“Sucked.”
She looks up at the sun, her shades even thicker than Mama’s. She tugs at her black halter top and rubs her hands on her black jeans. I smile and tell her she shouldn’t hide behind all that black.
“Well, here’s the thing. Wink’s cheating on me.”
When the words come out of her mouth, I don’t hear them at first. I don’t want to. All I see is her mouth moving and no sound.
I stare at her hard, and she repeats it. The same sentence, the same four words, and my eyes sting with the shock of hot tears under my eyelids. I blink them back.
“At first, I didn’t want to believe it either,” Riley says as if reading my mind. “That’s why I asked you to come to Austin with me. I wanted to snoop.”
A pang of guilt hits me in the gut that I never even answered her yes or no. I hurt that I wasn’t there for my little sister. Because I thought she was perfect and I was flawed.
“I found her online last night,” she says. “Internet stalked her and called her myself. That little bitch he’s been going up to Austin nearly every weekend for.”
“Not for practice?” I ask her.
“There’s practice now. But there wasn’t in March.”
“He’s been seeing her since March?” I want to turn back time, to the exact moment before I realized Riley doesn’t lead the most perfect life in creation.
“Since January. She came down here till March. Then, he worried I’d find out somehow, so he started going up to Austin.”
“Did you ever try to go with him?”
“I had just gotten hired, and he didn’t even have any games.” She starts to cry. “No, I didn’t try to go with him! Why would I?”
I hug her until she needs a tissue, and then I hand her one from my purse.
“I’m so sorry, Riles. I thought Wink was perfect for you. Shows you what I know.”
“I don’t think I ever loved him.” She sways back and forth on the bench, knees hugged to her chest.
“Really?”
“Don’t you know if you love someone?” she asks me.
My thoughts automatically turn to Logan. Of his cheek on mine after we make love, of his smile whenever we say good-bye afterward, of his tongue in my mouth and his hands on my back right before he unhooks my bra and…
“I can’t believe you just let him go like that.” Riley’s watching me carefully.
I start, and my face flushes with heat.
She’s still looking at me. “Tell me again—why did you two want to divorce? Before the Manhattan Barbie entered the picture, why did you and Logan decide you couldn’t stay married?”
“Because I can’t have Logan, Riles. We’ve never dated, and there’s a reason for that, millions of reasons…”
“Oh, really?” she interrupts me. “Just what are those reasons, exactly? ‘Cause I don’t think I’ve ever heard them.”
“Logan’s my best friend. With great benefits. But we weren’t meant to settle together permanently. And not that it matters, since I’m not in the market for a husband, but I think a woman should marry a man who doesn’t get under her skin and drive her absolutely nuts.”
“From my experience, if a man drives you nuts, he’s got your attention,” Riley says.
“I’m not a squirrel,” I say jokingly.
“Wow. No wonder you’re single.”
“But seriously, Riles, being single does not signify that you’re flawed. For you or me.”
She bites her lip. “I guess so.”
“You’re an amazing woman with or without a man,” I say to her. “We don’t need a partner to define us. I mean, look at the figurehead of our town—Jane Austen. She died single but a published writer. Of course, because she was a woman her writings were released anonymously, so she didn’t get to enjoy her success. But then after she died, her name finally became known so she became super famous and supposedly found her soul mate.”
“So Jane Austen is your benchmark for success on the earthly plane.” Riley rolls her eyes. “Wait till you’re dead to achieve your dreams. Nice motto, Mace.”
“I don’t know! I just—I’m never going to be a wife. Again,” I say firmly when she giggles. “Some women make great wives, and some don’t. And Logan apparently wants the whole nine yards—wife, kids, and stupid picket fence. All the things that would trap me silly. We made the decision to divorce together. Before Gigi, we had already suggested we start seeing other people.”
“You guys are pathetic.” Riley glares at me. “The pair of you, honestly. Wink and I dated for years, and we have nothing of substance between us other than not wanting to be alone. But you and Logan have all this meaningfulness between you, and now it’s too late to do anything about it. I mean seriously!”
I purse my lips and don’t answer her.
Because she’s right. It’s too late for Logan and me. And I need to emblazon that concept into my brain and stop reminiscing about waking up on the couch with him this morning. No matter how close I felt to him last night, the only thing I should be doing right now is preparing my heart to say good-bye to him on July fourth.
Chapter Thirty-Four
I leave my SUV where it is and walk over to the party alone.
Riley’s not coming. After we talked, I sat with her while she called Wink. She told him she knew about the girl in Austin. And the cheating coward dumped her.
I offered to hang out with her and skip the party, but we both knew I needed to make an appearance. So, I told her to go get a massage and eat plenty of ice-cream on Wink’s credit card.
I wish I could join her. I can’t imagine something less appealing to me in the world than attending Logan Wild’s engagement party and plastering a smile on my face for what feels like the hundredth time this summer.
Ben’s here just like he promised. I head over to him at the edge of the lake as I avoid the reporters and cameras that sprinkle the shoreline. Everyone wants to catch a glimpse of the supposed hero and heroine of Darcy.
“You want to talk more about a business plan for The Cowherd?” I say to Ben as I sit down and face the water.
“Are you sure this is a good place to be talking about this?” he asks me.
“Why not? Let’s hash it out.”
Ben sits next to me and tries to hand me his beer. “I’m pretty sure you’ll need this more than I will.”
I ignore him and focus on the water in front of me. It’s so still, without even the slightest breeze. Today’s the hottest day of the year so far.
“He’s over there with Gigi’s family,” Ben says quietly. “You can probably tell by the camera guys staring them down. Like they’re the king and queen.”
“Feels like the whole damn town is here.” I scan the crowd and look where Ben gestured. Oh yes, there he is. And all dressed up at that. Wearing a stylish white dress shirt, black pants, and a black suit jacket with matching black tie. “Did she buy him those clothes?”
“I think Logan probably has his own pants and shirt,” Ben chides me.
“Well, I’ve never seen them before. But then again, I’ve never been out on a formal date with Logan Wild before. I preferred his daddy’s barn. Or the back of his truck.”
“Maybe this isn’t the best time for us to talk,” Ben says. “It can wait.”
“Nonsense!” I say to him. “I’m fine, honey.”
I trail off as Ginny and her mother head this way. “By the way, since I seem to be in the mood for confessions these days, I’m writing my first novel.”
Ben pushes my shoulder with his. “That’s awesome.”
“No spilling,” I warn him.
“Does anyone else know?” he asks me, just as Ginny and Mrs. Rattles reach us.
“Just Logan.”
“Logan, huh?”
“Benny, shut up.”
“Just saying…”
I turn away from him as I stand up to greet Ginny and her mother.
“Did you see the hors d’oeuvres, Macey?” Mrs. Rattles says. “Absolutel
y divine! I asked Gigi’s mother where she got them, hoping we could do something for Gin’s wedding, but they’re out of our price range. Such a shame.”
“That’s too bad,” I say.
“They would have been perfect for Jane Austen’s chosen couple, wouldn’t it?” Mrs. Rattles wraps her arm around Ginny. “All these people thinking Logan and his Manhattan bride are soul mates…pssha! Never heard anything so ridiculous in my life. My daughter and future son-in-law were born and raised here in Darcy; of course Jane will choose them. And their wedding comes first.”
Ginny looks pale and barely there as she stands next to her mother. She never speaks and never interjects as Mrs. Rattles drones on.
“But Virginia, she’s useless! I asked her for one simple thing, to let me know when the bakery called so I could talk to them myself. And guess what she does—she forgets! I don’t know where her head has gone to these last few days.”
I think I have a clue. Ginny’s looking way past me, and I turn to see Nickel grinning at her from about twenty feet away. He’s got his guitar with him.
“Is Nickel going to play here?” I ask her.
Ginny nods as a big smile takes over her face. “I asked him for a trial run, and he agreed. His whole band’s here.”
Mrs. Rattles scoffs. “The fact that you replaced my dearest cousins with this young man and his band of…”
“Mama!” Ginny shouts so loudly I jump backward. “You haven’t spoken to those cousins in three years!”
Ginny stomps off toward Nickel without another word. I guess some men are worth speaking back to your mother for.
I glance back over at Logan. His eyes find mine, and he heads for us slowly, his lips tipped up in that half-grin he often wears. His black suit contrasts strongly with his rugged cowboy looks, but he’s so sexy I can’t complain. He’s wearing the hell out of that suit, and if he were mine, I’d grab him in a kiss.
But he’s not mine.
And if I have to keep telling myself that fact every day for the rest of my life until my heart accepts the truth, I will.
Logan’s eyes fix on mine like lasers as he completes the last few steps toward us. The emotion swimming in his gaze—I keep feeling like he wants to tell me something, but I don’t know what he could possibly say now. He’s already engaged, for goodness sakes. Our ship has sailed. Right?
As soon as he reaches our group, he smiles at Mrs. Rattles and says hello. She huffs and puffs her way through a response, barely looking at him before she excuses herself.
“Glad you could make it, Mace. You look really nice.” Logan steps closer and surprises me by giving me a hug.
I put my arms around him and let him hug me tighter for the briefest of seconds, but it’s long enough for me to smell the familiar scent of cologne on his neck. Which reminds me of waking up on top of him this morning.
I pull away with a forced smile and sit down again with Ben. But instead of leaving, Logan squats in front of us.
“When do you open the gifts?” Ben asks him with a grin.
“Are there gifts?” Logan says slowly.
“Oh, come on, we all know there are gifts,” I say.
Before he can respond, Gigi runs over to us, jumps on Logan’s back, and throws her arms around his neck.
Her pink top is sheer and sexier than anything I’ve ever seen in this town. She manages to look hot without a hint of trash, and her long black skirt clings to her curves flawlessly.
“Give me a ride over to my parents,” Gigi begs Logan. “Daddy just flew in, and he’s desperate to talk to you. And you know how my mom loves a cowboy. She’s had a crush since she first laid eyes on you.”
All the flashbulbs in our faces momentarily blind me. I can see the caption now—Darcy’s very own Mr. Darcy gives his bride-to-be a cushy ride.
But Logan doesn’t move. “Give me one minute. I already texted your dad that I’d speak with him today. He said not to rush.”
“Logan,” Gigi says softly. “Daddy leaves for Dallas tonight. You really need to go see him.”
Logan frowns. I glance at Ben, knowing how Logan hates being told what to do.
“You’re in the middle of our engagement party, remember?” Gigi giggles but doesn’t look happy.
The cameras are still flashing, but with that smile still on her face, no one would suspect anything was amiss. I guess a picture really can’t tell a thousand words, at least, not in the tabloids.
Gigi looks over at me like she just realized I was here.
“Macey, hi!” She climbs off Logan’s back and settles next to him. “I need to talk to you about my Darcy wedding. I don’t think Texas wildflowers are going to work in the bouquet. I’m sorry, but my mother really doesn’t want me carrying weeds.”
“Um…Ginny’s florist can probably give you some ideas.”
Gigi pauses to catch her breath. “Okay. I’ll speak with her. The other issue is The Cowherd. I’m worried about getting dirt on the train of my dress.”
I let out a cry of annoyance, but I cover enough so it sounds like I just needed air.
“I just don’t want to stain my gown when I’m up at the altar, especially with all the photographers. And who knows, maybe that silly jail cell door will open, and then I’ll have to run down the hall, and if those floors aren’t clean, well then, that would just be disastrous.”
“Disastrous,” Ben mutters.
Logan gives me a “please, go easy on her” look, so I simply nod.
“And what exactly does the Ms. Bennet bonnet look like?” Gigi says. “Is it stylish?”
I’ve had it with her judgment. “Gigi, it’s a white bonnet sewn in the fashion of Regency England. No, it’s not stylish by our standards. It isn’t that old, though. The original disintegrated, and my grandmother made the current one. She sewed it by hand, and the lettering is quite pretty, actually.”
Gigi just nods at me.
Ben and I stand up and walk away quickly.
“I don’t get what he sees in her,” Ben says. “It makes no sense.”
I wrinkle my nose as we grab paper plates and fill them with burgers and onion rings. “Don’t say that. It sounds judgmental.”
“Oh, like you’re not judging her?” Ben laughs. “You’ve hated her from the moment you laid eyes on her.”
“That is not true.”
“What is it then? You jealous?”
“Of course not,” I say, grabbing ketchup and mustard and relish and anything else I can get my hands on in that moment. “Don’t be silly.”
“How many times did you two sleep together?” he asks next.
“Why do people think that’s an appropriate question to ask someone?” I punch him lightly in the arm, and he laughs.
“I’m just saying you and Logan have quite a history. I always thought for sure you two would…”
“Don’t,” I beg him. “It just…” Hurts too much.
“Well, I heard something from George this afternoon. Something related to Gigi that may make you a little angry.”
“What more could there be? I just saw her, and she nearly threw me into a blind rage.”
“She’s entered the target contest at Hunt County Fair.”
“What?”
Chapter Thirty-Five
I stare at Ben. “But that’s in a week!”
“She claims she learned everything she needs to know from you. George told me you gave her a quick lesson?”
“I did. But I have no idea why she’d enter the contest. She’s already called the heroine of Darcy so I guess that means she can pretty much do whatever the hell she wants in this town.”
Ginny mercifully calls to me. “Let’s go eat with Ginny,” I say to Ben as I head toward her.
This has got to be the longest party in creation. I’m hot and cranky and ready for it to end. Blake managed to extract a promise out of me that I’d go tubing with him, Logan, and Gigi tomorrow. I only agreed because Ginny sounded so excited, and she said Dave would join us
also. Those two need as much relaxing time together as possible before their wedding, and I’ll support them as best I can.
So I said yes, and then I tried to leave the party. But the darn gift-giving started, and I knew it would be awkward if I was caught walking out in the middle. Gigi’s mother requested that a small platform stage be set up by the edge of the lake, so the famous, engaged couple is a good two feet above the rest of us mortals. And cameras are everywhere.
I stand in the back of the crowd with Mama and Daddy, hoping Logan will open my gift early on, yell out a thank you, and I can be on my way.
Daddy turns and catches my eye. His eyes are clear, so I know he’s sober, but he keeps fidgeting.
“So Gigi’s mother is married?” he asks me in a low voice.
“Daddy! She’s married to Gigi’s father.” I give him a stern look. “I thought you only flirted with other women when you were drinking.”
“True,” he says, his gaze shifting to the ground between us. “I just…she looks familiar.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ve never met her before,” I say. “She lives in New York City and has never been to Texas.”
“Never?”
“No.” I pause to think. “I mean, her husband’s obviously been to West Texas because he was there with Gigi. And he’s from Texas originally. So I suppose there’s a chance his wife could have gone on one of his business trips with him.”
Daddy looks up, and his face pales. “You don’t say.”
“Daddy, what are you…”
Gigi’s loud cry interrupts us.
“Open my present,” she instructs Logan before she whispers something in his ear and giggles.
Logan searches through the presents until he finds Gigi’s gift.
Before he can open it, Gigi grabs the gift out of his hands and hides it behind her back.
“Logan’s fiancée sure likes the attention, doesn’t she?” Mama comments.
“Mama, hush.”
My mother just cannot whisper.
Logan reaches out to grab the present back from Gigi. She takes off across the stage running, and he follows her. The cameramen are having a field day with their antics.
Warrior Girl: A Cowboy Romance (Wild Men Texas Book 2) Page 15