They weren’t taking the news well.
“It won’t be forever,” I said, trying to soften the blow. Honestly, I had no idea when I’d be back. I’d have to work as I traveled, so it could be a year or more before I returned to Rocktown.
“Why the hell are you doing this?” Addy said. She prescribed to the get-angry-rather-than-show-emotion and lash-out-before-they-get-a-chance-to-hurt-you-first brigade, which was why we were kindred spirits. “You can’t just go off on your own like this.”
“I want to travel, Ads. I never intended to stay here as long as I have.” I was using that line a lot, and going by the looks on my friends’ faces, they weren’t buying what I was trying to sell. “And I’ll have Ross with me for a little while.”
Lila was staring me down, telling me with her furious glare that she thought she knew why I was suddenly pulling up stakes and taking off. Eves was silently stewing, Cassy was wiping away tears, and Quinn looked confused and hurt.
I sat forward in my seat. “Guys, I love you, you have no idea how much you mean to me. I spent my life on the road, and I never got a chance to make lasting friendships. You know I’ll be back, I have land here now. This is my home base, and it always will be. But this was my gran’s dying wish, and I…I can’t let her down again. She was one of the bravest women I know, and smart, and I want to make her proud. I want to do this thing that meant so much to her. I want to travel to the places we never got to see together, and see them through her eyes…” I swallowed several times, emotion choking me. I wanted to do this, I did. I’d put it off long enough, but god, this was hard. So fucking hard. “I know you don’t understand why I’m doing this now, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot since I read her letter, and it’s something I have to do.”
Quinn squeezed my hand. “What happened to your gran, Trix, it wasn’t your fault, you know that, right?”
Quinn meant well, but if I hadn’t abandoned Gran for a man, a selfish, unfaithful one at that, she wouldn’t have been alone. God, the fear in her voice when she called me that night, scared and confused. I’d never forget it, and that was on me. So, yes, I owed her this. I owed her everything.
I didn’t say that, though, I told my friend what she needed to hear. “I know, Quinnie. I know you guys don’t understand why I need to do this, but traveling is in my blood. I love it. I want to do it.”
The whole Mase thing may have made me bump up the timeline, but I’d always planned to keep traveling, even before I got Gran’s letter. I mean, for most of my life, I assumed I’d live that way, anyway. Always moving.
Quinn stood and all but yanked me out of my seat and hugged me tight. Cassy rushed over and joined in, then Addy, Lila, and Eves were there as well in one massive group hug while we all cried and I told them how much I loved them.
“You’ll always be my best friends.” I sniffed and chuckled. “My only friends.”
“You’ll be coming back, Trix. You said you’d be back,” Addy said.
“Of course I will.”
I looked up. Mase stood on the other side of the bar, watching us, his jaw tight, his body rigid. I hadn’t seen him for several days, and my heart smashed against the back of my ribs. He turned and strode out of the bar.
Yeah, I’d be back, but not for a while.
Not until I’d gotten over Mase Parker.
Chapter Nineteen
Trixie
The sun was low in the sky, but it was still hot as hell.
I’d brought Jimmy down to the lake for a swim because I needed to clear my head. I had so much spinning through my mind late at night, I barely slept. So much I wished was different, so much to work through. Honestly, it was too much.
Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back, breathing deep.
God, I missed Mase, so much—his voice, his touch, the way he’d looked at me.
I ached for him.
With a quick glance around, I pulled my shirt over my head and dropped it on the sand, then shucked off my shorts. I’d come to the spot Mase had shown me. It was nice and private, and Bull was working, so there was no chance of him showing up—and there’d be no reason for Mase to come down here at this time of day.
With one more look around, I took off my bra and panties and ran into the water, diving under. I’d never skinny-dipped before. I was about to embark on my new free life, and this was a good way to start. Jimmy caught a piece of driftwood and swam with it back to the beach, settling down to gnaw on it.
I lay back, floating, the cool water like velvet against my bare skin, and watched the clouds slowly move in the dimming light. This place had taken hold of me, this town and these people. I would be back someday, and the land I’d bought made Rocktown feel even more like home than it already did.
Maybe I could build a house on it one day? A cute little cottage with a veranda covered in wisteria, wild flowers scattered around, and a big vegetable garden.
“Evening, kitten.”
I jolted, my head going under before I spluttered to the surface. “Jesus Christ! You gave me a heart attack.”
There was a small smirk on his lips. It was the first I’d seen him do in almost two weeks, and for once he didn’t look angry when he aimed those
