Page 12 of Bad Decisions & Back Roads

“What’s his name?”

“Deck.Said he does home repair or something.”

Misty choked—actually choked—water going everywhere as she coughed and laughed at the same time.“Oh my God—” she wheezed, then caught herself when she saw my face.“Sorry.”She wiped her mouth, still grinning but trying to rein it in.“It’s just—wow.You wouldn’t know Deck.He moved here about five years ago.”She shook her head, then added, more carefully, “Ryan Decklan is Timothy Hurst’s right hand.Deck does most of the heavy managing of Hurst HVAC now.”A pause.“Are you okay with that?”

Of course Deck worked for Timothy.Of course.Why wouldn’t life throw more at me to make everything complicated?

A slow, dull pressure started behind my ribs, but I kept my face blank.Neutral.Manageable.

“He’s also kind of—” Misty cut herself off, eyes flicking over me like she was recalculating something.Then she grinned.“You know what?Go on that date.Absolutely go.I want a full report.”

“I’m going out with Deck,” I said evenly.“Not Timothy.”I held her gaze, needing her to hear the part underneath.“Timothy and I will figure out how to exist in the same town.I’m not leaving.”

Misty needed me here to get her through chemo and for as long as she survived.I couldn’t go down that mental path to the ending right now.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I added, quieter now.“Especially not if it means you end up back on the farm.You’re not going back there.”

Misty’s expression shifted, the humor draining out of it.She picked up her phone, thumb hovering over the screen.“I worry about Mama.”

I did too, but I didn’t know how to help her.

Misty asked, “Can you go out to the farm and check on her?I also need to get a few more clothes and things since I left in a hurry last week.”

I didn’t want to drive down that dirt road to the house full of horrible memories ever again.Every time I’d gone to pickup Misty, we made sure we did it at a time my father wouldn’t be there.

“Please,” she begged.“Mama doesn’t like using the cell phone.I can’t check in with her.”

“She is capable of driving out here to see you.”

Misty gave methatlook.I understood Mama wouldn’t be driving out here.She rarely, if ever, left the property anymore—not even to attend church.

“Okay.I’ll check on her after work tomorrow or the next day, if I get time.”

ChapterFour

GIA

I blinkedawake to pounding at the front door.My phone read7:22 a.m.I wasn’t on call.I didn’t have a shift until this afternoon.This was supposed to be my sleep-in day after two overnight shifts and an afternoon shift that had wrung me dry.

Pound.Pound.Pound.

I groaned, shoved my hair into a crooked bun, and stumbled toward the front door.Must be a crisis.Otherwise, why not call?

I yanked the door open and forgot every annoyed thought in my head.

Timothy stood on my porch with his fist raised to pound again.For one suspended second, neither of us moved.The rain hitting the porch’s roof in large drops echoed too loud.

His gaze dropped and skimmed over my thin sleep shirt and loose cotton shorts before snapping back to my face.He swallowed hard and lowered his hand when he seemed to realize touching the door again was unnecessary.

I was painfully aware that I was half-dressed in front of him.Cool morning air brushed my bare arms, but heat climbed up my throat.

His face settled into a carved, unreadable look.

“Uh…” His voice came out rough, like he needed a second try.He cleared his throat.“Air conditioner’s out?Buzz called it in last night.”

Only then did I notice the gray work shirt stretched across his shoulders withHurst HVACprinted over his left chest, and the sleeves snug around arms corded with muscle.Entirely unfair to notice anything that sexy this early in the morning.

“Right,” I said, though my brain was still buffering.