by Elle James
He was a Grayson. She was a Sanchez. The blonde-haired woman wearing the designer white suit was more his pace, more his style. Someone who fit better in his world. Selena had just been a distraction along his way. She’d known all this before she’d made love with Rider. And yet, she’d done it anyway. Going for what she wanted, as Lola had insisted.
What she hadn’t wanted was the heartbreak and the heartache that went along with it.
As her tears slowed, she looked at her red-rimmed eyes and ducked her head to splash cool water against her face, eyes and cheeks, trying to scrub away all the evidence of her heartbreak. She’d known better. Her father had told her all along she didn’t belong in their world. Why hadn’t she believed him?
When she had done the best she could to erase the ravages of her tears, she straightened, pushed back her shoulders and left the bathroom to go to work.
Her boss stood behind the counter, waiting on a customer.
As she made her way toward the counter, Selena straightened products on the shelves and on the racks.
By the time she reached the register, the last customer left the building, and her boss looked at her. “What’s wrong, Selena?”
She shook her head, the ready tears welling in her eyes again. She could not let them fall.
A single tear trickled down the side of her face.
“Oh, Selena, has some man gone and broken your heart?” Mr. Hutcheson touched her arm. He pressed a tissue into her hand, and said, “If you need time off, take it. I can handle the store today.”
Selena shook her head. “No, I’m all right.”
And she would be all right. She had a plan to go to school in January. She would become a PA and help people, just as she’d always intended to. With or without Rider Grayson in her life.
The door to the store opened, and Raul Jemenez entered along with a few of his buddies.
Great. Just what I need, Selena thought. A confrontation with Raul.
She turned her back to him and dabbed at the tear streaks on her face. She refused to let him see her cry.
“Selena, mi amour,” Raul said. “I understand Rider Grayson’s wife is in town, and she wants him back.”
Selena’s heartbeat screeched to a halt and, for a long pause, didn’t beat. And then her pulse returned, storming through her veins. So, that had been the woman who’d kissed Rider. And he’d kissed her back.
“I didn’t figure he would last long in Hellfire after living in Dallas for all those years,” Raul said. “I suppose he’ll be heading back to Dallas soon with his wife.”
Selena shrugged. “I suppose it’s none of our business.”
Raul smirked. “You didn’t think he’d choose you over her, did you?”
Selena shook her head. “Never. Rider Grayson could have anyone he wants.”
“But you didn’t think he’d want you, did you?” Raul said, a sneer in his voice.
“I never said he did,” Selena said, her heart breaking into a million pieces.
“Good thing you have your head on straight now.” Raul shook his head. “For a while there, I thought you had your sights set on the Grayson boy.”
“No way,” she said, her lips pressing into a tight line. “I’ve got my sights set on school. And nothing’s going to stop me.”
“I’m glad you’re finally thinking straight,” Raul said. “Maybe now, you’d consider going out on a date with me.”
Selena shook her head. “No, Raul. I’m not interested in going out with you.”
His thick brows descended. “Don’t tell me you still think you have a chance with Rider?”
Selena shook her head again. “I’m not that foolish. But I’m also not interested in a date with you, now or ever, Raul.”
Raul shrugged his shoulders. “Your loss. But you’re not gonna get Rider Grayson. If you’d have seen his wife, you’d realize why. The woman is a knockout. She could be one of those women on that top model television show. She has it all going for her. From the blonde hair to the long legs and perfect clothes.” Raul ran his gaze from the top of Selena’s head to the tip of her comfortable tennis shoes.
Anger boiled in Selena’s veins. “I get the point, Raul. I don’t measure up to Grayson standards.”
Mr. Hutcheson emerged from the back of the store carrying several bags of ice. His gaze went to Selena and back to Raul. “Good morning, Raul,” Mr. Hutcheson said. “I don’t suppose you could get the door for me, could you?”
Raul gave Selena one last look before going to the door and opening it for Mr. Hutcheson and his bags of ice.
Mr. Hutcheson exited. “I don’t suppose you could also get the door to the ice box too, could you?”
Raul shot another look at Selena. “I’m not giving up.”
Selena gave him a grimace. “Raul, you need to. There’s nothing between you and me, and there never will be.”
Raul left the store to help Mr. Hutcheson open the ice box and deposit his load.
A few moments later, Raul and his friends left the convenience store parking lot on their way to their construction site.
Mr. Hutcheson reentered the store to where Selena was restocking the candy aisle. “Is Raul the man who put the tears in your eyes?”
Selena shook her head. “No. He isn’t.”
Mr. Hutcheson sighed. “Well, if he’s bothering you, you let me know, and I’ll take care of it.”
Selena smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Hutcheson. I really appreciate all you do for me.”
Her boss patted her back. “You’re like a daughter to me, Selena. And I’m very proud of all that you’ve done, all that you’ve accomplished, and all that you will accomplish.”
“Thank you, Mr. Hutcheson. You don’t know how much that means to me.”
A shiny red vehicle with a sagging bumper pulled up in front of the store. Selena froze with a wad of candy bars in her hand on its way to the shelf. Mr. Hutcheson’s eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?” His gaze traveled to where hers had landed.
A striking woman with blonde hair and blue eyes stepped out of the vehicle in a white pant suit.
“Do you know that woman?” Mr. Hutcheson asked.
“I think that’s Rider Grayson’s ex-wife.” Selena shoved the candy bars onto the shelf. “I think I’ll go bag ice if you don’t mind, Mr. Hutcheson.”
“I’ve bagged all the ice we’ll need today,” he said, his gaze shifting between her and the blonde.
“Are there any more boxes in the back that need to be put up on the shelves?” Selena asked.
Mr. Hutcheson shook his head. “Nope, got ’em all put out.” His brow dipped low on his forehead. “You want me to take this customer?”
Selena drew in a deep breath and let it go slowly. She might as well face her nemesis. “No, I’ll get her.”
What had started out as a beautiful morning with the sun shining down, the birds singing and the honeysuckle blooming, filling the air with its lovely fragrance, had turned into more of a nightmare for Selena. She took up a position behind the counter as Rider’s ex-wife walked through the door.
The woman stood for a moment glancing around the interior of the store, a frown denting her smooth brow. “What fresh hell have I walked into?” She laughed. “Oh, that’s right, I’m in Hellfire, Texas.” Her gaze went to Selena behind the counter, and her eyes narrowed. “Do you have anything for a massive headache?” She pressed her fingers to her temples. “In this godforsaken town, there has to be something.”
Selena reached behind the counter for a twin pack of ibuprofen and laid it on the counter. “Yes, ma’am,” Selena said. She pasted half a smile on her face. “Is that all you need?”
The woman snorted. “Of course, that’s not all I need,” she snapped. “I’ll need something to take it with.”
“The refrigerator in the back has sodas, water, beer and wine.” Selena waved toward the rear of the building. “Take your pick.”
For a moment, the woman stood there as if she expected Selena t
o go find whatever she wanted to drink. Then she harrumphed and marched back to the refrigerator and selected a bottled water. She returned to the front, plopped the bottle on the counter and pulled a credit card from her purse. Selena rang up the items and gave her the total. The woman slid the credit card in the card reader and waited. A moment later, the charge on the credit card was declined. Selena glanced up at the woman. “I’m sorry, ma’am. The charge was declined.”
“Damn him to hell.” She rifled through her wallet and pulled out another credit card and slid it through the card reader. Again, the card was declined.
“Want me to try?” Selena asked.
The woman slapped the card into Selena’s hand. “Yes.”
Selena ran the card through the reader on the register at the same time noting the name on its plastic surface.
Lydia Grayson.
Though Selena had suspected the woman was Rider’s ex-wife, seeing her name made her back stiffen and her guard go up.
After she’d gone through three different credit cards Lydia finally turned her purse upside down and shook the change out of the bottom, muttering as she thumbed through the coins. “Daddy just doesn’t understand. It’s not as easy as he thinks. If Rider hadn’t signed those papers, I would have changed things.” She threw her hands in the air and stood back. “Is that enough?”
Selena counted out change enough to pay for the pills and the drink, and then she pushed the rest back toward the woman. Selena deposited the money into the cash register, and then asked Lydia, “Would you like a bag for that?”
Lydia shook her head as she scooped everything off the counter back into her purse. “No, but if you could open the package with the headache medicine, I would appreciate that.”
Selena did as she was asked and tore the pills free from the package. She dropped them into Lydia’s open palm.
Rider’s ex unscrewed the cap from the water bottle and downed the two pills. When she finally put the cap back on the bottle, she looked at Selena across the counter. Her eyes narrowed, and she studied Selena, as if seeing her for the first time. Her lips tightened. “You,” she said. “You’re the woman who won the bid for Rider Grayson last night.”
Selena fought the urge to squirm. She had nothing to squirm about. The money wasn’t hers. Rider had asked her to bid for him so that he wouldn’t have to go on a date with any other woman in the building. Lydia Grayson did not have to know that. Rider’s ex-wife didn’t have to know anything about what had happened between Selena and Rider.
“Is that all you need?” Selena asked, pasting a fake smile on her face.
Lydia’s gaze swept her from head to toe, and her lips curled back in a sneer. “You know he’s married, don’t you?”
Selena’s brows rose. “From what I understand, he’s officially divorced.”
Lydia’s chin rose. “That’s only a formality. He doesn’t belong here in Hellfire. He belongs in Dallas…with me.”
“Really? Does Rider know this?” She cocked her brows. “From what he’s told his family, he intends on staying in Hellfire.”
Lydia snorted. “You paid a lot of money for one date with a cowboy, but that’s as far as it will go. One date. In fact, I really doubt he’ll live up to the promise of that one date. He’s coming back to me. He’ll be back in Dallas. You just watch. You might as well call off the date. It won’t lead to anything else.”
Selena forced the smile to remain on her face, and she stared Lydia in the eyes. “I don’t care if it’s just one date. I don’t care if we have wild monkey sex. It’s one date with Rider Grayson. And you won’t be on it.” She tipped her chin toward the door. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have other customers.”
Lydia snorted, spun on her heel, and marched toward the door. When she reached it, she turned back and glared at Selena. “You’re not the kind of woman Rider Grayson will commit to. At the best, you’ll be just a fling,” Lydia said.
Selena met her gaze, tipping her chin just a little bit higher. “Apparently, you’re not the kind of woman Rider Grayson commits to either.” She tipped her head to the side. “Thus, the divorce.”
“I told you that was just a formality,” Lydia said. “He’ll come back to me. Mark my words.” And she left the store, letting the door swing shut with a hard slam behind her.
Selena waited until the red sports car with the drooping bumper sped away before she sagged against the counter. All her energy drained from her.
Mr. Hutcheson slipped an arm around her. “I take it Rider Grayson is the man behind the tears.”
Selena nodded. “Yeah. He is. But I’m done crying.”
“So, are you going on that date with Rider?” He raised his brows. “After all, you did win the bid.”
If she were smart. Selena would say, Oh, hell no. Instead, she found her mouth opening and the words coming out, “Hell yeah, I’m going on that date.” If for no other reason than to prove Lydia wrong.
CHAPTER 9
BASED on the cookie tin Rider had found by the garage door, he figured Selena had been there earlier, about the time that he’d been kissed by his ex-wife. Throughout the day, he’d passed the convenience store where Selena worked and considered stopping in. But each time he’d passed, the convenience store was busy with multiple customers. He didn’t want to be interrupted when he had that conversation with Selena about his ex-wife and the fact that his ex-wife had done the kissing, not him.
He saved the explanations for when he came to pick her up for their date later that evening. First, he’d stopped by the florist to pick up a cheerful bouquet of daisies. He wore a nice pair of dark gray trousers, a white button-down shirt and a bolo tie, along with his best cowboy boots, polished to a nice shine. He’d showered and scrubbed all the grease from beneath his fingernails and wore his favorite cologne. He’d spent an hour cleaning his truck, vacuuming and polishing it to a shine. He’d thought of everything he could to make things right with Selena. He had his main plan stashed away in the back seat of his truck for later that evening, if all went well.
First things first, he had to convince Selena to go on the date to begin with. If he were her, he’d tell himself to go to hell. If he’d been the one to walk up on her kissing her ex, he’d have been angry.
When he pulled up outside of Selena’s apartment, he grimaced at the ugly writing on the exterior of the apartment building. Tomorrow, he’d get after it with paint and a scrub brush and wash away the horrible words. With a deep breath, he gathered the flowers, stepped down from his truck, and climbed the stairs to the garage apartment and knocked on the door.
After a long pause, he knocked again. This time, the door opened, and Selena stood before him in yoga pants and a T-shirt, barefooted and clearly not intending to go through with the date. Forcing a smile to his face, he held out the flowers. “These lovely flowers are for a lovely lady. I have a few minutes to wait if you want to get dressed for our date.”
She shook her head. “I’m not going.”
“Of course, you’re going,” he said, with all the confidence he could muster. “Everybody in Hellfire will be expecting us to show up somewhere to prove you had the one with the winning bid.”
She shook her head. “It was your money. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. And you don’t have to take me out on a date.”
He nodded, still holding out the flowers in front of him. “I know I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. But, I would like to take you out on that date to thank you for saving me from a fate worse than death.”
“Perhaps a date with Mrs. Cleyburne would have been preferable to a date with Selena Sanchez.”
Forcing his smile a little wider, he held the flowers out again. “I don’t suppose you have a vase I could put these flowers in before they start wilting. I saw these as I passed the flower shop, and I thought of you. I know how you like flowers that are cheerful.”
Finally, Selena took the flowers from him and walked to the kitchen where she found a vase
in the cabinet, filled it with water and put the flowers in it. “Look, Rider,” Selena said, “you don’t have to take me out on a date. You don’t have to take me anywhere. What happened last night was nothing more than a fling. I get that.”
Rider waited until she stopped arranging the flowers then he gripped her arms and turned her to face him. “I’m betting you showed up at the garage about the time my ex-wife was trying to convince me to take her back.”
Selena looked away. “What you do on your own time, in your garage, with your wife or ex-wife, means nothing to me.”
“Well, it means something to me,” Rider said. “Lydia did come by my shop today, uninvited. Apparently, she wants me back. Probably because her father cut her off and wants her to go to work to earn her money. I told her I wanted nothing to do with her, him or Dallas, and that our divorce was final. Period. The end.”
Selena still refused to meet his gaze. “Seeing you with her reminded me of the difference between you and me.”
“What difference?” Rider asked.
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. “I’m not the kind of woman you need in your life.”
“And what kind of woman do I need?” Rider asked.
“I don’t know.” She flung her hand out to the side. “The beautiful blonde, well put-together, could have been a model... I could never be that. I’m just me, Selena Sanchez. Hispanic, dark haired, dark eyed…someone who doesn’t belong in your world.”
With his hands still on her arms, Rider gently shook her. “I don’t know where you get off thinking you’re inferior to me. If anything, you’re a better person than I could ever begin to be.”
Selena shook her head. “I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I didn’t go to cotillion when I was a young girl and learn how to set the table correctly with the right number of forks and knives. Hell, I barely know how to set a formal table. I’m not one of the upper class. And I never will be.”