Jase took a menacing step forward, and Seth’s smirk disappeared. Jase raised a finger and jabbed it in Seth’s chest. “Then you will park down the block and stay in the car, with your sunglasses on and a hat covering your face. If Cassidy sees you, I’ll make sure you get fired from this film and no one ever hires you again. That’s a promise.”
Seth’s eyes darkened with fear, and Jase knew he’d keep a low profile when they were in town. The name Larson held a lot of weight in the entertainment industry, and Jase was more than capable of following through on his threat. And Seth knew it.
Seth waited in the bunkhouse common room while Jase quickly packed up the last of his things. He slung his bag over one shoulder and looked around the bunk room, a lump rising in his throat.
He didn’t want to go with Seth. He didn’t want to go at all.
Jase stared at the cream-color cowboy hat resting on his top bunk. He’d stripped it of the sheets and left the comforter neatly folded at the end. Jase ran a hand over the rich leather, lifting the hat off his bed. It felt wrong somehow to wear it now. Like wearing shorts in a snowstorm.
He opened his duffel bag and dropped the hat on top of his clothes, neatly zipping it shut.
Jase strode into the common room and glared at Seth. “I’m ready.”
Seth twirled his key ring around his index finger. “I’ll follow you then, unless you want to let production get your rental.”
“I’ll pass,” Jase said through gritted teeth.
Seth clapped a hand on Jase’s shoulder. “Come on, man. It doesn’t have to be like this. We’ve got eight weeks of filming ahead of us.”
Jase shrugged off the hand. “Don’t forget my promise, Seth. If she sees you, it’s all over.”
Seth’s mouth turned downward, and he gave a sharp nod. Satisfied, Jase threw open the bunkhouse door.
Cassidy jumped back, putting a hand to her chest. “Geez, Jase. You scared the living daylights out of me.”
Jase’s heart began pounding in his chest and he quickly moved, trying to block Seth from her view with his body. He grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door partially closed. “This is a nice surprise. What are you doing home?”
“Kari told me she could close up today. I wanted to see you.” Cassidy peered around his shoulder while playing with the ends of her braid. Jase swallowed hard, hating Seth for ruining this moment for him. “Can I come in?”
Cassidy moved to enter, but Jase took a step, mimicking her move. He put a hand on the door jam, hoping it looked casual. “Uh, why don’t we go for a walk? I’d love to visit Brownie and Cupcake one last time.”
Her eyes narrowed and she folded her arms. “What aren’t you telling me? You got another girl in there or something? Because I swear, Jase Larson—”
Heat slowly rose up Jase’s back, her words hitting harder than she’d probably attended. “I’m not a cheater, Cassidy.”
“I know that. It was just a joke.” She peered around his shoulder again. “You’re hiding something. Tell me right now or I swear I’ll storm away in a huff.”
A strong breeze yanked the bunkhouse door wide open. The door banged against the wall, then bounced forward again.
But it was enough. Cassidy’s eyes widened and she ducked under Jase’s arm, entering the common room.
Jase dropped his hand and turned around. A watermelon had lodged itself in his throat. Seth stood in the middle of the room, hands on his hips and eyes roving over every inch of Cassidy’s body.
“Well, well, well,” Seth said. “Isn’t this a pleasant surprise. You’re looking good, Cass. A lot better than the last time I saw you, that’s for sure.”
Jase clenched his hands into fists. “I swear, Herrington, if you don’t shut up right now, I’m going to ruin that face of yours.”
Seth held up his hands. “Can’t blame me for trying to reconnect with my ex-fiancée.”
Jase swore. “Cassidy—”
She held up a hand, silencing him. He eyes were locked onto Seth’s. “What are you doing here?”
Seth flicked a glance at Jase, his eyes glinting darkly. “I thought your boyfriend here would’ve told you that.”
Cassidy’s eyes flew to Jase’s. The hurt he saw there ripped a hole right in his soul. “Jase?”
His mouth was filled with cotton, but he forced the words out. “I was going to tell you, Cassidy. You have to believe me—I would’ve told you.”
She stumbled backward, her chest heaving. “Told me what?”
Seth smiled, all those unnaturally white teeth glinting in the light. “Why, my boy Jase and I are costars again.”
“That’s overstating things, don’t you think?” Jase ground out. He took a step forward, reaching for Cassidy’s hand, but she took another step back. “He’s only got a minor role in the film. I just found out myself a couple of days ago.”
“When?” she demanded.
He hung his head, shame making him weak. “At the bakery when we worked on the cake for the college.”
“I can’t believe this.” She whirled, stomping out the door.
Jase swore and ran after her, leaving his bag on the living room floor. “I had no idea he was coming today, Cassidy. He just showed up. My mother sent him.”
She laughed, the sound ripping through him like shards of glass. “Well, isn’t that just fantastic. The two of you seem plenty chummy to me.”
“We’re not,” Jase said, his voice rising.
Cassidy whirled, the toe of her cowboy boot kicking up dust. “I can’t believe you’d do this to me, Jase.”
“I know. I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” The watermelon was rising in Jase’s throat, and he had to choke out the words. “Please, let me explain—”
She held up a hand, silencing him. A tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away quickly. The disappointment in her eyes made his breath catch. “You know how much he hurt me. And you brought him here, to my home, without any warning.”
“I didn’t know—”
“Were you even going to say goodbye before you left?”
“Of course.” Jase grasped her hand and squeezed it desperately. He had to make her understand. He couldn’t lose her. “Please, Cassidy. I’m so, so sorry. I’ll talk to my mother. Get him recast.”
She shook her head and slowly pulled her hand away.
“We can work this out,” Jase choked out. “Let’s try the long distance thing. This doesn’t have to be it. I’ll fly you out to Texas the first weekend I’m filming. It’ll be fun.”
But she was shaking her head, tears brimming her eyes. “We both knew this wouldn’t last. Goodbye, Jase. Have a nice life.”
He stumbled backward, the words nearly bringing him to his knees. “Cassidy.”
“It’s better this way. Please don’t follow me.” Cassidy whirled and ran toward the main house, her boots kicking up dust with each step.
Jase stood frozen, watching her figure grow smaller and more distant with each step. He pounded a fist to his chest, struggling to breathe.
In that moment, he didn’t care about the production, or Hollywood, or Seth, or what his mother wanted. Because the only thing that really mattered to him had just walked away.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Cassidy stumbled back to the homestead, praying her legs wouldn’t give out until she was safely locked inside. The tears burned for release, but she wouldn’t give in to them—not this time. The few tears that had escaped were traitorous enough. She was done crying over men who didn’t care for her.
Cassidy slammed the kitchen door shut and sank to the floor, glad that neither of her parents were home. Her entire body shook with adrenaline. She hugged her knees close to her chest, gasping for air.
Jase had lied to her. He’d brought Seth back to Star Ranch, even knowing how much he’d hurt her. Seth had looked at her so coldly, like she was a fly he couldn’t wait to squash. How had she almost married him?
She ran a shaking had through her hair, pulling out the str
ands of her braid. A cold sweat overtook her body and she tried to take slow, even breaths. Jase said he wasn’t at fault, and she was sure Seth had something to do with what had just happened. But she didn’t care about stupid Seth. She cared about Jase. She cared that he hadn’t told her Seth was here.
Jase had lied to her.
A sob ripped from her chest. Cassidy kicked off her cowboy boots, feeling claustrophobic. She’d been starting to trust him. Had spent most of last night crying over his impending departure.
The purr of a car engine broke the stillness, and Cassidy held her breath. Another purr followed the first, and then the crunch of gravel under tires as two vehicles drove down the lane.
She could no longer hold back the tears. Cassidy collapsed in a heap on the kitchen floor and curled into a ball, giving herself over to grief.
Jase had really left. And he’d taken her heart with him.
The creek of the garage door opening echoed through the house, and Cassidy forced herself to stand and walk to her bedroom. She wasn’t in the mood to talk to her mama right now.
Why did she always fall for the wrong guys?
Her phone rang. Cassidy’s heart leapt, but the caller ID told her Tanner was calling, not Jase. For a moment she considered ignoring the call, but then Tanner would just ask Mama why Cassidy wasn’t answering her phone. She yanked a tissue off her bedside table and wiped her nose, then answered the phone. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too obvious she’d been crying. “Hello?”
Tanner’s happy voice crackled over the line. “Great news, sis. I got the job! I’m coming back to Sunset Plains in just over a month.”
Cassidy clutched at the tissue, trying to focus on what Tanner was saying. He’d finished up his master’s degree at Texas A&M and had been hoping to get a teaching position at the small satellite campus in Sunset Plains. “That’s great. Congratulations.”
“Hey, is everything okay?” Tanner’s tone had turned to one of concern. “It sounds like you’re crying or something.”
“Oh, I’m fine.” Cassidy glanced out her bedroom window. She could just make out the corner of the bunkhouse from here. For the past three weeks, it had giving her a strange sort of comfort to know that Jase was asleep just a few yards away. “It’s stupid, really.”
“Cassidy,” Tanner said sternly. “Do I have to conference in Shawn so we can make you talk?”
“No.” Her voice sounded petulant, even to her own ears. “This whole thing is Shawn’s fault, anyway?”
“What happened?”
“I fell for the stupid actor. Again.” The tears were back, and Cassidy plucked another tissue from the box. “Why do I always fall for the wrong guy, Tanner? He left, and I swear, he broke my heart in the process.”
“Whoa. Slow down there. He’s only been at the ranch, what, a month?”
“It feels like longer.” And yet, at the same time, it hadn’t been nearly long enough.
“I’m here if you want to talk,” Tanner said quietly. “Maybe you guys can work out a long distance deal or something?”
“I don’t think that’s possible now,” Cassidy said. She pressed a hand over her heart, the betrayal of Seth’s appearance washing over her afresh. “He’s working with Seth.”
Tanner swore. “Are you kidding me?”
So Cassidy told Tanner about the last month, glossing over the more romantic details, ending with Seth’s blindside arrival not even an hour earlier.
“That’s awful,” Tanner said. “I wish I could come down there and punch him in the face.”
“I’m not sure it’s entirely his fault. Jase said that he didn’t know Seth was coming.”
“I’m not talking about Jase. I’m talking about Seth. I really hate that guy.”
Cassidy clutched the phone. “Me too.”
“Cass, you’ve got to let him go,” Tanner said. “This is destroying you.”
“It’s only been like an hour. Give me a second to process what just happened.”
“I’m not talking about Jase. I’m talking about Seth.”
Cassidy inhaled sharply. “What are you talking about? I’m totally over Seth.”
“I know you don’t want him back. But I don’t think you’ve forgiven him for what he did to you. And I’m not sure you’ll be able to move on until you do.”
Tanner’s words bounced around in Cassidy’s hand all night long, chasing away any hopes of sleeping. She’d thought she’d put Seth behind her. Left him in the past.
But maybe Tanner was right.
Had Cassidy allowed her hatred of Seth to ruin her relationship with Jase?
She was at the bakery even earlier than normal the next morning and threw herself into baking, trying to wipe the events of yesterday from her memory. But thoughts of Jase kept invading. Was he back in California yet? Had he really gotten Seth fired from the film?
Did Jase miss her as much as she missed him?
She was so tired of being left behind. Tired of being alone.
Cassidy straightened the front room and glanced at the wall clock. Still almost thirty minutes until it was time to open the store. She grabbed a bottle of window cleaner and squirted the fronts of the display cases, then vigorously wiped them down with a towel.
Maybe she was being stubborn. Jase couldn’t control where Seth went. They both worked in the entertainment industry, which wasn’t that big of a world. It made sense they’d end up working together occasionally.
Cassidy glanced at her phone, finger hovering over Jase’s number. She should call and apologize. Offer to go with him to Texas.
Tears sprang to her eyes, and she shoved the phone back in her apron pocket. No. She hadn’t been happy forgetting herself for Seth. She wouldn’t be happy doing the same for Jase, either.
Cassidy dropped the paper towels in the trashcan and leaned against the now sparkling display case. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, trying to hold herself together. This pain would pass. She’d made the right decision.
A knock sounded rapidly on the glass door, startling her. Cassidy looked up, surprised to see Anabeth Collins waving frantically. Cassidy glanced at the clock. It was still nearly fifteen minutes until the store’s opening.
Cassidy quickly unlocked the door and let Anabeth inside. The woman’s hair was pulled back in a loose braid, and her eyes were swollen and red. She wore an oversized flannel shirt and yoga pants.
“What’s wrong?” Cassidy asked.
“It’s awful.” Anabeth dabbed underneath one eye with a tissue. “You have to help me, Cassidy. Please. I don’t know what else to do.”
A pit formed in Cassidy’s stomach as pieces of a puzzle started to fall into place. “What’s awful?”
But she already knew the answer. There was only one reason Anabeth would be here right now, especially after how she’d stormed out of here a month ago.
“The cake,” Anabeth said, confirming Cassidy’s worse fears. “I refused to even take it home from the bakery. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Anabeth pulled out her phone, opened something, and handed it to Cassidy. She inhaled sharply at the wedding cake in the photo. The cake layers visibly tilted. The baker probably hadn’t used enough support dowels, and the cake appeared to be collapsing underneath its own weight.
“I know,” Anabeth said, her voice rising. “A complete and total nightmare.”
Cassidy took the phone and zoomed in to see the details. Cracked sugar flowers that looked like something out of a bad eighties cartoon tumbled down wrinkled and sagging fondant. Uneven piping covered one layer, and messy lattice work another.
“Oh, Anabeth.”
“The wedding’s tomorrow,” Anabeth choked out. “I called five bakeries in Tulsa, but none of them can fit me in on such short notice.”
Cassidy wasn’t surprised. A cake like this would take hours and hours to decorate. “Who made this?”
“Some random bakery in Tulsa.” Anabeth wiped at her eyes. “I was angry and didn’t take a
ny of your suggestions. Please, Cassidy. I know I was unkind the last time we spoke, but if you can’t help me, I won’t have anything for my wedding tomorrow.”
“I’m so sorry,” Cassidy whispered. She clasped her hands together, trying to stop their trembling.
“Can you help me?” Anabeth asked. She pressed her hands together in a praying motion and bit her lip.
Cassidy closed her eyes. She didn’t want to do this cake for Anabeth. Wasn’t sure she was physically capable of it. This week was supposed to be Cassidy’s first wedding anniversary. Seth’s unexpected arrival yesterday had thrown her for a loop.
She could still picture the way Seth’s mouth curved up in a cruel smile while offering a backhanded insult. Every conversation with him had crushed a little more of her soul. But she’d loved him, despite everything. Had been thrilled at the thought of welcoming a child.
And then he’d left. She could still remember the way her wedding dress had turned into a straight jacket with the news. Hours later she’d stared at an ultrasound screen, silently begging her baby to move. Seth had caused her years of stress and pain and hurt. She’d always ignored all her own wants and needs in favor of what was best for him.
“Cassidy?” Anabeth asked softly.
Cassidy blinked, realizing Anabeth was still waiting for an answer. The young bride’s face was free of makeup, her creamy skin pale and splotchy. Dark circles rimmed bloodshot eyes. Her clasped hands silently pleaded for help.
If Cassidy didn’t make the cake, there wouldn’t be one. Anabeth and her new husband would miss out on smearing frosting on each other’s noses while their friends and family laughed. Their wedding album would contain no pictures of a cake cutting ceremony. A year from now, on their first anniversary, they wouldn’t get to share a saved slice and reminisce about their wedding day.
Cassidy took a deep breath. She forced the bad memories of Seth behind a door and closed it tightly. She imagined locking up that door and throwing away the key.
He wouldn’t control her life anymore. Seth no longer got a say in Cassidy’s choices. She was done making decisions because of him.
One year ago, her wedding had ended in a shamble of broken dreams. But Anabeth’s didn’t need to end the same way. Cassidy forced words from a throat that felt swollen shut. “I’ll do it.”
Never Say Match (No Match for Love Book 9) Page 11