She nods. “I think you did exactly what you needed to do, honey. I wanted you to know that he’s payin’ his price. He’s got a lot of debt to repay. Remember that.”

“I will.”

“Oh, and you make sure you enjoy your big date with Cooper, now.”

She’s amazing. Who tells the girl their son used to date how to make it hurt him more? Macie Hennington, that’s who. Seriously, she’s my idol.

We say goodbye and she heads off. It takes me ten minutes to walk to Angie’s, and when I get there, Wyatt’s truck isn’t in the driveway.

“Hello?” I knock tentatively. Last thing I want to do is wake her.

“Grace?”

“Hey!” I stand outside as I see her head pop off the couch.

“The door is open! Please! Come in!”

I step inside and head toward her. Her face is pale, the circles under her eyes are dark, and I can tell she’s miserable. Still, I put on a reassuring smile and crouch in front of her. “Are you okay, honey?”

She grumbles. “I swear this baby hates me. Being pregnant in your late thirties sucks ass. This baby is determined to make my life hell.”

“Is there somethin’ I can do to help?”

Her eyes close as she rests her head. “I wish there was. Wyatt is a wreck. He refuses to leave me for long periods, but there’s nothing anyone can do. The doctor said the baby is growing and healthy, I just need to hang in there.”

“Wyatt came by the store, he said you weren’t able to keep much down?”

Angie shakes her head a little and then covers her mouth.

Poor thing.

“I should’ve been comin’ by more. I’m sorry, Angie.”

She rolls her eyes and scoots a little. “Stop. Between Wyatt and Mama, I’m never alone. Presley’s been over a lot when Wyatt has to work late. It’s really fine. I wish everyone would stop worrying so much. It’s only seven more months.”

Her brave front isn’t fooling me. I can see how worn out she is. Angie has always been the life of the party. I hate seeing her like this. “But who’s counting?” I pat her leg.

“Oh, I am so counting.” We both laugh before her face turns serious. “So, did you decide to go out with Cooper?”

“Don’t even act like you don’t know.” I grin as I gently slap her arm. “There’s no way it hasn’t been around town and back.”

She gives an impish smile. “I wanted to hear your version, though.”

I fill her in on all the details about how we’re going out tomorrow and how it happened. Her lips turn up when I tell her about how Mrs. Townsend and my mother concocted some package to get us talking. I express my feelings about how I’m not sure if it’s a good idea and how my heart is torn. Angie doesn’t say a word. She lets me spill all the thoughts I’ve been struggling with.

“I love Trent. I’ll always love him, but I can’t be hurt anymore. If he were different . . .” I wipe a tear I didn’t realize fell. “I can’t be disappointed time and time again. I know that walkin’ away and endin’ things was what we needed to do. And then there’s Cooper, and he’s so sweet, but I don’t dream about him. I don’t spend my days talkin’ myself out of callin’ him.”

“Grace,” she grips my hand, stopping me from talking. “You’ve spent your whole life waiting for Trent. You’ve given him so much more time than he deserves. Remember when he forgot your birthday? Not just forgot it was that day, but forgot the whole thing? Seriously, you can’t tell me after the years you were together he didn’t know that it was your damn birthday. He doesn’t deserve you if he can’t remember something like that.”

Angie’s right. It broke my heart a little to think the man I loved didn’t remember my birthday. I sat there all day waiting for him to say something, but then he remembered the Tennessee game was on and told me he’d call me later.

I spent the rest of the day alone and angry.

It took three days for him to finally remember, and I’m pretty sure it was his mama who finally told him.

“Could you walk away from Wyatt?” I ask. “With as much as you love him, could you cast him off and then date another man?”

“I don’t know,” she says with honesty. “I walked away from Wyatt, but after we lost Faith, Wyatt changed. He wasn’t the man I fell in love with, almost as if a piece of him died with her. We’d both been through hell, but no, there was no chance that I could have been with another man. Don’t get me wrong, Trent is great. He was there for me after we lost Faith, but he hasn’t been there for you.”

My heart hurts as she says the final words. I’d never seen Wyatt like that. He was lost, but Trent hasn’t lost a child, he’s scared of commitment. He’s been selfish and thought he could do what he wanted because I’d take it, and he was right. I did take it. I was so worried if I pushed him that he’d walk away.

I was weak.

I was stupid.

I’m done being both.

Angie shifts and immediately I can see the discomfort painted on her face.

“Do you have any saltines?”

Angie shrugs. “I have no idea. I’m not really on my feet much.”

My eyes squint a little as I try to figure out why she would say that.

“I find that being vertical means I’m puking,” she explains. “I’m basically bedridden until my pregnancy isn’t high risk anymore. Which means when this tiny nugget finally decides to come into the world.”

“Well, you have a lot of support,” I remind her, making a note to stop by here more often. “I’m going to look for some crackers. Do you want to try it?”

“I’ve tried almost everything, but sure, we can try. Lord knows I need some food.”

I head into the kitchen and start searching. There’s very little of anything in the cupboards, but I luck out on the third try and find a sleeve of saltines hidden behind a box of instant oatmeal. While in here, I fill a glass of ice water.

“Found some!” I holler to her as I walk back to the living room, but I stop short. “Cooper? What are you doin’ here?”

He releases a half laugh. “Hey, Grace. Wyatt asked me to stop by and check on Angie. He was worried you might’ve gotten lost in the stock room?” He says it as if it’s a question.

“Right. Wyatt is real helpful like that.” He knew I was going to be here, and he sent Cooper over. Why do I still live here? Why don’t I make friends with people a few towns over? “Always tryin’ to make sure everyone is taken care of.”

Angie bursts out laughing. She clutches her stomach and giggles relentlessly. “He’s such an asshole. God, I love that man.”

“You got the asshole part right,” I grumble.

“So? We’re still on for our date tomorrow?” Cooper asks as he steps forward.

“Yeah, of course,” I say awkwardly.

Angie grins and squeaks a little. “What? You guys are the best entertainment I’ve had in weeks.”

My face falls. “Happy to be of service. I really should get goin’.”

“Grace has a hot date tomorrow,” Cooper says from behind me. I turn to face him with my eyes wide, but he grins and steps around me. He strides to Angie and parks his butt on the couch next to her.

“Oh, I know, I hear some handsome cowboy finally got her to agree.”

“Yeah, I hear he’s quite a catch.” He’s all cocky and funny and full of charm as he says it.

They start talking as if I’m not even here. I watch as he adjusts the blanket over her and makes sure she’s okay. Then he grabs the packet of crackers and hands them to her. Cooper took time out of his day, covered in sweat and dirt to check on his friend’s wife. He didn’t have to be here, but he is.

The part of me that is hesitant about our date fades away. This is a good man. This is the kind of man that I want to be with. Someone who does selfless things because he wants to and isn’t afraid to be vulnerable. He’s where I should be focusing my thoughts, and that’s what I’m going to start doing.

Moving on.

Chapter 6

Of all the days for my hair not to cooperate, it has to be today? Everything has gone wrong. I dropped my cell phone in the toilet this morning, the zipper on my dress came apart, and my washing machine decided it no longer wanted to work. I’m starting to think it’s a sign that I should crawl back in bed and forego tonight. In three hours, Cooper Townsend will be picking me up for our date, and if the way today is going is any indication, it’s going to be a mess.

I grab my now dried out phone, and text Angie so she can, once again, reassure me this is going to be okay.

Me: What if my outfit isn’t cute enough?

Angie: Stop it right now. I know what you’re doing. You look amazing, and Cooper is going to think you’re perfect.

Me: Says you!

Angie: Do you need me to drag my sick ass off the couch and come over?

I’m being ridiculous. But this is the first real date I’ve had with someone other than Trent.

Me: No. I’m good. Minor freak out.

She’s right.