Rural Romance by Alexa Riley
Chapter Two
Juno
Iwipe down my last table before straightening the ketchup and salt and pepper shakers. The great thing about the chicken special is not only does the day fly by, but I get to see most of the town too. My favorite thing about the diner is the small-town feel. I’m not related to anyone here, but they all act like I’m their cousin or granddaughter. It gives me this sense of belonging, and it’s something I didn't have before I moved to Pink Springs.
There’s a few dollars for a tip on the table, and I peek over my shoulder to see if Amy is looking my way. When I don’t spot her, I walk past one of her tables that still needs to be cleared off and drop the cash there before making my way to the back.
Amy is a single mom, and her ex is an asshole. I know she can struggle at times to make ends meet, and she needs the money more than I do. The truth is, I don’t actually need any money at all. Everything that belonged to my parents went into a trust when they passed, including the life insurance. A judge was overseeing it since Grams never even took the allotted money she was supposed to receive. When I turned eighteen, everything was handed over to me, and now I’m just trying to figure out what I want next.
“Are you out of here?” Amy asks, and I can see the worry on her face.
“You need something?” I know she always feels bad when she asks me to cover a shift, but I never mind doing it for her. She works damn hard, and I don’t really have a buzzing social life at the moment.
“Devin has a small fever,” she says, talking about her son.
“Oh Amy, you should go then. I’ve got this.” I give her a big smile to reassure her it’s not a problem.
“It’s fine, you both can go,” John calls from his office.
“Thank you! Let me go clear my last tables.” She darts off towards the front, and I pop my head into John’s office.
“Are you sure?” I ask, and he looks at me over the top of his glasses.
“Yeah, Missy will be in shortly. We’re out of chicken, and most of the town has already been through here today. We’re going to be slow tonight.” I nod in agreement. There are a few people that do sometimes hit the diner twice in one day, but it’s rare.
“All right, but you can call me if something changes.” He nods, giving me a warm smile before I exit out the back of the building to my Jeep. Before I get in, I check my phone and see I have a text from Lux. As I read it, I still can’t believe she’s pregnant.
Lux: What are you having for dinner? I’m thinking burgers.
Me: You always want burgers
While I’m getting in my Jeep I think about how it sucks that all we have on the regular now is texting. I can’t say I still don’t know almost everything she’s up to because we’re always texting even when we don’t have anything to talk about.
As I pull out of the back alleyway, my eyes drift over toward the police station, knowing Cooper is likely inside. We’ve both done well at avoiding each other. At least in keeping physical distance. He doesn't even come into the diner anymore.
Still somehow at every turn I see him. Even when I’m at Grams’ I'll catch the patrol car driving by, and although I know it’s part of his job to ride the neighborhoods, I swear it’s more often than it should be. Or maybe part of me is hoping that’s why. Hope that this is hurting him the same way it’s been hurting me. I keep waiting for the pain of his rejection to lessen over time, but it never does. I’m not going to chase any man, and I’m getting sick of waiting.
My phone goes off again, and I look behind me to make sure I’m not blocking anyone before I check it.
Lux: I heard Paula is back in town.
She sends a few puking emojis.
Me: No clue who that is.
If she’s back in town I might not have met her, and that name doesn't sound familiar. I let my foot off the brake just as another text comes in, and I glance over to the seat beside me to read it.
Lux:Right. Duh! She and Cooper were prom king and queen. She left town soon after Cooper enlisted. I wish she would have stayed away.
I stare down at the screen until a horn blares at me, and I jump, slamming on the brakes as a car drives around me. I’d slowly rolled into the street, not paying attention, and I curse my own stupidity.
“What the hell, Juno!”
I sigh because I know exactly who’s shouting at me without looking. When I turn my head I see Cooper Cross standing on the sidewalk, pissed off and glaring right at me.
“You need to watch what you’re doing,” he goes on, scolding me as stomps over and closes in on my Jeep.
With a smirk, I hit the gas and take off before he can get to my door.
Probably not the best idea to run from a cop, but what’s he going to do, arrest me? It’s not like he’s going to slap his cuffs on me because that would mean he’d have to get close. He avoids me like the plague, and I don’t know how much longer he can keep it up.
Lux’s wedding is right around the corner and we’re both in it. The thought of him bringing a date makes my stomach queasy. I’ve never seen or heard about him dating anyone in town, but now I’m wondering if this Paula chick will change that. I shake the thought out of my head, not wanting to go there. I’m getting way ahead of myself, which is something Lux always does, and I have to talk her off the ledge. There’s no sense in me worrying about something that might never happen.
It doesn't take me long to make it to my Grams’ house and I see her in the flower bed when I pull up. She’s right in front of the porch, and when she hears me, she stands up and gives me a giant smile.
She’s so different from my dad that it’s hard to believe he was raised by her. She told me a long time ago she lived in the city, and that’s where she raised him. It wasn't until after she lost her husband that she moved here to Pink Springs. It’s hard for me to see her as a city girl because this is the only way I’ve ever known her.
“Hey, sweetie,” she says as I jump down from my Jeep.
“Hey, Grams.” I follow her eyes when something grabs her attention, and my heart drops when I see Cooper in his patrol car.
He doesn't stop, though. He just slows to a crawl and then keeps on going. I guess I’m not getting arrested after all. He’s all but giving me a free pass around town to do whatever I want.
“I didn't think I’d see you tonight,” Grams says, pulling my attention away from Cooper. I walk over to give her a kiss.
“I still have a few more boxes I need to grab.” Plus I want to check on her. She’s more than capable of taking care of herself, but she’s all I’ve got left.
“It’s going to be strange without you living here anymore, but I’m happy you’re not going far.”
“You know I wouldn’t.” When we walk inside I snag a cookie off the plate on the table then go up to my room.
There are only a few boxes left, so it doesn’t take many trips out to my Jeep to get it all done. I don’t have anything big I’m taking with me, and I ordered whatever furniture I needed. Most of it is still in boxes, but I’ll get around to building it sooner or later. I bet I could trade pie for labor with Luca.
“I think that’s it.”
“Don’t look sad, sweetie. This is a new chapter of your life,” Grams tells me as she holds me close.
“You don’t think it’s silly?” I might flop on my face, but when it comes to the arts, Pink Springs has got nothing, and I’m hoping to change that very soon. Not only to display my stuff but maybe do classes and even some small events.
“It’s never silly to follow a dream.” She squeezes my hand one last time, and I give her a kiss.
On my way back to the center of town, I think about how my Grams always pushes me to follow my heart. If she believes in me, I should believe in myself.
When I pull up to the parking behind the main strip of buildings downtown, I look at my building. It sounds crazy to call it that, but it’s all mine now. The place used to be some real estate office, but they moved out, and it’s been vacant for a while. What’s great about it, though, is the apartment on the top floor, so I can have a studio downstairs while my living space is above.
Taking out the keys, I go inside and put my code in the alarm. After that, I grab a couple of boxes and start carrying them upstairs. Once I’m in my apartment, I stare at all the boxes and wish Lux was here. I haven't told her about any of this even though I told her a long time ago it was a dream of mine. With her falling in love and getting married soon, and of course a baby on the way, it never felt like the right time.
I walk over to the window that looks down at Main Street and see the police station right in front of me. There’s no missing it, but I can pretty much see all of downtown from this vantage point.
Cooper comes walking out of the station right then, and my eyes widen when I see him standing next to a woman I don’t recognize. She must be the woman Lux was talking about. She’s got long, wavy blond hair that somehow goes perfectly with the blue dress she has on. That’s all I can really tell about her from this distance, but there's no mistaking her curves.
She’s got lots of those in all the right places, and the way she stands next to him annoys me. I hate to admit it, but they are a cookie-cutter couple and what most around here would assume Cooper would end up with. Cooper must say something funny because she throws her head back and laughs. When her hand comes down on his shoulder, I turn away.
I’m the opposite of her in every way, and I don’t like how I feel seeing it. How am I supposed to live around here seeing them together all the time? Maybe staying in Pink Springs wasn't the best idea.
