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“Fuck him, Whit. You can do anything you want. ”
I smiled and looked directly into her eyes. “I need your help. ”
Her smile faded. “Okay. I know people. ”
“Huh?”
“If you want to take him out, I know people who know people. It can look like an accident. Easy. ”
I just stared at her. “Oh. My. God. Are you being serious?”
“Shit yeah, I am. ”
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “As much as that sounds like a solid plan, honey, I think I’ll pass. Do you remember in high school when my parents and I met that guy from Texas, and he talked about his hometown?”
“Yeah, it was like an animal name, Llama or something like that. ”
I started laughing.
God, I love this girl, like she’s my sister.
I’d loved her since the moment we met on the playground in kindergarten. She’d pushed me and told me I had a squeaky voice, and I’d pushed her back and told her to choke on her lollipop. We’d been best friends ever since.
There wasn’t a damn thing I wouldn’t do for Court, and I knew she felt the same way.
“It was Llano, Courtney, but you were close, hon. ”
“Potato, patatoe. What about it?”
I smiled at her and tilted my head. “I called my dad this morning and told him I was leaving Roger because he was cheating on me. I said that I wanted a fresh new start, and Llano, Texas is where I wanted to go. ”
The smile that spread across Court’s face lit up the room. “No fucking way! We’re going to Texas?”
I let out a laugh. My head was already feeling better from knowing that my very best friend was ready to just up and leave everything behind to go to Texas with me.
“Depends on if you want to help me run a party-planning business there. ”
“Ah, yeah, I do! When do we leave? After we go pick up your stuff at the apartment?”
I took a deep breath. This was going to be the tricky part. “Um…I actually need to leave, like, right now. Roger is in New Jersey for the next two days at some summer retreat with his dad. He left me a text, saying he’s been trying to call the hospital, and they won’t give him any information even though he’s my fiancé. ”
I looked down at my finger at the diamond he’d given me two years ago. We’d never even talked about a wedding after he put the ring on my finger. It was all for show for his job. I knew that now.
Courtney smiled and turned to walk out the door before looking back over her shoulder. “I’m on it. I already have the doctor’s phone number. I bet I can get those discharge papers ready for you in an hour. ”
“That’s all you need?” I asked with a laugh and a wink.
“Get dressed, bitch. We’re busting you out of New York City and heading to Texas!”
Chapter Two: Layton
I stood on my front porch, looking out at the cattle. I smiled as I thought about how Mike would be happy to see that our cattle herd was so big. I heard Blake Shelton blaring from the white F-350 truck coming down the driveway.
I smiled as I watched Reed pull in, jump out, and then walk up to the porch.
“My God, I can’t believe you’ve been fucking Misty for the last two weeks, you motherfucker. You knew how much I liked that girl. ”
I took a sip of coffee and smiled.
Liked her? He only wanted to sleep with her. “Twice, bro. It’s only been twice. ”
Reed twisted his baseball cap around and grabbed a chair. He sat down as he faced me. “Really? ’Cause, according to my baby sister, Wes said she heard you’ve been screwing Misty in the bar for the last two weeks. Misty has been telling everyone y’all are a couple. She even said you were packin’ some heat there, cowboy. I’m never going to be able to play pool in that bar again, you asshole. ”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Dude, don’t worry. I have absolutely no interest in Misty whatsoever. She was something that got my mind off of Olivia and Mike for a few minutes, that’s all. ”
Reed let out a deep breath and shook his head. “Layton, Mike’s death was over six months ago. I know y’all were each other’s world, dude, but you’ve got to move on. ”
I turned toward the pasture. “I not only lost my brother, but I also lost the love of my life. ”
I closed my eyes and pictured making love to Olivia for the first time in the deer cabin…and the last time in the barn. Watching her get up and walk away from me that morning while telling me she was leaving me for another man had about killed me.
“Layton, she left you the day after your brother died. She’s a bitch. If she ever loved you, she would have never walked away from you when you needed her the most. She’s not worth the heartache. ”
I rotated around and faced Reed with a smile. “You’re right. That’s why I’ll never trust another woman again. I’ll never let another person into my heart ever. ”
Reed let out a laugh and slapped my back. “Sure, dude. You keep telling yourself that. You headed out to check the fence line?”
“Yeah. You want to ride along?”
Reed smiled that smile of his. “Nah, I’m going on a picnic with Jennifer. ” He lifted his eyebrows up and down.
I shook my head and laughed as I walked away. “Have fun with that. ”
I rode along the fence line, just trying to clear my head. This was where I did my best thinking. I loved it out here. I could get lost, just being in the quiet of it all.
“Motherfucker! Son of a bitch! Stupid-ass car! Oh my God, I hate you!”
What in the hell?
I came up over a small hill and saw a silver Lexus RX pulled off on the side of the road. The girl standing next to the car, kicking the wheel, was obviously from the city. She was dressed in light gray slacks and a sheer white blouse. Her brown hair was pulled up and piled loosely on top of her head. The way she was screaming at the tire and yelling at the car made me smile instantly.
Too fucking cute. Damn city girls.
“Piece-of-shit car!”
I let out a small laugh. “Excuse me, ma’am. You’ve got a problem with your car?”
She spun around and threw her hands on her hips as she tilted her head. When she crinkled up her nose, I guessed it was something she did when she got mad.
“No, cowboy. I like standing on the side of the road in Texas in the middle of July, yelling at my piece-of-shit car. I get a kick out of it. ”
Wow. What a bitch. Yep, city girl. Bet she’s from New York or somewhere like that. “Wow. Full of spit and fire, and here I was, trying to be a Southern gentleman and help you out. If you prefer that I keep moving along, I’ll be more than happy to—”
“No! Wait! Oh God, please don’t go. I’ve been here for almost an hour, and not one car has gone by. Not one! My cell phone doesn’t have a signal, and you’re the first person I’ve seen. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be such a bitch. I’m late for my first big job interview, and I really wanted this to go so differently. ”
When she tried to hold back a sob, my heart sank.
Ah, shit.
I guided Cricket up against the fence, and then I pulled my leg over and jumped.
“Oh shit! Aren’t you afraid your horse is going to run away?”
I smiled at her and turned to look at Cricket, who seemed just as amused by her comment as I was. “You know, I think Cricket might actually like you. She’s not one for taking to people, but look at how she’s staring at you. ”
I turned to see the city girl peeking over at the horse with a serious face. She slowly turned back to me and smirked.
“Are all Texas cowboys so…friendly?” She used air quotes as she said friendly.
I gave her my oh-so-famous smirk with a dimple. She didn’t want to, but her lips cracked with the slightest grin. My heart dropped, but I quickly pushed away the feeling.
“Nah, I’m one of a kind,” I said with a wink. “What’s goi
ng on with the overpriced piece of junk?”
She looked back at the car and then at me. “I didn’t call it that. ”
“No, ma’am, you didn’t. I did. ”
She took a deep breath and shook her head. “I’m not sure. It just died. It won’t turn over or even make a sound. Nothing. Can I use your phone to call a tow truck? I just moved to town, so if you could recommend, maybe, where to have it towed, that would be awesome. Oh, also, do you know a Mrs. Pierceson?”
“Yes, she’s my neighbor. ”
She jumped up and down and started clapping her hands together. “Oh my God, is there any way you can take me to a phone or to her house? I’ll pay you! I mean, with cash. ”
Holy shit. I felt slightly offended. “Um…ma’am, you’re in the country in Texas. We help our neighbors out. I don’t want your money. I’d be happy to bring you up to my house to make your call, and then I can take you on over to Mrs. Pierceson’s. ”
She smiled the biggest, most beautiful smile I’d ever seen. I couldn’t help but smile back.
“Great! Let me grab some shi—I mean, some stuff out of my car. ”
When she took off her sunglasses to look at me, I was taken aback by her green eyes. They were the most beautiful shade of green I’d ever seen. They were just as breathtaking as Olivia’s blue eyes.
I stood there and watched her as she searched in her car. She took a box out of the backseat and placed it on the ground. Then, she grabbed a laptop carrier and slung it over her shoulder. When she shut the door, she reached for the box and just looked at me. I just stared at her and the box she was holding.
“Oh, um…I thought you were going to get your truck or something. ”
I looked all around me, then at Cricket, and then back at her as I let out a laugh. “You’re joking right?” I asked.
Her smile faded slightly.
“Sweetheart, if you want me to give you a ride, you’re climbing onto the back of Cricket here. ”
Her mouth dropped open, and I couldn’t help but smile at her expression.
“You want me to get on your horse? With all my stuff? How?”
I sighed and prayed that someone would just put up a sign outside of Llano that read, No more city folk allowed.
“Ma’am, how in the world—”
Balancing the box in one hand, she held up the other and shook her head. “Okay, first off, I’m pretty sure you’re older than me, so please stop calling me ma’am. My name is Whitley. And your name, cowboy?”
What a bitch!
I turned and started to walk back over to Cricket. I stopped and spun around. “Well, Whitley, I’m twenty-five years old, and it’s a Southern thing to address a lady as ma’am. If you want a ride up to my house, you’ll have to get off your damn high-society horse and realize you’re out in the middle of the goddamn country. I own five-thousand acres. My neighbor is a good way away, but my house isn’t too far on horseback. If you want a lift, you’ll get your ass over here, and then I can help you up and over this fence, so you don’t rip your pretty little outfit. If you’d like to wait for a car to come by, good luck. And my name is Layton, not cowboy. ” I stood there with my arms folded over my chest, trying to contain my anger.