Everleigh was sitting at the counter, and she didn’t take her eyes off me as I went over and poured myself a cup of coffee. I had no doubt that she was hoping to hash things out with me, but I wasn’t ready to talk. I needed time to collect my thoughts, so I didn’t end up saying something I’d regret.
So, I decided to put off talking to her and carried my coffee outside.
That was a decision I would soon regret.
EVERLEIGH
It wasclear from his unwavering silence that Billy was upset with me. Heaven knows, he had every right to be mad at me, but I’d hoped that we could talk about it and try to sort things out. But every time I tried to approach him, he would find some excuse to disappear into the basement or slip outside to fish for hours on end.
It was frustrating the hell out of me, but I didn’t push. I hoped in time that he would finally open up, and we could put this whole thing behind us. But one hour rolled into the next, and he was still hellbent on avoiding me.
He was still giving me the silent treatment a day later.
I was at my wit's end when Kiersten and Country came by to drop off his truck. Kiersten pulled it up to the rear of the garage and got out, then waited for Country to park his bike behind her before heading up to the porch. I was sitting on the swing, and she came straight over to me and gave me a big hug. “Hey, girl. I was hoping you would be here.”
“Yeah, I haven’t run off just yet.” I glanced over at Billy, and my stomach sank when I saw that he had absolutely no reaction to my comment. “What are you two up to?”
“We had some things to tend to at the clubhouse and saw that Dad’s truck was still there, so we thought we’d drop it by.”
“I would’ve taken care of it.”
Kiersten looked at her father and smiled as she told him, “Yeah, but then we wouldn’t have an excuse to come out and see you.”
“Didn’t realize you needed an excuse,” Billy snipped.
“Whoa.” Kiersten’s eyes narrowed. “Someone’s in a mood.”
“No, I’m just stating a fact.”
“Yeah, you’re definitely in a mood,” Kiersten teased. “Maybe some coffee would help. You got any?”
“Yeah, I just made a pot.”
“Great. I could use a cup, too.”
Without waiting for an invitation, Kiersten opened the door and marched right into the kitchen. Country glanced over at Billy, then over to me. “You two good?”
“We’re fine,” Billy grumbled as he opened the door and stormed inside.
“Oh,” Country groaned. “It’s like that, huh?”
“Yeah, apparently, he’s pretty upset with me.”
“Apparently so.” He reached over and gave me a consoling pat on the shoulder. “But don’t worry. Even a man as stubborn as Billy will give in at some point.”
“I don’t know. He’s really digging his heels in on this.” I felt my throat tighten as I told him, “It makes me wonder if I should give the guy a break and just go.”
“You aren’t giving up that easy, are ya?”
“I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“You love the guy?”
“Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do.”
“Then, you gotta see this thing through.”
I let out a deep breath, then mumbled, “You’re right.”