61
" It’s my turn next, and I realize then that I never turned in the name of my escort--because I hadn’t planned on being here. I glance around wildly for Ryder, but he’s nowhere to be seen, swallowed up by the sea of people in cocktail dresses and suits.
Crap. I thought he realized that escorting me on court was part of the deal, once I’d agreed to go. I guess he’d figured it’d be easier on me, what with the whole Patrick thing, if I was alone onstage. But I don’t want to be alone. I want Ryder with me. By my side, supporting me.
Always.
I finally spot him in the crowd--it’s not too hard, since he’s a head taller than pretty much everyone else--and our eyes meet. My stomach drops to my feet--you know, that feeling you get on a roller coaster right after you crest that first hill and start plummeting toward the ground.
Oh my God, this can’t be happening. I’ve fallen in love with Ryder Marsden, the boy I’m supposed to hate. And it has nothing to do with his confession, his declaration that he loves me. Sure, it might have forced me to examine my feelings faster than I would have on my own, but it was there all along, taking root, growing, blossoming.
Heck, it’s a full-blown garden at this point.
“Our senior maid is Miss Jemma Cafferty!” comes the principal’s voice. “Jemma is a varsity cheerleader, a member of the Wheelettes social sorority, the French Honor Club, the National Honor Society, and the Peer Mentors. She’s escorted tonight by…ahem, sorry. I’m afraid there’s no escort, so we’ll just--”
“Ryder Marsden,” I call out as I make my way across the stage. “I’m escorted by Ryder Marsden.”
The collective gasp that follows my announcement is like something out of the movies. I swear, it’s just like that scene in Gone with the Wind where Rhett offers one hundred and fifty dollars in gold to dance with Scarlett, and she walks through the scandalized bystanders to take her place beside Rhett for the Virginia reel.
Only it’s the reverse. I’m standing here doing the scandalizing, and Ryder’s doing the walking.
“Apparently, Jemma’s escort is Ryder Marsden,” the principal ad-libs into the microphone, looking a little frazzled. “Ryder is…um…the starting quarterback for the varsity football team, and, um…in the National Honor Society and…” She trails off helplessly.
“A Peer Mentor,” he adds helpfully as he steps up beside me and takes my hand. The smile he flashes in my direction as Mrs. Crawford places the tiara on my head is dazzling--way more so than the tiara itself. My knees go a little weak, and I clutch him tightly as I wobble on my four-inch heels.
But here’s the thing: If the crowd is whispering about me, I don’t hear it. I’m aware only of Ryder beside me, my hand resting in the crook of his arm as he leads me to our spot on the stage beside the junior maid and her escort, where we wait for Morgan to be crowned queen.
Oh, there’ll be hell to pay tomorrow. I have no idea what we’re going to tell our parents. Right now I don’t even care. Just like Scarlett O’Hara, I’m going to enjoy myself tonight and worry about the rest later.
After all, tomorrow is another…Well, you know how the saying goes. "
― Kristi Cook , Magnolia (Magnolia Branch, #1)
62
" Ben is Ryder’s cousin--second cousin, to be specific--and one of his best friends, even though they couldn’t be any more different. Ben is sweet, thoughtful. Kind.
Whereas Ryder, well…I’ll tell you about Ryder. He’s the star quarterback of our Division 1A state-championship football team. Top student in our class, and he doesn’t even have to work at it. He plays the piano like some kind of freaking prodigy, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he composed sonatas or something in his spare time.
Oh, and did I mention that he’s gorgeous? Of course he is. Six foot four, two hundred ten pounds of swoon-worthy good looks. Spiky dark hair, chocolate brown eyes, and full-on dimples.
And his future? Right now half the SEC is courting him hard, and the other half is wishing they were. It’s a foregone conclusion that he’ll play for Ole Miss--Mississippi’s golden boy, kept right here at home. "
― Kristi Cook , Magnolia (Magnolia Branch, #1)
64
" I awake with a start, shaking the cobwebs of sleep from my mind. It’s pitch-dark out, the wind howling. It takes a couple seconds to get my bearings, to realize I’m in my parents’ bed, Ryder beside me, on his side, facing me. Our hands are still joined, though our fingers are slack now.
“Hey, you,” he says sleepily. “That one was loud, huh?”
“What was?”
“Thunder. Rattled the windows pretty bad.”
“What time is it?”
“Middle of the night, I’d say.”
I could check my phone, but that would require sitting up and letting go of his hand. Right now, I don’t want to do that. I’m too comfortable. “Have you gotten any sleep at all?” I ask him, my mouth dry and cottony.
“I think I drifted off for a little bit. Till…you know…the thunder started up again.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“It should calm down some when the eye moves through.”
“If there’s still an eye by the time it gets here. The center of circulation usually starts breaking up once it goes inland.” Yeah, all those hours watching the Weather Channel occasionally come in handy.
He gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “Wow, maybe you should consider studying meteorology. You know, if the whole film-school thing doesn’t work out for you.”
“I could double major,” I shoot back.
“I bet you could.”
“What are you going to study?” I ask, curious now. “I mean, besides football. You’ve got to major in something, don’t you?”
He doesn’t answer right away. I wonder what’s going through his head--why he’s hesitating.
“Astrophysics,” he says at last.
“Yeah, right.” I roll my eyes. “Fine, if you don’t want to tell me…”
“I’m serious. Astrophysics for undergrad. And then maybe…astronomy.”
“What, you mean in graduate school?”
He just nods.
“You’re serious? You’re going to major in something that tough? I mean, most football players major in something like phys ed or underwater basket weaving, don’t they?”
“Greg McElroy majored in business marketing,” he says with a shrug, ignoring my jab.
“Yeah, but…astrophysics? What’s the point, if you’re just going to play pro football after you graduate anyway?”
“Who says I want to play pro football?” he asks, releasing my hand.
“Are you kidding me?” I sit up, staring at him in disbelief. He’s the best quarterback in the state of Mississippi. I mean, football is what he does…It’s his life. Why wouldn’t he play pro ball?
He rolls over onto his back, staring at the ceiling, his arms folded behind his head. “Right, I’m just some dumb jock.”
“Oh, please. Everyone knows you’re the smartest kid in our class. You always have been. I’d give anything for it to come as easily to me as it does to you.”
He sits up abruptly, facing me. “You think it’s easy for me? I work my ass off. You have no idea what I’m working toward. Or what I’m up against,” he adds, shaking his head.
“Probably not,” I concede. “Anyway, if anyone can major in astrophysics and play SEC ball at the same time, you can. But you might want to lose the attitude.”
He drops his head into his hands. “I’m sorry, Jem. It’s just…everyone has all these expectations. My parents, the football coach--”
“You think I don’t get that? Trust me. I get it better than just about anyone.”
He lets out a sigh. “I guess our families have pretty much planned out our lives for us, haven’t they?”
“They think they have, that’s for sure,” I say. "
― Kristi Cook , Magnolia (Magnolia Branch, #1)
65
" Hey, Ben,” she says, ignoring the rest of us. “You want to dance?”
Ben’s cheeks turn the same scarlet as Rosie’s dress. He and Ryder exchange a pointed look while Lucy and I just stand there gawking.
“Go on, man,” Ryder says, nudging him. “You look great, Rosie,” he adds. “Nice dress.”
She smiles up at him, her blue eyes seeming to glitter beneath the disco-ball lighting. “Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself.” She glances from Ryder to me and back to Ryder again. “The two of you…You looked good together up there.”
“I know, right?” Lucy nods, and I shoot her a “what are you doing?” glare. She ignores it. “Maybe these two should stop the hating and listen to their parents.”
An awkward silence follows. Finally, Ben seems to remember why Rosie came over in the first place. “Um, you want to go dance?”
“Yeah. I love this song.”
Ben nods. “Okay. Catch you guys later.”
Rosie’s smile seems genuine as she follows Ben to the dance floor. I hope that means she’s finally figured out what a sweetheart he is.
As soon as they’re gone, Lucy lets out a low whistle. “Whoa, did that just happen?”
“I think it did,” I say, watching as Rosie wraps her arms around Ben’s neck. She must have said something funny, because he throws his head back and laughs.
Lucy shakes her head in amazement. “I swear, it’s like we’re in some kind of alternate universe tonight.”
“Well, in that case, how about you and me, Luce?” Mason says with a cocky grin. “Think you can handle me on the dance floor?”
“Oh, what the hell?” Lucy says with a shrug. “Why not!” She reaches for Mason’s hand and drags him toward the dance floor but stops a few feet away and turns back to face Ryder and me. “Hey, you two--behave!” In seconds, she and Mason are swallowed by the crowd.
“And then there were two,” Ryder says, reaching for my hand. He leans down, his lips near my ear. “Do you have any idea how badly I want to kiss you right now?” he whispers.
“Later,” I say with a shiver. It’s not an empty word. It’s a promise.
He gives my hand a squeeze. “So…until then, I guess we dance.”
“We dance,” I say as a slow song begins to play.
Talk about good timing. "
― Kristi Cook , Magnolia (Magnolia Branch, #1)
66
" I don’t even want to think about all the animals--livestock, pets, strays--left out to battle the elements. The very idea makes my heart hurt.
“You okay?” Ryder asks me.
“Yeah, why?”
“I dunno.” He shrugs. “You just looked…sad or something.”
I’m shocked at how well he can read me. “I was just thinking about anyone--anything--stuck out there in this. You know, dogs, cats, horses. Cows,” I add, sighing heavily.
“We’ve got cows!” Rider quips, quoting that old movie about tornadoes--you know, the one with Bill Paxton.
I admit, it makes me smile.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” Ryder says. "
― Kristi Cook , Magnolia (Magnolia Branch, #1)
67
" What are people saying about me and Rosie?” Ryder asks, his brows drawn.
I throw one hand up in the air. “Never mind. It’s not like I care, anyway.”
“No, ’course you don’t,” he snaps back.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He shakes his head. “Nothing, Jemma. Just…go to bed, why don’t you?”
“What, are you my dad now? How about this? I’ll go to bed when I’m ready to go to bed.”
“Wow, that’s real mature.”
“You’re such a jerk, Ryder.”
“A jerk? That’s the best you’ve got? You’re really off your game tonight.”
“You are really getting on my nerves,” I say, my skin flushing hotly.
He just shrugs, looking entirely unmoved. “What else is new? I’ve always gotten on your nerves.”
“Not always,” I say, and my heart catches a little. I squeeze my eyes shut, forcing back the memories. When I open them again, he’s still standing there, glowering at me.
“Great, here we go again.” He starts to walk away and then turns back to face me. “You know what? I have no idea what I did to piss you off, but--”
“Seriously?” I sputter. “I’ll give you a hint--eighth grade.”
“You’re mad at me about something I did in eighth grade, Jem? That was four fucking years ago. Whatever it was, why don’t you grow up and get over it?”
“Why don’t you go to hell,” I shoot back.
“I’m leaving now,” he says, turning to stalk away.
“Good!” I shout, tears burning behind my eyelids. “Go. I hate you, Ryder Marsden!”
“Yeah, well…the feeling’s mutual,” he throws back over one shoulder.
Even though I know it’s childish of me, I storm back inside and slam the French doors with as much force as I can muster, nearly rattling them off their hinges.
Charming, right? "
― Kristi Cook , Magnolia (Magnolia Branch, #1)
72
" Behind me, my phone buzzes with a new text.
Nan looks around me suspiciously. “Why are you hiding your cell phone under your pillow?”
Busted. “Because I thought you were Mama,” I answer truthfully.
“And you didn’t want her to know…what?”
I exhale slowly, trying to decide how much to reveal to her. I reach for my phone and drag it out. “You kind of caught me and Ryder texting.”
“You and Ryder? Why is that a secret? Wait--do you mean you two were sexting?”
“Oh my God! No. Eww!” That’s just so…tacky.
She shrugs. “Well, then, what’s the big deal?”
I realize there’s only one way to make her understand what a huge, enormous, monumental deal it is--I have to tell her the truth.
So I do.
When I’m finished, Nan just smiles and says, “It’s about damn time you put that boy out of his misery. He’s only been in love with you since…well, since forever.”
I roll my eyes. “No, you’ve got it backward. We’ve hated each other since forever.”
“Love, hate,” she says with a smile. “Such a fine line between the two, isn’t there?”
And you know what? I realize then that she’s right. "
― Kristi Cook , Magnolia (Magnolia Branch, #1)
74
" I realize there’s only one way to make her understand what a huge, enormous, monumental deal it is--I have to tell her the truth.
So I do.
When I’m finished, Nan just smiles and says, “It’s about damn time you put that boy out of his misery. He’s only been in love with you since…well, since forever.”
I roll my eyes. “No, you’ve got it backward. We’ve hated each other since forever.”
“Love, hate,” she says with a smile. “Such a fine line between the two, isn’t there?”
And you know what? I realize then that she’s right. "
― Kristi Cook , Magnolia (Magnolia Branch, #1)
75
" He takes out his cell and starts entering the address. “I was surprised to see you at Josh’s party on Saturday,” he says, his eyes glued to the screen.
“I don’t know why. Everyone was there.”
“Yeah, but you know…with Nan home and all, I just figured that you’d want to spend time with her.”
“I have been spending time with Nan, thank you very much,” I snap in annoyance. How dare he insinuate that I’d abandoned my sister? She’s the one who made me go, who swore that it would make her somehow anxious to know I was “missing out”--her words, not mine.
“You and Patrick looked awfully cozy,” Ryder says, setting Mama’s note back on the counter.
So I was right--he had been watching us.
“So?”
“So, nothing.” He shrugs. “Just making an observation.”
“Yeah, you never just make an observation. Oh, and you and Rosie looked pretty cozy, too. I sure hope you’re not leading her on. You know she likes you.”
A muscle in his jaw works furiously as he shoves his cell phone back into his pocket. “That’s the kind of guy you think I am? Seriously, Jem?”
I swallow hard, unable to reply. Because the truth is, I don’t know.
“I’ll see you later,” he says, his voice cold and clipped. He turns and stalks out. "
― Kristi Cook , Magnolia (Magnolia Branch, #1)
76
" You and Patrick looked awfully cozy,” Ryder says, setting Mama’s note back on the counter.
So I was right--he had been watching us.
“So?”
“So, nothing.” He shrugs. “Just making an observation.”
“Yeah, you never just make an observation. Oh, and you and Rosie looked pretty cozy, too. I sure hope you’re not leading her on. You know she likes you.”
A muscle in his jaw works furiously as he shoves his cell phone back into his pocket. “That’s the kind of guy you think I am? Seriously, Jem?”
I swallow hard, unable to reply. Because the truth is, I don’t know.
“I’ll see you later,” he says, his voice cold and clipped. He turns and stalks out.
For some unknown reason, I follow him--down the hall, out the front door. “Don’t walk out on me,” I holler as he rounds the Durango and opens the driver’s-side door. “If you have something to say to me, then say it.”
He gets in and slams the car door shut, but I throw it open again. “C’mon,” I taunt, motioning with one hand.
I’m totally losing it now--white spots dancing before my eyes, tears streaking down my cheeks. I can barely catch my breath, like I’m about to hyperventilate.
This isn’t about Ryder, I realize. It’s about Nan. The sudden realization hits me hard. What if I never see her again?
My knees buckle, and I start to go down. Somehow, Ryder manages to catch me just before I hit the ground. “Shit, Jemma! What’s the matter with you?” He drags me to my feet and presses me against the side of his truck. “Take a deep breath. Jesus!”
I do what he says. By the third, I’ve slowed my heart rate to something nearing normal. Only, my cheeks are burning with mortification now. This is the second time I’ve broken down in front of Ryder. He must think I’ve lost my mind--that I’ve totally gone off the deep end.
“Just go,” I say, my voice shaking.
He rakes both hands through his hair. “Are you kidding me? I can’t leave you alone like this.”
“Go,” I repeat, more forcefully this time. “Just get in your car and leave, okay?”
“C’mon, Jemma. You know I can’t.”
“I swear I’m okay.” I straighten my spine and lift my chin, trying my best to look calm, collected, and reasonably sane. “Seriously, Ryder. I just need to be alone right now.”
“Fine,” he says, shaking his head. “If you say so.”
I step away from the car, feeling queasy now as he slips inside and starts the engine.
But before he pulls out, he rolls down his window and meets my gaze. His dark eyes look intense, full of conflict. For a split second, I wonder what’s going on inside his head--if he’s judging me. If he has any idea what I’m going through. If he even cares.
“She’s going to be okay, Jemma,” he says, then slides his sunglasses on and drives away.
I guess he does get it, after all. "
― Kristi Cook , Magnolia (Magnolia Branch, #1)
77
" I’m still in the big Jacuzzi tub when the power flickers--once, twice--and then goes out, leaving me in total darkness, chin deep in lukewarm water. I don’t know why, but it all hits me then--Nan’s surgery tomorrow, shooting that moccasin, this stupid, never-ending storm. I start to cry, deep, gulping sobs. I know it seems childish, but I want my daddy. What if things get worse? What if the house starts to flood? Or the roof blows off? As much as I hate to admit it, I’m scared. Really scared.
A knock on the bathroom door startles me.
“Jemma? You okay in there?”
“I’m fine,” I call out, my voice thick. My cheeks burn with shame at being caught crying in the dark like a two-year-old.
“Do you want a candle or something? Maybe a hurricane lamp?”
“No, I’m…” I start to say “fine” again, but a ragged sob tears from my throat instead.
“It’s going to be okay, Jem. We’ll get through this.”
I sink lower into the water, wanting to disappear completely. Why can’t he just go away and let me have my little meltdown in private? Why, after all these years of being a jerk, does he have to suddenly be so nice?
“I got both dogs dried off,” he continues conversationally, as if I’m not in here crying my eyes out. “They’re in the kitchen eating their supper. I think Beau’s pretty worked up.”
I continue to bawl like a baby. I know he can hear me, that he’s right outside the door, listening. Still, it takes me a good five minutes to get it all out of my system. Once the tears have slowed, I reach for my washcloth and lay it across my eyes, hoping it’ll reduce the puffiness. A minute or two later, I drag it away and wring it out before laying it over the edge of the tub.
It’s still dark inside the bathroom, though I can see a flicker of light coming from beneath the door. Ryder must have a flashlight, or maybe one of the battery-operated lanterns I scattered around the house, just in case. I wonder how long he’s going to stand three, waiting for me.
The lights flick off, and I think maybe he’s finally left me in peace. But then I hear a muffled thump, and I know he’s still out there, probably sitting with his back against the door.
“Hey, Jem?” he says. “You saved my life, you know--out there by the barn. Most people couldn’t have made that shot.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, but tears leak through anyway. I hadn’t wanted to kill that stupid snake, but if it had bitten Ryder and we hadn’t been able to make it to the hospital in time…
I let the thought trail off, not wanting to examine it further.
“Thank you,” he says softly. “I owe you one. "
― Kristi Cook , Magnolia (Magnolia Branch, #1)
78
" I’m really not in the mood for your bullshit, Patrick. Go, before Ryder sees your car in the driveway or something.”
“Oh, you expectin’ Ryder?” he slurs. “He gonna ride in on his white horse like a knight and save you? Is that what your hopin’ for? Maybe that’s why you been holdin’ out on me. You wanna give it to him instead.”
His eyes are glassy, slightly unfocused. It’s obvious I can’t let him drive home like this.
Shit.
Ignoring his drunken little tirade, I reach for his hand and drag him into the living room, pushing him toward the velvet sofa. “C’mon, Patrick, you need to lie down. I’m going to call someone to come pick you up.” His legs buckle the minute they hit the cushions, and he crumples into a heap--half on the floor, half on the sofa. He starts to make a retching noise, and I hurriedly slip off my hoodie and shove it under his face. “I swear, if you puke on my sofa, I’m going to freaking kill you.”
Mercifully, he doesn’t. Instead, he starts making a quiet, snuffling noise. Like he’s passed out cold. I run upstairs and grab my cell from my bedroom, trying to decide who to call. Obviously, Ryder makes the most sense, since he lives just up the road and can be here in a matter of minutes.
But what if he mentions it to his mom? I mean, I can tell him not to, but then it makes me look guilty, like I’m trying to hide something. It’s not my fault that Patrick showed up on my doorstep unannounced.
I run through the other options in my head. Calling Ben or Mason is about the same as calling Ryder. They’re his best friends. They talk. I could try Tanner. He is my cousin, so I could invoke some sort of family loyalty oath of silence or something. Only problem is, Tanner lives on the far side of town--about as far away from here as anyone can be and still live in Magnolia Branch. Which means leaving a passed-out, about-to-puke Patrick on my couch for a good twenty minutes, waiting for a ride.
Nope. Not gonna happen. With a sigh of resignation, I dial Ryder’s number.
Exactly seven minutes later, he knocks on the door. Ryder to the rescue. I resist the urge to look around for his white horse. "
― Kristi Cook , Magnolia (Magnolia Branch, #1)
80
" A crash of thunder shakes the storage room, startling us both. Another one follows on its heels, causing Beau to lift his head and howl. I scoot over to his side, scratching him behind one ear. “It’s okay, buddy. We’re safe in here.” I hope, I add silently. “Look at Sadie. She’s not being a scaredy-cat. Oops, sorry, guys,” I toss over my shoulder toward the cats. “Just a figure of speech. How’s it going over there in the USS Enterprise?”
“You always talk to them like that?” Ryder asks me, his voice a little shaky.
“Pretty much.” I look at him sharply, noticing how pale he’s gotten. A muscle in his jaw is working furiously, and there’s a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. “Are you okay?”
He doesn’t get a chance to answer. Another clap of thunder reverberates throughout the small space, followed by a horrible cracking sound and then a terrifyingly loud crashing noise.
I rise to my knees, looking toward the door that leads out. “What the hell was that?”
Ryder reaches for me, his fingers circling my wrist in a manacling grip. “You can’t go out there, Jemma!”
I struggle to release myself. “I’ve got to see--”
“No! There’s a goddamned tornado out there. Shit!” He pulls me toward him, and I practically fall into his lap.
He’s shaking, I realize. Trembling all over. “What is wrong with you?” I ask him.
“What’s wrong with me?” His voice rises shrilly. “You’re the one trying to go out in a tornado. You’ve got to wait till the sirens quit.”
“I know. But crap, that sounded like something came through the roof.”
I scoot away from him, putting space between our bodies. I can smell him--soap and shampoo and the clean, crisp-smelling cologne he always wears. I can smell something else, too--fear. He’s terrified.
Of the storm? "
― Kristi Cook , Magnolia (Magnolia Branch, #1)
