“What do I do?” The words had barely made it out before I had to choke down tears. My feet were already moving to the bathroom, but her arm stopped me before I could clear the crowd.
“Look at me,” she demanded, placing a firm grip on my shoulders. “You’re not going anywhere. This is your town, your bar, and you have way more right to be here than he does. Do not let that man come in here and scare you away. Not tonight. Not ever.”
“I don’t understand why he’s even here.” The image of Zane in the entryway burned into my brain, while I also tried to keepan eye on Stetson at the bar. The anxiety was coming from all directions. “He was supposed to move to Chicago and never step foot back in this town.Mytown.”
“I don’t know, and frankly, I couldn’t give a shit if I tried.” She subtly motioned to Stetson. “Look at the situation you’re in right now—your blooming career, a man who is crazy about you, and all the other amazing things happening in your life. You have nothing to hide from, least of all from Zane. Instead of being ashamed of the past, be proud of the present.”
I tried to let her words sink in, but I couldn’t help myself from wondering how we got here.
“Who is he with?” I asked.
Maggie shifted her upper body to discreetly get a better look. “He’s with a big group of people—John, his girlfriend, Matt, his wife…” she said. “Oh shit. Aren’t Patrick and Isabella getting married this weekend?”
Her gaze refocused on me.
“Oh my god. You’re right,” I confirmed. “I didn’t even think about the fact that he’d be invited to the wedding. I feel sick.”
“Don’t let him do that to you. Between your relationship and the wedding fiasco, that man has already taken up too much of your headspace. You have to ignore him. Hell, maybe he won’t even realize you’re here.”
I crossed my arms over my body, using their weight as a comfort tactic, my eyes overflowing with disdain. “You’re kidding, right?”
She didn’t have a chance to respond before both the guys had shifted their barstools to face us.
“Here you go, a whiskey and grenadine with ice.” Stetson handed over a cocktail glass, the maroon-colored liquid sloshing against the sides.
“Thank you,” I said, trying not to let my current predicament sour my tone.
His body pressed onto the bar as his knees spread wide, opening in my direction.
“Are you sure you’re good?” he asked. Of course he’d clocked my uneasiness.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, digging deep to retrieve any trace of a smile I could stick to my face.
“She’s lying,” Maggie barged in for the second time tonight. “Her ex-fiancé just walked through the front door.”
If looks could kill, Maggie wouldn’t be with us anymore.
“What?” she asked, staring at me. “Anybody would be acting how you are if they were in your position.”
“What the hell is that guy doing back here? Didn’t he get too big for his britches and move to Chicago? I assumed we’d never see him again,” Booker said from his place behind Maggie.
“If only we could’ve been that lucky…” My voice was just loud enough for everyone in our group to hear.
“He’s here for a wedding. Patrick and Isabella are getting married this weekend, remember?” In this instance, I was grateful Maggie was the one talking.
While she filled the guys in, I watched as Stetson’s demeanor changed. No longer did he appear relaxed; now, he was sitting straight up, his legs pushed together as he sat on the very edge of the barstool.
His eyes lingered on the space behind me, but never on me.
And of course it was the first time I had been desperate for his attention, for an escape into the daze of his eyes.
“Howdy, ladies and gents!” Wilson’s voice echoed through the microphone and burst through the entire bar. “I just had a to take a moment to raise a glass to Patrick and Isabella. These two are getting hitched tomorrow!”
The entire crowd erupted. Glasses were raised, beer bottles clanked, and the energy in the room spiked. Well, for most.
I’d positioned myself so that I could see the stage, but not enough to allow anyone in the crowd to get a full view of me. I scanned the room, intently looking for that familiar silhouette I’d grown accustomed to for so many years.
If I knew where he was, he wouldn’t need to know I was even here.
