Chapter 28: Chapter 27

“SO YOUR BROTHER is coming home today, huh?” my mother asked, as we sat at a back table at Magnolia Beans, sipping our drinks and munching on blueberry muffins.

“Yep. He’ll make it to the bachelor party for Romeo a little late, but he’ll get there. And he’ll be here for the wedding this weekend, and that’s the most important thing.”

“I was happy to get an invitation, but I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“You can’t bring Barry, Mom. You just can’t. There’s too much water under the bridge,” I said, shaking my head because we’d had this conversation too many times. “Hayes would lose it, and no one would be comfortable if he were there.”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. We split up,” she said with a shrug. “It’s different this time.”

“Did he touch you?” I asked, my heart racing.

“No. I’ve been honest with you about that. I think the anger management classes actually helped him. But it just hasn’t been the same in a long time, if I’m being honest. He got a job promotion, and he’s moving across the country. The position is in New York City.”

My eyes widened. “What? Really?”

“Yep. And I think it’s a good thing. He wanted me to go with him, but I had no desire to go. I actually felt complete relief when he said he’d be moving. I think I have wanted to end it for a while and just didn’t know how.” She sipped her coffee and then looked up at me. “I know it’s too little, too late, but I want to rebuild my relationship with my children.”

“It’s never too late to make things better, Mom. I’m really happy that you’re going to stay, and I don’t know what it is, but you seem… lighter already.”

“Well, according to my therapist, releasing yourself from a toxic relationship can do wonders.” She chuckled. “I’ve filed for divorce. Barry moved out a couple of weeks ago. That’s why I guess he showed up that day at your bookstore. He was angry, and I just didn’t want to say anything to you or Hayes, because I know I’ve said it before, so why should you believe me now? But with him moving, I thought I should let you know.”

“So why did he come by the bookstore all pissed off?”

“He was mad about me asking him to move out. It was different this time. There wasn’t even a fight. I think I’m just tired of it. I was done, and I told him that I wasn’t happy.”

“I think you’re going to feel a big weight lift off your shoulders with each passing day.”

“It’s going to be nice to not feel the need to defend him to everyone in my life. Probably would have been a lot easier to just have listened and walked away a long time ago.”

“Life is all about learning, right?” I felt hopeful where my mother was concerned for the first time in a very long time. She was a good woman who just never had the confidence to do the right thing for herself or for her children. But beneath it all was a big heart. At least I believed so.

“My children are just a lot smarter than me.” She shrugged. “And I don’t mind that. My hope for you, Saylor, is that you make wise choices for yourself. You can lose a lot of time being with the wrong person. It can cost you a whole lot. So be picky, and don’t settle.”

I nodded. I was being picky. I’d found myself the best man out there. A man who made me feel like I could do anything I set my mind to.

A man who made me feel smart and wanted and special.

“I definitely think I know what I’m looking for, and I promise you I won’t settle for less than I deserve. I hope you can do the same moving forward.”

“Me, too. I’m really ready for a fresh start. That might mean being alone for a while, which I’m okay with. I’d like to focus on you and Hayes and making things right—or at least making things better.”

“I think that sounds like a great plan.”

“Do you think your brother will be receptive?” she asked.

“That’s the thing about Hayes. He’s all broody and protective, but beneath all that, he’s got the biggest heart of anyone I know. I think if you are genuine, and your actions are consistent with your words… he’ll soften over time.”

“I feel really bad, Saylor,” she said, and her voice broke. “He really lost out on his childhood, didn’t he? I want to blame your father for that, but I hold a lot of responsibility for what happened, too. It just took me a long time to see that.”

“Hayes didn’t have it easy, Mom. I can’t sugarcoat that for you. He made a lot of choices based on what he thought would be best for both you and me. And he has every right to be angry about the things that went down back then. So, maybe instead of arguing and getting defensive with him, you just own it. You say what you’re saying to me. You apologize and tell him that you’re sorry, and you want to do better.”

“I will. And I’m going to prove it to you this time.”

“I’m looking forward to that,” I said, reaching across the table and squeezing her hand.

I didn’t have a large family, and if I could repair this one relationship, it would mean something to me.

“I’d like to start volunteering at the bookstore. You know, so that you can have a break,” she said, catching me off guard.

“That would be amazing. But with the way things are going, you don’t have to volunteer. I think I can afford to bring on an employee next month.”

“Nope. This one is on the house. Time is a gift that I can give to you now. So please let me do this.”

I nodded. “Okay. I’d like that.”

I felt like things were turning around. Like coming back to Magnolia Falls was the best decision I’d ever made.

Maybe my mom and brother could repair some of the damage that had been done.

I was going to do whatever I could to help that happen.

Hayes deserved to have family in his corner.

And he deserved an apology from my mother.

It was a start.

But that wasn’t what was weighing on me at the moment.

It was my own relationship with my brother.

King’s relationship with my brother.

I needed him to be okay with King and me being together. Because I loved my brother fiercely.

But I knew that King was the love of my life, and my brother was going to have to get on board with it.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. I’d felt good about the progress my mom and I were making, and I couldn’t wait to tell Hayes about Barry, so I’d called him right away.

He sounded relieved and happy—in that certain Hayes way that was never too enthusiastic, but you knew he was smiling on the other end of the phone.

Peyton, Ruby, and I had spent the last few hours decorating Whiskey Falls. We’d rented the place out for the night. This was a perk of Ruby’s dad owning the bar and letting us have the place to ourselves.

It was also a small town, so most of the women in town were coming, so there was that, too. It wasn’t like we were closing down a nightclub in a big city. But we were thrilled to have the whole afternoon to decorate. Peyton was very excited about setting this place up.

“I mean, after Demi’s mother’s Bridgerton-themed bridal shower suited for an eighty-year-old queen, we need to make this a little sexy and fun for our girl. It’s a bachelorette party, for God’s sake.” Peyton swung the two large rubber penises around in her hands.

“Girl, I have never seen so many dicks in one place,” Ruby said over her laughter. She and I had just hung several banners around the bar that read: The Last Hoedown, Demi’s Last Rodeo, Let’s Go Girls, She Said Yee-Haw, and Save a Horse, Ride The Cowboy.

We’d convinced Peyton to let us do a theme because we knew that Demi would love that. And since she loved to ride, we thought we could tie in her love for horses with her bachelorette party. Peyton had agreed, but she’d taken the theme up a notch and had a cake made that said: I’d rather ride my man than your horse any day.

Ruby and I had fallen over laughing, and I knew Demi would do the same. I wasn’t quite sure how her mom would respond, as she’d be coming with all her girlfriends tonight.

The biggest surprise was the mechanical bull that we’d rented for the party, because we were going to make this lots of fun. We had pink cowboy hats for everyone that were stacked on a table by the entrance.

Penis cookies, penis straws, and penis sunglasses accompanied the pink balloon arch with giant cowboy boots. It was a cornucopia of cute and ridiculously inappropriate.

The bar was stocked, and we were serving Pornstar Martinis and Ride ‘Em Cowboy Coladas for the drinks tonight.

Midge was catering all the food for the party as Ruby couldn’t bring herself to ask Calvin to make the items that Peyton had chosen.

After-Sex Antipasto, Romeo Pork Sausages, Slide In Me Beef Sliders, Forbidden Fruit, My Husband’s Stuffed Meatballs, Better-than-Sex Chocolate-Covered Bananas, and lastly, Sex on the Brownie.

She’d worked hard coming up with her raunchy foods, so we were embracing it.

“So, I don’t want you guys to be mad, but I do have one little surprise planned.” Peyton chewed on her thumbnail.

“What?” Ruby whipped around. “She was pretty clear about what she wanted and didn’t want.”

“Listen, she’s marrying her dream man. Her wedding and her bridal shower can be tame. But tonight, we’re going to make sure our girl has some fun.” Peyton raised a brow.

“The mechanical bull and the Blow Me bubble gum station aren’t enough?” I asked.

“No. We’re a bunch of horny women. We deserve a good old-fashioned cowboy striptease.” She waggled her brows.

“Okayyyy. I see we’re just taking the bull by the horns. Literally and figuratively,” Ruby said over a fit of laughter.

“Wow. Okay. Strippers it is.” I chuckled.

“I asked for the hottest guys they had. It’ll be short and sweet.” Peyton raised a brow. “Well, the timeline will be. I asked for a man who was hung like a racehorse. You know, to keep with the theme.”

“Well, as long as we stay on theme.” Ruby shook her head, and we glanced around the place. It looked freaking amazing.

We all went to the back room to change into our attire, which was basically jean skirts, crop tops, and cowboy boots. Unless you were Ruby, and then it was black jeans, a crop top, and Dr. Martens.

When we came back out to the bar, the country music was booming, and the door pulled open as Romeo walked toward us with Demi, who was laughing hysterically.

“You brought your boyfriend to your bachelorette party?” Peyton shrieked, and Romeo laughed.

“No. He’s on his way to his party, so he walked me over.” Demi’s gaze moved around the room, and she had a big smile on her face. “This looks amazing. Is that a mechanical bull?”

“Baby, that’s what you noticed? There are dicks on the cookies and on all the tables. This is going to be a lot wilder than my bachelor party.” He kissed her hard. “Have fun. I love you. Call me when you get back to Saylor and Ruby’s tonight.” We were all sleeping at our house after the party.

“Maybe she’s going to pull an all-nighter,” Peyton said, with her hands on her hips.

“Okay, you need a Ride ‘Em Cowboy Colada and to bring it down a hundred or so notches.” Ruby grabbed Peyton’s hand and led her to the bar.

The next few hours were the most entertaining of my life. Demi’s mom, Rose, and two of her close friends were ripping shots and dancing their asses off. Midge Longhorn had to be physically removed from the mechanical bull because the damn thing couldn’t seem to buck her off. Apparently, Midge used to be in the rodeo. Who knew?

Demi, Peyton, Ruby, and I had laughed endlessly, danced to all our favorite songs, and had way too much to drink. The food choices were a real hit, and everyone was having a good time.

“I need everyone to take their seats!” Peyton shouted into the microphone. “That means you, too, Midge. Get your ass off that bull and sit in your seat. Get ready to enjoy the show.”

Everyone was hooting and hollering when Peyton disappeared and then returned with her eyes wide open and a big smile on her face.

“Please say she didn’t do this,” Demi whisper-shouted, but she couldn’t wipe the smile from her face.

Sexy music started to play, and Peyton returned to take her seat beside us. “Relax, bestie, I told them no lap dances unless someone requests one.”

And then she pulled a handful of singles out of her purse and handed them out.

The two guys were undressed in no time, and if I didn’t have a well-endowed man of my own to compare them to, I’d say they definitely gave Peyton what she was looking for.

“My God. Those undies are so tiny they barely cover those giant bananas,” Demi’s mom said as she came to sit beside us.

Our heads all fell back in laughter at once, and Demi wrapped an arm around her mother. “Yep. Those are definitely some big bananas, Mom.”

More laughter.

It was a perfect way to celebrate.

I glanced down and saw the text that had come through from Kingston.