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“What did he say?” Ainsley asked.
AJ imitated Cord. “Christ, AJ, don’t you think I got enough shit to worry about without you addin’ to it? I’m sorry I haven’t been playin’ grab-ass with you in the barn and sucking face with you in the kitchen, but it ain’t like I’m ignorin’ you. I’m right here with you, every damn day, doin’ the best I can. What else do you want from me?”
Ainsley laughed. “You do a pretty good Cord imitation. But would he really say that?”
“Well, it was more like he barked it at me, which is ironic, since the damn dog gets more petting and stroking than I do.” She blew out a breath. “You probably think I’m ridiculous.”
“I think you’re frustrated.”
“Mostly I’m scared if I do cowgirl up and demand he hear me out, that I’ll freeze and forget what I wanted to say or turn into a madwoman who yells and throws things.”
A beat passed and Ainsley said, “Maybe if you practice talking to him like you were giving a speech, you’ll find the right phrasing. Or at least avoid the words that’ll cause him to clam up or get defensive. I still have to do that before dealing with touchy subjects with Ben.”
AJ gentled her kneading thumbs as she considered Ainsley’s suggestion. “Prepare a speech? That seems weird. Then again, I’m out of ideas.”
“Just try it. What would you do if Cord walked in right now and heard us discussing this?”
A multitude of answers scrolled through her head. Blush? Laugh it off? Apologize?
No. She’d backtalk. Get him riled up. Because then she’d be his total focus and he’dhaveto listen to her.
“AJ?”
For a moment she imagined itwasCord’s voice, that little snap in his tone when he impatiently said her name. “Hold it right there, McKay. Wipe that angry bull look off your face. I’m not trash-talking you; I’m talking to a friend about what’s buggingme. Be glad Keely isn’t my confidante. Her advice begins and ends with slipping you Viagra because you’ve always been a grumpy old fucker.”
Ainsley snickered but AJ kept delivering a smackdown to the phantom Cord. “This isn’t about sex. It’s about intimacy. And affection. I’m worried you haven’t realized thereisa gulf growing between us. When I’ve brought it up, you claim you’re doing the best you can. But that’s not true. I’ve had your best for years and honey, this ain’t it.”
After a brief pause, Ainsley said, “That sounded perfectly on point to me. Now you just need to tell the person who needs to hear it.”
“Yeah. I’ll fit that conversation in when we get a moment alone. Oh, right. That’s almost never.”
A muffled noise caught her attention. Where had that come from? She didn’t have another client scheduled for an hour. “Go ahead and get dressed. I’ll meet you out front.”
AJ glanced around the reception area. No sign of a delivery. Didn’t look like Dante had popped by.
Then she noticed that the dressing room door was wide open.
Ainsley probably hadn’t gotten the door completely closed earlier. When the heater kicked on, the door blew open. That’s probably all she’d heard.
Cord hustled backto his truck, his heart thudding as fast as his booted feet.
Inside the vehicle, he curled his hands around the steering wheel and closed his eyes.
What the ever-lovin’ fuck?
After AJ had acted completely out of character this morning, he decided to check on her, so he’d come to town.
Rather than slipping in the back door as he usually did, he’d entered the studio through the front, intending to catch her between clients. He planned to scroll through farm and ranch reports on his phone while he waited, when he’d heard—“Eh. It’s the same old, same old with Cord”—not uttered in that loving tone his wife normally used.
Curiosity had gotten the better of him; an open dressing room door was an open invitation. And man, had he gotten an earful, standing close enough to hear every blasted word about his failings and missteps.
He’d almost panicked when he’d heard “Hold it right there, McKay” thinking AJ had busted him, but she’d kept up her rant and he’d listened until Ainsley had given AJ props for her practiced speech.
Thenhe’d beat feet outta there.
While Cord didn’t dismiss her concerns, feelings, whatever, it was a load of horseshit that he’d been that inattentive to her for as long as she claimed.
You sure about that, McKay?
