Free A Heart to Heal by Synithia Williams Page B

us. You’ve got to come back to town anyway.” Roscoe said. He walked toward Devin’s truck parked near the front. “Come on.” He hollered over his shoulder.
    Shayla and Devin stood frozen staring at each other. Devin looked skyward then at her with a wayward smile. “You heard the man.” He held out his hand for her to precede him.
    Roscoe kept up a constant flow of chatter on the drive to his home. He sat in the backseat, insisting Shayla sit in the front next to Devin. It took everything in her to pay attention to the man’s conversation. Her eyes kept sliding to the side to look at Devin. Once he caught her gaze and smiled. Her heart jumped in her chest. She was as nervous as she’d been when she was the junior varsity cheerleader with a crush on the captain of the football team.
    They pulled up at Roscoe’s house, a white ranch style home with a wrap around front porch. Acres of crop land surrounded it except on one side where there was a pine forest. When she asked if he owned all the land, he just grinned and winked. There was a barn off to one side, with no animals according to Devin and a small chicken coop next to it.
    â€œI’ve never seen a real chicken in my life.” Shayla said grinning. “Can I check them out?”
    Roscoe laughed. “Might not be a good idea since we’re eating chicken for dinner.”
    Shayla cringed. “Good point. Why didn’t you kill one of them?”
    â€œThey’re mostly for the eggs. Plus, I didn’t have time to butcher one today.”
    She frowned over at the chicken coop. In hindsight, she probably never needed to see those chickens. She wouldn’t want to wonder which one was on her plate if she ate at Roscoe’s again.
    Devin gently ran his hand along her back. “Are you coming in?”
    She jumped and stepped out of his reach before she began to enjoy his touch too much.
    Devin cooked the chicken on a small grill in the kitchen, while she chopped vegetables for a salad. Roscoe sat at the table watching them. He kept the conversation on the times she used to visit him and Devin regularly. She was grateful he didn’t ask about Mark or her reason for coming home from Atlanta. Soon she was completely relaxed and laughing as Roscoe teased them about the old days when she and Devin were inseparable.
    She glanced at Devin, and their eyes met. He lifted the corner of his mouth and her chest tightened with longing for something she couldn’t have. She quickly looked away and concentrated on Roscoe’s story about their attempt to teach him the words to a Biggie Smalls song. Roscoe had said the song was noise, and they’d insisted it was prophetic. They’d spent that afternoon replaying the lyrics over and over until Roscoe got it right.
    Soon she forgot her longing, and tears streamed from her eyes as she laughed at the memory. “I’ll never forget you rapping that song. With your pants sagging and your arms waving.” She moved her arms in an exaggerated swagger before breaking into a fit of laughter.
    Roscoe laughed. “I hate that damn song. But sing it every time it comes on the radio. You two were something back then.” He looked at Devin. “I never understood what happened.”
    Shayla’s laughter faded and she looked at Devin. His eyes skirted to hers.
    â€œDinner’s ready,” he bit out.
    He dropped the plate of chicken breasts on the table with a loud thud. Roscoe looked between the two and shook his head, but thankfully changed the subject. She brought the salad to the table and tried to concentrate as Roscoe started talking about old times again, but the jovial feelings from before were gone.
    Shalya shifted uncomfortably in her seat and tried to force the chicken down her throat. She’s what happened. She was the reason her and Devin’s friendship ended and she wondered if Roscoe would still welcome her to the table if he knew