Page 79 of Fake It Till You Make It

Gracie Lou frowned, which was rare. “This is my second marriage. My first husband was a selfish ass. Took advantage of folks we both grew up with. I defended him at first, made excuses for his behavior. I knew he was wrong, but I wanted to be a supportive wife. People started avoiding us both, friends stopped calling. Trying to do right for the wrong man… it costs you a piece of yourself—”

“Gracie, honey,” Caleb called from the kitchen, “you going to get yourself overheated.”

A girlish grin flashed on Gracie’s face. “Isn’t your job to hose me down,” she yelled back, not caring that Amarie was right there.

Amarie cleared her throat. “You were saying?”

“Basically, I married the wrong man. The union damaged the both of us. Caleb heard warnings from every corner of the county to stand clear of me. Plus, I’ve got three years of extra road dust compared to my hot young husband.”

“The hottest.” Caleb laughed, the loud and boisterous sound carrying to the empty dining room. It was still early for the bar crowd, just past four thirty.

“Anyhoo, I tied myself to the wrong man. And the thing about forcing a fit into a space where you don’t belong—you get nicked in places you didn’t realize were vital until a part of you is good and broken.”

Angling her head, Amarie considered Gracie Lou’s journey to love. She thought of her own timeline, six years of an ill-fit with a man who could never value her love above his own selfish desires. “Wow, that’s a hardball that hit with a soft landing. I’ve been that shoe on the wrong foot. Felt the uncomfortable rub on all sides, but I was too scared to let go. Scared I wouldn’t find a shoe that looked as pretty, I guess.”

“Pretty is nice, but when a woman finds the right pair, she can go the distance, walk for miles, without pain and exhaustion. I think it’s kind of cute that you and Eli make a pretty pair. Maybe meeting each other at your lowest makes the new fit all the sweeter, huh.” She nodded.

“Try not to give him the boot.” Caleb appeared behind the bar, a tub of ice in his hands.

“Gracie Lou, Caleb, I can’t speak for Eli.”

Caleb tipped the ice in the metal cooler, the cubes crashed and banged against the metal, a noisy shower of ice cascading on top of the waiting pile.

“You don’t have to. Like I said, I’ve known him since we were in diapers. And thanks to you, he’s no longer a shit.”

“Hey, that’s my man.” The cooler door clanged with a heavy thud. Caleb waved before vanishing behind the glass wall with east-to-west liquor bottles.

“And that’s why I’m only telling you. I put a little something extra in the bag. Just for you. Carbs be damned.”

“Biscuits?”

“You know it. Finally talked Mrs. Leah into baking a batch for all the visitors coming through for the weekend. It’ll get more folks buying food and booze.”

“How did you manage to win her over?”

Gracie Lou winked. “Told her that the next fundraiser she dreams up to get those other two boys hitched up if itdoesn’t happen this time around, she can kick it off here at the Black Bear. Maybe even hire a techy new nurse to overhaul our website?”

“Really?” Amarie grinned.

“Me and the mister have been talking about doing online orders for a few years now. I appreciate him taking his time with most things.” Gracie Lou winked. Amarie’s cheeks heated and she thought about the man waiting on her at home. “After witnessing all you did to make the Calvarys TikTok sensations, I figure us womenfolk can work together and make things happen. The mayor took notice, too. Been talking with the sheriff about raising money for a police vehicle with the town seal on the door.”

“Fine by me. Speaking of Kanaan, when you see him and Cocktail, let them know I want my car back.”

“What in the world for?”

“Prince and I have been through tough times. I’m driving that car till it returns to ashes.”

“Honey, you don’t need transportation no more. From what I hear, Eli prefers to carry you around. If it makes that man feel like a king to sweep you off your feet, I say let him do it while the back’s still good.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Listen to me. And listen to me good. The way to a man’s heart, it’s not his stomach, it’s opening your heart to his. That’s what you’ve done. I know their last name is Cavalry, but you’re the one that rode in and saved him, Amarie Walker.”

“I’ve never really had a relationship where my friends felt confident sharing advice for a happily ever after. This is nice. I never planned on Eli happening. Us happening.”

“I know, but maybe pretending to be happy gave you the freedom to get out of your own way and learn how to makeit a reality. Loving a man is a learning process. Don’t let nobody tell you different.”

“Maybe, Gracie. I never thought of it that way.”