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Dot’s sinister laughter wrenches me from my sickening thoughts. The woman is loving every bit of this.
“Why are you doing this?” Even as I ask the question, I realize it’s senseless. She is pure evil. “You can’t possibly want to marry me. We don’t love each other.”
Fists clenched at her sides, she bristles but catches herself and juts out her chin. “Let’s get one thing straight, Oliver. I was never going to let you go. Never. And if you keep trying to end things and get together with that pathetic Wren Tyler, I’ll not only destroy the Winslow name, but I’ll also take the Nest from you. We both know my father will back me on all of this.”
Dot leaves and I stand there, shaken and defeated. I haven’t succeeded in getting her to sign the papers or admit that I’m not the father of her unborn child. Instead, I attempted battle with the executioner and lost. Dot’s threat hangs ever present between us like a noose around my neck.
Chapter14
Wren
“Thank you, Serena.” I hand her change and Jack places her recently purchased baked goods in front of her.
“Wren, I should be thanking you.” The blonde grins and pockets her money. “What you’re doing here, for Court and the guys.” She pauses to flash Jack a quick grin. “And all the future kids. I can’t thank you enough for creating this program.”
Reggie appears at my side with a fresh tray of brownies in hand. The aroma is to die for, and Jack grunts like a starving animal and tries to take one.
She lightly slaps his hand. “Uh-uh. Those aren’t for you.” Then she glances up at the woman on the other side of the table. “Serena, darling, you’re helping too. Volunteering when you can, buying things.”
Serena utters a halfhearted laugh. “Sure, but the program is a brilliant idea and it’ll really help. Why didn’t I think of something like that?”
Her once foster mom huffs. “You do what you can, young lady.”
Nodding, Serena looks to me once more. “Seriously, Wren, thank you. Please let me know how I can help. In any way.”
At her side, Percy groans, an over-the-top groan that holds no frustration to it. It’s only for show. “Serena, stop. My sister doesn’t need to hear how great she is. She gets enough of that from everyone else. Please, not you too.”
Percy’s joking, and even as her best friend chides, my sister sticks out her tongue at me. Caught up in the moment, I do the same, completely ignoring the fact that we’re in the library turned makeshift fundraiser bake sale with a line out the door.
As luck would have it, that’s when deep rumbly laughter from the end of the checkout table causes all four of us, plus a few people in the line, to swing our heads toward the attractive sound.
In jeans and a black cotton button-down, Jett Kincaide grins wickedly at us and tips the rim of his hat. “Ladies.” Then his gaze lands on me. “Wren, I’m glad I decided not to call ahead. If I had, I might’ve missed out on you misbehavin’.”
His tongue darts out quickly and then he turns up the wattage on his sinfully naughty smile. Several women in the line giggle like he’s just propositioned them.
“Me, misbehaving? Hardly.” I roll my eyes and mock huff, but to anyone watching our exchange, it’s plain to see I’m playing on account of the silly smile plastered on my face.
Jett Kincaide, a rodeo headliner and my ex-boyfriend, never had a problem drawing attention. Men and women alike swoon over him. He’s definitely a crowd pleaser.
But what’s he doing here? While he only lives about forty minutes away in the nearby town of Prospect, we don’t talk all that often. Our relationship was short-lived, a handful of dates at the most, and even though I’d say we are friends, neither of us seek the other out. It’s more we’re friendly when our paths cross, which is few and far between.
“Jack, Reggie, you good to handle things for a few minutes?” I take off my apron and stash it under the counter.
“Sure thing, Miss Wren.” Jack then calls to the next person in line, and as I walk toward Jett, Reggie echoes a similar sentiment.
“Uh, Wren, what are you doing with Jett?” Percy stops me with a harsh tug on my arm. “Why is he here?”
“That’s what I’m going to find out.” I try to yank myself free from her grasp, but she’s got a strong hold on me. “Perce, let me go. We’ll talk later.”
She steps close so no one else can hear. “Just so you know, everyone’s watching. And don’t forget…” Percy looks me in the eye, gaze piercing. “Oliver.”
I release a long-exaggerated sigh, as if I’d forget Oliver. I don’t like what she’s insinuating, and clearly she’s forgotten that Jett and I dated once, quite a while ago, and it quickly fizzled out. We’re only friends.
Even so, she isn’t overstating that practically all eyes are on us, or more like on him. Jett’s somewhat of a celebrity, rodeo aside, as he comes from a wealthy and powerful family around these parts.
Finally, Percy mutters something and releases me. Together with Serena, she leaves the library with their bake sale purchases.
Jett pulls me in for a hug while I ask, “What are you doing here?”
