Her brows knit together. “What is it about you Hall men and suddenly coming out of the woodwork all at once?”
His eyes widened slightly before his shock erupted into a laugh. “I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that.”
Heat flashed across her face. “I can’t believe I said that out loud.” Briefly she covered her mouth with a hand. Her eyes were wide and she looked embarrassed.
He took a step closer and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You can say whatever you want. I’m not easily offended.”
She smiled. “That’s good to know.”
“Have you thought any more on our last conversation?”
What conversation? Was she supposed to have an answer ready for him? Her eyes dropped to the ground. What had they discussed last? She smacked her forehead with her hand. “That’s right. You asked me out.”
His crooked grin reminded her so much of Wesley. That piercing ache returned to her chest. Wesley wasn’t an option. Not anymore. She considered Christian. He was handsome. He was smart. He was charming as all get-out. It wouldn’t hurt to go on another date with the guy. “I’d love to.”
Christian beamed at her. “Great! I know this weekend will be busy for you, so what do you say we do something tomorrow or Wednesday?”
Lily’s focus shifted to the building again. “Either works for me.”
He reached out to grab her hand and brought it to his lips. “Let’s do Wednesday. Then I’ll have time to make it special. It will be perfect. Meet me at my place. Six.”
He took a few steps away before she called out to him. “Christian, I need a favor.”
Christian spun around. “Name it.”
“Just—don’t tell your brother.”
He winked at her. “I wasn’t planning on it.”
Chapter Twenty
Wesley sat in the living room he grew up in. It had taken all the strength and willpower he had not to walk right up to Lily and demand she reconsider. One night was all it took for him to feel like he’d hit rock bottom. To have her and feel so complete only to have everything slip through his fingers had been devastating.
If it had been any other girl, he might have done just that. He would have pounded on her door until she opened it and asked what had come over him. Then he would have pulled her into his arms and kissed her breathless until she admitted she was wrong. Things like living arrangements could be worked out. The details could be managed to their advantage.
But this was Lily. And she deserved better than to be manipulated into something she obviously didn’t want. Obviously... Was it obvious only to him? Could anyone else see that he really didn’t have a chance here? The truth was it didn’t matter what anyone else saw. This was between him and Lily. Nobody’s opinion but theirs mattered.
Wesley threw his fist against the couch cushion. Three days since she’d broken up with him—if he could even call it that. And she’d kept her distance. He groaned. Four more days of this torture and he could get on the next plane out of there. Hopefully he could make it that long.
Christian hurried down the stairs. He wore a black button-up shirt with his matching Stetson. His face was clean shaven and Wesley could smell him from a few feet away.
Wesley scowled at his brother. “It’s nice to know you’re still putting yourself out there. What happened to chasing Lily?”
Christian focused on his reflection in the mirror. He tugged on the hem of his shirt and rolled his shoulders. “Girls don’t just land in your lap, Wes. Sometimes you have to do the heavy lifting.”
That wasn’t an answer to his question. His back straightened and his eyes narrowed. “What about Lily?”
“Hmm?”
He got to his feet. “Lily. You were going to continue seeing her, remember? You practically shoved the idea in my face since the moment I set the two of you up on that first date.”
Christian chuckled. “Oh yeah.” He turned to face his brother. “Who knows with that one. I gotta go. Don’t wait up.” Christian brushed past Wesley and headed out the door.
Wesley’s fingers dug into his palms. For some reason, the flippant reaction only made him more upset. Christian had only chased after Lily because he knew Wesley was interested. Now, she was out of the picture? Or was he just playing it off so Wesley didn’t find out?
He stretched his fingers out and curled them back. He’d have a word with his brother the moment he got home. If Christian was playing with Lily’s feelings, he’d regret every moment he’d spent with her. Wesley would make sure of that.
A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. Who on earth could that be?
Looking through the peep hole, he stiffened. What in the world? His fingers gripped the knob and he pulled the door open to reveal a smiling Mia.
“Hey, sweetie!”
“Mia? What are you doing here?”
She stepped closer and gave him a hug. “Is that any way to treat your girlfriend?”
“Ex-girlfriend.”
Her laughter filled the room. “Right. She looked over his shoulder and returned her attention to him. Her fingers picked at something on his shirt and she gave him a wide smile. “What do you say? Take a walk?”
Without waiting for him to respond, she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the house. He barely had enough foresight to grab hold of the doorknob and tug it closed before losing his grip on it entirely.
They headed down a familiar trail. He shoved his hands in his pockets and she slipped her hand through his arm.
“You gonna answer my question, Mia?”
“Hmm? Oh. Right. I got the rest of the week off on account of my boyfriend needing my help.”
He lifted a brow. “What?”
She laughed again and waved her hand through the air. “Actually, my team was really productive this week and we got Thursday and Friday off. I don’t have to be back for another two weeks.” She rested her head on his upper arm. “And, I heard Lily and Marguerite needed my help with a wedding. Can you believe it? Someone’s getting married at the rodeo. It’s crazy.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. I’m sorta heading up the catering for it.”
She gasped. “Of course! That makes so much sense. Good for you.” She slowed and turned to face him. “You know, people around here could really use a guy like you.” She paused as if to let those word sink in.
“I can’t stay here, Mia.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Why not?”
“I have a life in New Jersey. Literally blood, sweat, and tears went into that life. You know how hard I worked to make it famous with out of this world food. I have a Michelin star there and that’s so easy to get, you know. They hand those out like candy.” His voice was dripping with sarcasm.
Mia made a face. “Come on, Wesley. Nothing is set in stone. You don’t have to do anything. Your reputation can follow you anywhere. Maybe if you set something up here, you could make things better for everyone who lives in Hennesy. I know I’d like it if you moved back. I’m sure Lily would like it too.”
His whole body went stiff. He didn’t want to think about Lily. Even if he moved here, that didn’t mean she’d want to try the romance thing again. She’d admitted their friendship was more important. That darn friend zone. Wesley refused to comment. Lily was the biggest reason he needed to get out of there. He’d dropped all his defenses too fast. It was his own fault.
Mia placed her hand on his upper arm. “Wesley, I can tell something’s up.”
His eyes dropped to meet hers. “Yeah.”
“Tell me about it.”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Sometimes things don’t work out.”
Her sad smile did nothing to comfort him. “Yeah. I get it.”
“You referring to this guy you like?”
She patted his arm. “Yep. But this isn’t about me. It’s about you.”
Wesley chuckled. “Naw. I’m good.” He put his arm around her shoulders and guided h
er forward. “Anyone who can’t see what a catch you are isn’t worth your time.”
“I know.”
“So you gonna tell him how you feel?”
Mia snickered. “Has that ever worked? Like ever?”
It hadn’t worked with Lily. He’d told her he loved her and she’d pulled away. He was a little worried he might even be placed outside the friend zone. That was drastic, but it was a worry. “You’re probably right. You can’t make someone love you.”
Her hand dropped down to clasp his hand. Her touch didn’t rouse the chills and excitement Lily’s touch had, but it was comforting. He squeezed her hand. “We’re just a couple of sad sacks.”
Mia looked down at her watch. “I’m heading out. I just wanted to stop by and say hi. I guess I’ll see you at Silverstone.” She gave him a hug.
He watched her hurry down the trail toward the house. She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and glanced over her shoulder to wave at him as she brought the device to her ear.
That was weird. She’d dragged him into the evening and abandoned him. He might as well get used to this feeling. It was happening more frequently as of late.
Wesley raked his hand through his hair. He could continue his walk or he could head home and turn in early. There was a third option, but the thought made him sick to his stomach. He could go to Silverstone and throw rocks at a certain someone’s window and beg her to reconsider. People overcame distance all the time. Who knew? Maybe she’d change her mind and decide to move out east to be with him. Or in a few years, he could switch things around and plan a restaurant in Hennesy. Mia had a point—the place could use an update.
Far-off sounds floated through the evening air. Wesley turned his head down the trail. Had Christian come this way? He didn’t remember seeing his brother’s truck parked out front, but then occasionally he parked around the side of the barn.
Wesley’s eyes narrowed. Someone could be trespassing. Christian would hate it if Wesley let him know someone was on his property and Wesley didn’t do anything about it. He strode toward the source of the sound. The back side of their land was a popular hangout spot for the local teenagers. A stream ran through it, emptying into a pond where the kids dared each other to go skinny dipping.
They’d be in for one heck of a surprise. He was in no mood to play nice. All this pent-up energy and disappointment had nowhere to go, until now.
He stalked into the clearing and came up short. Christian stood a few feet away from Lily, a phone to his ear. He winked at her and held up a finger. What a moron. Didn’t he know how to treat a date? Lily deserved more respect than that.
Christian hung up and sauntered over to Lily, sidling up real close. Wesley’s hands clenched at his sides. So this was why Lily didn’t want to date him—and why Christian glossed over his plans for the night. They were getting together behind his back. Traitors.
Wesley stood frozen as Christian leaned in closer. His feet were cemented to the ground and his brain wasn’t doing its job to get them moving. Christian’s mouth drew closer and suddenly everything shifted into motion.
Charging forward, Wesley opened his mouth to stop them from making a fool out of him. The toe of his boot caught on a rock and he went down like a plank of wood. Before he face-planted, his vision filled with Christian scrambling to his feet and Lily whirling around with a look of pure guilt. Yes, she’d been caught.
Christian’s large hands grabbed onto Wesley’s arms, dragging him to his feet. He dusted off Wesley’s shirt. “Hey, buddy, whatcha doin’ out here?”
“What am I doing out here? What are you doing out here?” Wesley practically snarled. He poked his brother in the chest, lowering his voice as he caught Lily staring at them with large, caramel-colored eyes. “You knew I had feelings for her and you insisted on moving in. What kind of brother does that?” He poked Christian in the chest again, causing him to stumble back a step.
Christian’s gaze bounced to Lily, then back again to Wesley. “It’s not what you think.”
A cold bark of laughter escaped Wesley’s chest, causing a chill to run through him. “What it looks like is that you’re about to kiss the woman of my dreams, you lying, no-good, son of a—”
Christian scowled and moved closer. He lowered his voice as he nearly bumped his chest against Wesley’s. “I’m doing what has to be done—something you’re obviously not capable of.”
Wesley swung at Christian, who ducked as Lily let out a gasp. His older brother launched his shoulder into Wesley’s midsection. Wesley grunted and his legs buckled. The two of them toppled to the ground in a heap.
Lily’s squeaks of protest did little to deter their wrestling. Wesley attempted another punch but Christian saw it coming and dodged it before landing a hard one against Wesley’s jaw. Pain shot through his face like a dagger piercing its target. Wesley blinked. Seeing red, he swung harder and made contact with Christian’s stomach. “You. Don’t. Understand,” he wheezed as he rolled off Wesley and held his midsection. “I have a good reason.”
Wesley pushed off the ground and got into a seated position. He avoided looking at Lily, who was probably furious with him by now. Instead, he focused his attention on the one who’d betrayed him. “There’s no good reason for what you were about to do.” He rubbed his jaw, the aches coming in waves. Getting to his feet, he glared at Christian. “I’ll never forgive you for this.”
He charged out of there like his boots were on fire.
“Wes! Wait!” Lily’s voice followed him. He ignored her plea. She was the last person on earth he wanted to see. Though his brother’s betrayal hurt, hers sliced right through him. No, she hadn’t cheated on him like Charlotte had. She’d broken things off and felt her reasons were valid. Not that they weren’t, he just didn’t agree with them. But to turn around and date his brother? The thought made his stomach turn inside out. He knew it. Something in his gut had warned him this was happening. He just didn’t want to believe it.
“Wesley!” Her voice was closer this time, and uttered mere moments before her hand landed on his bare forearm.
The contact stung and he yanked his arm away from her touch. Wesley continued moving forward. He couldn’t speak to her. Not now, not after…
She grabbed his wrist for leverage and propelled herself to stand in his way. Wesley stared down at where she held onto him. A mixture of pain and pleasure came from the contact. He clenched his teeth and continued to focus on the small part of him that insisted things were different. She’d chased after him to tell him how wrong she’d been.
Lily ducked her head so she came within view. Her eyes brimmed with moisture. “Wes?”
His eyes flicked to meet hers before returning to her hand. “What do you want, Lily?”
“Are you alright?”
One simple question and everything came crumbling down. He ripped his arm away from her and stepped back. “What do you think?” he spat. “A few days ago I had everything I ever wanted. Now, I have nothing.”
She winced.
“Why are you even dating him? He’s all wrong for you. Don’t you remember all the times we made fun of the girls he dated? One more notch in the belt. Remember? You’re turning into one of them, Lily. He doesn’t care about you that way. You have to see it. He’s all talk and broken promises.”
Lily’s brows lowered. She folded her arms and lifted her chin. “What I do in my spare time is none of your business, Wesley. Your brother is nice. He asked me out. We were having an innocent conversation.”
“Innocent! Ha. That’s rich. Sure didn’t look innocent. I guess you’re not as smart I thought, Lily.”
She gasped and her hand whipped through the air, landing with a resounding smack against his cheek. He covered his stinging cheek with his hand.
Her hands flew to her mouth and her face turned red. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“Goodnight, Lily.” Wesley brushed past her. It was definitely over.
Chapter Twenty-One
/> Tears spilled down her cheeks the moment she entered the house. What had gotten into her? She’d never hit anyone, let alone her friend. The statement hadn’t even been the most offensive one someone had said to her. And yet the words struck her like a bolt of lightning. Everything had happened so fast. From the moment Wesley started the fight to the sting she still felt in her palm.
She stared down at the angry red color of her skin and more tears spilled. How had she let this happen? Her reasons for breaking things off with Wesley had all been honest. She couldn’t see herself moving. She didn’t want to lose the friendship they had. But there was something else lurking just beneath the surface. Fear.
Why did people fear the thing they wanted most? Why couldn’t she just accept that the best things are worth the risk? If she’d given in to Wesley, things would have turned out differently. They’d still be enjoying one another. She would have been having a picnic with him instead of Christian.
Flashes of that moment just before Wesley showed up played in her mind like a movie in slow motion. Christian was about to kiss her—or at least she thought he was. He’d gotten real close and had a string of compliments for her. Her skin itched and she pulled back slightly right as he’d gotten that phone call.
Saved by the literal bell. But then he returned to her side and touched her face. “Lily, I have to tell you something—”
And crash. Scuffle. Crack.
Moment gone. She didn’t wait around to see what Christian was about to admit. Nothing could fix the evening. And if she were completely honest with herself, she would have been settling for Christian anyway. She told him she wasn’t interested and assured him it had nothing to do with him. Inside, she knew he was just a poor man’s Wesley—the man she still wanted with all her heart.
Lily fled to her room before any of her sisters could see her tear-streaked face. She brought a pillow to her face and muffled the tears that wouldn’t stop coming. It was over. Done. There was no coming back from this.
The Chef Chases his Cowboy Dream (Silverstone Ranch Book 3) Page 11