I had been hitting it up at least twice a day lately. If I wasn’t on the Peloton, I was lifting weights until I could hardly move. Anything to keep my mind off Annalise.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Truitt finally asked.
“Talk about what?”
He sighed. “Come on, man. Everyone can see how miserable you are, Roger.”
“I’m not miserable.”
He raised a single brow in question. “Really? How many times this week have you gotten shit-faced?”
I laughed. “What kind of question is that?”
“One that I think you’re afraid to answer.”
“Fuck you, Truitt. Not everyone wants the fairy tale life you have.”
He stared at me for a few moments before he leaned forward. “You know Kerri would have wanted you to be happy.”
Truitt might as well have reached across the desk and punched me in the chest.
“This…this has nothing to do with her.” I fought to keep the memory of Kerri’s last moments out of my head.
“Really?” he asked with a disbelieving laugh. “You say it, but do you believe it, Roger?”
Our eyes met, and I realized I was holding my breath.
“What happened between you and Annalise? For the near month you let her into your life, you were the happiest I had ever seen you. And it’s not just me who thinks that way. Saryn, Mom, Dad, we all saw it. Hell, even Lil saw it.”
I slammed my fist down on the desk. “You didn’t see shit because there was nothing to see! I had fun with her, things got too serious, and that was it. I’m not looking for that.”
“For what? Happiness? A woman to wake up to every morning and to kiss every night? Having someone in your life to share the ups and downs with? You act like you don’t care, but I see it on your face, in your eyes. Roger, you care about her. Why are you so afraid?”
I swallowed hard and looked away.
It only took Truitt a few moments before he said, “You love her, don’t you? That’s why you pushed her away.”
With a shake of my head, I said in a hoarse voice, “No, I don’t love her.”
He scoffed. “You always were a fucking terrible liar. For fuck’s sake, are you that afraid of opening up your heart that you’ll sit here and deny it and push her away in the process?”
I snapped my head back up to look at him. “I’m not denying anything. I don’t…I don’t…love her. I don’t want a relationship. I don’t want to be tied to one woman. If I want to go out tonight and pick up some random woman, I can. I like my life, Truitt.”
He leaned back and crossed his arms. “So, how many women have you been with since Annalise came into your life?”
I couldn’t look him directly in the eyes and lie again. The last lie nearly took everything out of me.
“I thought so.”
With a sigh, I asked, “What do you want from me? You want me to pour my heart and soul out to you? What good would that do either of us?”
“It might make you open your damn eyes and see what you’re throwing away. Christ, Roger. It was fate that brought you two together. How do you not see that? What are the odds that the woman you got stuck in Chicago with ends up moving to the very town you live in? A million to one! And you’re really okay with just walking away from her?”
I steeled myself for another lie. “Yes. I’m okay with that.”
His silence finally made me look at him. He fixed me with a hard stare. “Then you’d be okay if she moved on. Met someone, dated them, got married, all while you watch from the sidelines.”
I felt anger rush through my veins as I clenched my fist and then slowly opened it. “If she meets someone she’s happy with, then that’s great.”
Even I could hear the lack of sincerity in my words.
Truitt dropped his head and slowly shook it. He stood and looked out the window for what felt like an eternity before he focused back on me. “Will you be at the fundraiser dinner tomorrow night?”
Standing, I nodded. “Mom will kill me if I’m not.”
Truitt laughed softly.
“Tell me it’s not black tie,” I said.
“Okay, it’s not black tie. But you better get your tux pressed if it needs it.”
I let out a groan. “Christ, I hate these things.”
Truitt started for the door, then stopped. “Mom’s going to ask me if you’re bringing anyone.”
For the briefest of moments, I thought about asking Annalise. But I highly doubted she would even take a phone call from me right now, let alone go to a charity dinner. “No, just me.”
“Are you sure?” Truitt asked.
I shot him a dirty look. “Just me.”
Without another word, Truitt opened the door, said his goodbyes, and then left me alone once again.
Seconds later, my phone went off in my pocket and I pulled it out to see it was a text from none other than my mother. She’d known about me dating Annalise, of course. I’d had every intention of introducing them eventually, despite putting my mother off every time she asked.
Mom: Truitt just told me you’re coming solo to the dinner tomorrow night. Is this true?
Exhaling, I typed out my reply. It’s true. It’ll just be me.
Mom: Press your tux and be sure to shave this time!
I couldn’t help but laugh as I dropped my phone on the desk and walked back over to the window. What I needed to do was go for a run in the fresh air. Clear my head.
I quickly changed into shorts and a T-shirt, put on my running shoes, and walked down to the Cibolo Trail, where three miles of paved trails ran along the Cibolo Creek. I thought back to Chicago and the bet with Annalise. She’d probably kick my ass on this trail. The two times we’d run it together, I knew she was holding back for my benefit.
I sighed. The hard surface pounding under my feet was exactly what I needed to get my shit back together.
Annalise
“ANNALISE, I’M NOT sure this is such a great idea,” Bryce said from below. He was looking up at where I stood on the very top of a ladder, attempting to hang the last of the Edison lights on the gazebo.
“Nonsense, these are going to look beautiful on the gazebo at night. Especially with how they sweep out to the cypress trees.”
He sighed for the millionth time. “Not the lights—you on this ladder. Patty is going to kill me if you fall and get hurt.”
“If you keep nagging me, I will lose my train of thought and fall.”
Another sigh.
“For the love of all things, Bryce, stop sighing.” I reached up onto my toes and stretched as I said, “Just one more inch and I’ve got it.”
“Oh, God. You’re going to die.”
I hooked the wire and smiled. “See? I didn’t die,” I mused as I glanced down at Bryce. When I looked back up again, my heart stopped, and I had to reach out and grab the roof of the gazebo for support.
Roger.
He was running on the Cibolo path, a determined look on his face. I started to step down when I saw a woman move into his path. Roger stopped, pulled out his AirPods, and smiled at her.
“What are you doing?” Bryce asked.
I waved him off. “Shh!”
He quickly stopped talking.
The girl looked like she laughed, and then Roger did as well.
“Well, he certainly seems okay,” I grumbled.
“Who seems okay?” Bryce called up to me.
“Hush, Bryce!” I scolded.
Then I nearly fell off the ladder when she reached up and kissed him.
She. Kissed. Him.
He did turn his face at the last minute, and she kissed his cheek before he stepped away. But she had definitely gone for his mouth.
Why had she looked so familiar? Then I remembered she was the same woman who had spoken to Roger when I was in his truck. I felt my heart drop. Was she the one he had been thinking of the last time we were together? Judging from his body language, he didn’t seem too happy t
o see her. Who was she, then?
Suddenly, Bryce appeared in front of me, and I nearly screamed. He had climbed up the other ladder and was eye-level with me.
“Who are we spying on?” he asked. “I love a good peek.”
“No one.”
“Mmm, hmm, so it’s just a coincidink that Roger is standing there talking to Lucy.”
I nearly fell again when I turned my head to look at Bryce. “First off, what are we, in first grade? A grown man in his early thirties does not say coincidink.”
“This one does. And who are you to talk? You’re spying on your ex.”
I rolled my eyes and looked back at Roger. “So that’s Lucy, huh?”
“You know who she is?”
I shook my head. “No, I just heard she’s Roger’s…” I couldn’t finish my words.
“Fuck buddy.”
My entire body felt as if it had deflated. “Thanks, Bryce.”
“Let me rephrase that. She used to be his fuck buddy. I’m pretty sure they haven’t hooked up in a long time.”
Turning to him, I asked, “And how do you know?”
He gave me a half-shrug. “She’s friends with my sister, Kate. They’re both nurses. That’s how Lucy met Roger. His brother Truitt ended up in the ER.”
I thought about all the stories Roger had told me about his brother being accident-prone. “Which time?” I laughed.
“I think the time Truitt thought he broke his dick.”
Roger had told me that story but had failed to mention Lucy. Ugh, why did I even care? It was way before I was in the picture.
Hello, jealousy. Please go away now.
Suddenly, as if he could feel my eyes on him, Roger turned and looked up the hill toward the gazebo. It sat at the back of the hotel and was a popular spot for weddings—and you could easily see it from the trail.
I quickly pretended I was doing something. Bryce did the same, and we both pointed and mouthed words at each other.
“Wait, why are we not actually talking?” Bryce asked.
I wanted to die but was so glad he was willing to play along with me. I was going to kiss him when we got off these ladders. If we made it down without falling and breaking something.
“I don’t know why. Let’s just get down.”
“Thank you!” Bryce stated as he started to make his way down.
I slowly stepped off the top of the ladder, but I only made it down one step before a voice called up, “You know you can hire people to do that kind of stuff.”
I glanced down and saw a well-dressed, handsome gentleman about my age staring up at us.
Smiling, I replied, “What fun would that be?”
The stranger chuckled. “Ah, a woman who likes to live on the wild side.”
“Can you get down now, please?” Bryce asked as he held his hand up and motioned for me to keep going.
I chanced one more look at the trail. Lucy and Roger were still there, but he was looking at me while she spoke.
Jerk.
Asshole.
Stupid, good-looking jerk of a man.
When I reached the last few steps of the ladder, I felt a set of large hands grip my hips.
I stepped off the last rung and turned to get a better look at the stranger. “Thank you, but I had it.”
I couldn’t help but wonder if Roger had seen that. A part of me—the stupid, childish, jealous part—wanted him to see it.
“Well, if you had fallen and broken a leg, that would have stressed out Patty. And no one likes to have Patty stressed out.”
“Here, here,” Bryce said under his breath as he folded up each ladder.
“I’m sorry, you are?” I asked, holding out my hand.
He took it and gave me a brilliant smile, then lifted it to his mouth and kissed the back of it. Any normal woman would probably giggle or swoon at such a handsome man acting so chivalrously.
I was clearly not normal because it had zero impact on me.
Then he winked and smiled even wider. He had dimples.
I was such a sucker for dimples, but apparently my love for them now only pertained to one asshole of a man who just so happened to be yards away talking to his…fuck buddy.
“Is it just me, or are you angry about something?” the man asked.
“Me?” I asked in mock surprise. “Angry?”
He nodded. “You keep muttering under your breath, and I’m catching words like ‘jerk’ and ‘asshole.’ And one I probably shouldn’t repeat.”
My cheeks got hot, and I pressed my hands to them in an attempt to hide my embarrassment. “I’m so sorry. That was all supposed to be said in my head, not out loud.”
He laughed. “No worries. Whoever he is, it’s his loss.”
Okay, that was sweet, and I could admit it made me swoon the tiniest bit.
“I’m Annalise Michaels, the general manager at The Montclair.”
His brows shot up. “Just the person I was looking for.”
“Really?” I asked as I started toward the hotel, the stranger walking alongside me. The urge to turn and glance back at Roger and Lucy was strong, but I ignored it. I would pat myself on the back later. For now, I needed to figure out what this man wanted with me.
“Yes,” he said. He placed his hand on my lower back, gently leading me toward the back steps—the second time this man had placed his hand on my body without permission. “The name is Rick Klien.”
I stopped and faced him. “Patty’s nephew. She told me you were coming to town.”
He laughed. “Yes, my mother is her sister. I’m a little bit more than just her nephew, though. I’m also her lawyer.”
I instantly frowned.
Rick drew his head back. “Yikes. By that look on your face, I see you don’t like lawyers.”
“What?” I asked with an amused laugh. “Don’t be silly. I just don’t trust them.”
He raised his hands. “Fair enough.”
We started walking again, and I asked, “What brings you to Boerne?”
“My aunt and uncle are thinking of purchasing the land across the creek. They asked me to look over some paperwork. Instead of doing it back and forth, I thought I’d just come to town.”
Turning, I glanced back toward the creek. I could no longer see the part of the trail Roger had been on, but I could see the land across the creek. Well, at least a little of it through the trees. The large cypresses blocked most of the view. “Why would they want that land?”
“They’re thinking of building a house there, above a potential wine bar. That way, they can be close to the hotel and indulge in one of their favorite pastimes: wine.”
I chuckled because Patty mentioned her love of wine often. She had already signed me up for a wine-of-the-month club. I didn’t have the heart to tell her I hated wine. “That would be lovely, to have a little wine bar for the hotel guests to walk over to.”
He nodded. “Yes, it would.”
“You mentioned you live out of town. Where do you live?”
“Not far, just a couple hours away in Austin.”
“I haven’t been to Austin yet. I just bought a car the other day, finally, and made my first trip into San Antonio.”
“Where did you go?” Rick asked as he opened the door to the lobby and motioned for me to go in first.
Sighing because my life was so completely pathetic, I replied, “The Riverwalk and the Alamo.”
“Did you enjoy yourself?”
With a half-shrug, I looked up at him. He had eyes like the color of honey. They were pretty. I forced myself to stop staring and cleared my throat.
“Um, yes, I did.”
“Why the long, dramatic sigh then?”
“Oh,” I said with an embarrassed laugh. “No reason. It’s just…it would have been more fun to go with someone and not by myself.”
His eyes seemed to sparkle as he nodded and then said, “Well, when you decide to come to Austin, call me. I’ll show you all the best places to eat and all the hot
spots to hit.”
I gave him a polite smile. “Thanks, but I’m actually planning on going next month with my parents. They’re flying down and staying a week.”
“Bring them along.”
I walked around the front desk and stood next to Elizabeth, suddenly feeling like I needed to distance myself from Rick. “Thank you, that’s nice of you. Let me go grab Patty from the back office for you.”
He waved me off. “Don’t bother. I’ll just head on back.”
I stepped to the side while he made his way around the desk and through the doorway. Once he was gone, I glanced at Elizabeth. She gave me a knowing smile.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
She lifted one shoulder. “No reason.”
“Liar.”
Giggling, she glanced over my shoulder at the office doorway and then back at me. “He likes you.”
I gave a humorless laugh. “Don’t be silly. He’s simply being nice.”
She rolled her eyes. “Maybe he’ll still be in town tomorrow night to attend the charity dinner.”
Groaning, I walked back around the counter and headed over to the sitting area of the lobby. I picked up a pillow from an antique sofa and punched it. “Ugh, I don’t want to go to that thing.”
“Why not? It’s the perfect place to meet people. And we bought you an amazing gown. The single guys in Boerne aren’t going to know what hit them when they lay eyes on you.”
I worried at my lower lip, and Elizabeth walked up to me and squeezed my arm. “Are you afraid Roger will be there?”
Nodding, I said, “I am, but I have to face him sooner or later.”
She gave me a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry. I know how much you really liked him.”
My heart felt as if someone had reached into my chest and squeezed it as hard as they could. It always felt like that when I thought of Roger.
Before I had a chance to respond, Rick walked back out into the lobby with Patty.
“You’ll go then?” Patty asked.
Rick seemed displeased about something, but he nodded anyway. “For you, yes.”
Patty beamed with happiness. “Wonderful. We can all go together.”
Fated Hearts Page 17