my gaze meets the eyes of a very attractive man.

His T-shirt pulls tight over his muscular chest, and the sleeves bunch ever so slightly over his biceps. His sharp jaw wears a dark stubble that matches the hair mostly hidden by the gray, worn baseball cap he wears.

He reciprocates my stare, and I wonder if he is feeling it, too. He could've killed me if he'd run me over with his truck, but I don't even care in this moment. My stomach is doing somersaults, and tingles run down my spine. My limbs feel detached from my body. He's as still as I am, just looking at me. Maybe he's also as entranced as I am.

My breath catches with anticipation when finally he makes a move. Releasing his previously white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, his hand drifts over and?—

Really?

His truck horn blares at me, startling me out of my reverie.

What an ass.

With all of the grace of the Southern belle I am, I wipe my face clean of the annoyance he sprouted in me and replace it with a sweet smile. Without skipping a beat, I flip him off and walk away, finally making it to the town square. His truck revs as he speeds down the road, but I don't give him the satisfaction of turning around to look at him again. I keep walking until I can no longer hear the roar of his truck.

"Lacey!"

My name is called out from the other side of the street, across from the bakery, where Jalynn's SUV sits in front of the post office, which is next to the library. I jaywalk across the street, this time pausing to check for traffic before crossing.

"Did you see that?" I ask Jalynn, still reeling from the close call I just had moments ago in the street.

"See what?" Jalynn asks, carrying a stack of mail in her hand.

"That truck! He nearly turned me into roadkill, and then he honked at me like it was my fault! The nerve..."

"I must have missed it. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just shook up."

"How did the interview go?" Jalynn asks.

"I owe you! I start tomorrow."

"I knew you could get that job! It's perfect for you. And you are going to love Mrs. Jones. She's a sweetheart and a half." Jalynn hugs me with excitement.

"I can hardly take any credit. It was all you. She even said she'd already decided to give me the job before she even met me," I say, heading to the passenger side of her car.

"Well, I don't care how you got the job. You're gonna do great. Let's hurry home. George should be home soon, and I know he's excited to see you."

We climb back into Jalynn's SUV and head to her house.

Sure enough, George's white pickup is next to my camper. Jalynn parks behind George's truck. We hurry inside and find a freshly showered George leaning over the crockpot in the kitchen, picking at the stew.

"Aha! I caught you red-handed!" Jalynn calls out, pointing a finger at him.

George throws up his hands and steps backward away from the crockpot, feigned guilt covering his face.

"I can't help it. You're starving me, woman."

Jalynn and I giggle. George drops his hands and walks toward me, a grin stretched across his face. Without hesitation, he wraps his arms around me, tottering us from side to side. His touch catches me off guard at first, throwing up warning bells, but I remind myself that it's George, and the sirens slowly begin to quiet.

"And how are you, little Lacey? We've missed you."

"The Three Stooges reunited at last," I say, breaking free from him, my nerves still rattled.

Having reunited with my friends and with the start of a new job in the morning, fresh hope springs up inside of me. Life is finally looking up.

After dinner is eaten and cleaned up, and a few hours of catching up with my besties, I finally get ready for bed. Exhaustion snuck up on me, and I can't wait to slide under the covers.

I forgot how good it felt being with these two. I wash the makeup off my face and change into pajamas. Jalynn wouldn't let up till I finally agreed to stay with them tonight. It's just for one night, though. Tomorrow, I'm gonna claim a spot for my camper and get settled in.

Jalynn has always been the worrier between the two of us. She's always reminded me of a mother hen, where the people she cares about most are her little chicks to protect and watch over. I know she's especially worried about me right now, but I also know that I can't go from depending on Ben to depending on Jalynn. It's time for me to have faith in myself and prove to myself that I can do this.

Under the covers, I curl up on my side, feeling more satisfied and content than I have in years. I don't think I could wipe this smile off my face if I tried. I fall asleep while the happy memories of home swirl in my head.

I slid into a desk near the middle of the classroom as Jalynn plopped down in an empty seat next to me. Excited chatter filled the room. A gray-haired teacher stood in the front of the classroom writing her name on the chalkboard.

"I can't believe we're juniors this year!" Jalynn squealed next to me. "This is gonna be our best year yet! I can feel it." Jalynn leaned across her desk and lowered her voice to a whisper. She wore a mischievous grin on her face. "And don't look now, but guess who is sitting across the room, drooling over you..."

My body stiffened at the suggestion of someone watching me. The hope of it being my crush from last year popped into my head. I leaned in toward Jalynn to further discuss the urgent matter.

"Who? Where? Who is it?"

"Benjamin Tolley!" Jalynn practically purred his name.

"Don't tease me like that, Jay!" The heat of a blush spread across my cheeks at the mention of my crush's name.

"I'm not teasing you, honey. Count to five, then look to your left, and see for yourself."

"One . . ." I counted silently, reminding myself to breathe as I continued. "Two . . . three . . . four . . . five!"

I casually scanned the classroom to my left till my eyes locked with Ben's. He grinned, slouched back in his seat with his legs extended forward, and gave me a wink. My skin burned as a blush spread over my face again. I mustered up the courage to give him a little wave, then turned back to Jalynn.

"Told you!" Jalynn sang as the teacher closed the door and called the students to attention with roll call.

At the end of class, Jalynn was chattering about how we should spend the rest of the afternoon while we packed up our books to leave. I turned to slide out of my desk to find a pair of boots standing next to me. My eyes slid up the figure looming over me. Ben.

"Hey, Lacey," Ben said with a nod.

"Hey, Ben."

I stood and slung my backpack over my shoulder, but I didn't walk away.

"How was your summer?" he asked me and shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans.

"It was good. Yours?"

"Uh, yeah. It was good, too."

"Cool."

"Cool."

Gah, we were so awkward.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Ben said and started to turn away.

"Ben," Jalynn interjected, "we were just talking about heading down to the river for a bit. You wanna come?"

"Sure." Ben perked back up.

"Good. Lacey can ride with you. My car's already full," Jalynn said and nudged me.

"Oh. Okay. That's perfect."