AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nodded and looked at the painting. “Now how do we hike back down without damaging it?”
Rose laughed. “That’s a good question.”
We eventually got everything packed up, and Rose decided she would carry the painting down. We weren’t that high up on the trail, so as long as she didn’t slip, all would be good.
When we returned to the open meadow, we could see the house beyond where the barn was. Banging and sounds of nail guns could be heard echoing off the sides of the mountains, and it was strange to think we hadn’t heard any of the noise tucked up against the mountain. The only sounds I’d heard were the water running, the wind blowing through the trees, and the sounds of birds.
“Let’s drop this off at my truck, check in one more time, and then head back,” I said as I motioned to the truck.
Rose came to a stop and stared over at the house.
“What’s wrong?”
When she didn’t answer, I followed her gaze. Instant dread filled my entire body, and my first instinct was to stand between her and Rose.
“What in the hell is she doing here?” Rose asked.
Chapter Twenty-One
ROSE
I had been flying high since I told Bryson about my plans to get a teaching certificate and teach art. After our hotter-than-hell lovemaking session, everything felt so clear to me. I could see every little thing in greater detail. The color of the rocks in the water, the patterns on the bark of the trees that lined the creek. The yellow leaves of the aspen trees. It was all crystal clear. My brush flew over the canvas in a way it hadn’t in years. It felt like…home. And the fact that we were on Bryson’s property made it even more special. I’d never felt so happy in my entire life, and nothing would ruin it.
That was until I saw Kennedy Owens standing in front of the house I had designed with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face. She was clearly sizing it up, and that made my entire body feel itchy.
The moment I saw her, I felt like I had hit a brick wall. I stopped walking and couldn’t pull my eyes off her. She was dressed to the nines in an all-white pantsuit that made her stick out like a sore thumb here. Her hair was pulled up in some fancy twist. Earrings dangled down from her ears, and the necklace she had on kept catching the sunlight and casting out shards of light rays.
She hadn’t been at all what I had expected. Sure, she was beautiful, but only looking at her from afar, I wasn’t sure what Bryson had seen in her.
Right, they went to school together, you idiot. He’d known her before he made it big.
Bryson’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Wait right here, Rose.”
I watched as Bryson put the bags into his truck before he stalked over toward Kennedy. Not even thinking, I followed him.
Kennedy turned, and when she saw Bryson, she lit up like a Christmas tree. “Hey, Bub!”
Bub?
“Kennedy, what are you doing here?”
She smiled, but when she caught a glimpse of me walking up, her smile faltered. Only for a split second, though, and if I hadn’t been watching her closely, I would have missed it.
“I ran into Loren and Nick the other day. I have to admit, I was so surprised when you announced your early retirement. I thought for sure you’d have called me.”
Bryson folded his arms over his chest. “Why exactly would I call you, Kennedy?”
She gave a little shrug while she kept her gaze focused only on Bryson. Not even when I walked up and stood next to him did she look away.
“Because even after everything, we’ve always been best friends, Bryson.”
That statement felt like a gut punch.
“No, we haven’t, Kennedy. Not even close.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. She had probably said that to take a strike at me. But how would she even know who I was? Nothing had been printed about Bryson since he had announced his retirement. No one outside of our family and friends knew we were dating.
My eyes went wide, and I looked down at the ground. Loren. I was going to kill her.
“How did you find me?” Bryson asked.
“Nick told me.”
“Did he?” Bryson said with a note of agitation in his voice. “I’ll be sure to let him know not to share my address with random people.”
Kennedy smiled and took a step closer to Bryson. “I think we both know I’m not simply people, Bub. After all, we were together for a long time.”
Watching her place her hands on Bryson’s chest made my skin crawl. Every ounce of me wanted to step between them and push her down to the ground. Bryson pushed her hand away and took a step back. I had to hide the smile when she looked so rejected by the gesture.
