Page 31 of Homebound

DAKOTA

The next morning, Alanna drags me to the Granite Falls farmers market because she heard there was a new booth tabling organic sheep’s milk beauty products called Fleece and Glow, and I agreed because if there’s one thing I love, it’s farmers markets.

“Here you go, Charlie,” I say to the Fredericksburg Peach table owner, handing him a ten-dollar bill. Charlie Rivera’s known me since I was in diapers, and he’s also been giving us free peaches for that long. “You dropped a peach.”

He gives me a wrinkly grin. “You keep it, lil’ miss. I know you’ve always had a sweet spot for my peaches.”

It sounds dirty, but it’s not. Charlie’s one of those oblivious eighty-year-olds with the best of intentions.

“Thanks, Charlie. I owe you one.” I bite into the juicy skin, the nectar tartness explodes on my taste buds while we peruse the farmer’s market tables.

There’s no other place on Earth where you can buy homemade almond butter dog treats and turmeric and black pepper bone broth. All while chatting with a war veteran named Harold, who tells you his life story about the lavender farm he named after the love of his life who died before he made it home—Lavender.

They don’t make cliches like that anywhere else.

Alanna adjusts her cleavage in her paisley sports bra. She’s been trying to convince me to order new workout clothes from her favorite online boutique, but I’ll never give up my cutoff denim shorts or my dad’s old rodeo T-shirts. They have about a million tiny holes, but you couldn’t even buy a softer shirt at a farmers market, and they’re one of my favorite places to shop.

“Did I tell you Wyatt offered to train me this summer?” I tell her as we stroll around the humming market, our arms looped.

I was tempted to take Patterson up on the offer, but he looks so exhausted all the time that I didn’t want to take any more time away from his little girl. He’s always doing everything for everyone else, and I don’t want to be like everyone else to him.

She arches her microbladed brows. “Oh, that sounds like a recipe for some delicious sexual tension. All that stretching and grunting? I’m getting hot and bothered just thinking about it.”

“Yeah, but you get turned on by the pressure of your shower head.”

She peals her musical laugh. Alanna even snorts beautifully. “If my water pressure isn’t hard enough to have an orgasm without touching myself, it’s not up to my standards.”

“Why do you think I love showering in your shower?” I say, only half joking.

I lead Luna-Tuna over to the Bark Bakery booth and let her sniff all the homemade dog treats. Her whole booty wags as she peruses the table. Everything’s organic and Sourced from Granite Falls Local Farm!

Small towns like ours don’t get fancy with establishment names. We just pop Granite Falls in front of the business: Granite Falls Auto Shop, Granite Falls Donuts, etc.

In a small town, you’ll never find yourself standing in front of a place called The Alchemist’s Brew, wondering if you’re about to step foot into a beer garden, coffee roaster, or an underground speakeasy with leather-apron bartenders serving dry-ice martinis.

We keep it simple.

I hold out a bag of maple butter dog treats for Luna to sniff. “You want this girl?”

Her dark tail wags.

“Okay, then you got it.” I pay for the outlandishly expensive organic treats because Luna-Tuna deserves them, and I love her.

We move on to the homemade bone broth booth, and Alanna picks up a jar of jiggly brown liquid, giving me the side-eye. “So, are you over this whole thing with Wyatt then? You gonna let him train you?”

Harboring this resentment is taking more emotional effort than I’d like. I never forget the people who do me dirty, but I also have no problem forgiving them if they genuinely apologize.

Ever since he said I’m sorry and told me he’d missed me, I’ve been feeling a lot less angry. A true heartfelt apology normally fixes most things with me, but I still don’t know how to act around him.

He’s just so much bigger now. I never noticed it before. Not until I was standing up against his chest with the warmth of his breath coasting across my cheek. I shiver at the memory.

Shrugging, I pick up a Sage & Beet bone broth jar, examine the bloody-looking lumps, and ultimately set it back down. “Maybe? Probably. It’ll make this summer a hell of a lot less awkward if I let this go. I feel like it’s not even worth my energy stayin’ mad when I’ve got better things to do with my time.”

“Hah! Called it.” She slaps my ass. “I knew you couldn’t hold onto that grudge. You might be a badass bull rider, but inside, you’re also a big softie. You just don’t show that side to everyone, which is fine. It’s not like you have to show your true colors to every person on the planet.”

“Cheers to that.”

“So, how’s living with Wyatt been?” she asks. “Have you accidentally walked in on him naked yet? I, personally, am crossing my fingers for that since the barn only has one bathroom besides the outdoor shower. I would love that for you.”