Sophia takes his half-empty beer and dumps it on his head. “Yeah,” she says. “Sure.”
She storms off to the bathroom, and I follow her.
“What?!” Slammer calls after us. “What’s the matter?”
Brayden
As good as the first half went, in the second half, our offense is on absolute fire. Wes only has three incompletions with no interceptions, and he fucking rifles the last touchdown pass through the tightest of windows.
I know what he doesn’t know—that there’s another scout here from a Division I school. I didn’t know until the game had already started, and with the way he was already playing, we made the decision not to tell him for fear of screwing with his rhythm. He’s putting on a damn clinic for the entire stadium.
And Dylan came through. I found out this morning that he was able to set up a scholarship through one of his charities, so Wes’s dad can move into the assisted living facility in town. He’ll be safe and cared for while Wes is in school.
I look up into the stands as the game ends, and we start walking toward the lockers. Leleila is watching me. I give her the thumbs up, and she smiles shyly and waves.
I’d promised myself I would back off, create some distance between us. Tonight, if she does go to the party, I have to keep my promise. No flirting, no touching, and no fantasizing about how much I want to kiss her.
Leleila Wills is getting married soon. And the sooner I get that fact hard-coded into my brain, the better.
Leleila
Slammer leaves the game after Sophia tells him to or else.
“I’m sorry, Soph,” I say as we wind through the dark road heading for Big River Ranch. “You know you deserve love and somebody who loves you.”
“I guess I don’t think that,” she sniffs. “Or else why wouldn’t I have it?”
“I don’t think that’s always true,” I say. “Sometimes it’s timing.”
“My mother loved the bottle more than she loved me,” Sophia says. “So I don’t see why anyone else would bother to take the time.”
“Of course they would. You’re so lovable. And super funny and unique.” I touch her arm. “Slammer’s just not good enough for you. You need to find somebody who treats you well. I think you’re reaching below you, and that’s the problem.”
Sophia sniffles into her tissue as she drives. “You think so?”
“Absolutely.”
By the time we reach Big River Ranch, Sophia’s brought herself back into party mode. She’s certainly resilient.
She picks up speed rather than slowing down on the dirt road, and we careen over it toward the flickering lights in the woods ahead.
“Are you sure about this?” I ask her. “You may be too vulnerable tonight to look for a new man…”
“I’m fully recovered!” Sophia says with a laugh. “You just broke up with someone too, Lei! We’re two single ladies going to a party together. We’ve never both been single at the same time, and I feel great! Better than ever, and I’m so glad that asshole didn’t join us.”
“Please don’t tell Brayden about Phillip,” I remind her. “I need to do that myself.”
“Of course. I won’t say a word,” she promises as we see the clearing filled with trucks, people, and a big bonfire in the center. Sophia parks the car and hops out. “Come on, Lei. Come experience being single with me.”
I step out of the passenger side, glance around for about three seconds, and then slide my trembling body right back into the car. This is why I never went to another one of these freaking parties. They’re scary. I’d rather give a speech for Save the Soil any day then show up at one of these things. I’m happy it’s outside and not confined inside a house, but it’s still hitting too close to home.
From the safety of Sophia’s car, I watch her make her way to the bonfire. Her head’s on a swivel as she looks around, probably for her mystery man I involuntarily convinced her would be here. Someone approaches her. Oh God, it’s Brayden. They talk for a minute, and then she turns and points directly at her car. I duck down in the seat, hoping he didn’t see me and will just give up and go away. I peek through the window a few seconds later. He’s walking toward me. I try to think of a reason to tell him why I’m sitting by myself in the dark. When I can’t think of any good excuses, I step out of the passenger side to make it look like I’m not avoiding the party. But as soon as I hear the loud music, I disappear back inside the car.
About ten seconds later, Brayden knocks on the window.
I open the door reluctantly, and he scoots in next to me. I try to move over as far as I can, but we’re sharing a seat for one.
“Hey.” He shuts the door behind him and puts his arm around me.
“Hi, Brayden,” I say, trying to sound breezy. “How are you?”
He’s wearing jeans, cowboy boots, and a blue sweatshirt that matches his eyes. His jeans don’t have holes in them, which will probably keep him warmer than mine will.
“Good,” he says. “Is everything all right?”
I open my mouth to tell him about Phillip and me. “Slammer and Sophia broke up,” I say instead.
“Oh. I’m…sorry?”
I nod. “It’s really okay. It’s for the best.”
“I don’t know how well-matched they were,” he says. “Is that why she just told me she’s here to find her soul mate?”
I make a face. “That would be my fault. I was trying to be supportive and tell her she can find somebody better than Slammer. I didn’t mean at this party, but as usual, Sophia has her own timetable of a zero wait time.”
Brayden searches my expression. “So. You coming out?”
“I don’t know…” I start to say.
“Come on. I know why you’re scared. But I’ll be with you the entire time.” With his arm still wrapped around me, he opens the door and steps out, pulling me with him out of the car. My feet hit dirt, and I stand up. He keeps his arm firmly around me and we walk slowly in the direction of the bonfire.
“I’m pretty much dreading this,” I confess to him.
“I’ll be with you the whole time,” he vows.
I whip my gaze over to him. He’s looking at the party up ahead, but I can feel his focus on me nonetheless.
And I don’t think I want to analyze how nice that feels.
“You’re going to get through this,” he says with a confidence I don’t feel. “And when the night’s over, you’ll know you’ve let go of the past.”
We reach the bonfire, and I can feel people’s eyes on me as I walk by them with Brayden.
He leads me over to a truck bed where three people are sitting, one of whom looks familiar.
“Leleila! How are you?” Cam’s friendly face peers over the truck at me.
I wave, even though he’s right in front of me. “Hi, Cam. Good to see you again.”
He hops down off the truck, gesturing to the two people with him to follow.
“Leleila, this is Jenson Beau and his fiancée, Olivia Graham.” Brayden’s hand squeezes my shoulder. “This is Leleila Wills.”
Olivia’s jet-black hair is worn loose and falls below her shoulders. Her blue eyes are warm as she greets me. Cam’s as handsome as I remember with his dark hair and eyes. I remember Brayden mentioning Cam plays ice hockey, and his broad chest and wide shoulders convey that. Jenson’s over six feet, in great shape, and very attractive. He and Olivia make a beautiful couple.
I shake Olivia and Jenson’s hands, and then put my hands into the back pockets of my jeans. I stand before them stiffly, sensing they’ve heard about me already.
But they’re polite. The four of them make easy small talk, as Jenson chats about their flight from Philly that was delayed three hours. “Everything worked out for the best, though,” he says. He takes his hand off Olivia’s back only to brush an errant lock of his blond hair out of his brilliant green eyes before returning his arm to her shoulders. “Because of that delay, we ended up landing the same time as Cam’s flight. So
the three of us rode to Mountainview together.”
“Is this truck one of yours?” I ask, gesturing with my foot to the one they were just sitting on.
“It’s Colt’s,” Cam says. “He leaves it here when he’s in L.A. He’s got way too many cars as it is. When we were at his mom’s last night, she insisted we borrow it for the week.”
“Speaking of trucks.” Brayden tilts his head to the left where his truck is parked a few feet away.
He gives me a lift, and we sit on the back of his tailgate together. It faces the bonfire; plus, the front of his truck blocks some of the wind, so it’s actually quite nice. Some Southern rock band is playing. I only know that because June’s ex-boyfriend Sammy listened to this band all the time. This is exactly the type of music I used to say made my skin crawl, but it fits right in here, and the rhythm of the sound soothes me. Once I’ve made it onto the tailgate and feel somewhat protected from what’s going on around me, I relax. Brayden offers me one of the beers he’s got sitting on the back of his truck, and I accept. He hands it to me unopened, and I nod at him in appreciation.
I open the beer myself, feeling my anxiety slowly dissipate.
I let my legs dangle over the edge of the tailgate, and I feel like I belong sitting here with Brayden. I feel special.
I want to ask him if he often meets women at these parties.
“I don’t normally let anyone sit in my truck,” he says as if reading my mind.
I give him a look. “Ri-i-ight.”
“I don’t,” he insists. “I’m not a big dater.”
I turn sideways so I can face him.
“I just…sometimes I really don’t know why you spend time with me. I mean you could be with any woman you want. And not only do I bring serious baggage, but I’m not that cool or that interesting.” I pause. “Or that beautiful. Certainly not beautiful like you are.”
Brayden shakes his head. “I think we should steer away from this conversation.”
“How come?”
“Because I could show you in a million different ways how beautiful I think you are.” His voice drops so low that my heart starts pounding. “But that would be crossing a line.” He clears his throat and leans back. “So let’s change the subject, okay?”
Before I can fill him in on my break-up, Sophia stops by with a beer in her hand.
“Weren’t you supposed to be driving home?” I ask her.
“I’ve already taken her keys; don’t worry,” Brayden says. “You guys can sleep out here, like the rest of us, and go home in the morning.”
I don’t dare look over at him. This is spinning out of hand, and it only took just over ten minutes to get there.
Brayden
I’ve never been so hyper-aware of somebody else as I am of Leleila tonight.
Every conversation she engages in, every person who approaches her, every time she self-consciously pushes an errant brunette hair back behind her ear, I notice.
I nurse my beer, not wanting to drink much in case she wants me to take her home. Coming to this party is a huge step for her, and I’m not going to let her down.
If she doesn’t want to spend the night here, no way will I try to persuade her. But she’s on her second beer already and may be in no position to drive herself, so I need to stay sober.
“Hey, Wild!” Jenson calls to me from where he and Cam are standing by the bonfire. “Get over here!”
When I reach them, Cam taps his beer to mine.
“She fits with you,” Jenson says to me.
I manage a nod. Fitting with a woman who’s engaged isn’t my idea of a good time.
“She seems different tonight than the last time I saw her,” Cam says, startling me out of my thoughts.
I turn toward him. “How so?”
He shrugs. “Not sure. But something in her eyes…they’re different than when we met her at the saloon.”
“We’ve gotten closer since then,” I say. “Maybe she’s less guarded now.”
“She is,” he agrees. “But it’s something else. You should ask her if something’s happened with her situation.”
“Her situation?” I say. “I can’t. It’s none of my business.”
“Maybe not,” Cam says. “But it is, all the same.”
“She’ll come clean if something’s up,” Jenson says. “She doesn’t look like she has a deceptive bone in her body.”
No, she doesn’t. Leleila’s not manipulative, one of the many things that attracted me to her. But if something’s going on with her upcoming wedding…maybe they decided to move up the date. Maybe she’s going to marry him even sooner than she planned.
My jaw tightens, and I take a swig of beer. I’ll have to continue to be patient and let her tell me when she’s ready.
Leleila
While Sophia is flirting with anyone and everyone, I chat with Olivia. When Jenson calls to her, she jumps off the truck and heads over to him. I watch him kiss her like he hasn’t seen her for a year, and the smile that lights up her face when she playfully pushes him away…it makes my heart ache.
I catch Brayden’s eye.
“Everything okay?” he asks as he hops onto the back of the truck.
I smile at him. “Yes.”
His thumb rubs my ring finger gently. “Still haven’t replaced the ring?”
I suck in a breath. “Brayden.”
His eyes zero in on mine. “What is it?”
“Phillip and I broke up.”
Five words. Five words that hang out there like an announcement in the cool night air.
I can see Brayden’s throat working as he swallows hard. “You’ve got my attention, Lei. Do you feel ready to talk about it?”
His thoughtfulness touches me, and I squeeze his hand tighter. “Yes. No.” I let out a quick laugh. “Later.”
He brings our hands up to his mouth and lightly kisses my palm. “Later’s good.”
Hours later, Brayden and I are finally alone in the far back of his truck. Some vehicles are just driving off while other people hang out in the remaining scattered trucks. Sophia’s already asleep in the back of a truck with a few of the women she partied with all evening.
Cam disappeared with a woman Brayden said, “…is perfect for Cam tonight because she’s not expecting him to call her tomorrow. And he needs that right now.”
Jenson and Olivia are in Colton’s truck, and I can’t see them now that the fire’s nearly burned out and there are no flashlights bobbing around the field.
Nobody else is close to us, and it feels like we’re the only two people in the world. Brayden stretches out his long legs and fixes the blanket so we’re both sitting on it. I lean against the wall of the truck bed, trying not to ogle him in his sexy jeans and cowboy boots.
“This has been a good night,” I say quietly. “Thank you. For encouraging me to come.”
“I’m glad. You deserve to move forward. You know I’m sure not a savior or anything like that.” He lifts his arm to gesture around us. “I’ve got a lot of sides, as does everyone, but partying in the sticks is one of them.” His gaze zeroes in on mine. “Part of me thought you’d come, and we’d realize we really were from two different worlds, and that would be the end of it. Kind of like a painless but surefire way to stop this train we’re on. Because to be honest, I didn’t know how else to stop it.”
“You thought that would be best?”
“No.” His tone drops. “I think you know what I mean. I’m talking about the fire between us that doesn’t want to go out. Because since I ran into you again at Big Sky Grocer, you’ve been spoken for. I like being with you, Leleila. Too much. And there was a part of me that thought maybe you’d come here tonight, and it wouldn’t work out. I figured you’d see me like this and realize how much better you are than I am. I’m no saint, unlike all these people you’re related to and hang out with.”
“Sophia’s a saint? I didn’t realize that.”
Brayden’s lip quirks up. “I didn’t mean Soph
ia. I just thought it would matter to you with somebody like me because Sophia’s just a friend. She’ll always be just a friend.”
“What are you?” I whisper as I lean closer to him.
He swallows and tries to look away. I put my hand on his chin and keep him looking back at me.
“I’m…” His voice is hoarse. “I’m a friend too. A friend who’s sometimes wished that he’d re-met you before you were taken.”
I could stare into Brayden’s beautiful eyes forever. “But I’m not taken anymore.”
I’m single. And I don’t want to live the rest of my life unhappy. Maybe I’ve finally decided to sort everything out so I truly do what’s best for me.
Brayden’s eyes flash, and he leans forward but stops with his lips inches from mine. “What happened, Lei? I need to know before I…” His mouth comes so close I can’t believe it doesn’t touch me. “Before I do something I’m not supposed to do.”
My stomach lurches. “I’ll tell you the story,” I say as I put my hands into my lap. “But I never want you to think I’m using you for something so shallow as a temporary fling. Because you’re my best friend, Brayden. I really, really like you.”
Brayden brushes my cheek with his lips. “I want to kiss you, Leleila. No matter how confused things are right now.”
I sit back. “I’ll fill you in on everything first. I told you how I’ve been with Phillip since I was sixteen. He’s the only guy I’ve ever dated. He asked me out, and I accepted, and it just kind of went from there. My dad was so happy and proud I was dating him. He thought Phillip would take care of me, I guess. After the way I’d lost faith in myself, Phillip became my rock. And when my parents went to South America for research for most of my senior year, I leaned on him even more.” I pause, but Brayden’s nods like he’s interested. “We were both into our studies, and we both hated the party scene. I thought what I had with Phillip was special because everyone, including me, thought he was so special. But we’ve drifted in the last couple of years, and I should have been paying better attention. When Phillip kept leaving me for work, at first it felt like it came out of left field. But now, I realize he was calling attention to a much bigger issue.”
Brayden (Wild Men Book 6) Page 22
