that bloomed on her cheeks.
It inspired thoughts he'd not had in a while. Sure there were lascivious thoughts, but Annie inspired imaginings of long walks at sunset, slow dances and kisses that could make a man lose track of time. It shocked him and it made him a bit nervous. Nervous enough that he moved away, went to the refrigerator and pulled out a pitcher of tea
"So, what does your family think about you being stranded in Cotton Creek?" He searched the cupboards for a glass.
"David thought the whole thing was hilarious and told me I should use it in a book."
Riley took his glass back to the refrigerator and opened up the freezer section at the top. There was a pail of ice inside. He filled his glass and then looked at Annie. "Want me to fix you a glass?"
"No thanks. I've had enough coffee today that my caffeine quota is way over the line."
Riley chuckled. "So, your son is okay with you being here?" He filled his glass with tea and made another trip back to the refrigerator to put the pitcher away.
"Yes."
"What about your husband?"
There was dead silence. Riley turned to look at her. "Annie?"
She just stood there, smile gone from her face and her stance one of tension.
"You okay, Annie?"
She nodded and looked away for a moment. "I…I didn't tell you everything about my leaving New York."
"Oh?"
"I left for good. Left him."
Riley leaned back against the counter. "I know you'd had some …some trouble."
"Oh, like him cheating on me for the last three years with some woman young enough to be his daughter, and his family being investigated for fraud and money laundering and him threatening to burn the house down with me in it? Yeah, we've had some trouble."
Riley was shocked. He knew Annie had not been all that happy and that she'd mentioned she was thinking of leaving but he figured it was just a couple going through a rough patch. "Investigated?"
She nodded again. "I think he's going to prison, Riley. And even if he doesn't, I can't see the point in staying. He doesn't love me. He's in love with that girl. And oddly, that doesn't even hurt because I realized that I don't love him either.”
As she spoke she realized that her words weren’t empty. Whatever hurt Rick had given with his infidelity had faded. She’d lost her love for him long before now.
"The man I married disappeared a long time ago. He went into business with his family and became someone I didn't know and didn't really want to. I stayed for David, but he's grown now, all moved into an apartment in Cambridge and excited about his life.
"There's nothing left for me there. So, I left him."
"And bought an RV and toured the country."
That brought the ghost of a smile to her face. "Yes. And came to Texas. I got to see my friend Katie, and make a new friend in Cody and I got to meet you. And that makes it worth it."
"So, I guess if you're not planning on going back it doesn't much matter how long it takes to fix your rig."
"You're absolutely right." This time the smile that formed on her face was full blown. "I'm free to do what I want. And right now there's nowhere else I'd rather be."
That tore it. Annie was not married. Well, she was, but she'd left her cheating husband so she was a free woman. Riley couldn't handle what ripped through him. He and Annie were friends and no friends should be thinking what he was thinking at the moment. She was free and all he wanted was to get his hands on her.
"Then let's get the rest of your stuff out of the truck."
"Okay."
Together they went out to his truck. There wasn't all that much, but it took two trips. They piled everything in the front room. "I think I should call Cody and ask her about staying before I haul this to the room that she let me use."
"Okay. I need to get back home, and take care of a couple of things. Be back at six."
"All right. I'll be ready."
She walked him to the front porch and when he turned to face her, she reached out and gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "I'm glad
It inspired thoughts he'd not had in a while. Sure there were lascivious thoughts, but Annie inspired imaginings of long walks at sunset, slow dances and kisses that could make a man lose track of time. It shocked him and it made him a bit nervous. Nervous enough that he moved away, went to the refrigerator and pulled out a pitcher of tea
"So, what does your family think about you being stranded in Cotton Creek?" He searched the cupboards for a glass.
"David thought the whole thing was hilarious and told me I should use it in a book."
Riley took his glass back to the refrigerator and opened up the freezer section at the top. There was a pail of ice inside. He filled his glass and then looked at Annie. "Want me to fix you a glass?"
"No thanks. I've had enough coffee today that my caffeine quota is way over the line."
Riley chuckled. "So, your son is okay with you being here?" He filled his glass with tea and made another trip back to the refrigerator to put the pitcher away.
"Yes."
"What about your husband?"
There was dead silence. Riley turned to look at her. "Annie?"
She just stood there, smile gone from her face and her stance one of tension.
"You okay, Annie?"
She nodded and looked away for a moment. "I…I didn't tell you everything about my leaving New York."
"Oh?"
"I left for good. Left him."
Riley leaned back against the counter. "I know you'd had some …some trouble."
"Oh, like him cheating on me for the last three years with some woman young enough to be his daughter, and his family being investigated for fraud and money laundering and him threatening to burn the house down with me in it? Yeah, we've had some trouble."
Riley was shocked. He knew Annie had not been all that happy and that she'd mentioned she was thinking of leaving but he figured it was just a couple going through a rough patch. "Investigated?"
She nodded again. "I think he's going to prison, Riley. And even if he doesn't, I can't see the point in staying. He doesn't love me. He's in love with that girl. And oddly, that doesn't even hurt because I realized that I don't love him either.”
As she spoke she realized that her words weren’t empty. Whatever hurt Rick had given with his infidelity had faded. She’d lost her love for him long before now.
"The man I married disappeared a long time ago. He went into business with his family and became someone I didn't know and didn't really want to. I stayed for David, but he's grown now, all moved into an apartment in Cambridge and excited about his life.
"There's nothing left for me there. So, I left him."
"And bought an RV and toured the country."
That brought the ghost of a smile to her face. "Yes. And came to Texas. I got to see my friend Katie, and make a new friend in Cody and I got to meet you. And that makes it worth it."
"So, I guess if you're not planning on going back it doesn't much matter how long it takes to fix your rig."
"You're absolutely right." This time the smile that formed on her face was full blown. "I'm free to do what I want. And right now there's nowhere else I'd rather be."
That tore it. Annie was not married. Well, she was, but she'd left her cheating husband so she was a free woman. Riley couldn't handle what ripped through him. He and Annie were friends and no friends should be thinking what he was thinking at the moment. She was free and all he wanted was to get his hands on her.
"Then let's get the rest of your stuff out of the truck."
"Okay."
Together they went out to his truck. There wasn't all that much, but it took two trips. They piled everything in the front room. "I think I should call Cody and ask her about staying before I haul this to the room that she let me use."
"Okay. I need to get back home, and take care of a couple of things. Be back at six."
"All right. I'll be ready."
She walked him to the front porch and when he turned to face her, she reached out and gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "I'm glad
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