I didn’t give a shit what this asshat thought of me. He was clearly a waste of space if he couldn’t respect and love Aubrey the way she deserved to be. I wanted to clobber the guy, but it just wouldn’t be sporting.
This was Aubrey’s fight.
“No, Greg, I wasn’t. I was who I was expected to be, who my mother told me I needed to be in order to land a good man. But you’re not a good man. You’re a liar, and a cheater, and you don’t deserve a woman like me.”
Greg huffed, his ears and neck turning red, like he was going to push it further. I was ready if he tried. But he just turned on his heel and grabbed Mindi by the elbow, practically dragging her along with him. “You’ll be back, honey. You’ll get tired of this loser lumberjack who’s probably never even been inside a museum, let alone knows the difference between Monet and Manet. And you’ll come crawling back to me. Begging me to take you back.” He pulled Mindi along down the street with him, even though she looked over her shoulder at Aubrey, tears now sliding down her cheeks.
I swallowed hard, my hands still clenched in fists.
Aubrey stood next to me, fuming, her hands mimicking mine. Her stance was rigid, her shoulders tense.
I kept my voice low. “You okay?”
She curled into me, and I let go of all the tension I was holding onto to wrap my arms around her. She eased into me with a long, slow breath. “Why was he here? Why couldn’t he just leave me alone? And how could he say he was looking for me when he brought her with him?”
I ran my hand over her hair, stroking her blonde locks gently as she stood rigid in my arms. I wanted to help her relax, to chase away all the strain that jackass had caused her. “I don’t know, Aubrey. Some men don’t know when to give up. And he seems like the kind of man who doesn’t even know how good he had it with you. He’s not worth all this anger. He’s not worth another thought from you.”
She sighed, and her arms slowly encircled my waist before she relaxed her fists. “I’m so glad you were here with me tonight. I don’t know what I would’ve done if he’d found me in Aspen. In your beautiful chalet.”
“Even if you broke a few things, I’m sure we could replace them. Just blame it on the old building. Lord knows enough breaks around there anyway.”
Aubrey let out a feeble laugh, relaxing a little more into my arms.
I grinned at her down at her and rubbed her back. “You still want to get some dinner here before we go back?”
She looked up at me and pursed her lips like she was thinking about it. “We’re already here. I’m hungry, and I’m sure you’ve worked up an appetite too. I’m not going to let some idiot who doesn’t know a good thing when he’s got one ruin our good time.”
I kissed her cheek and slipped my hand back into hers. We walked down the block to Doc Holliday’s Saloon, and I held the door open for her as we headed inside.
17
Aubrey
The tavern was dimly lit, with a long expanse of bar before the seating area behind. It looked like the type of place that hadn’t changed in centuries. I studied the exposed brick and antiquated pictures studding the walls as the hostess showed us to a quiet table near the back.
Chuck pulled out my chair for me and helped me out of my coat before he took the seat next to mine, scooting it close enough that our knees touched. He seemed to hardly notice anything else going on in the restaurant, he was so focused on me.
I chewed my bottom lip as I looked over the menu, holding it up to keep from having to meet his studious gaze. I couldn’t help but wonder why he was still here with me, why he hadn’t insisted we just go back to Aspen, back to the chalet. I didn’t feel like there was any reason for him to stick around after my freak-out in the hot springs, and then our run-in with Greg and Mindi.
“Aubrey, are you sure you want to be here?”
“Yeah. We need to eat. Let’s eat.” I skimmed the menu and said the first thing that caught my eye. “How are their Rocky Mountain oysters? I didn’t realize there were oysters around here.”
Chuck laughed and reached under the table to squeeze my knee. “Those aren’t actual oysters. They’re bull’s testicles. I’m not saying you shouldn’t order them, but you’d be in for a hell of a surprise if that’s not what you’re expecting.”
I covered my face with my hands and shook my head. “Why would they call it that? Who eats that?”
“I’ve heard they’re actually a delicacy. But I can’t imagine testicles sell well on a menu normally.” He reached over and pulled my hand into his own. “What’s wrong, Aubrey?”
“Nothing. It’s just been a long day. I’m probably hungrier than I realize.” I picked up the menu again, not quite meeting his eyes.
Chuck sighed and picked up his own menu, letting a veil of silence fall over our table. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, watching as he perused the restaurant’s offerings. Was he being distant, avoiding looking at me because he just saw the man I’d stupidly let myself fall for? Or was he really just looking over the menu?
“Welcome to Doc Holliday’s. Can I get y’all started with something to drink?” The server standing next to our table had a Texas twang and a pencil stuck in her ponytail.
“Just water for me, please.” I looked back down at the menu, wondering if everyone in the place could tell what just happened.
Chuck ordered a beer, and the waitress hurried off to take care of our drink orders. Once she was out of earshot, he leaned close and kissed my cheek, his scruff tickling slightly with the gentle touch.
I wanted so badly to lean in, to shift so his lips were on my own rather than just my cheek. But I was too aware of everyone else in the room, too certain that all eyes were on me.
“You know, they say Doc Holliday used to gamble in this very bar before he died.” Chuck sat back in his own chair again. Almost immediately, I wanted him to close the distance.
“You don’t say? Is there any proof of that?”
“Probably not. But it’s a great story, so who’s going to try to debunk it?” Chuck smiled and reached over to take my hand. “How would you describe the architecture of this building?”
I smiled softly and looked around again. It was nice to have a neutral topic of conversation, something to focus on that didn’t involve Greg or Mindi or Vanessa, or even Chuck and me. We talked about the bar, about the history of the area, even the architectural influences I’d seen while we wandered. All through our meal, Chuck kept some part of his body touching my own, though it never went beyond a chaste kiss or a hand just above the knee.
As we finished up our dinners, I glanced at my watch and sighed. “I’m going to run to the bathroom, and then I think we should be good to head back to Aspen?”
Chuck nodded. “Take your time. I’ll be right here when you’re done.” He licked his lips, and I couldn’t decide if I was imagining the sadness I thought was lingering in his eyes.
I got up and headed down a set of old stone stairs to the basement bathrooms, glad that if nothing else, the plumbing fixtures were modern.
After I used the facilities, I washed my hands and splashed water on my face, trying to shake off the fear and nervousness that had plagued me since I saw Greg standing on Main Street. Chuck wasn’t Greg. He wasn’t up there hitting on our southern waitress. He hadn’t slipped the hostess his phone number or flirted with the woman from the rock shop earlier.
I fixed my hair and headed back upstairs, a little more confident and a lot more hopeful that maybe we could just put the whole Greg incident behind us.
The petite, delicate-looking Asian woman at our table was like a bucket of ice water on my confidence though. Just as I crested the stairs, I saw her lean across the wooden surface to press a kiss to Chuck’s cheek, her fingers lingering on his hand before she settled in the chair across from him.
I’d given too many people the benefit of the doubt, and I wasn’t going to be made the fool again.
I stormed over to the table and grabbed my coat and my
purse, crossing my arms over my chest. “I’ll just take a cab back. It was nice knowing you.” I’d had my heart trampled on by one cheater, there was no way in hell it was going to happen a second time.
Chuck stood up and tried to grab for my arm.
The woman looked between us and then covered her mouth. “Oh, god, you’re on a date, aren’t you? And here I am, interrupting.” The woman stood up and smiled at Chuck. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? I’ll get out of your hair.” She looked at me. “You should stay.”
Chuck put his hand on the woman’s shoulder and stopped her. “Lil, wait, sit. Aubrey, this is my sister, Liling. The model I was telling you about. Liling, this is Aubrey.” The way his voice lingered on my name almost gave me chills, like I was the most reverent thing he’d ever encountered.
A sister. Of course. Even with Chuck’s descriptions, and all the various places his family was from, it never even occurred to me this woman might be someone more than a homewrecker. But then, I couldn’t very well have called her that either, even if she wasn’t Chuck’s sister. We weren’t making a home. We weren’t even playing house.
I let out a breath and sunk back into my seat before holding out my hand toward Liling. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Liling shook my hand delicately and gestured to the chair. “If you’re sure it’s not interrupting, I’d love to talk to you some. I’ve seen some amazing architecture in Europe lately, but all this one understands of it is ‘old building’, I swear.”
I smiled as Chuck’s hand slid over my knee and his fingers interlaced with mine.
“Now, that’s not true. I know what I like and what I don’t. I can’t help it that you start throwing around words like buttresses and eaves, and you lose me.” Chuck squeezed my hand, and I wondered how much of our conversation from earlier he’d understood. I tried not to get too technical, and he’d seemed to hang on my every word.
“I’m happy to talk about architecture any time. And Europe has some incredible examples.” I shifted in my seat a little to face Liling, and Chuck subtly tugged my chair closer to him. The simple motion made me wonder if I was worried for nothing, if he really was better than Greg could’ve ever hoped to be.
Liling insisted we order another round, and since my stomach had settled some, I indulged in a glass of red wine while we talked. She was smart, quick-witted, and obviously much wiser than her youth would’ve typically suggested. Liling brought out a different facet of Chuck than I’d seen before, as they bantered and teased just like any other set of siblings I’d ever seen.
As our glasses emptied, Liling looked at her phone and sighed. “Crap, is that the time? I should get home before Mom sends the National Guard out looking for me. Or at least calls in some favors from Rick to get me a police escort. She acts like I’m going to completely disappear or something.”
“You know Mom. She worries about all of us.” Chuck got up and hugged his sister tightly. “You should’ve told me you were coming. I would’ve put you up for your stay.”
“In one of those deathtraps you call a rental? No thank you.” She turned to me. “Tell me you’re not staying in the chalet? I swear, that thing is one strong breeze away from falling down around his ears.”
I glanced at Chuck, who stuck his tongue out at her. “I’ve done a lot of work on it since you were last in town. It’s completely up to code.”
“Except the hot tub, right, Chuck?” I bit back a laugh as he glared at me.
“Whose side are you on?” He shook his head, then looked at his sister. “Get on home. I’ll call you later this week. We’ll hang out, just the two of us. Unless you have to jet-set off again soon.”
“I’ll be in town for a bit.” Liling smiled and extended her hand again. “It was good to meet you, Aubrey. It’s nice to see that Chuck’s at least got decent taste in women, even if he’s got shit taste in properties.”
Once Liling left us, Chuck sat down in the seat Liling had vacated and reached over to grab both my hands. “You want to tell me what that was all about?”
“All what?” I played dumb, hoping he’d just let it drop.
“You were about ready to storm out of here and never see me again.” His thumb traced the back of my hand, making me long for more of his touch.
“I guess I didn’t think she was your sister. She leaned over the table and kissed you.”
“Yeah, on the cheek. I know you’ve been hurt, Aubrey, and I know seeing that asshat today didn’t do anything to help matters. But I swear to you, I’m not seeing anyone else. I have no interest in seeing anyone else, as long as you’re here.” He scooted to the edge of his chair until we were nearly nose to nose. “You don’t have to worry about that with me.”
I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his, trying to let them say what my words couldn’t. I already felt like a foolish ass for trying to storm out, especially after seeing how wonderful Liling was, and how very much not attracted to her Chuck was. He pressed closer as our kiss deepened, his hands sliding over my hips.
When he pulled away, he pressed a couple of follow-up gentle kisses before he leaned fully back into the chair. “We should get back to Aspen.”
I nodded and picked up my coat again.
Chuck pulled a few bills out of his wallet and threw them on the table before he collected his coat and tugged it on. His hand slid over my lower back as we walked back to the car, a simple touch that felt somehow a hundred times more intimate than holding my hand.
By the time we pulled into the chalet’s driveway, the temperature had dropped considerably. The sky was a blanket of twinkling stars overhead as Chuck walked me up to the front door.
I unlocked the chalet and smiled at him, licking my lips in anticipation. “Want to come in?”
He bent to kiss me softly on the cheek and smiled. “You’ve had a roller coaster of a day. I think it might be best to just leave you alone for the night. Call me tomorrow, okay? Maybe I can convince you that skiing really isn’t as dangerous as you thought.”
I ran my hand up his chest and almost grabbed a handful of the material to pull him inside with me. I didn’t want to be left alone. I wanted his hot body pressed against mine until I forgot everything but Chuck Wright.
He pulled my hand away from his chest and up to his mouth, kissing my palm. “Tomorrow, gorgeous. Try to get some sleep. And lock this door behind me.”
I sighed and squeezed his hand. “I will.”
I stepped inside, and as I turned around again, I watched him walk down the path back to his Jeep, biting back the urge to call out his name and beg him to come back.
18
Chuck
I pulled up to my own cabin and parked in the garage. Slumping against my steering wheel, I picked up my phone and stared at the contact labeled “Aubrey Jones.” It would’ve been so easy to push the call button and tell her I’d made a mistake, that I was coming back.
But Aubrey needed space to think about everything that happened today. As much as I wanted to strip her naked and sink back into her warm, wet heat, I was just another complication in her obviously already complicated life. With the necklace I bought her from the rock shop burning a hole in my pocket, the last thing she needed was a vacation fling with strings.
Instead, I scrolled down the list and found Liling’s number.
“Hey, brother. Did your gorgeous, way-too-smart-for-you woman dump your ass?”
“No.” I sighed. “I left her at the chalet. Tell me you’re up to something tonight.”
“I desperately need one of Zane’s burgers, so I was thinking about a late-night run to The Oak Barrel for a couple drinks. And to catch up on all the gossip. I heard Neil’s around as well, so I thought I’d invite him, but if you’re free, maybe you’ll join too?”
I grinned. “Lil, you are nineteen years old. Just because you can drink in Europe doesn’t mean you can risk our brother’s reputation drinking in public. And we both know Mom’ll blame me if you come home smelling like booze.�
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She scoffed. “Fine. But I still want a burger. And I want to hear what’s been going on in your world.”
“I’ll come pick you up. You still want to invite Neil?”
“I already called him. He’s going to meet me there in ten. Zane’s got our table all ready.”
I laughed. “See you soon.” I hung up and drove over to Mom and Dad’s house, honking from the driveway. Even though I was sure Mom would probably give me an earful the next time I stopped by, I needed a drink and to get out of my own head for a while.
Liling hurried down the drive and climbed into the front seat next to me. “You know Mom hates it when you don’t knock. It’s rude.”
“Yeah, it might be. But it got the job done. And if I’d come to the door, we wouldn’t have gotten out of the house for at least another hour. So, consider my rudeness your ticket to a delicious burger.” I threw the car into gear again and drove through our quaint hometown to The Oak Barrel.
Inside, Neil and Zane were already settled at the family’s table, plates and glasses covering the surface.
“You guys started without me? How dare you.” I slid into the booth and grinned. “Who do I have to screw to get a drink around here?”
Zane shoved me and gestured at Sheila to come by. “You sleep with any of my staff, and I’ll break your teeth.”
Liling slid into the other side of the booth and wrapped an arm around Neil. “God, I’ve missed being home. Milan’s too far away from all of you guys.”
“You could move back. I’m sure Mom would be happy to let you stay in your old room.”
“Ha. Ha. Have you considered being a stand-up comedian with all your not-funny jokes?”
Neil leaned back and grabbed a fry off the plate in front of him. “Actually, I was thinking about heading overseas myself. I met with an Army recruiter the other day.”
I gasped and stared at him. “Seriously? You’re going to go into the Army? Carry a gun and march into danger?”
Seducing the Runaway Bride (The Wrights Book 1) Page 11