If it didn’t, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do. But doing the same thing over and over again was getting old. In his mind, if he wasn’t winning, he needed to hang his hat up and find somewhere else to apply his energy. Something that would make him feel accomplished and useful. Something more than eight seconds of failure.
Chapter 13
“Gabby?” Carrie Anne’s voice came through the door. “Let me in, okay?”
What was there to talk about? Carrie Anne had been wrong. Her plan was a disaster, and Gabby’s heart was in shreds. Wyatt had called kissing her a mistake. A mistake. Hadn’t she made it clear that she’d only been talking to Bandit? That saying they were together was too strong a word? She’d sure tried.
Another knock, and Carrie Anne said, “Please? Can I come in?”
Gabby looked over her shoulder as she lay curled up on the bed with her back to the door. “Okay.”
It slowly opened, and Carrie Anne stuck her head in. “What happened?” She slipped inside and shut the door behind her. “Why are you crying?”
“He kissed me.”
Carrie Anne gasped. “That’s great.”
“And then said it was a mistake.” Tears pooled in Gabby’s eyes again. It was her biggest fear. That something would happen between them and then he’d call it a mistake. “That we’re just friends, and he was just caught up in the moment.”
The bed moved as Carrie Anne sat down and rested her hand on Gabby’s arm. “I don’t think he really believes that.”
Gabby sat up. “How can you say that? You should have seen him. He looked…distraught. Like it was the worst mistake he’d ever made. I was the worst mistake he’d ever made. I tried…” The sentence trailed off as the words caught in her throat.
Carrie Anne pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back. “He thinks you’re dating Bandit. If I know him as well as I think I do, that’s why he said all that.”
Pulling back, Gabby said, “But I hinted as hard as I could that Bandit and I weren’t really dating. I told Wyatt that we’d only been kind of talking.”
“Yeah, but Bandit is family. If Wyatt thought for a moment he was stepping in on territory he shouldn’t, he’d run as fast as he could.” Carrie Anne brushed Gabby’s hair back. “And Lord knows I love him, but we’ve already established he’s thick as a brick. He couldn’t pick up a hint if it bit him in the butt.”
“He’s not stupid, and I dropped hints the size of dinosaurs.”
Carrie Anne sighed. “But this is Wyatt. He’s not stupid; he’s just…so clueless.”
Gabby grabbed a tissue from the box sitting on the nightstand and wiped her nose. “But it wasn’t just a mistake. He said we were friends and that’s where it should stay. He doesn’t see me that way.”
“Well, his lips were telling a different story.” Carrie Anne chewed her lip, letting the silence stretch a moment. “Listen, I know this is hard, but stick with the plan. Give Wyatt a moment to figure out his own feelings. I’m telling you, my brother cares for you just as much as you care for him.”
Oh, how Gabby wanted that. The very thought that he did care for her was dangling a carrot in front of a mule. It was all she could do not to strap that wagon on and hike the highest hill. “What if you’re wrong?”
“What if I’m right?”
“I don’t know, Carrie Anne. When he said we should just stay friends, it would have hurt less if he’d outright punched me.”
Taking her by the shoulders, Carrie Anne locked eyes with her. “Gabby, my brother has always sought you out. When it came to his problems, he’d find you. When he was excited and happy about something, you were the first person he’d want to tell. You’ve always been first. A man doesn’t put a woman on the top of his list for no reason, even if he doesn’t know it yet.”
“But I’d do the same when it came to him. If he doesn’t feel that way about me by now, then what hope is there?”
“He just needs time to put two and two together. Right now, he can’t even figure out there’s an equation to solve. Give him time. You’ve never dated anyone seriously. Never once. At no point in time have you been unavailable. You need to be unavailable so he can see what it would look like if he couldn’t seek you out anymore.”
That was true. Gabby had never dated anyone. Okay, yes, a date here or there, but it was never anything serious. How could it be, when all she did was compare them to Wyatt? His great smile, his dark blue eyes, the way he walked…everything. There wasn’t an inch of him that didn’t make her knees weak.
“Trust me on this. You’ve been convenient. He’s never had to think about losing you. Well, now he does, and he needs to.” Carrie Anne dropped her hands to her lap. “You are an amazing person. You are kind, sweet, and loveable. If Wyatt doesn’t come to his senses, then you deserve better. This thing needs to end one way or another. You deserve to be loved.”
Gabby lowered her gaze to the bed. As much as she wanted to disagree, she couldn’t.
Even dating in Charleston hadn’t been the cure for getting over him. The guys who asked her out were nice, but as much as she tried, there was never a spark. Of course, when you were still hung up on someone in another state, it was like trying to light a match underwater.
Carrie Anne took her hand. “Trust me. I’m not wrong about this.”
“Okay, I’ll…try.” Gabby lifted her eyes to Carrie Anne. “But if he doesn’t want me, then I’m done.”
“You have my word. If he doesn’t, it’ll be his loss. He might be my brother, but if he’s too dumb to see the best thing in his life is staring him in the face, then so be it.”
Chuckling, Gabby nodded. “Okay.”
With that, Carrie Anne smiled. “Then we stick to the plan and let him think you and Bandit are an item.”
“Okay.”
“Good. Let’s get you cleaned up and start planning. You and Bandit are going out this week.”
Gabby’s eyebrows knitted together. “What?”
“You’re going on a real date.”
“I am? Did Bandit agree to this?”
Carrie Anne rolled her eyes. “No, something’s going to come up, and he won’t be able to go. Wyatt, on the other hand, will see this gorgeous knockout, ready for a night on the town, and he won’t be able to resist.”
Groaning, Gabby palmed her forehead. “I’m so going to regret this.”
“It’ll be great, and Wyatt won’t know what hit him.” Carrie Anne grinned. “Please tell me you brought a dress. Something that will go with those red boots of yours.
This so-called date was either going to be great or horrible. Gabby could see no way it could fall in the middle. What would happen if Wyatt did think she was unavailable for once in his life? Maybe it was time to find out.
What could it hurt to play the part? Every time Wyatt came around, she’d drop everything for him. Everything. Papers that were due, science projects…not to mention taking out the trash forever just to see his events.
Squaring her shoulders, Gabby decided it was time she stopped allowing her heart to be broken. Maybe it was time to do a little heartbreaking of her own. Maybe she could even “Achy” dance to it. With red boots.
Chapter 14
“Are you playing or sleeping with your eyes open?” Wyatt’s dad asked Josiah. “I ain’t got all day.”
Wyatt barked a laugh. Josiah always slowed a rummy game down. Granted, he almost always won it, but it still took him forever to play. Card games were a staple between the Wests and the Fredericks. It was always tense but fun because Josiah and King were the most competitive.
As desperate as Wyatt was to keep his mind occupied, he’d have put up with anything. Kissing Gabby had messed with his head. Since their kiss, anytime she was around, it was awkward and tense—something he’d never felt between them before. Sure, they’d had arguments as all people do, but it didn’t feel anything like what had been going on since that day at the orchard.
Now, anytime Wyatt got the chance t
o keep himself active, he took it. He’d even gone grocery shopping with his mom, which had been a horrible mistake. He loved his momma, but she’d officially turned her grandchild radar on him. When was he settling down? His answer of I don’t know didn’t work anymore. Well, it had never worked, but it worked even less these days.
“You just hold your horses,” Josiah growled, breaking Wyatt from his thoughts.
Thank goodness. His older brother to the rescue. Wyatt didn’t need to fall down that rabbit hole again.
Their dad leveled his eyes at Josiah. “You got nothing. Just call it and take your licks, boy.”
Mrs. Fredericks laughed, bumping her shoulder against Wyatt’s mom. “Those two. You think they’ll ever grow out of that?”
His mom scoffed. “At this point? No.”
Stephanie scooted down in her chair. “Come on, Joe, just play the game.”
He glared at her. “Don’t you start.”
Israel set his cards down and looked at his phone. “Carrie Anne should be here in a second. Whatever she was working on, she says she’s finished.”
So far, the game consisted of Wyatt’s parents, Hunter and Josiah, Gabby’s parents and her sister, and Israel. Bear…he didn’t care for card games. He was in the living room, snoozing in the recliner. Wyatt had no idea where Carrie Anne, Gabby, or Bandit were.
The past few days, it seemed like whatever sort of relationship Gabby had with Bandit had upped a notch. They’d almost been inseparable. For some reason, after kissing her, their being together annoyed Wyatt even more. It shouldn’t have, and he tried not to be, but it didn’t stop the errant thoughts that said she was with the wrong guy. Wyatt had thought about talking to Bandit, but he was going to have to accept that they were together.
He shook his head. He didn’t need any of his thoughts going down that road. He needed to keep his eyes on his cards and his mind in the game. No images of Gabby or Bandit needed to mess up his concentration.
Josiah’s eyes widened, and Wyatt followed his line of sight. No wonder Josiah was gawking. Gabby stood in the doorway, looking like a magazine model in a form-fitting little black dress with red boots. Her hair was hanging in loose curls flowing around her shoulders, and, man, those dark eyes of hers were sparkling like a New Year’s fireworks display.
“Goodness gracious, honey, you look fantastic,” Wyatt’s mom said.
Mrs. Fredericks stood and walked to Gabby as Carrie Anne sidled up next to her.
Carrie Anne giggled. “She looks amazing.”
Amazing? Fantastic? Did those words even do her justice? “Whoa.” The word slipped from his lips before he could wrangle anything better.
Wyatt’s dad twisted in his seat. “I don’t think that dress is long enough.”
Wyatt’s mom popped his dad’s arm. “Hush. It’s touching her knees.”
“And painted on,” Wyatt said. Again, his mouth was saying things faster than his brain could work. “Where are you going in that?”
Gabby settled her gaze on him and flashed him the most dazzling smile he’d ever witnessed. “I’m going to dinner with Bandit.”
“You’re going out with Bandit tonight?” Stephanie dropped her cards and sat up straight.
A light pink covered her cheeks as she looked down. “Yep, he’s taking me out.”
Stephanie blinked a second, and her mouth opened like she was about to say something before she clamped it closed. “Are you sure you’re only going to dinner?”
Wyatt jerked his attention to Gabby’s sister. “What?”
“You do see how she’s dressed, right?” Stephanie laughed. “That’s going to be some date.”
This date business with Bandit didn’t sound good at all. Not when Gabby was going out looking all…dressed up.
The clutch Gabby was holding began ringing, and she fished out her phone, putting it to her ear. “Hey, I’m ready.” She held up her finger and stepped away.
Carrie Anne walked to Israel, kissed him, and then sat in the chair next to him. “So, what are we playing?”
It was as if that dress was no big deal to anyone but Wyatt. It covered everything just fine, but what if some creepy guy got handsy with her? Could Bandit knock their lights out like he was supposed to? He was a good man, but he wasn’t the put-your-dukes-up kind of guy. That dress called for a man with a solid right hook.
Wyatt set his cards down and stood.
“Where are you going?” asked Carrie Anne.
He might not have been the sharpest crayon, but he had enough wits to not say, To spy on Gabby. Instead, he used the best excuse ever invented. “Bathroom.”
“Oh,” his sister replied sweetly, but the look she gave him nearly froze his boots in place. It was as if she was reading his mind and knew his real reason.
He shivered with the thought and left the table. As he reached the living room, he walked softer. His brain and his body were working in such harmony that he didn’t even have to try to be sneaky. Wyatt stopped just far enough away that he could hear her clearly.
“No, it’s okay. I understand.” Her shoulders sagged. “I was looking forward to it. Maybe another time?”
Another time? Bandit was standing her up? What? Nothing Bandit said would make up for him ditching her.
“Sure, I’ll talk to you later.” She chuckled. “Okay. Bye.”
She turned, and Wyatt froze. “I’m sorry. I was going to the bathroom and didn’t want to interrupt you.”
“It’s okay.” She lifted one foot and began taking off her boot.
“What are you doing?”
She stopped and shrugged. “Changing. Bandit went to town, and he lost track of time. We had reservations at the La Grande Bistro in Amarillo. No way we can make it now.” Sighing, she set her clutch on a nearby side table. “It’s okay. Maybe another time.”
“Well…” Well, what? The last time Wyatt was alone with her, he’d kissed her. Did he risk doing that again? Especially with her looking so amazing? Man, her lips were covered in some gloss that seemed to be made of neon. It was all he could do to keep his eyes off them.
That was his problem, though. She looked great, and it didn’t seem right for her to look that good and not get to go out. It wasn’t fair that her night should get ruined just because Bandit lost track of time. She deserved a great night out. “I could take you. I mean, I’m a poor substitute for Bandit, but if you’re okay with it, I’d be happy to be your plus one.”
She smiled. “That’s okay.”
The mournful tone in her voice made Wyatt even more determined to take her out. “No, you got dressed up. There’s no reason to let that go to waste. Is there a dress code for that Bistro place?”
She closed the distance between them just as Wyatt took a deep breath. Goodness, and he thought she smelled good the other day. This perfume was even better. Up close, her hair looked so soft that it took effort not to slide his fingers through it. But what really got him were her eyes. They had to be the prettiest brown eyes he’d ever seen.
He was mesmerized by her. “Geez, Gabby, you just look…”
“Too dressed up?” Her lips turned down in the corners as she glanced down.
He tipped her chin up with one finger. “No, you look stunning. There isn’t a prettier woman in the state of Texas, if you ask me.”
“I think you’re required to say that, being family and all.”
His hand dropped to his side. Family? He wasn’t having family feelings at all. Right then, he could see himself taking her in his arms and kissing her. He needed to knock that off if he was taking her out. Kissing her a second time…well, there would be no excuse for that. The last thing he wanted was for things to be awkward or to betray his friend again. “That’s not why I said it. Family or not, you are gorgeous.”
“Are you sure you want to go out with me?”
“Absolutely.” The word came all the way from his core. He wanted nothing more than to spend the evening with her. Yeah, they were family, but he didn’t
know nearly enough about her, and he wanted to fix that. “Am I dressed okay? All I’ve got are jeans and these button-ups.”
Her lips quirked up. “You’ve always looked good to me. I think you’ll be fine.”
“Then I guess we should go.”
Man, oh man, he couldn’t remember being drawn to a woman so strongly. And if he was feeling this way already, how would he feel about her once he’d spent time with her?
He took a deep breath and tamped down the thoughts. She was Bandit’s girl, and Wyatt was going to respect that. He was man enough to control himself, hopefully.
* * *
Conversation on the way to the La Grand Bistro was fun and light. Whatever awkwardness that had been between them was gone, and they were back to being their old selves: teasing, joking, and talking about everything from his accident to her time at the newspaper. Overall, the two-hour drive to Amarillo was comfortable.
The restaurant lived up to its fancy name. Most of the men were in suits and ties, and there Wyatt was, sticking out like a sore thumb in his working man’s attire. Gabby didn’t seem to mind, though. If she did, she was doing a good job of hiding it. As for Gabby, she was not only the best dressed but the best-looking woman in the whole establishment.
Wyatt sat back and held his midsection. The meal he’d ordered was beyond delicious and filling. “I don’t think I’ll be able to eat for a week.”
Chuckling, Gabby nodded. “Me too, but it was so good.”
“Had you been here before?” he asked, leaning forward with his arms on the table.
“No, Carrie Anne was the one who suggested it. Apparently, Israel brought her here once.”
“Oh,” Wyatt replied and looked around the restaurant. “Yeah, I can see Carrie Anne enjoying a place like this.”
Gabby shot him a smile. “You would have preferred something a little less fancy, huh?”
He shrugged. “This is nice.”
“But…” She drew out the word.
The Best Friend's Billionaire Brother (Caprock Canyon Romance Book 1) Page 10