Just Want Somebody to Love. Keri Ford

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СКАЧАТЬ trying to put words to the heavy weight on her shoulders. “Winter blues, I guess. Probably I just need mom to get here and put excitement back on the farm.”

      Back in the day, she could escape planting season by sneaking off here and there, but now she had her number of rows to plant and the accounting books to maintain. If she skipped off—Lord help her—she wouldn’t get caught up until mid-May, just in time for harvest to kick in.

      Not to mention, she was an adult now, not a teenager.

      But as Kara pointed out, that’s how it’d been for a long time. The books weren’t anything new, either. Her mom started her on those years ago, and she’d been running them by herself for what seemed like ages.

      “That’s it?” Kara tipped her head to the side.

      “Maybe so.”

      “You could go sit in the greenhouse tomorrow. It’ll be warm and you can work on your tan while you soak up some vitamin D. I know that always makes you feel better.”

      “Yeah.” She lifted a shoulder. “But I can’t do that until tomorrow when the sun’s up. Let’s go to the bar, get drunk, and act like we’re young enough to be doing all that.” Gosh, act like a fresh-faced twenty-one year old ready to tackle the world. Within limits. Her parents didn’t raise a wild heathen.

      Kara pushed out of her chair. “All right, I’ll go, but I’m not drinking until we’re stupid.”

      Thank heavens because getting drunk and dancing sounded like fun, but she was old enough to remember the morning after. “So long as you’ll dance with me, I agree.

      Tasha was back around the corner with her keys jingling in her hand. “Since I’m morally obligated not to drink, I’ll volunteer to drive.” Tasha stopped in front her, and her smile fell as her nose wrinkled. “You haven’t changed yet.”

      Whitney looked at her yoga pants and long sleeves. “I’m wearing the same as y’all.”

      “But we’re married.”

      “Oooh.” Kara faced her and pointed upstairs. “Put on that green skirt.”

      “It’s forty degrees outside.”

      Kara flipped her wrist. “It’ll be warm in the bar.”

      “If I get sick right before planting season, Wade will have us all.”

      Tasha nodded. “Put on some jeans, but make sure your shirt is something tight and low-cut to make up for the pants.”

      “If it gets us out of here faster, fine. I’m sure a flood of new men flocked to Bella Warren over the last hour for me to impress.”

      “It’s not about seeing a new man. It’s about the chance to see an old one in a new light. What about Kent? Kent’s cute. Y’all would make pretty babies.”

      “And sweet,” Kara followed. “I adore him. He’s never given me a ticket.”

      Whitney rolled her eyes. “I don’t think he’s ever given anybody a ticket.”

      Tasha touched her chest. “That’s because the man has a heart of gold. You should be chasing him.”

      “I’ll pass on his baby face.” Spending the rest of her life with a husband saying yes ma’am to her all the time? Pass. Unless she asked for it, but that was for different reasons than why Kent ever would. “And who said I was looking?”

      “You, since kindergarten.”

      Love? Husband? Family? All sounded great. With the men she knew in town? The noise that passed through her head sounded more in tune with a dying accordion letting out its last breath. “I don’t need to be looking. Especially now.”

      Tasha crossed her arms over her belly. “Whatever. Get upstairs and get changed.”

      * * * *

      Music pumped from inside the old brick building. It thudded and got her hips itching to sway before she even got in the door. Saturday night, the place was packed, and that guaranteed somebody had gotten drunk enough to start cutting a rug.

      Once one person got on the dance floor, a dozen more would follow. She pulled open the heavy front door and stood there as the warmth washed over her. Vibrations thumping off the jukebox sang along her skin and hello beautiful.

      People around town packed in every nook and cranny, and they didn’t disappoint. A crowd shook it on the dance floor and…shit. She blinked. Something was wrong with her eyes. Or they hadn’t adjusted to the light. Or maybe it was time for a checkup, because this couldn’t be right.

      “What’s the matter?” Kara yelled, stopping beside her.

      Whitney swallowed. It didn’t matter how much she blinked, the view didn’t change. “So you know when we used to come here late like this?”

      “Yeah?”

      She tore her eyes off the kids doing things on the dance floor that would leave her body sobbing in the morning, if she made it to morning. “How old were we?”

      Tasha laughed and stopped on the other side. “I hope this means we can squeeze on a stool somewhere and sit. I’ll pee if I try squatting like that girl in the middle.”

      The girl in the middle was Jill Peterson. She either had one too many Red Bulls and couldn’t contain it, or her butt was a canister of paint in need of shaking.

      Kara’s head tipped to the left, then to the right. “Did we used to do that?”

      “I don’t think that was invented yet.” The one in the middle must have stronger legs than a runner. Ouch. Dancing just got nixed. She pointed to the bar. “I vote for somewhere to sit.”

      She made it one step and stopped again. She didn’t even know Bella Warren had this many young people in town. The bar looked three rows deep. She turned around while shaking her head. “You know what, this is stupid. It’s not meant to be. Let’s just go back home. And have candy while we’re there.”

      “Oh no.” Tasha pushed past her. “You dragged us here, even changed your clothes for it. You’re going to have at least one drink, and there’s no way you’re slipping back to the house to steal the candy I just won off you.”

      Dang. “Fine. One drink. By the time we get it, I imagine the place will be closing.”

      Kara nudged her with her elbow. “You are so weird tonight.”

      She sighed. “Maybe I should have just dyed my hair and grown it out for my early mid-life crisis. With my freckles, I could be that red-headed princess for Halloween next year.”

      Tasha’s grin got bigger. “If you want red, I’ll find something to tint your hair with right now. We can do it in the bathroom in five minutes.”

      Whitney shook her head and pushed her toward the bar. As if she didn’t stand out enough with the white blond fluff of hair on the top of her head. Tasha would have her red as a beacon. Like one of those airplane lights in the middle of the sky.

      Tasha СКАЧАТЬ