I scrolled through my phone until I found his name and tapped the call button. It didn’t even ring a full cycle before the robot voice kicked in. “We’re sorry, the number you are trying to reach has been disconnected. If you think you—” I tapped the end call button, staring out the front windshield again as I tried to count backwards once more, but insteadall I could manage was a brief scream and a punch to my steering wheel.
I wasn’t sure how much time passed while the sense of numbness sank into my bones, but when a sharp knock hit my passenger window, I screeched. My gaze snapped to the window to see a startled Aspen and Ivy. I hastily clicked the button to unlock the doors and watched as Aspen slowly opened the door.
“Are you okay?” she asked gently.
My eyes darted between the two of them, my palms still damp, and my heart racing. I thought about lying. It would be easy. I’d done it before. But as I watched the concern on their faces grow heavier, I realized I didn’t want to lie anymore.
Fuck, I wanted to trust people.
I shook my head as tears started rolling down my face. I didn’t even speak as Aspen scooted into the Jeep, wrapping her arms around me, and my door opened to reveal Ivy on the other side, her arms locked around me.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Ivy whispered into my hair.
I shook my head. Admitting I wasn’t okay was one thing but telling them that my father had some sort of hit man coming after me was something else entirely. I wasn’t interested in that at all, nor did I want to risk putting them in harm’s way. Aspen was still recovering from her psycho ex—I didn’t need to add to her anxiety.
Once I got my breathing under control, they left it alone, piled into the Jeep, and we headed to my yoga class. But the air still had a somber taste to it, and I hated it. We’d driven about fifteen minutes when Ivy let out a huff. “Okay, this is stupid, and I hate it. Let’s go dancing tonight. That always cheers me up, and when was the last time you wentout, Ember? And your masked stalker in the form of Wyatt doesn’t count.”
I stared at the road ahead, chewing on my bottom lip while I thought over what she said and tried to ignore the butterflies his name caused in my stomach. “Um, it’s been…well…never. Unless you count the field trips back in the day, where they taught us how to line dance.”
“You’veneverbeen out dancing?” Ivy questioned, the shock clear in her voice. I shook my head as a small smile played on my face. “That settles that. I’m texting the guys, Aspen. Yoga, lunch, pampering, then dancing. Hope you didn’t have plans without us this evening, because we’re about to be joined at the damn hip.”
The thought of it all made me feel lighter already, but when we pulled up to the yoga studio, I looked back at her. “Wait, who exactly do you mean when you say the guys?”
She didn’t answer with words, but the conspiratorial grin across her cute face told me enough.
My outfit was absolutely diabolical.I’d felt self-conscious about it for all of ten seconds, but when I saw Ivy’s eyes light up when she was finished‘making me even hotter than a hot tamale’—her words, not mine—I knew I’d survive.
I spent the majority of my days in jeans, leggings, or workout clothes. Getting dressed up wasn’t my normal—much to my mother’s dismay. But when I looked myself over again? I knew it was perfect for our plans this evening.
Aspen stretched across the couch. “I can’t believe how sore I am. All we did was yoga. Isn’t that supposed to be for people with injuries and shit?”
I chuckled softly. “It can be, but I also took you to a hotyoga class with cardio thrown in for fun.” My favorite instructor had been back the last few weeks, and my ass was definitely feeling her absence, but now I was back to my small personal time for improving my mental health. “Profusely sweating seems to help me clear my mind,” I said with a shrug.
I glanced over to see Ivy nodding in agreement. “Me too. Aspen however, only enjoys sweating when there’s a certain cowboy involved,” she said with a giggle, which then turned into a full laugh when Aspen threw a pillow from the couch at her.
“Be nice to me. My cowboy is a much more rewarding reason to sweat if you know what I mean.” She winked and hopped off the couch, grabbing her outfit for the evening and changing clothes. “So how is the new girl doing?” she called from the bathroom.
“Oh yeah! Jade. Cute name,” Ivy added.
I shrugged. “Not bad by any means. She definitely helps a ton when it comes to the baking, but she’s still learning the ropes as far as actually having people pay and close down the place. I don’t think I’ll have her open any time soon since it’s a lot more work, but I may let her close a night or two a week…maybe,” I trailed off before Aspen came out of the bathroom laughing.
“In a few months or years,” she added with a knowing smile.
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. She’s great, and I’m just controlling, I know. Moving on.”
“To be clear, we don’t think you being controlling is a bad thing. That bakery is your baby, and it’s okay to be picky about who truly has access to your baby. We just want to ensure you also take time for yourself, pretty girl,” Aspensaid with a smile. “But we can move on. Ivy, make me prettier too.”
We spent the next few minutes getting ready and then all piled into my jeep to head over to The Raven, a local country bar that Aspen and Ivy went to often for drinks and dancing. It was actually where Ivy dragged Aspen to a few months ago, when she met Rowan for the first time. Maybe it would be lucky and I’d be able to figure out what the fuck Wyatt and I were doing—assuming we weredoinganything at all.
I glanced over at myself one more time before I slid on my boots and tucked my hair behind my ears, trying to instill a vote of confidence into my subconscious because I was dedicated to figuring shit out. If this man wanted me, he’d have to prove he was worth my time.
Plain and simple.
25
CLUELESS BROTHER
Wyatt
