Better Than This: A Nine Minutes Spin-Off Novel by Flynn Beth

Author:Flynn, Beth [Flynn, Beth]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, mobi
Published: 2019-07-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 30

I’m Here to Pay a Tax Bill

“You told him the blueberry pancake story, huh?” Darlene asked while we stood in the cabinet and counter section of a large home improvement store that was an hour outside of Pumpkin Rest. It was Thursday and Darlene and I had planned a girls’ day out. We’d managed to spend the entire morning making some selections, and as soon as I set up a delivery time and gave them a deposit, we were going to have lunch and visit a salon.

“Yeah, and he didn’t say much. Only that he understood and that I was stubborn.”

“And he’s right,” she scoffed. “I’ve always said you were the queen of second chances. Why you can’t find it in your ornery self to give a couple of blueberry pancakes another chance, I’ll never know!”

“I’m stubborn, not ornery,” I reminded her.

“You’re both,” she admonished with a laugh.

At Darlene’s request, we ate lunch at a vegan bistro. “It’s all the craze now, and I’m glad to say I’ve tried it, but it’s not for me.” Darlene delicately wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin.

“For someone who insisted on trying it and cleaned your plate, are you sure about that?” I teased as I pulled out my credit card. Today was my treat. My way of thanking Darlene for all the free time she’d given up to help me with my renovation selections.

We walked to a quaint coffee shop/bookstore and settled in a cozy corner with our drinks. We had an hour before our salon appointment for mani/pedis, waxing for me, and a facial for Darlene. I spent the next hour filling her in on Sunday’s fishing excursion. It took me a while before I told her about Emmy.

“And this bothers you why?” She quirked an eyebrow.

“Who said it bothers me?”

“It would be rude to roll my eyes, but they’re aching to move.” She brought her cup to her lips, and before taking a sip, said, “I know you too well, Barbie. It bothers you that he loved someone.”

“Ugh,” I groaned. “I know. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s not like I’ve never dated or wasn’t in relationships with people who’d cared for others before I came along. I feel like I’m in middle school again. Jake makes me feel things I haven’t felt in decades, Dar. You’re right.” I looked up and begged God, “Please help me to stop acting and feeling like an idiot.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you, and you’re not an idiot.” She reached over and playfully slapped my knee. “I can see how it would be hard to measure up to a woman who’s no longer around to make mistakes. But that’s not where you should focus. You need to see, really see who’s looking back at you from the mirror. You are an amazing woman, and just like you faulted Fancy for only seeing her worth in what a man could give her, you need to stop defining yours by what men have taken from you.

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