Page 26 of Slow Hands Cowboy

“I can’t do that.”

“Yes, you can,” he said. “Fuck it. Fuck them. Fuck him.”

“I can’t do that,” she repeated.

“Why the hell not?”

“Because. Because that’s not who I am. I take responsibility for things, I’m always in touch with people, I –”

“You just got jilted at the altar, you are allowed to take a minute for yourself. You don’t have to be there for everybody else.”

“Why don’t you let people be there for you for once?”

“What about my dad…”

“He seemed fine. We directed everybody over to the barn to have dinner. Just like we planned initially. And don’t worry, the rest of the food will be donated. Along with any gifts that you don’t want.”

“You did that?”

“I’m good at my job.”

“Well, at least… At least you can be right now. I don’t know what to do. I don’t… I don’t have a house.”

“You can stay here.” He couldn’t believe the offer just came out of his mouth. “On the ranch, not here, but odds are we’ll have availability either in the hotel or in one of the cabins. Hell, at the very least, Marlowe is in her apartment almost never. I know she could stay with Cody until everything comes together for you.”

“They don’t live together all the time?”

“Oh, they do, but sometimes she works late at the hotel, and then she sleeps there, and usually so does he. I know more about my brother’s love life than I’d like to, but he’s wildly obsessed with her, so, they don’t do a very good job of hiding it.”

“That must be nice. To be wildly obsessed with. I thought that I was at least loved.”

“You had no idea that he had doubts?”

“No. I never pressured him for marriage. Ever. We’ve lived together for two years, and while I definitely thought that it was time for us to get married, time for us to have kids, I didn’t push. Nobody wants a shut-up ring. I thought that he was ready. I thought that we both were. We were both in a good place in our lives professionally and…”

“You didn’t think he was cheating?”

“Is he cheating on me?”

“I don’t know. I just… I’m asking, are there any signs of anything?”

“No. Well… Not as far as I know. I genuinely don’t have any idea. The wedding was going perfectly. I kept waiting for signs, I kept waiting for some… sign that I wasn’t supposed to do it, but everything was coming together. I just can’t believe this. I genuinely can’t believe it.”

“Just lay low.”

“I can’t, people are going to expect –”

“Give it a week. You were going to go away on a honeymoon, right?”

“Yes. I guess.”

“Give yourself a honeymoon.”

“I’m not going on a sad cruise by myself.” He inferred from that a cruise had been the plan for their honeymoon.

“It’s only a sad cruise if you stay sad on it.” She frowned at him. “Fine, you certainly don’t have to go on your honeymoon alone. You can stay here. You could just get out of town. You could do whatever you wanted to, because you have carved the time out for yourself, yes?”

She blinked up at him, seeming bewildered.