Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
I walked over to the right one before she started going through them to see how few dishes we had. When you moved a lot, you didn’t keep real dishes and cook wear. We had the bare minimum. Including coffee cups. My collection of cups from every city we had ever visited was one of the few things I let myself keep. The box I used to pack them was tucked away in the pantry.
Taking down two cups, I handed one I had bought at a Luby’s in Fort Worth to Maeme while I kept one from Café Du Monde in New Orleans to use. She didn’t seem to notice the cups as she filled my cup, then her own.
“Do you doctor yours up?” she asked me.
I grinned and reached for a packet of sweetener, then opened the fridge to get out my sugar-free caramel creamer.
“I see that you do,” she replied, walking over to the table.
She sat down in the chair that Dovie had been in earlier, then took a drink from her Luby’s cup.
“Now, tell me what it is you do for a living. This is a nice apartment complex. Good and safe.” There was only approval in her tone.
I finished stirring my coffee before looking at her. Had Storm not told her about my singing or the men I dated? Did she just want to hear it from me?
“I play guitar and sing at a place not far from here, called Highwater,” I explained.
She raised her eyebrows. “You play and sing? I’d love to hear it.”
I laughed, then took another sip of my coffee, hoping she didn’t demand I perform for her now.
“Why were you with Jameson Chester? He’s engaged to Sol Mercer, is he not?”
I shouldn’t be surprised by her direct line of questioning. It still threw me off guard though. I hadn’t thought she’d just ask me about it like this. I blinked several times, then decided that with Maeme, I would have to be as honest as I could without telling her about Dovie. She would keep pressing until she thought she knew the whole story, and I needed her to leave. Dovie and I had things to get done today. Now that so many people seemed to know where I lived, moving had just been put first on my list of things I needed to do.
I set my cup on the table and looked Maeme in the eyes. “Yes, he is engaged. However, I was unaware of that when he asked me out. In fact, we had been dating for a couple of weeks before I found out about Sol. Should I have stayed with him? No. But I did. It was a mistake I believe I paid for.”
Maeme studied me, then took a drink of her coffee. “You stayed because he was wealthy.” It wasn’t a question, and we both knew it.
“Yes,” I confirmed.
She set her cup down on the table. “Well, that was easy enough. You’re not one to make excuses, are you?”
“I believe making excuses for yourself is lying to yourself. And the one person I never want to lie to is me.”
She raised her eyebrows slightly. “But lying to others is okay?”
I licked my lips before replying, “Everyone lies about something. To protect themselves. To protect someone they love. Not everyone can handle your truth, and it’s up to you to decide who deserves it and who does not.”
The corner of Maeme’s mouth twitched. “I see. That’s a way to look at it.”
“Am I wrong?” I asked her.
We both knew she had her own secrets.
“No, Briar. I can’t say that you are. But then to protect someone I loved, I would do much worse than tell a lie.”
I nodded my head. “As would I.”
Maeme let out a small laugh and stood up. “I’m glad to see you’re doing well this morning and that you have somewhere safe to live. Storm assured me you did, but I needed to see it for myself. You take care of that wound, and it will heal up nicely,” she said, then walked over to pick up the empty basket. “Enjoy the food and rest. When you’re better, I’ll be sure to come hear you play, wherever that might be,” she replied.
“Highwater,” I repeated since she hadn’t heard me earlier or had forgotten.
She gave me an amused look as she hung the basket on her arm. “We both know you won’t be sticking around here for long.”
I opened my mouth and closed it, unsure how to respond to that.
“At least finish all the food before you take off. It would be a shame to waste it. Especially my banana pudding. I have grown men fighting over it every Tuesday.” She winked and headed for the door.
When she opened it, I found my voice. “Thank you.”