Girl didn't pull punches, that was for damn sure.
"You grow some balls."
Sassy just rolled her eyes as we stood next to each other in uncomfortable silence. I fuckin' hated that it was uncomfortable. Yeah, we'd been engaged, but more than that, she was my best goddamn friend. I hated that I'd done this to us, but it had to be done.
I knew it.
She knew it.
I looked over at her only to see the softest, sweetest smile on her face as she watched Rhett laugh at something Slim had said over their game of horseshoes. She caught me catchin' her and she winced, lookin' away and anywhere except at Rhett.
"It's a good party, Sass. Mama C'd be proud."
She hummed, but said nothing. Just stayed standin', like she'd rather be anywhere else in the world but couldn't make her feet move. Like she needed somethin' from me as much as I needed to give it to her.
"It's okay, ya know."
She peered up at me from the corner of her eye. "What is?"
I met her eyes as directly as I could when I gave her my truth. "Lovin' him."
She scoffed and looked away, then went quiet. I was sure our little heart-to-heart would end right there, with me sayin' my piece and her still bein' stubborn.
Then, so quiet I barely heard it, "I didn't mean to."
"I know." I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into my side.
"I'm sorry," she said, leanin' into me.
"I'm not," I said firmly. Because I wasn't. It wasn't right, and we both knew it. "I love ya, Sass. Always will. But we were never meant to be forever. And that's okay. I'm okay.We'reokay."
I kissed the top of her head, gave her another squeeze and a quick smile before I strolled off to find my girl.
"Wooooo-weeeee, viper!"I shouted as I closed the distance between us. "This is my jam!"
She was at a picnic table covered in some fancy-pancylinensin a red-and-white checkered pattern. It was cute, I reckoned. Cuter, though? The smile that lit up Calvin's face the moment she slammed her shot glass back down on the table.
"You wanna dance, cowboy?"
The little denim shorts she was wearin' were made for sin, and she most definitely wasn't wearin' a bra under her skin-tight white shirt that hit just above her belly button. She looked damn fuckable, and every red-blooded man on the ranch was droolin' over her tits. But I was the only lucky bastard that'd actuallygetto fuck those tits tonight, so the assholes could stare all they wanted.
She sashayed my way, and I had to adjust my rock-hard dick in my pants. The band had just busted out "Boot Scootin' Boogie"and I reallydidwanna dance.
"Pssh, whole lotta cowboys 'round here, but I ain't one of 'em," I said as she made her way to me. I wrapped my arms around her waist and hers went around my neck. "I'm good with bein' your boy scout," I whispered against her lips.
Then I kissed her hard—right there in front of pretty much the whole damn town. Yeah, I'd kissed her at The BP, but the bar had been loud and crowded. I wasn't so sure anyone had even noticed.
They were noticin' now.
Hoots and hollers rang out across the lawn, a few whistles cuttin' through the music.
"Let's dance, baby," I said when we pulled apart. I took her hand and led her to the makeshift dirt dancefloor, passin' Sassy on the way. She smiled at us, and it told me all I needed to know.
We really would be okay.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO
"We haven't hada chance to meet."
