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“Dammit!” He hit the side of his truck with his fist. He didn’t care that it hurt like hell or left a dent. He hit it again and cussed a blue streak, but it didn’t ease the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He figured if he didn’t want to break his hand and ruin his truck, he needed to get a grip.

There was only one person who could soothe him when his emotions got to be too much.

He pulled out his cellphone. He didn’t even think about the time until he heard Shirlene’s groggy, concerned voice.

“Jesse, honey, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Are you injured? Sick? Speak to me, baby.”

“I’m fine, Shirl. I shouldn’t have called so late.”

“Nonsense. You can call me anytime day or night.”

“Like hell he can!” Billy’s muffled voice came through the receiver. “If he’s not sick, injured, or in jail, he needs to call at a decent hour.”

“Now, don’t you pay any attention to Billy, honey. You know the man gets grumpy if you wake him up. What’s going on?”

He lied. “I just needed to hear your voice.”

There was a long pause. “Well, that’s real sweet, sugar. It’s nice to hear your voice too. But since we just talked a few days ago, I’m thinking you calling doesn’t just have to do with hearing my voice. Did you get into it with Corbin? I tried to tell you to take it slow with him. He needs time to learn how to trust.”

“It’s not Corbin.”

“Then what?” She hesitated. “Is it a girl?” There was a hopeful note in her voice. Shirlene had been hoping he’d meet a girl for the last thirteen years.

He heaved a long sigh. “Yes.”

“It’s a girl!” Shirlene said in a voice that wasn’t even close to a whisper.

“Great,” Billy said. “Now tell him to call back when it isn’t two o’clock in the friggin’ morning.”

“Oh, hush up,” Shirlene said before she returned to Jesse. “So tell me all about her, honey.”

Jesse had never told Shirlene about the women he dated. Not only because he didn’t want her getting the wrong idea, but also because they hadn’t exactly been the type of women you brought home to Mama.

Not so with Liberty.

Once he started talking about her, he couldn’t seem to stop. He told Shirlene about her showing up at Cooper Springs and not being the least bit afraid of him. He told her about all their challenges—minus the seduction one—and how Liberty bested him most of the time. He told her about Liberty’s business and what a great businesswoman she was. He went on and on and on until he finally realized he was babbling and cut off.

“Sorry. I guess I got carried away.”

There was a distinct smile in Shirlene’s voice when she spoke. “That’s okay, baby. I’m a bit of a babbler too when I get excited about something. And it sounds like you’re excited about Liberty. I can understand why. She sounds like a lovely girl . . . and a lot like you.”

“That’s the problem.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t think she’s looking to get into a relationship. I’m not even sure I am.”

“Then why do you sound so upset?”

It was a good question. “I don’t know. We just had . . . this moment tonight. And after . . . well, I got scared and it ended badly and now I feel—”

“Like you lost something you didn’t want to lose?”

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Yeah.”

“Oh, Jesse, my sweet baby boy,” Shirlene said. “Showing your emotions has always come so hard for you. I get it. You’ve had a lot of heartache in your life and you’d just as soon not have any more. I think that’s why you don’t stick around in one place long enough to make close friends and have worked so hard to make Corbin love you. You don’t want to feel rejected again like when . . .” She let the sentence trail off.

He finished it for her. “My mama and daddy rejected me.”