Page 55 of Maple Mountain
Though I didn’t.Not really.
It was just another reminder that even though I was here, I was still sort of left out in the cold.
Again.
“It’s good that there’s nothing between you and Garrett,” Muddy said.“He’s not the one for you.”
Who isthen?
The front door opened and a moment later, Lenni appeared with Archer trailing behind her.
I tried not to stare at him, but it was like trying not to stare at a summer sunset when the sky was splashed with pink, purple and orange.
His eyes found mine and we held each other’s gazes until Muddy said, “I was just telling Wyn about Thanksgiving.”
“Are we deep frying a turkey?”Lenni asked.“It’s the way we did it in Georgia.”
As Muddy filled Lenni in on the holiday plans, Mildred walked toward Archer.He leaned down and scooped her up.She placed her head underneath his neck.
He absently rubbed her back but kept his focus on me.
It was suddenly too hot in the kitchen, and I quietly excused myself and headed out onto the front porch.I gulped a breath of fresh mountain air that was laced with the scent of cattle and horseflesh.
The door opened behind me, but I didn’t have to turn to know it was Archer who’d followed me outside.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said.
“I have not.”
“No?”
“We were together all yesterday,” I reminded him.
“Yeah, helping Lenni get her room ready to paint and settling into the house.We made dinner together, but you barely looked at me.And then you went up to bed right after dinner.”
“Because I wanted you and Lenni to spend some time together without me as the buffer.”
“You sure that’s all it was?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”He paused for a moment.“Muddy invited us to stay for dinner.”
“Oh.”Archer sidled up next to me.Mildred was no longer in his arms.It was just the two of us standing there, looking out over the land.The land that had been in the Powell family for generations.Land that Hadley, Salem and now Poet would build houses on.Land where they’d raise their babies.
Without me.
Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
Disgust filled me.I didn’t like self-pity, but lately I’d been feeling it in spades.
“Lenni told me about the family tree project.I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
I looked at him.“What are her choices?If she doesn’t do it, the kids will all wonder why she didn’t.Worse, they’re going to make up reasons for why, and you know how mean children can be.It will be uncomfortable for her, but at least she can face them and that’s the end of it.”
“So, her choice is bad or worse,” he said with a sigh.
“You don’t have to tell her everything, Archer.You can gloss over it.”
