Page 40 of Stay With Me

We’ll call him Chatty for short.

Tripp

If he’s anything like his mama, he’ll talk nonstop, so I guess it’s perfect.

I’m sorry…Did he just…Excuse me while I pick up my jaw off the floor.

Magnolia

Glad you agree. Guess it’s time for you to knock me up, cowboy.

I hit send before I can word vomit another sentence becauseoh my Goddid I really just text that?

It’s the hangover making me feel brave or the filter from my brain to my mouth is broken.

To absolutely no one’s surprise, Tripp doesn’t text back, and I spend the rest of my day obsessivelynotchecking my phone.

It’s the Monday-est Monday I’ve had in a long-ass time. My espresso machine is having a full-on hissy fit, and my paper delivery is delayed until Friday, which means I’m going to run out of cups and lids before more arrive. Since I woke up late, by the time I arrived at my trailer parked downtown, I already had a line waiting for me.

All I want to do is eat four massive tacos and take a six-hour nap.

After I finish serving my final customer of the day at three, I lock up and walk to the Mexican restaurant down Main Street. Landen texted earlier and said he’d be in town, so I invited him to meet me here for an early dinner. Whether he could or not, I had no problem sitting alone to sulk about my poor decisions and karma’s way of smacking me across the face.

As soon as I take a large gulp, Landen walks up and leans into my ear.

“Knock me up, cowboy?”

He chuckles and I slap my palm against my mouth to keep my drink from spewing all over the table. When he sits across from me, I swallow it down and glare at him.

“I hate you.”

“Is that any way to talk to your future kid’s uncle?”

I kick him in the shin under the table.

“Not funny, Landen!” I grit out. “He’s never talkin’ to me again.”

He opens up the menu and scans the options. “I wouldn’t say that…”

“Wait…I’m surprised he told you.”

“He was actin’ weird all mornin’ until I finally asked him what was going on because he kept zonin’ out every time I said something.” He snags a chip and dips it into the salsa, then bites into it with a loud crunch.

“How desperate does he think I am now?”

“Quite the opposite. He was so shocked by your message that he contemplated for three hours how to respond. He kept typin’ out replies to be funny or flirty, but it was like he couldn’t get his head out of his ass long enough to come up with anything, so he just gave up. Now he’s hyper-fixated on how to start up another conversation. Personally, I woulda gone withGet your sexy ass over here right nowandspread those baby-making legs, but he was all about playin’ it casual.”

I reach over and smack his bicep. “This is why you’re single.”

“Single by choice, thank you very much.”

I roll my eyes, knowing he’s full of shit. When the right woman comes along, there’s no way he’ll be able to resist being obsessed with her.

“So he doesn’t think I’m a complete weirdo?” My heart pounds so hard I can feel it beating in my ears.

“Nah. But I do think he’s at war with himself about givin’ in to his feelings. For whatever reason.” He steals two more chips before sucking them down with the water I ordered for him. He has to go back to work after this, so I knew he couldn’t drink andoperate heavy machinery. It’s why I am because he can drop me off on his way back to the ranch.

“Did you know he has anxiety attacks? I found him on the floor at the tux fitting fightin’ through one.”