Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 64880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Tulsi reached out, taking Mia’s hand and giving it a strong squeeze. “You will always be my family. I love you with every single piece of my heart. You know that.”
Mia squeezed her hand. “Then come with me, Tulsi, please. Let’s make one more wonderful memory before I say I do.”
Tulsi’s forehead wrinkled. “You aren’t having second thoughts about the wedding, are you? I thought you and Sawyer were doing great.”
“We are,” Mia said, sniffing as she brushed a tear from her cheek. “I love him so much, but that doesn’t mean I’m not nervous, too.”
“Why?” Tulsi asked gently. “Don’t you think you’re making the right choice?” She certainly did—Sawyer worshiped Mia and was one of the kindest, sexiest, most amazing men Tulsi had ever met—but Mia’s opinion was all that mattered.
Mia shook her head so vigorously her curls stretched longer. “No, I know Sawyer’s the one for me. I guess…” She curled her feet beneath her and crossed her arms. “I don’t know, I guess I’m worried there’s no going back after the wedding. I may be codependent or whatever, but your friendship means the world to me. Sawyer’s my heart and soul, but you and Bubba are my arms and legs. I can’t imagine the three of us not being as close as we are now. I just don’t ever want to lose you.”
Tulsi opened her arms, pulling Mia in for a hug as her best friend’s face crumpled. “Oh, sweetie, you won’t ever lose us,” she cooed, rubbing Mia’s shaking shoulders. “Yes, things are changing, but Bubba is a rock, you know that. His love is forever, and so is mine. I’ve loved you since we were little kids and once you have my heart, it’s yours for keeps.”
For keeps. Which is why she still loved Pike and why it hurt so much to realize his heart wasn’t made of the same stuff as hers. But no matter how painful it would be to spend more time with him, she would do it. Because Mia needed her and that was more important than anything else.
“I’ll be on the float trip and at the wedding and anywhere else you need me,” she promised, rubbing her palm in soothing circles around Mia’s back.
“Even the trail ride, bridal shower, scavenger hunt thing on Wednesday?” Mia asked. “Or whatever my insane grandmother is planning?”
“Of course,” Tulsi said. “I’m bringing a few of my good trail horses and I promised Emily I’d come over early and help her saddle all the others.”
“Good,” Mia said with a sniff as she pulled back from the embrace.
“I’m so sorry I upset you,” Tulsi said, feeling awful. “I didn’t realize you were struggling. I’ve been so caught up in my own troubles I wasn’t paying close enough attention.”
“It’s okay.” Mia smiled. “I understand why you’re upset, but I think the float trip will be a good thing for both of us. A chance to get away from it all, you know?”
Tulsi did her best to push thoughts of sharing a canoe with Pike from her mind. Thursday morning would come soon enough and her mama had always told her not to borrow tomorrow’s trouble today.
“And you don’t think I’m crazy, right?” Mia asked, a vulnerable note in her voice.
“No,” Tulsi said with a smile. “I’m just concerned about one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“If Bubba and I are your arms and legs, what body part is Ugly Ross?”
Mia snorted with laughter. “Oh, Ross. I love him to death, but he’s just not an arm or a leg, you know? He’s more like an appendix. Sort of useless, but you’d be really upset if he suddenly started acting up.”
Tulsi giggled. “Poor Ross. I’m going to tell him he’s the vestigial organ of friends.”
“Don’t you dare,” Mia said, slapping Tulsi on the thigh with a grin. “You know I love him. It wouldn’t be home without Ugly Ross. Besides, he’s bringing all the food for the float trip, so we don’t want to piss him off.”
Their talk turned to preparations for the trip and Tulsi did her best to think only of the fun she’d have with her best friend, not how hellish it would be to have Pike so close but still a million miles away.
CHAPTER NINE
Pike
Pike and Mia pulled up to their grandmother’s house mid-morning on Wednesday to find the horses for the trail ride already saddled and tied up along the fence. Gram was waiting for them on the porch, sipping a glass of sweet tea in full Wild West attire, including a petticoat under her long skirt and a six-shooter tucked into the holster slung low on her hips.
Mia chuckled as they climbed the porch into the shade. “I thought this was a scavenger hunt, Sugar Britches. Should I have brought my sidearm? Are we going to be hunting squirrels on the way down to the creek?”