Read Online Convincing Cara (Wishing Well, Texas Book 2) by Melanie Shawn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Melanie Shawn
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romantic movie had given me a sliver of hope that she would call or text. That was shrinking by the second though. Sure, she hadn’t seemed overexcited—or excited at all—when I’d initially sat down. But, after the movie’d started, we’d had a good time. At least, I thought we had.
Unlike her radio silence, I’d texted her every day since then. Sometimes with jokes, other times with trivia about the movie Ghost . She’d only replied twice; both of those times had been with the laughing emoji. I kept thinking that she might initiate a text of her own, with real words. She hadn’t. And, every time it wasn’t her, my mood grew worse.
I wasn’t surprised that the message was not from Cara. Disappointed? Yes. Surprised. No.
Lizzy: Hey, Jaynie just told me that Travis said you have cramps. Are you okay? Did you pull a muscle or something?
“Asshole,” I murmured under my breath through a smile I’d tried not to let slip.
My brothers thought they were real funny. I was already starting to come up with my retaliation against Travis when another text came in.
Lizzy: We can skip the bar and I could come over and rub out your cramp. I’m really good with my hands.
Well, damn. That was exactly the kind of invitation I would have been all over six months ago. Tonight, it just made the hollow emptiness inside me grow. Knowing that I couldn’t continue like this but still not sure I wanted to face Lizzy, I answered back noncommittally.
Trace: Got a lot of work to catch up on. I might stop by later.
Almost immediately, the screen on my phone lit up.
Lizzy: Don’t work too hard. All work and no play makes Trace a grumpy boy.
Oh, give me a fucking break.
Again with the grumpy. What the hell was wrong with people?
Deciding that I needed to tune out for a little bit—before I really did bite somebody’s head off—I put my earbuds in and turned my Spotify playlist on at full blast. As I worked, I pushed all thoughts of Lizzy, my brother, and even Cara out of my head.
Well, maybe not all thoughts of Cara. But hey, two out of three ain’t bad.
Chapter 9
Cara
“He broke his arm pattin’ himself on the back.”
~ Dolly Briggs
“S o, you started working there right after graduation?” Peter asked as he lifted his mug of beer to his mouth.
“Yep. Well, kind of. I worked on spec at first, and then they brought me on as a contract employee, just working story to story.”
“Cool.” He nodded and checked his phone for about the fifth time in so many minutes.
When we’d first been seated, I’d thought it was rude that he’d pulled the device out and set it next to the white linen napkin on the tabletop. But, after glancing around at the other diners in the fairly upscale restaurant, it looked like that was the norm. Everyone was either on their phones or had them within reach. Well, except me. I’d turned my phone on silent in the parking lot.
He’d offered to make the twenty-minute drive—which was closer to forty-five in commuter traffic—to pick me up, but I’d insisted on meeting him. I planned on taking a page out of Harmony’s playbook and keeping my romantic entanglements outside Wishing Well city limits. It was easier that way. I loved the close-knit community I lived in, but the last thing I needed was everyone and their brother having an opinion—or, even worse, offering advice—on my personal life.
No. Thank. You.
“So, Harmony said that you haven’t really dated that much,” Peter commented as he set his phone down.
Seriously? Embarrassment flooded through me, and I suddenly had the urge to strangle my best friend. What would have possessed her to reveal that piece of my personal life trivia?
“No.” I shook my head, trying to keep my face neutral. “I mean, yeah, I haven’t dated that much.”
“Yeah, I feel you. I haven’t really done that much dating , either,” he admitted as he rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward.
Okay, maybe this wasn’t such
Unlike her radio silence, I’d texted her every day since then. Sometimes with jokes, other times with trivia about the movie Ghost . She’d only replied twice; both of those times had been with the laughing emoji. I kept thinking that she might initiate a text of her own, with real words. She hadn’t. And, every time it wasn’t her, my mood grew worse.
I wasn’t surprised that the message was not from Cara. Disappointed? Yes. Surprised. No.
Lizzy: Hey, Jaynie just told me that Travis said you have cramps. Are you okay? Did you pull a muscle or something?
“Asshole,” I murmured under my breath through a smile I’d tried not to let slip.
My brothers thought they were real funny. I was already starting to come up with my retaliation against Travis when another text came in.
Lizzy: We can skip the bar and I could come over and rub out your cramp. I’m really good with my hands.
Well, damn. That was exactly the kind of invitation I would have been all over six months ago. Tonight, it just made the hollow emptiness inside me grow. Knowing that I couldn’t continue like this but still not sure I wanted to face Lizzy, I answered back noncommittally.
Trace: Got a lot of work to catch up on. I might stop by later.
Almost immediately, the screen on my phone lit up.
Lizzy: Don’t work too hard. All work and no play makes Trace a grumpy boy.
Oh, give me a fucking break.
Again with the grumpy. What the hell was wrong with people?
Deciding that I needed to tune out for a little bit—before I really did bite somebody’s head off—I put my earbuds in and turned my Spotify playlist on at full blast. As I worked, I pushed all thoughts of Lizzy, my brother, and even Cara out of my head.
Well, maybe not all thoughts of Cara. But hey, two out of three ain’t bad.
Chapter 9
Cara
“He broke his arm pattin’ himself on the back.”
~ Dolly Briggs
“S o, you started working there right after graduation?” Peter asked as he lifted his mug of beer to his mouth.
“Yep. Well, kind of. I worked on spec at first, and then they brought me on as a contract employee, just working story to story.”
“Cool.” He nodded and checked his phone for about the fifth time in so many minutes.
When we’d first been seated, I’d thought it was rude that he’d pulled the device out and set it next to the white linen napkin on the tabletop. But, after glancing around at the other diners in the fairly upscale restaurant, it looked like that was the norm. Everyone was either on their phones or had them within reach. Well, except me. I’d turned my phone on silent in the parking lot.
He’d offered to make the twenty-minute drive—which was closer to forty-five in commuter traffic—to pick me up, but I’d insisted on meeting him. I planned on taking a page out of Harmony’s playbook and keeping my romantic entanglements outside Wishing Well city limits. It was easier that way. I loved the close-knit community I lived in, but the last thing I needed was everyone and their brother having an opinion—or, even worse, offering advice—on my personal life.
No. Thank. You.
“So, Harmony said that you haven’t really dated that much,” Peter commented as he set his phone down.
Seriously? Embarrassment flooded through me, and I suddenly had the urge to strangle my best friend. What would have possessed her to reveal that piece of my personal life trivia?
“No.” I shook my head, trying to keep my face neutral. “I mean, yeah, I haven’t dated that much.”
“Yeah, I feel you. I haven’t really done that much dating , either,” he admitted as he rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward.
Okay, maybe this wasn’t such
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