by Jo McNally
Her outfit was the result of Emily’s shopping spree at Target. Instead of linen and silk, she wore a short denim skirt with a red gingham shirt tied at her waist. The shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a white tank top decorated with the glittering outline of a galloping horse. Her earrings were long, swishy tassels that dangled the length of her neck and ended in tiny gold horseshoes. Tall Western boots finished the authentic country look.
She’d laughed when Emily pulled the bright red boots out of the shopping bag. Not only were they red; they were also adorned with gold metallic thread stitched into a phoenix design. They made her feel brave and sexy. With her fresh crop of freckles, she was a new, sassy, all-natural Bree.
She turned back and forth, staring at herself in the mirror. Being recognized seemed unlikely after this transformation, which was why she’d agreed when Emily suggested they come to The Hide-Away for dinner. She thought she’d feel like an actress playing a role wearing this little country bumpkin outfit, but instead, she felt relaxed and energized.
A week ago she wouldn’t be caught dead looking like this. What if some paparazzi snapped a photo? Cole’s words had stung last night, but he was right. Her looks were her living, and she spent a good hour every morning plastering on her identity before walking out of her bedroom. But now...well, now she looked far more genuine than Malibu Bree had ever looked or felt, even with the silly multicolored curls.
“You gonna come eat with us or what?” Tammy rapped on the restroom door.
“Yes, ma’am! I’m on my way.” She quickly applied some sheer lip gloss. It was the only makeup she was wearing. She’d insisted Melissa pluck off what remained of her fancy acrylic nails, and she’d tossed out all of her cosmetics except sunscreen and moisturizer. The best way to look the opposite of the famous Bree Mathews was to ditch all the phony stuff. That thought made her pause again. Nearly everything about her in California had become phony. How exactly had that happened?
She stepped out into the dark, noisy bar and gave Tammy a thumbs-up. The Hide-Away was as different tonight compared to Monday as she was. The wide accordion doors she’d noticed that first day were now opened wide, revealing an adjoining room larger than the bar itself, filled with tables, chairs and an elevated stage at the far end of the dance floor. Tammy had explained that Ty and Cole were partners in the bar. They’d purchased the neighboring business a few years ago and used the space to expand the bar on the weekends and for special occasions. Friday was karaoke/jukebox night, although Tammy said their second-hand equipment was sadly outdated. On Saturday nights they had local bands come in. Their reputation was growing, and the place tended to fill up not only for meals, but also for a fun time afterward.
They found Emily sitting in the corner booth farthest away from the bright lights over the stage. She jumped up and gave Bree a hug.
“Oh my God, you look so hot! I told you those boots were perfect for The Hide-Away!”
It was true; nearly everyone was wearing boots.
“I’m so glad we came here tonight, Bree... I mean, Anna!”
That was the alias they’d decided on—Anna Lowery—using the second half of her actual name and her mother’s maiden name. A new name for a new woman. Tammy slid into the booth across from Bree and next to her daughter, her hazelnut hair pulled back into a ponytail.
Ty delivered three plates of burgers and chips to the table, shaking his head. “Tell me again why you decided to come out dining and dancing when you’re supposed to be in hiding?”
“Oh, Dad, who could possibly recognize her now? I wouldn’t even know who she was if I didn’t watch it all happen today.” Emily grinned proudly. “And the clothes I picked are perfect, don’t you think?”
Ty looked at each of the three women, stopping to give his wife a warm gaze that seemed to contain an unspoken question. Tammy barely nodded, and Bree remembered the silent conversations that went on between Ty and his brother. The Caldwells were men of few words, but plenty of communication. He shrugged and walked away with a final word to his daughter.
“You just remember that your friends can’t know anything about ‘Anna’ being here. I don’t want to see a bunch of high school kids trying to sneak into the bar tonight.”
“I promise, Daddy! I’d never do that to my good friend, Anna.” She giggled as Ty continued to walk away, still shaking his head.
They talked about the events of the day as they devoured their burgers. Tammy looked down at Bree’s legs and started to laugh. “You are rocking those boots, girl.”
“I suppose I should have worn something less flashy if I wanted to stay under the radar, huh?” She frowned at her outfit.
“Bree, it’s not the clothes that are going to get attention. Trust me, there’ll be women here wearing a lot less than you are.” Tammy shook her head. “It’s the body beneath those clothes that will have the boys jumping to dance with you. They won’t have a clue that you’re hiding some secret identity.”
Bree started to answer but stopped when a noisy group of women walked in from the bar. They were led by a striking woman with waist-long raven hair and brilliant blue eyes. Tall and slender, she wasn’t walking as much as she was strutting, gazing around coolly as if she owned the place. She was wearing a snug blue knit dress that showed every curve. When she turned to say something to one of her friends, it was obvious she was wearing a thong under the thin fabric of her dress. So was Bree, but she wasn’t advertising it like this girl was.
The brunette was the country version of the woman Bree had been in Hollywood—the queen of the room. She admired that kind of confidence, but her admiration faded when the dark-haired woman made eye contact with her. She sighed as the woman’s eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. She looked Bree slowly up and down, and obviously tagged her as an adversary. Bree had seen that look all the time at parties in LA. There was nothing some beautiful women hated more than seeing another woman in the room who might steal their limelight.
The woman left her group and walked boldly to their booth. For a minute Bree thought she’d been recognized, and she took a deep breath to brace herself. The woman’s heavily made up eyes didn’t leave Bree’s face, but she spoke to Tammy.
“Great to see you, Tammy. Hi, Emily. Who’s your friend?” Bree couldn’t help but notice that Tammy’s whole body had stiffened. These two weren’t friends, and that came as a relief, because, while Bree didn’t know this woman, she certainly knew the type.
“Amber.” Tammy’s voice was cool. They not only weren’t friends, but sweet Tammy clearly didn’t like Amber one little bit, either. “This is Caroline’s friend Anna. She’s staying at Nell’s cottage this summer.”
Amber’s eyes went wide and she kept her gaze fixed firmly on Bree, but continued to speak as if she wasn’t there. “Caroline? Oh, how lovely. I adore Caroline. Anna looks familiar, though. Have we met?”
There was a quick inhale of breath around the table, but Tammy jumped in to deflect the conversation.
“I don’t remember you and Caroline being all that close in high school, Amber.”
“Don’t be silly. Caroline Patterson and I have always been great friends...”
“Caroline McCormack, actually.” Bree’s voice was a lot more level than her heart rate.
“Excuse me?” Amber finally addressed her directly.
“Caroline’s last name is McCormack. She was married recently. I don’t recall seeing you at the wedding, considering you’re such good friends.”
Bree knew how to put it in bitch-mode when required. Tammy was trying to hold back a smile. Emily didn’t bother making the effort, and just looked up at Amber with a big grin. Amber paled slightly under all of her heavily applied makeup.
“Oh, of course. Yes, I wasn’t able to attend, but she’ll always be a Patterson to everyone here in Russell. Isn’t that right, Tammy?” Amber’s mistake w
as in recruiting the wrong ally.
“Actually, I think of her as Caroline McCormack now. I heard she married a charming man, and Anna tells me they’re madly in love with each other. They run a business together.”
Amber stuttered for a moment then gathered herself together and walked away with a brittle nod to join her posse of friends at a table near the dance floor.
“Holy cats, what was that?” Bree started to laugh. “I thought we only had vipers like her in Hollywood!”
Tammy shook her head. “Amber and I used to be friends in school, but she hurt someone I care about. She thinks she’s better than Russell, but she won’t leave town long enough to prove it.”
Emily spoke up. “She broke Uncle Cole’s heart.”
Tammy poked her daughter in the ribs with her elbow. “Emily, be quiet!”
Bree had already learned quite a bit about Cole’s past today when Tammy and Emily brought her new wardrobe to the cottage. While Bree tried on outfits, Emily, clearly enamored with her uncle, made a point of stressing that he was single. Bree had guessed as much, figuring there wasn’t a houseful of grumpy little gray-eyed children after all. Emily had the openness of a teenager with no filters, and she’d rattled on for quite a while about Cole before her mother finally shushed her.
He’d done three tours in the Middle East and had been injured several times. The last time was the worst, and ended his career. Emily proudly proclaimed him a hero. Bree didn’t doubt that, but Tammy’s troubled expression told her there was more to the story.
Bree couldn’t stop herself from asking the question. “What happened between Amber and Cole?”
Emily answered in her characteristic jumble of hurried words. “Uncle Cole and Amber got engaged before he left the last time, and then she dumped him. She dumped him by email, after he’d been injured. There he is in a hospital in Germany, and he gets an email from her saying she’s found someone else and wishes him the best. But she found someone else long before that—turns out she’d been cheating pretty much the whole time he was gone...”
“Okay. That’s enough gossip for tonight, Em,” Tammy cut her off.
Bree leveled a cold look at the back of Amber’s head. She shouldn’t care if the woman hurt a man who insulted her at every turn. But right now the thought of someone breaking Cole’s heart made her blood boil just a little.
After they finished dinner, Tammy’s sister stopped by to pick up Emily for an overnight babysitting job. Tammy and Bree were ready to party, country-style. The band was setting up and the room was packed. There were families and older couples in the restaurant area, while the bar sported a younger crowd of singles. Amber and her friends pulled several tables together on the opposite side of the floor.
The band leader’s sandy hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he had piercing blue eyes. His smile was brilliant, and he kept aiming it at Bree. As she returned to the table with another glass of wine, he walked over. Tammy jumped up and hugged him then introduced him.
“Anna, this is our good friend, Mark Stenson. We all went to school together. His band plays here two or three times a month. Mark, this is Caroline’s friend, Anna. She’s staying in Miss Nell’s cottage.”
Mark took her hand and held it in both of his. He leaned forward and flashed her a dazzling smile. “I remember Caroline Patterson. Sweet kid. And she clearly has sweet friends, too.” Oh, he was smooth, all right. “I hope you enjoy our music tonight, Anna. Maybe you’ll share a dance with me later?”
Mark seemed harmless, and he was a friend of Tammy’s, so she went along with his flirting. “Now Mark, are you telling me you can sing and dance? I’m so impressed!”
He stepped closer and whispered in her ear. “If that impresses you, wait till you see what I can do in the backseat of my truck...”
She laughed and swatted his shoulder playfully. “Oh, no, you don’t! I’ll be staying away from all those big old pickup trucks tonight.”
“Don’t be afraid, Anna. I’ll be very gentle.” It was easy to see from his expression that he was joking with her. He chatted briefly with Tammy then joined the guys on the stage. The first song was “Hey Girl.” Mark looked straight at Bree as he started singing in his gravelly voice. Tammy laughed at Bree’s blushing face. Amber was shooting daggers at her from across the room. Mark crooned about how fine she looked. It was pretty cool to have a hot guy sing a song right at her.
The next number was a fast one about country girls shaking, and the dance floor filled with people. Tammy grabbed her hand and they danced to that song and the next three fast ones. Then the music slowed again. A tall, skinny boy—truly, he looked about nineteen—stepped up to Bree before she could sit.
“Ma’am, may I have this dance?” He gave her a shy smile. She glanced in Tammy’s direction, and Tammy gave her a “he’s safe” nod. His name was Danny Miller, and he and his daddy owned a hog farm south of Russell. He’d sure like it if she’d come down and let him show her around sometime. Bree Mathews would have looked down her nose at Danny Miller and brushed him away in disgust. But she wasn’t Bree tonight. She was Anna Lowery, and Anna gave Danny a warm smile and let him spin her around the floor to a two-step.
After Danny, it was Harley Benson who rocked out with her to a song about rednecks. After Harley, it was Arlen Howard. Then Ty joined her for another two-step. She and Tammy danced a few fast songs, with various guys from the bar joining them. The night flew by and the drinks went down quickly. She danced to songs about small towns, rednecks, tequila, bonfires and red Solo cups. There were no expectations. No judgments. Just people having fun on a Saturday night.
The band was a few songs into their third set when Mark stepped down from the stage and took her hand, tugging her to her feet. He pulled her in and started to sing a sweet love song, “Hey, Pretty Girl,” right to her. She laughed and leaned into him, suddenly feeling the effects of all the wine she’d had. Mark was singing just inches from her face. She reached out and put her hand on his arm. His blue eyes darkened.
Tammy jumped to her feet at the exact same moment Mark looked over Bree’s shoulder and his eyes went wide. The energy in the room tipped from relaxed to highly charged in the blink of an eye. Before she could turn her head to see what was happening, hard hands grabbed her waist from behind. She knew who it was without looking, but she had no idea what Cole Caldwell was doing here.
He tugged her back against his hard body and spoke to Mark, who’d stopped singing. “Sorry, Mark, this one’s mine.” She wasn’t sure if he meant the dance or her, and neither made any sense. For one tense moment she was afraid there was going to be a fight, but no. Mark smiled slowly and shrugged his shoulders, raising his hands in surrender.
“I didn’t know, man. It’s good to see you, Cole. Damned good to see you.” He stepped back to the stage and Bree spun in Cole’s arms, ready to give him a piece of her mind for being such a caveman. As she opened her mouth, Mark addressed the room.
“Ladies and gentlemen, let’s give a big round of applause to our very own Cole Caldwell, a genuine war hero. It’s been way too long since we’ve seen him here with his friends.”
The tension grew in Cole’s eyes as everyone started to clap their hands and cheer. His jaw was tight, and a muscle in his cheek was pulsing dangerously. She started to ask what was wrong, but this time was interrupted by Amber, who’d suddenly appeared at their side, cooing at Cole.
“Oh, honey, it’s wonderful to see you out. And you look so good...” She started to reach her hand toward him and he flinched. Bree moved between them and faced Amber.
“Amber, you need to walk away.”
Amber ignored her, and her hand continued its path and brushed across Cole’s shoulder. Bree heard his sharp intake of breath and felt another surge of defensiveness.
“Didn’t you hear? Cole just told Mark that I was his, so why don’t you
run along...” Cole’s fingers dug into her side, and she leaned back against him. Amber pulled her hand back, but Bree suspected it was only so she could strike out at her. She braced for it but kept her expression calm. It wouldn’t be her first cat fight in public; the only thing missing was the cameras.
“Amber!” Ty swept up and wrapped his arm around the brunette’s waist, pulling her away with a laugh. “You haven’t danced with me all night, girl, and I love this song.” He sent a sharp look to Mark, who immediately picked up the song he’d been crooning to Bree minutes ago. Amber was caught off guard and allowed herself to be drawn away, leaving Bree and Cole standing in front of the stage. Other couples came onto the floor. Anxious to get through Cole’s wall of silence, she arched a brow, forcing herself to smile.
“Well, Cole, my dance card’s been pretty full all night, but I guess I can make time to dance with my neighbor. Shall we?” She put her left hand on his shoulder and held up her right hand for him to take. He seemed baffled, but silently took her hand and pulled her close. She couldn’t read his expression. Confusion? Anger? Why on earth was he here?
His eyes never left hers, even when other people patted him on the back and told him how good it was to see him. They seemed genuinely surprised and happy at his presence, but he paid them no attention. He just stared at her as they moved to the music. His body was tight with tension under her fingertips.
Looking into his eyes made her dizzy. She closed her own to regain her equilibrium, and her fingers absently traced the rough scars that scrolled under the dark tattoos on his arm. No wonder the tats had seemed three-dimensional.
When she opened her eyes, Cole was still staring as he moved her across the floor. She felt a sudden urge to sink her fingers into his thick, tobacco-colored hair. This was crazy. She tried to pull away, but he wasn’t letting go. The song came to an end, and still he didn’t release her. She needed to free him from whatever demons were holding him there, immobile in the center of the dance floor.
