“Where are the fur balls?” Gavin asked. He grabbed a cue from the wall, chalking it up, as I moved around the table to make my next shot.
From my new position, I caught sight of Jared, quietly sitting at the table staring at his phone. I shook my head, desperate to manage my temper. My body hunched over the black felt of the billiard table, aligning my next shot. “They went with Ruby and Wyatt,” I said without thinking.
Gavin leaned on his pool stick, watching my assessment of the table. “Really? Why would you send them ahead?”
My head popped up. I was stunned. They’d taken the cats because I didn’t want to worry about them while I was in Amarillo. There was no other logical reason for my little buddies to be gone. My mouth gaped open and it took me a moment to speak. “I, uh, wanted to give them a chance to acclimate. It’s such a long trip,” I fibbed.
Ethan straightened up in his seat. Jared stopped texting long enough to gage Gavin’s reaction.
A bemused smiled played across his face. “Makes sense.”
I sighed in relief. He bought it. Ethan appeared as relieved as I did, and Jared returned to paying more attention to his phone then the company of the evening.
“Three ball, left corner pocket,” I announced my shot. My arm coiled and the pool cue sprang forward, knocking the cue ball dead center. A perfect shot, as was expected.
“You know,” I said, moving into my next shot, “there’s a game going on here. You think you could pull your nose out of your phone for ten minutes to mingle with the group?” The annoyance in my tone wasn’t masked in the least.
Light brown eyes lifted from the phone, making contact with mine. “I’ll play the winner.”
“How are you going to know who won if you don’t pay attention to the game?”
“Drew,” came Gavin’s warning.
I lifted my hand up, walking toward Jared. “It helps to know the moves of the winner in order to obtain a victory over them.”
“Not everyone feels the need to win at everything as you do, Drew,” Jared snarled.
“I don’t feel the need to win. I simply win.”
“This isn’t a pissing contest, you two. If it were, Ethan would’ve already whipped his dick out.”
Ethan laughed in agreement. “I’m not ashamed of what my Momma gave me.”
“Drew, step back and make your shot,” Gavin warned.
“Six ball, right side pocket,” I stated, taking a step backward toward the table. I refused to take my eyes off Jared, enforcing that I knew what his game was all too well.
“Seriously, little brother. Chill.”
“Whatever,” I muttered, moving back into position. Unfortunately, my anger had the best of me and my cue clanked as it slammed into the cue ball, sending it spiraling into the closest pocket. “Fuck!” I extended my arm out to Gavin to take his turn, as I stepped away from the billiard table, making a point to return to the high top where my root beer rested and Jared remained seated.
Gavin walked around the table, analyzing each potential shot. He finally settled, placing the cue ball on the table and moved into position. “Twelve ball, right corner pocket,” he advised. A flawless shot ensued.
“What were the girls doing tonight that you wanted no part of, Gav?” I asked. My eyes strained to see what Jared was texting without being seen. How I wished I had my glasses with me that the moment.
“Preparing bird seed packets or something silly like that,” he grumbled, making his next shot.
“I thought Morgan decided on rose petals?”
“Fuck if I know. I’m only there for show. No one’s coming to this thing to see me anyway. Whatever she wants, she can have. As long as she’s happy, so am I.”
“She’s already got you trained,” Ethan sputtered into his bottle.
“You’re just jealous because you can’t land a hot, smart babe like I did.” Pride inflated Gavin’s chest.
Jared dropped the phone on to the table with a sly glance in my direction. “I bet Dr. Carter would love to know you called her a hot babe,” he teased.
“Morgan knows she’s hot.” Gavin wiggled his brows. A slow smile bloomed across his face.
“There’s no denying that. I’d let her give me a prostate exam any day,” Ethan quipped.
“That’s my future bride you’re talking about! Besides, she a gynecologist, you sick bastard.”
“Who cares,” Jared persisted. “We know you love it when she plays doctor with you.”
“See? You just proved my point. I’m sexier than you three fuckers combined,” Gavin goaded.
“How’s that?” I leaned back, eyeing Jared who was staring at his phone again.
“I have a gorgeous woman who’s not only about to marry me, but would fuck me senseless right now if I asked her. Enough said.”
Jared glanced away from his phone, rolling his eyes.
I placed my drink on the table and walked over to my brother, wrapping my arm around his shoulder. “Give it up, big brother. We both know that after a year of marriage, she’s never going to fuck you again.”
Jared jerked his head away from the phone. His lip curled in a snarl. “Just because you’re a divorce lawyer, doesn’t make you the expert on marriage.”
“Excuse me?” I demanded.
“There’s no excuse for you,” Jared sneered. “You go about acting like you’re king of the world with your perfect body and dimples, but you’re no better off than anyone else. Gavin’s lucky. He’s marrying a gorgeous woman that sees something in him.”
My heart stopped. Jared knew nothing about me. No one did, except for my family. My father made damn sure that my mistake was covered up to the best of his ability. I knew more about marriage than anyone realized. Far beyond the reaches of my law degree.
Gavin felt me stiffen. My arm dropped to my side. I stared at Jared in plain disgust. “You have no clue what you’re talking about.”
“Enlighten me. What does the great Andrew Wise know that makes him so superior to us underlings? Is it your wealth? Your perfect tan and great smile? Tell me, oh, enlightened one. Please, let me learn from your infinite wisdom.” Sarcasm dripped from his tongue.
“I knew it,” I growled, coming nose to nose with Jared.
“You knew what?” he demanded, standing up to meet me.
“Guys,” Ethan called out.
“C’mon, you two. This isn’t necessary,” Gavin added.
“You rejoiced the day McKenzie left. You talk about not everyone has to win, but you did, didn’t you? You won when I agreed to let her leave. You’ve kept her within arm’s length, trying your hardest to win her heart. With me out of the way, there was no one to compete with.” I poked Jared in the chest. “But you haven’t won, have you? She misses me. She still loves me. And that’s eating you from the inside out.”
“You arrogant son of a bitch. Your ego is so inflated that you can’t see past your nose to spite your face. McKenzie needed to get away from not only you, but Olivia too. That psycho bitch rubbed her pregnancy in McKenzie’s face the entire time you went off the rails. I know McKenzie will never love me the way she does you, but I also know when a friend needs space.”
“Jared. Drew. Calm down.” Gavin stepped between us.
I stepped around him, coming face to face with Jared. “And it was so convenient for you to swoop in and save the day.”
Jared opened his mouth to respond when his cell phone began buzzing in rapid sessions. Four pair of eyes dropped to the phone, watching the face light up with a picture of my girl. My stomach clenched at the sight of her sunny blonde hair and magnificent smile.
In a quick movement, Jared had the phone in his hand. He swiped his finger across the flat panel and moved away from us toward the balcony. “Hello?”
I threw my hands in the air in exasperation. “He calls me arrogant. The fucker flaunts his relationship with her in my face. If it wasn’t for him-”
“You’d what?” Gavin interrupted. “You and McKenzie wou
ld be happy and in love?”
“Yes!”
“No.” Gavin shook his head. “Jared was right about her needing space and you know it. You were pretty messed up after Olivia announced her pregnancy. And we both know why you fell off the wagon.” He grabbed my shoulders. His blue eyes pierced through mine. Autumn, my little girl, was always in the back of mind, and it was worse now that Olivia was pregnant.
“I know,” I whispered.
“You needed space, too. Admit it.”
I nodded, unwilling to verbalize my agreement.
“Now that you’re sober, I agree with you that it’s been long enough.”
My brow furrowed. “Agree with me?”
“Yes. You honestly think I don’t know about your little plan?”
Turning on my heel, I faced Ethan who was placing the discarded cue sticks in the rack on the wall. He caught my gaze, appearing stunned by my reaction. “I told him nothing.”
Gavin laughed. My head jerked back and forth between the two men. I could only imagine how I might’ve looked, but it was impossible for Gavin to know my plans if neither Ethan nor myself told him. “I put two and two together when HR sent me the vacation approval form. You might be a senior partner, Drew, but I still manage the branch.”
I dropped down into Jared’s vacated seat. “And you’re okay with me going?”
“Absolutely. But you’re not going alone.”
“Come again?”
“That’s what she said,” Ethan piped in.
“I swear he’s your twin,” Gavin groaned.
“Sorry, I have one of those already.”
Gavin sat down in the seat across from mine. He leaned forward on his elbows, glancing over my shoulder to Jared. “Yeah, I know. I also know that you’re not going to Amarillo alone. Jared and I will be joining you.”
I laughed. What else was I supposed to do? This had to be a joke after all. There was no way on this planet, or even Hell, that I would let Jared come along. “I don’t think so. I refuse to have him” -I pointed toward Jared- “come with me.”
“Think all you want, but we’re coming.”
I weighed him carefully. Gavin had on his professional face. He was serious.
“No. Absolutely not. I’m going there to win her back, and I’ll be damned if I let Jared ruin it.”
“Jared isn’t out to sabotage you. He knows McKenzie doesn’t love him. I trust him, Drew, as should you.”
“I wasn’t born yesterday. There’s no way I’d trust him.”
“Why not?” Jared asked.
I cocked my head sideways. Jared slipped his phone into the pocket of his jeans, leaning against the door jam. “Because, you love her.”
Jared pushed off the frame, taking a step back into the loft. “It’s because I love her that I protect her. I’m not out to take your place. Believe me; I know how she feels about me and about you. Every Monday, I get a phone call from her and I have to listen to her go on and on about the flowers and note you sent her. And today, I had to endure her speculations about you calling her at work, which by the look on your face, I assume she’s correct.”
My stomach dropped. He knew. All this time Jared knew about my little secret.
“It breaks my heart to see her hurting. She misses you. She misses being here. This was home to her, no matter what she says about Texas being her roots. This is where she belongs, and I agree with Gavin. It’s time for you to go bring her home.”
“Then let me go alone.”
Jared shook his head, taking another step. “That’s a bad idea. McKenzie will feel as though you’re bombarding her. She’ll shut you out. She’ll run again. Deep down, you know I’m right. With me along, she’ll accept it as a friendly visit.”
“And I’m going along to give you both an alibi.”
“An alibi?” I asked. “Why do we need an alibi?”
“Because your baby momma will buy the story of us going on a bachelor getaway,” Gavin announced; a hint of smugness colored his tone.
I turned my eyes heavenward, and signed in resignation. There was no arguing with him. Gavin and Jared were a force to be reckoned with, and I’d be a fool to try.
“Okay. If we can get you guys on the flights, I guess you’re going.”
“Done,” Ethan broke in.
“Huh?” I blinked, taking in Ethan’s pompous expression.
“While you ladies were dealing with your PMS issues, I did my job and booked their reservations.” He waved his phone around. Even at a distance, I could see the confirmation page for American Airlines. Jared and Gavin were officially joining me to Amarillo. My gut screamed that this was a bad idea; that trusting Jared was a fool’s move, but I had no other choice.
I raised my hands in defeat. “I guess that means you’re coming with me.”
“As if you had a choice,” Gavin stated, patting my shoulder.
Jared dropped down in the seat opposite of me, passing me his phone. “You should read this.”
I glanced down at the phone. Jared opened a text thread, revealing his conversation between him and Mickie.
McKenzie Evans
Mon, 6/12/12
9:14 PM
Every time I tell myself I did the right thing by walking away, I find some reason to prove myself wrong. Everything reminds me of him. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. I keep telling myself that time and distance will make this feeling go away, but every Monday I get his flowers and his note, and I know I’m only fooling myself.
Jared Christopher
Mon, 6/12/12
9:17 PM
Then come home. Fix things with him. He misses you. We all do.
McKenzie Evans
Mon, 6/12/12
9:22 PM
I misses y’all, too, but I can’t. I wish I could explain, but I just can’t.
Jared Christopher
Mon, 6/12/12
9:27 PM
You don’t have to explain, but I wish you’d reconsider. I know I used to tell you
that Drew was no good for you, but I was wrong. You belong together. If I can see that, then you know it’s right. I have this feeling if you two were in the same room, things would work themselves out. Let’s fix this. Come to Boston with me.
McKenzie Evans
Mon, 6/12/12
9:33 PM
You’re probably right, but I won’t put him in a position to make choices he
shouldn’t have to make.
Jared Christopher
Mon 6/12/12
9:35 PM
Like what?
I looked up at Jared, passing the phone back to him. I wasn’t sure what to think. He defended me. He told her to be with me. And just like the night she left, I realized I’d misjudged him. “She didn’t reply.”
“She called me instead.”
“What did she say?”
“Not much. She told me that she still loves you, but she wasn’t sure she could forgive you.”
I rubbed my hand over my face. “The baby.”
“Possibly.” Jared shrugged.
“Do I have a shot at winning her back?”
“If we thought you didn’t, I wouldn’t have insisted that Jared and I come with you to Amarillo.”
“I don’t know what to say,” I breathed.
“I do,” Ethan chimed in. The three of us looked at him in expectation. “Say you’ll win her back and live happily ever after.”
I rubbed my hands over my head. “I’ll get her back,” I agreed.
Jared grabbed a bottle from the table, lifting it high. “To true love.”
“God, that sounds gay,” I retorted, picking up my bottle.
“Shut up and drink,” Gavin scolded me. He reached for his own bottle lifting it high. “To true love.”
“True love,” I repeated. Four bottles clanked together, and we drank.
“So,” Ethan crooned, “who’s up for watching some porn?”
C
hapter Four
“You�
�ve got to be fucking kidding me,” a hysterical Olivia yelled.
Lucky for me, the week flashed by in a blink of an eye. The anticipation of my trip kept me busy. I was so excited that I almost forgot Olivia existed. In all truthfulness, it had escaped me to even contact her about my weekend trip. There was no need. It wasn’t as if she and I were in a binding relationship. “Hello to you, too,” I replied as she shoved her way into my house.
I stepped back, allowing her to enter, but what I really wanted to do was push her ass back outside and slam the door in her face. “The last time I checked, it was customary to wait for someone to invite you in.”
“And what was your plan? Leave me outside?”
“Thought crossed my mind.”
“Excuse me?”
My lips twitched into a lopsided grin as I mumbled, “There’s no excuse for you.”
Turning to face me, she propped her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes. Olivia had always been pretty, in that pretentious sort of way. She stood tall and very slender. The only true curve on her was the baby bump that she showed off as often as she could. Her dark brown hair was piled in a messy bun on top of her head and her black eyes flashed red. It took everything inside me not to quack at her. Between her stance and the bright yellow sundress she was wearing, she could’ve easily been mistaken for a rubber duck.
“Whatever,” she huffed. “When were you planning on telling me about this little excursion you have planned?” she demanded, tapping her foot.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Play stupid. A man’s best defense.
I closed the front door and walked past her into the living room, wondering why I let her through the security gate in the first place.
“Don’t play stupid with me, Drew.” Damn. She’s on to me. “I know about the trip with Jared and Gavin.”
“Okay.” I shrugged. “Good for you. That still doesn’t explain the reason for your visit.”
The Certainty of Deception Page 5
