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“I think Shelby likes him,” Marlowe snarled. “She totally tried to warn me off him. She said she heard that he cheated on his last girlfriend. I think she’s just jealous because he was paying attention to me and not her.”
She couldn’t have been more wrong. I had never gotten annoyed with Marlowe, but she was testing my limits.
Macey turned her head toward her sister and lowered her shades. “Maybe you should listen to her. Shelby’s the sweetest, and, well, remember last year?”
“Don’t say his name,” Marlowe warned.
Emma, Sawyer, and I all looked between ourselves with tentative expressions. We knew they were talking about Ashton, Sawyer’s on-the-run-from-the-law brother. Emma rubbed Sawyer’s back. “Sorry,” she whispered.
He stood hastily and kissed his wife’s head. “I’m going to get some dessert. I’ll bring you both out some.” He walked away without another word.
I bit my lip. “I feel bad.”
Emma waved her hand. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault my brother-in-law slash ex-stepbrother is a felon and a gigolo.”
Emma made me smile.
“I can tell Ryder’s not like you-know-who,” Marlowe continued.
“How?” Macey was smart enough to sound skeptical.
“You know how country boys are. They go to church and open doors. He was a total gentleman. Did I mention that he can sing? You should have heard him at church. It was weird, though, because Shelby can sing too, and they sounded amazing together, like their voices were meant for each other.”
I used to think so. I had to quit singing the hymns today because the reminders of us singing to the radio or out on the beach at night by a bonfire while he played his guitar got to be too much. Not to mention the way he looked over at me perplexed as if he had missed us, too.
Emma reached over the patio table and squeezed my hand.
I fanned my face. Acting unaffected was much harder than I thought.
“I wish I could have been there,” Macey whined. “I’m so sore from hiking all day.”
Emma rolled her eyes.
“I told you not to go out with Jaime.” Marlowe sat up and patted Macey’s head. “Good thing for you, I invited Ryder and Bobby Jay over. You and Bobby Jay would be cute together,” she said condescendingly. “At least he’s taller than you.”
“Uh,” Macey said, affronted, “what if Ryder likes me?”
I couldn’t see it from my angle, but I could imagine Marlowe rolling her eyes.
“I thought you just said I should listen to Shelby about him,” she taunted her sister. “Besides, I already called dibs on him,” Marlowe stated firmly.
Macey sat up and challenged her with her stiff stance. “I don’t remember that.”
“We already went out. Sorry.” Marlowe shrugged and lay back down.
Macey folded her arms and pouted. “You went to church. I would hardly call that a date.”
I sat there stunned into silence. My employees were fighting over my ex-fiancé and he was coming here tonight. Not only that, but the only man I had ever truly trusted continued his betrayal of me. How could he say that to Marlowe about me? If anyone was unrecognizable, it was him. I wasn’t talking about his new haircut and wardrobe, either. The man I thought I knew would have done anything to protect my heart and feelings.
“Shelby, are you okay?” Emma waved her hand in front of my face.
It took me a second to register she was trying to get my attention. “I’m fine. I’m not looking back. I can’t,” my voice cracked.
“Why don’t you go inside? I’m going to talk to my sisters,” she raised her voice.
Macey and Marlowe both turned our way, surprised to see us on the deck. Macey’s face tinged pink, but Marlowe, ever defiant, shrugged her shoulders, though she refused to make eye contact with me.
I stood. “I think I’m going to go for a walk.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Emma asked.
“You are the sweetest, but I think I need some time alone.”
Emma tilted her head, trying to decide what was the right thing to do. “Okay, but . . . I’m here for you.”
“I know you are.” I mustered up a smile for her. “Enjoy your Dr. Pepper; tomorrow we begin.”
She grimaced before adoringly looking at her bottle of Dr. Pepper with doe eyes. “I better get pregnant after all this or someone is going to die. Starting with my doctor.”
She could always make me laugh. “If you’re going to kill someone, can I make a suggestion?”
Emma’s eyes widened. “Very good, Shelby. Jenna will be so excited she can finally put her shovel to good use.”
“I’m going to go. If you see Frankie, tell her dinner was divine.”
“I’ll make sure we save you some cobbler.”
I nodded my appreciation and set off toward the lake first, praying I didn’t run into any other native Georgians on my way. Macey and Marlowe weren’t even their type. I wasn’t Ryder’s type either, but that was beside the point. If Marlowe wanted Ryder, she could have him. I had warned her what kind of man he was. And if he wanted a woman who only thought about herself, so be it. It would probably work out since he cared more about himself than he ever had about me.
