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He knew she was upset, and she had every reason to be. So he told himself not to argue with her. But damn it, how could he allow her to think the worst of him when he hadn’t done anything but try to help?
“I couldn’t have possibly known that he would view my interest that way. I only spoke to Jessamyn about it, not him.”
Hadn’t they been in bed together just a few hours ago? He’d shared more with her than any other woman. So it shredded him to see her look at him now as if he’d hurt her on purpose.
“Right. You spoke to my sister because you couldn’t wait for me to do that, even though I’m back in Catamount to find some kind of peace among my siblings again. Why couldn’t you just allow me to work at my own pace to settle things? I invited them here this summer so that we could talk face–to-face, but that wasn’t good enough for you. Why did your wants have to come first?” She spoke faster with each sentence, her hurt more and more evident.
Her eyes shone with unshed tears, and he sensed the need to do something, say something, to fix things. Fast.
“They didn’t. I hoped that I was helping you at the same time I was helping myself.” He wasn’t the bad guy here, but damned if he could make her see that.
“Did you really?” She folded her arms, her shoulders practically vibrating with her anger. “Or did you tell yourself that to justify throwing your money around to get what you wanted?”
Was that true?
The idea sat uncomfortably on him for a moment.
“If that’s what I did, I promise you it was never my intention to hurt you.” His heart pounded as if he needed any reminders that he was screwing this up. Saying all the wrong things.
She shook her head, taking a step back and grabbing her purse. “Too late. And your big offer isn’t going to get you what you wanted this time anyway, so all your efforts to speed things up were for nothing.”
“Fleur, wait.” He followed her toward the door, unwilling to see her walk away upset. “Let’s talk about this—”
“No.” She held her ground in the hall entrance, pausing long enough to make sure he understood that much. “We won’t be talking about this, or anything else, either. I’ll be here for Emma’s wedding, but I have no interest in seeing you then or at any other time.”
The words pummeled him harder than any thrashing he’d ever taken in the bull riding arena. And they sure as hell made him feel worse than any fall.
But as if that weren’t bad enough, she punctuated them by turning on her heel and walking out the door.
Fourteen
Every day that passed without Fleur in his life hurt more than the one before.
Standing outside Emma’s wedding reception as the sun dropped out of sight beyond the trees, Drake regarded the festivities in the hope of catching sight of Fleur as she catered the reception. A local band played upbeat country music inside the barn, the main doors both swung open so that guests could enjoy cocktails outside, too. White lights canopied the outdoor bar and a few tables were set up for guests who wished to take a breather from the dancing indoors. A bonfire burned in a firepit nearby, the flames ready for later in the evening when there would be s’more roasting for the kids.
Everything looked perfect. His parents’ dreams for this day were fulfilled to the letter, and he felt good about that. But inside, everything seemed wrong. He hadn’t spoken to his brother beyond the most superficial of greetings.
And worse, he hadn’t seen Fleur.
He’d seen signs of her presence everywhere today. From the thoughtful favors she’d created for Emma with bags of spiced nuts for all the guests, to the abundant buffet table stacked with the Spanish tapas she specialized in making, Fleur’s influence was all around him. And yet, she’d remained so thoroughly in the background that he’d never caught a single glimpse of her. Was she avoiding him? Did she even care enough to feel that strong of an emotion for him? Or was she just...indifferent? That possibility stung the most.
Even now his gaze went down to the main house where the kitchen lights were visible from the barn. She’d hired helpers who carried fresh trays up from the kitchen and took away the empties. Allowing her to stay firmly in the background.
An unexpected voice rumbled low behind him. “Dad and Mom would be proud to see this day.”
Shaking off his thoughts, Drake turned to find Colin approach from the shadows. Clad in a tux and black Stetson just like his own, the two men looked similar enough on the outside. Yet how different were they inside when they’d barely spoken in years beyond the occasional necessary exchange about family business.
And thatwashis fault. Drake might not agree with Fleur’s assessment of his mistakes where she was concerned. But he couldn’t deny that he’d done his brother a grave disservice five years ago when he’d insisted Fleur break things off with him. It pained him to admit that now. Especially when acknowledging as much to Colin could drive his brother to seek Fleur again.
The possibility sent a crushing weight down onto his solar plexus.
“Glen is a good man,” Drake acknowledged, trying to get a read on Colin. “I think Mom and Dad would approve.”
“I don’t mean Glen.” Colin shook his head as he leaned against the trunk of a small cherry tree. “I mean the ranch. The barns. The land. It all looks just like what Dad wanted to accomplish.”
A couple of older kids ran past them in their wedding finery carrying sparklers, an early nod to the fireworks planned for later when the sky fully darkened.
“You think so?” Drake wasn’t fishing for compliments from his brother. He knew Colin wouldn’t BS him about that of all things. “There were times I questioned the plans, wishing I could just ask him what he wanted—”
