Becca pinched her brows together. “What do you mean?”
“If she isn’t pregnant, then she’s trying to get pregnant. The other night she said there was something wrong with the condom I wore. She said there must have been a small tear in it. When we were together before we came to Texas, the same thing happened. I even questioned her where she was buying the damn things if they kept breaking. But now I know, she’s doing something to the condoms.”
Mason shook his head and held up his hands. “Wait. She’s doing something to the condoms? Okay, now both of you are talking crazy. I can maybe see her lying about being pregnant, but going so far as fucking with a condom so she can get pregnant? That kind of shit only happens in movies.”
Becca laughed. “Let me show you something, Mason. I’m about to enlighten your world to the lengths women will go to when it comes to keeping a man.”
Pulling out her phone, she started typing away on it. A minute later she showed something to Mason. He read it and looked at her. “Is this for real? Like, women are selling these?”
“Yes!”
“What? What is it?” I asked.
Taking her phone and practically shoving it in my face, Becca showed me an ad on Craigslist.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whispered as I looked up at the two of them.
“I saw it on the news. Let me guess. I bet Daphne showed you a pregnancy test that said positive.”
“Yeah, but she carried the box into the restroom with her and did it.”
Mason cursed under his breath. “She might have already had the positive test in the bathroom and then opened the box like she was doing it. Did you see her physically take the test?”
Slowly shaking my head, I answered him with a resounding, “No.”
Dread coursed through my veins and bile moved to the back of my throat.
Could I really be that stupid? That naïve?
Was Daphne faking her pregnancy?
Three days later
SITTING ON JAMIE’S front porch, I took a sip of coffee and looked out over the dark mountains. I had called my parents who both begged me to call either Becca or Mason. The only person I called was Debbie. It was one of the hardest phone calls I’ve ever made.
“Emylie! My goodness, where are you? Everyone is worried sick, including Holden. He isn’t himself right now at all.”
My heart felt like someone was squeezing it. “Debbie, I needed some time alone. I understand that I up and left you without so much as a notice, but the news of the baby threw me, and honestly, I need to get my head back in the right place. The last two years I’ve been leaning so much on Mason and everyone around me, I forgot what it felt like to be strong. If I don’t have a job when I come back, I totally understand.”
“Don’t be silly. You have a job here no matter how long you’re gone. Honey, you have to know that running away isn’t going to help things.”
I was tired of everyone telling me that. Becca. Mason. My parents. Even Holden sent me a text message begging me to call him and to not run away. I texted back telling him he got to run away so now it was my turn. I hadn’t heard from him since.
“Debbie, I have to go. I love you and Sam.”
“Will you not tell anyone where you are?”
I knew I shouldn’t say anything, but I trusted Debbie. “I told my parents and they know where I am. I’ve got to run. Bye, Debbie.”
Before she had a chance to say anything else, I hung up. I knew even if she did ask my mother, she would be tight-lipped. The two of them had been going after each other the last few days. With Holden coming back home, he caused chaos in more than one way.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Jamie asked, taking the seat next to me.
“It’s chilly here at night,” I replied, not knowing what else to say.
Jamie laughed. “Yep. Hot as hell during the day and chilly nights. Makes for snuggling up to someone pretty enjoyable.
Rolling my eyes, I gazed back out over the mountains. “I see why you love it here so much.”
She followed my gaze. “Yeah. That and I found a guy who actually knows how to use his stick in the oh-so-right way that makes me all happy inside.”
Ugh. Jamie hadn’t changed a bit. Even in college she was outspoken and said pretty much what popped into her mind.
“Well I’m glad to know Jax makes you happy inside.”
“Girl, he makes me happy inside, outside, in the cold, in the heat, you name it.”
Turning to her, I shot her a dirty look. “That’s gross. I really don’t need to hear about your perfect sex life.”
She tossed her head back and lost it laughing. “Did I mention Jax’s best friend from college is in town? Perfect timing.”
She avoided eye contact at all costs. “Do not even think of trying to set us up.”
With an evil smile, she said, “I would never! But, since you’re here and Carter’s here … y’all are going to be seeing each other. Especially if you want to see me. Speaking of, we’re going out to dinner. A welcome celebration for you and Carter.”
I dropped my head and groaned. “No, Jamie! I don’t want to go out. I came up here to get away.”
Taking my hand, she kissed the back of it. “You came up here because you’re hiding from something, or dare I say, someone. While you’re here, you might as well have a bit of fun. He’s cute. Really cute. Jax even told me the guy is from Colorado. You know what that means.”
She wiggled her brows. Oh geesh. Here we go. “No. What does that mean?”
With a shocked expression, she covered her heart and pretended she was hurt I didn’t know.
“He’s a good dancer.”
I let out the breath I had been holding. Giggling, I said, “And here I thought you were going to say something about him sex wise.”
“Oh, well everyone knows guys from Colorado have big dicks.”
My mouth dropped. “No. Not everyone knows that. I didn’t know that.”
Standing, she winked and said, “You’ve been warned. I’ll make sure to put some lube in the drawer next to your bed along with a few condoms. Not sure you had time to pack any. Did I mention he’s in the Marines?”
“Jamie!” I cried out as she laughed and took off back inside the house. “Oh my lord, that girl will never change.”
I took another drink and looked out over the mountains. Chewing on my lip, I wondered what it would be like to have a one-night stand. Just screw a guy for no reason other than him making me come. Nothing said I couldn’t. I had no boyfriend. My fuck buddy was gone. My future consisted of nothing but sad movies, hot romance books, and a vibrator.
With a giggle, I pushed the thoughts out of my head.
The back door screen slammed and I let out a small scream.
“Shit! I’m so sorry. I didn’t know anyone was out here. Jamie told me to head on out to the deck to see the view.”
Wiping the coffee off my blouse, I groaned internally. Great. I didn’t pack that many clothes and I just ruined one of my favorite shirts.
Damn Jamie for sending this guy out here. I was going to kill her.
I took a deep breath and slowly turned.
Oh. My. God.
The man standing before me was drop-dead gorgeous. His military buzz cut framed his chiseled face perfectly. The tight black T-shirt showed off how built he was.
Removing my eyes from his chest, I looked at his handsome face. Then he smiled and I knew exactly what Jamie’s intentions were. Send a hot guy out here to make me forget all my problems. Well, it wasn’t going to work. I used a guy the last time to try and erase Holden. I wasn’t about to do it again.
I let my gaze move over him again, this time noticing the tattoos covering both arms.
Shit. I was a sucker for tattoos.
My teeth sunk into my lower lip as I ogled the poor man. Surely he was used to it, I mean look at him.
With a smile, I said, “No worries. You must be Carter. I’m Emylie.”
Reaching his hand out, he returned the friendly gesture with a grin that about knocked me back a few steps.
Holy. Hell. The dimples. He went from hot military guy to adorable in two seconds flat.
“Hey there. Nice to meet you. I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were out here or I wouldn’t have barged on out. Jamie told me I had to come out and see the view.”
I rolled my eyes. “Why do I have the feeling she was meaning me?”
Carter laughed. It was a nice laugh. Not too over the top, yet sincere. “Since it’s night, I’m going to say you’re spot on. But if I may be so forward as to say she was right.”
I lifted my brows. “About?”
“The view. It’s beautiful.”
My chest felt a flutter. It wasn’t earth shaking, but it was nice to have a guy flirt with me.
“That’s sweet of you to say.”
Carter motioned to the seat that was next to the one I had been sitting in. “Please, yes.”
We both sat and stared out over the dark mountains. The silence wasn’t awkward at all. In fact, it seemed to be welcomed by both of us.
“So how do you know Jax?”
I knew the answer already, but thought it was a good conversation starter.
“We meet in college. First day.”
“Really? Same with me and Jamie! I bumped into her and knocked a box out of her hands. We were best friends from that point on.”
He let out a soft chuckle. “Jamie’s great. I’m happy for Jax that he met someone.”
I nodded. “Yeah, she is pretty great.”
The silence came back and settled in around us. It was Carter who spoke next. “So where are you from? Utah?”
“Texas. I drove up kind of last minute. I needed a few weeks to try and figure some things out.”
He gave me an understanding look. “That sounds familiar.”
“Same?”
With a nod, he sighed. “Yeah. When I joined the Marines, my father wasn’t very happy with me.”
Pulling my head back in surprise, I asked, “Why?”
With a shrug, he answered. “Well, according to him, when he sent me off to college to get a business degree it was so I could take over the family business, not run off to join the military. I’d always told him running a hardware store was not my idea of fun. I wanted to do something more with my life.”
“And he didn’t support you?”
“No. What he heard was I was joining the military because I didn’t want to run a hardware store like my old man. I really do want to run it in the future. I just didn’t want to start my life out doing that. I wanted something else. The Marines gave me something else.”
“So was he angry with you for a while?”
I could see the frown on his face even in the darkness. “He hasn’t talked to me since the day I joined the Corps. My mom called me a week ago and told me my father’s health was fading.” Turning to look at me, he said, “Cancer.”
My heart instantly broke for him. How terrible that must be for him to know he broke his father’s heart because he followed his own.
“I’m sorry, Carter. That has to be so hard for you.”
“It is. I wanted to go home to see him, but he told me I wasn’t welcome.”
My chest squeezed. It sounded like Holden and Sam.
“He doesn’t mean it. You have to know deep down he doesn’t mean it.”
His head dropped back against the chair. “I’m not so sure. He’s a stubborn man.”
“Even the most stubborn man can be cracked.”
Carter let out a laugh. “You sound like you speak from experience.”
With a friendly wink, I replied. “A little. But honestly, if you don’t try to reach out to your father, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
His face softened and it was in that moment I truly saw the sadness as the light from inside the house reflected in his eyes.
“You’re right.”
I leaned back and put my feet up on the rail. “Of course I’m right. I’m a woman. We’re always right.”
My stomach fluttered when I peeked over at him and saw the way he was looking at me. The smile he wore on his face was both sweet and sexy. I wondered how many broken hearts this guy has left in his wake.
Forcing myself to turn away, I cleared my throat. The last thing I needed was another guy in my life.
With a quick slap of his hands on his legs, he stood. “Well, listen, I’ll let you get back to enjoying your peaceful evening. Will you be staying here?”
“Yep. You?”
Jamie’s house was huge. Six bedrooms and six bathrooms. She had bought it with her parents as an investment and was planning on turning it into a bed and breakfast. When she called to ask advice from my parents, I could hear the excitement in her voice.
For now, though, it appeared it was a place for Carter and I to both figure out what our next step in life was.
“I am. I’m on leave for a month. Figured I’d hang here a few days and then maybe make my way home.”
The only word I could come back with made me sound like I was in middle school. “Cool.”
With another killer smile, he winked and replied, “Cool. See ya in the morning.”
“Sleep well,” I said as he nodded and headed into the house.
The moment the door shut behind him, I looked back out over the dark mountains. The emptiness that settled into my chest had me inhaling a deep breath. For a brief moment in time, I forgot about Holden before my reality quickly fell back upon me. I couldn’t hold my emotions in any longer.
The future I had so stupidly kept a tight grip on quickly fell away with every fallen tear.
Closing my eyes, I whispered, “Holden.”
DAPHNE AND I were supposed to leave for California yesterday, but I faked being sick. My mother was all over that shit and insisted we had to change our flights. Then my second stroke of luck happened. The second Daphne thought I had a fever, she high-tailed it out of the bedroom we shared.
Grabbing her small overnight bag filled with every face product known to man, she huffed by me. “I cannot believe we are still stuck here. I want to go home and sleep in my own bed. There is so much to do to prepare for the movie. I could have left on the flight but no, your mother gave me that stupid guilt trip. Ugh!”
“And prepare for the baby?” I asked as I sat up in bed and pretended to cough. I’d forgotten how hard it was to fake being sick.
She looked over at me and flashed me a smile. “Yes. And for the baby. We have plenty of time to prepare for that.”
For that? She just referred to our child as … that.
I searched her face as I tilted my head in curiosity. “You never talk about the baby, Daphne. Why is that? The first pregnancy, that’s all you could talk about. Now you barely mention being pregnant.”
Something moved across her face. “Well, um, can you blame me? I don’t want to get my hopes up in case we lose it again.”
It.
“Are you spotting? Like before?”
“No,” she said quickly.
“Any cramping?”
She shook her head.
“I’d like to go with you to the next appointment.”
Her face went white.
I continued on, even though she looked like she was about to freak out. “Mom wants me to video when we see the baby for the first time.”
“Well … I don’t think they are doing that at the next appointment.”
A thought popped into my head, and I couldn’t believe Becca hadn’t thought of it.
“Hey, Becca’s mom is an OB. I bet she would do one for us so we could see the baby, and she wouldn’t charge us. You’re far enough along now for us to see the little peanut.”
A look of horror passed over her face, and I knew it was wrong, but it felt good knowing I was giving her a taste of her own fucking medicine.
Daphne’s mouth dropped before she snapped it shut. “I am not letting some
strange woman near me, poking around where she doesn’t belong.”
“It might be a good idea to have a backup OB. Especially if we’re going to be coming to Texas more often to see my folks.” The thought of coming back here would drive her insane.
“What?!”
I let out a fake moan. I’d given her enough to chew on for a bit, and I was positive she wouldn’t be coming back to the room anytime soon. “I feel like I’m going to get sick.”
Covering her mouth, she rushed out the door and yelled, “I’ll get your mother. I’m going to the cabin.”
Fist pumping when she shut the door, I jumped out of bed. Less than a minute later, Becca and Mason were in my room.
“I just bought us hours,” I said.
Becca and Mason stood there with huge smiles on their faces. “I liked the whole bit about my mother being an OB. I wonder what Daphne would think if she knew my mother owned a quilt store!”
Laughing, I shook my head. “Alright, what are we looking for?”
With a deep breath, Becca glanced around. “I have no clue.”
“Let’s search her suitcase first since she seems to have most of everything packed in when she thought y’all were leaving.”
I nodded to Mason. “Good thinking.” Picking the case up, I dumped everything on the bed and grinned like a fool.
“Did that feel good dumping her clothes on the bed?” Becca asked in a baby voice.
With a huff, I glanced between her and Mason. “I’m never allowed to touch her stuff. Like ever. It’s one of her … ‘rules.’” I used air quotes when I said rules.
“Dude, how in the fuck have you stayed with that monster?”
“Guilt makes you do weird shit.”
Mason frowned. “I guess so.”
We quickly got to work searching through her clothes, the drawers in the bathroom, and each dresser. Each time, we came up with nothing.
With a frustrated sigh, I said, “We don’t even know what we’re looking for.”
Becca sat on the bed. “Have either of y’all heard from Em?”
Shaking my head, I looked at Mason. “I swear I haven’t heard from her.”
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