Evan took a sip from his water bottle and asked, “Have you had a boyfriend recently? Like, since college?”
At that, Sadie tipped her head back and laughed longer and louder than she had in a while. “That’s funny.”
“Why is that funny? It’s a simple question.”
“Well, I don’t date as often as you do, Mr. Vegas.” Sadie slapped her hand across her mouth, her eyes going wide as she realized what she’d said. She might have kept up with him for a few years, and most of the media liked to focus on celebrity couples or who they were dating, which made it easy for her to know.
He turned toward her, his elbow resting on the painted white table. “What is that supposed to mean?” He looked more curious than offended, and Sadie was grateful for that.
“I’m just saying that it seemed like after Stacey broke things off, you were seen with several women.”
A slight smile drifted over his face, and he raised an eyebrow. Leaning a bit closer, his voice just above a whisper, he asked, “Have you been keeping track of me?”
Trying to keep her emotions from bubbling to the surface, she said, “I read magazines because it helps me come up with designs for weddings. You just happen to be in a lot of them.”
The corners of his mouth ticked up. “I hate to break it to you, but those were not former relationships. Sometimes, they are last minute dates to functions I absolutely have to attend or models for a certain product I’m endorsing. I haven’t had a relationship since…”
“Since Stacey?” Sadie whispered, moving her hand over his and squeezing it, much like he had when they’d driven close to town the day before.
He nodded, his jaw tense.
Waiting a moment to decide if she should ask the question playing in her brain, she decided it was better than always wondering. “Do you still love her?”
Evan’s hazel eyes turned to hers, and for a moment, Sadie wanted to look away, wondering what the intensity in them was supposed to mean.
“No, I should have realized that we were different people than when we first dated in high school.”
“Or the million times after.”
Evan let out a low chuckle. “That sounds like it comes with a story.”
Closing her eyes, Sadie wondered if she should say anything. She’d never told anyone she’d had a crush on him, not even Aubrey, although she suspected Aubrey knew.
“I just watched the two of you throughout high school and then off and on during college. I always wondered what you saw in her.” Sadie felt the heat reach up her neck and burn in her cheeks.
Evan turned his gaze forward, biting his upper lip as he thought about something.
Sadie focused on cutting the last few pieces of her Navajo taco, giving him some space.
“I guess it was just easier. We’d been in a relationship so many times that I just thought it was how things were supposed to be. But I should have seen the signs before I even proposed. I was just ready to settle down and have kids.” The muscle in his jaw pulsed, and Sadie studied his profile, feeling a mixture of pity and attraction that he was even admitting all of this to her.
“And now?”
“And now, what?” he asked, his tone curious.
“Do you still want to settle down and have kids?” Sadie could feel her heart pound, the sound of it reaching her ears.
He shook his head, his eyes searching her face. “Yeah, I’d love to get married and have a family of my own. Traveling is fun, but I always wish there was someone at my side who could come along with me. There are so many things I want to share with someone, but, well, there’s a lot of doubt that goes into a long-term future now.” He paused for another drink of water and then turned back to her. “What about you? Do you want kids?”
Sadie laughed, realizing she’d just had that mental discussion with herself before he’d brought over the food.
“I did once. I don’t know if marriage is for me.”
Evan balked at that. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t know how bad the fights got between my parents. There were times when I would just go to your house after school and stay the night so I didn’t have to hear what they were screaming about again.”
Sadie’s sight clouded, tears forming as she recalled several of the arguments her parents had over money or over time away from one another. She reached her finger up and wiped at a tear before it had time to roll down her cheek. Evan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.
She sobbed a bit, trying to contain the tears as much as possible. After several minutes, she took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. Should we get back to our stations?”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Evan asked, concern written on his face.
Sadie laughed, the sound hollow to her own ears. “I’ll be fine. It’s just memories I’ve buried coming to the surface. Thank you for the food. I appreciate it.”
They stood, taking their paper plates to the large garbage can at the corner of the section of tables.
“Head on over there. I’m going to run to the restroom for a minute.” Sadie smiled at Evan, hoping to convince him that she’d be okay without him, but as he walked away, looking back once, Sadie knew she was treading in dangerous waters. What was she going to do about her growing attraction for her best friend’s brother?
Chapter 14
Evan walked back to Kiddieland, his emotions churning within him. He’d never seen Sadie so hurt, the girl who’d always been so happy and carefree. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have his parents fight that much, let alone scream at each other. They were far from perfect, but they usually got over any disagreement within a day or two. He was grateful for that at least.
The way Sadie had looked, with the tears in her eyes, had sparked something defensive within him. He wished he’d been able to see this side of her years before, to be there for her during the rough nights. He and Aiden had played plenty of tricks on Sadie and Aubrey during that time, and for them it had been all about having fun. But hopefully it had helped ease her discomfort when she’d stayed at their home.
As he continued through the festival grounds, he looked back once and saw her still watching him. He wondered if he should walk back and take her somewhere, let her talk about everything and anything she needed to. Her parents’ divorce was years in the past, and she probably had already divulged everything with Aubrey. But some part of him now felt jealous, like he should be Sadie’s confidante.
Maybe it was just the magic of this small town, but it seemed to be stripping away the pretense and helping him see Sadie for who she really was. He’d always wondered if she’d had a little crush on him when they were younger, and her avoidance of that fact made him smile. But the question was, did she feel the same way now? His feelings for her were growing by the day, but he wasn’t sure it could work between them. It seemed they were both broken with their own problems.
Sadie met up with him a while later, her face flushed and looking as though she’d been crying more. He had the urge to pull her into his arms once again, to breathe in her vanilla scent and pretend like they could have a future together.
Aubrey went with Evan to the ring toss station, and when Evan recognized his disappointment, he knew his feelings for Sadie were deepening. He’d have to decide whether that was something he wanted or not, and then there were her feelings to consider. He wanted marriage, kids. If she didn’t think she could do it, he wasn’t going to force her. Not that they were at that point just yet, but Evan had an inkling.
“What’s got you so distracted today?” Aubrey asked as she gathered up the rings from the last little kid who’d played. There wasn’t a line waiting for them like at the fishing pond, which made him wish he was still with Sadie. He liked learning more about her past, and maybe, because he’d listened, her ideas about him being arrogant had changed somewhat.
Shaking his head, Evan glanced over at the fishing pond where Sadie was bent over, talking to
a little girl. “Nothing.”
Aubrey must have seen the direction in which he looked, because she took a seat on a foldout chair and said, “You should go for her.”
Evan turned, eyebrow raised as he pretended not to know who she was talking about. “Who?”
With a quick fist to his shoulder, Aubrey laughed. “You know who, dope. Sadie. You two would be great together. She liked you in high school, but I think all the jerk moves you pulled in college turned her off.”
“She told you that?”
Aubrey frowned. “She never told me she liked you, but I could tell. I do remember her being more vocal about her annoyance with you after that one party freshman year.”
“I was a jerk. But I haven’t had a drop of alcohol since Eddie’s death. I’m just trying to figure out how to not be so arrogant anymore.”
“Did she say that to your face?”
Evan licked his lips and nodded. “Yeah, the other day.”
Aubrey touched his arm a few times. “And you didn’t die?” she said in a mock tone.
Rolling his eyes, Evan growled. “Please, I’m not that bad, am I?”
“You’ve come a long way, brother. But really, give it a shot. You’ll regret it if you don’t try now.”
“She said she doesn’t want to get married.”
“Are you already thinking that far ahead?” Aubrey’s face was serious, and Evan tried to read his feelings.
“No, but I don’t want to spend two years together and then have to start all over again. Not that she isn’t a great girl, but if I’m going to get involved with someone, I’m done with heartbreaks. I just want it to be forever.” Evan stared straight ahead, not wanting to see his sister’s reaction.
Aubrey placed her hand on his arm. “You never know until you try. Just a few dates. See how it goes. If your gut tells you there’s no chance she’ll change her mind, then move on. She’ll be planning a wedding in San Diego right after Taryn’s wedding, so maybe that will be enough of a separation to move on. But now’s your chance.”
Evan’s eyes flicked back to Sadie, and she glanced in his direction. She gave him a small smile before turning back to the little girl in front of her. What would life be like with someone by his side? He’d have to figure that out.
Chapter 15
Friday afternoon and evening passed rather quickly, and Sadie found herself exhausted by the end of it. Evan drove her, Aubrey, Aiden, and one of the nephews back to the ranch house, and she had a hard time keeping her eyes open for the quick ride.
Saturday began much earlier, as Dolores had arranged a fitting with the local bridal shop, and they spent over two hours having Taryn try on dress after dress. There was nothing that seemed to stand out to the small crowd of ladies until the final dress was tried. All four of them teared up as Taryn said it was the one.
It was nearly nine by the time they made it to the festival grounds, and Carl looked like a lost puppy, unsure what to do without his wife’s direction. Sadie didn’t get a chance to work with Evan again until that afternoon. They were stationed at the family craft booth when Carl came over.
“I, uh, well, your mother…” he said, looking at Evan. “She told me that I need to take a turn back here. We need you two to drive the hay wagon.” The way he was hemming and hawing, Sadie could tell something was up.
From the look of disbelief on Evan’s face, she knew he saw it too. “You never give that job up. Why did she say we needed to do it?”
Carl opened his mouth and clamped it shut again. “She, um, didn’t give me a reason. The next wagon leaves in about ten minutes, so best get over there. You remember the route, right, son?”
Evan chuckled and slapped his dad on the back. “After all this time, I think I’ve got it, Dad.” Turning to Sadie, he said, “Let’s head over. I think I can hear Mrs. Goodwyn complaining already.” His wide smile sent her whole body humming with an excitement she hadn’t felt since, well, since their near kiss the day before.
She hadn’t been on a wagon ride since she was probably fourteen. Her family had never run a booth, so she’d usually helped Aubrey with the different booths the Pearson family was in charge of. In fact, she couldn’t remember a time when both of her parents had attended at the same time.
Was that the secret to the Pearson family? They seemed so happy together and did a lot to help each other and the community. And it seemed like they got together as often as possible, even though four of their children lived out of state. Was that the bit of life advice her parents had missed out on? That doing things together makes a stronger relationship?
They walked in silence to the wagon, but it didn’t feel awkward, for which Sadie was grateful. So many thoughts were spinning through her mind that she was surprised when they arrived at the horse-drawn wagon. Evan took her hand and helped her up into the wagon’s driver seat before disappearing around the side.
She turned around and watched as he set down the stairs and helped everyone climb on. The smile on his face sent a shiver down her spine and through her toes, and she wondered if he enjoyed life back in Vegas or if he missed the ranch life. Since Darren had taken it over, there wouldn’t be much for Evan to do, but he could always buy his own if he missed it that much. But the idea of doing that and it not being in Aspen Hollow was something she couldn’t see him doing. As “city” as he came off, there was still a bit of small-town boy inside him.
After the wagon was loaded, he jumped up into the seat next to her and smiled. “You good?”
Sadie smiled wide, happiness spreading throughout her body. “Yep. Where are we heading, Goose?” She watched as he turned and tried not to smile at that, and she was grateful. As much as she wanted to let herself fall for him, she wasn’t in a rush to do so, and keeping things in a teasing mood would help.
“I think Farmer Thompson’s pumpkin patch. You think you can handle that?” He looked at her over his shoulder as he picked up the reins and urged the horses forward.
“Is that where it always went? I’ve been trying to remember the last time I went on this thing.”
Evan shook his head. “No, it used to just make a loop around the town. But this is a way to let people pick up a last-minute pumpkin before Halloween.”
Sadie studied him. He was wearing a different pair of jeans today and a white t-shirt but the same hat as the day before, only turned backward. For some reason, he was even more attractive that way, and she rolled her lips in and faced forward, hoping he wouldn’t ask what she was thinking right then.
Her thoughts from earlier invaded again, and she asked, “Do you miss it here? Would you ever move back?”
He squinted his eyes and pinched his lips together in thought. “I’ve thought about it every once in a while. Maybe buying a home here and then just heading out to check on the hotels every once in a while. It would be nice to raise a family in Aspen Hollow, away from the bustling city, but maybe I’m just biased since this is where I grew up and learned how to work, and my family is still here.”
“Well, not all of them. But you grew a lot at Hawthorne, right? That’s definitely suburb-cityish.”
He nodded slowly as if collecting his words before saying them. “True. But I think that had more to do with the guys in Delta Phi and Coach Montgomery more than actually being in the city. What about you? Where do you see yourself in ten years?”
The question seemed to echo inside of her, and she wasn’t sure what to say. “Honestly, I haven’t thought that far ahead. I think my sights are usually six months out, especially when I have a wedding that far in advance.”
“Well, take a minute and think about it and let me know.” He wiggled his eyebrows, trying to be funny, even though she saw nothing but a serious study of her.
Settling into the seat, she looked around her, the beauty of the colors of the leaves on the trees standing out against the pine trees in the mountains near the town. They passed a small field of cows grazing, and with the sun almost behind the hill in front of th
em, she felt at peace.
“I guess if I found a way to move past all of the nightmares, this wouldn’t be a bad place to live. It’s the memories that scare me, but would driving past my old house or the sites of other memories every day help me to get over that? I’m not sure. And then there’s the idea of my wedding planning business. As much as I love it, I’m scared to get too big. I like the anonymity I have right now, and I don’t know if I could give that up.”
Evan nodded, glancing at her every so often. “That’s a lot to process. The great thing is you don’t have to know it all right now. Looks like we’re here.” He stopped the horses and slid off the seat and held out his hand to her. “Do you want to get down?”
She smiled and placed her hand in his, feeling the warmth of it as well as the roughness of callouses. Whatever she’d thought before about him not having to work manual labor because of his billions, she realized she’d been wrong. She didn’t know what he did to stay in shape, but when she stepped down, she stumbled right into his defined chest, removing all doubt about being fit. Her cheeks started to burn, and she stepped away, moving in the direction of the passengers.
Over the next thirty minutes, they waited as the twenty or so riders decided which pumpkin was right for them, some of them easy enough to carry while others were large enough to need Evan’s help. Sadie walked around with the clippers, making it easier to free the pumpkins rather than twisting them off the vine.
The ride back was short, and the sky was darkening. The brisk air made Sadie realize she’d forgotten all about bringing a jacket. As she rubbed her hands up and down her arms, she felt the chill spill through her.
Evan kept the team moving while pulling something out from a hidden compartment in the back of the seat. A fleece blanket.
“Your mom packed this, huh?” Sadie asked.
With a quick shrug, Evan smiled. “Who knows? That woman does tend to be prepared for just about everything.”
The Vegas Billionaire: An International Billionaire Club Series Page 8
