1
“I probably shouldn’t say this…”
“That’s never stopped you before, has it?” Jessica Powell smiled at the sheepish expression on her grandmother’s face.
“I get a new white hair every time I speak my mind.” Sharon Buchanan laughed and shook her head, pointing at her curls—mostly salt, with a bit of pepper. “Obviously, I have no ability to hold my tongue.”
As the kettle whistled, Jess rose from the table and put a hand on her grandmother’s shoulder. “Stay here, Nanna. I’ll get the hot chocolate. I’m excited you have your special mix, even though it’s summer.”
“I like to turn up the air conditioner so I can drink it all year.” Nanna cleared her throat. “As I was saying, I’m glad you dumped Parker.”
“Actually, he did the dumping,” Jess said, “but I’d been thinking about it.”
“Well, I say good riddance. He barely touched the dinner I cooked when you brought him to meet us. He turned up his nose as if our food was too countrified for him.”
“Don’t take it personally. He’s a vegan, so he couldn’t eat your chicken-fried steak. That’s why he always brings food with him.” Jess put a third cup of cocoa mix into each mug and added hot water.
“Vegan, huh? I had plenty of vegetables. He didn’t eat those either.”
“Yes, but you season everything with bacon. That’s a no-no for vegans.”
“No bacon?” Nanna wrinkled her nose as she accepted the cup of hot chocolate.
“No meat of any kind or milk or cheese or eggs or honey.” Jess rejoined her grandmother at the small kitchen table, idly stirring her cocoa with a spoon.
“I don’t think I’d want to go on living if I couldn’t eat those things. Did he try to turn you into a vegan? Is that why you broke up with him?”
Jess blew on her cocoa and took a sip, relishing the delicious rich chocolate. “I told you, he broke up with me.”
Nanna scrunched her brows as if she had a hard time accepting this information. “Why? You’re about as perfect as a girl could be. Beautiful. Smart. Barrel-racing champion.”
“You’re a bit prejudiced, Nanna, but thanks for that.” Jess warmed under her grandma’s approval. “He didn’t really know about the barrel racing. I haven’t done it since I transferred to UNT Dallas.”
“You didn’t tell him?”
“Trust me, he wouldn’t have been impressed. He didn’t even like my cowboy boots.”
“You gave up your boots for Parker?”
“I didn’t wear them around Parker. Honestly, I think his mother pressured him to break off the engagement. The Browns are big socialites in Dallas, and I wasn’t from a rich family or polished enough to play one.” Jess gripped her mug, irritated that the rejection still bothered her. “I think he only cared about my looks. He was always warning me I’d get fat if I ate too much.”
This information sent Nanna’s eyes into a slow roll. “Well, that proves it! I knew I was right about him. He was way too snobby.” She lifted her mug, pausing before she drank. “Did you know he told Bucky he couldn’t imagine people paying money to stay out here in the middle of nowhere?”
Jess felt guilty, hating that her sweet Grandpa Bucky—otherwise known as Peter Buchanan—had gotten his feelings hurt. She swallowed a spoonful of cocoa, feeling even more relieved that she no longer sported Parker’s two-carat diamond on her finger. She’d been so enamored with him, but she now realized the attraction was purely physical.
“Honestly, Nanna, I don’t even think I was in love with him.” She glanced at her grandmother, whose expression softened, giving an encouraging nod. “I was just in love with the idea of him. One thing’s for sure, I was never going to be good enough for him.”
“Pish-posh! He wouldn’t know the perfect girl if you hit him in the face. And maybe you should’ve.”
“Nanna!”
“I won’t apologize. I’m just glad you dumped him.”
“But I—”
“You’ll find the right guy, if you look in the right places.”
“Well, I’m not looking.” Jess bobbed her chin to emphasize her determination. “I’ve sworn off guys altogether, at least until after I graduate next May.”