Stealing Hearts (Wild at Heart #1)

36. PAIGE

36

PAIGE

“I’m thrilled you and Rhett are doing well,” Judge Tate says as she wraps me in a hug. “Call me next week so I can add you to our quilting group.”

“I’ve only made a baby quilt, and it wasn’t fancy,” I admit.

She waves her hand. “Sylvia Reyes says you’re a fantastic seamstress. You’ll learn advanced techniques in no time.” Leaning in, she whispers, “We call it the Sewers and Sippers Society because we like our margaritas.”

I laugh. “Sounds like fun.”

After I jot her number in my cell, I go in search of fried dough. The festival is getting crowded, and as I weave around a large group, I run into Irma and Ty. My stomach tightens, and I force a smile. “Hi. How are y’all?”

Ty gives me a genuine grin. “Great. I just finished selling off the rest of our puppies. I’m making bank.”

I hate that he’s running a puppy mill. “What about the mama dogs? How much time do you give them between litters?”

Irma rolls her eyes. “They’re just dogs.”

“Mom, don’t talk like that.” Ty shakes his head. “This is my last batch. I’m getting tired of cleaning up crap all the time. I’m gonna invest the money and do something else.”

I’m relieved he’s not continuing with his original plan. “I’m so glad to hear that.” It’s great to see my brother. I know we’re not full siblings, but he’s the only blood relative I have left. “Ty, we should grab lunch sometime.”

He nods. “I’d like that.”

We make plans to hang out later this week. Irma doesn’t look happy, but that’s too bad.

Baylee waves me over, and I join her by the churro truck. “Sean is a hottie.”

We watch him dance with one of the nursing home gals, and Baylee nods. “He’s great. I really like him.” She points to the caramel corn. “Want to share an order with me?”

I sniff the air, and my stomach turns. “I was going to eat some fried dough, but the smell is grossing me out.”

“How about a brownie? My mom is manning the Fudge Delight table, and she made a few batches of her Better than Sex brownies.”

I chuckle. “I can’t believe she calls them that.”

As we wait in Aunt Sylvia’s line, I watch everyone dance. I sigh happily when Rhett asks Mrs. Campbell for a spin. She has to be ninety years old, but she eagerly hops out of her wheelchair when he holds out his hand.

Tonight feels perfect. Amber isn’t here to ruin it, and talking to Ty made me feel like I can really set down roots here again. And I’m ridiculously excited about the quilting group. The icing on the cake is knowing Rhett’s going to get a great price for his cattle next week, so we can build a life together.

Baylee loops her arm through mine. “Did you say the Fletchers finally moved out?”

“Yeah. I hope that’s the end of the problems we were having with our fences getting cut. The sheriff never figured out who was behind it, but Frank was so pissed about the rent increase that I have to wonder if it was him all along. They trashed the cabin on the way out.”

“That sucks. What dicks.”

“At least he’s gone. We’ll fix it up and either Beau can live there or we’ll rent it. The extra income wouldn’t hurt.”

Now that I’m helping Rhett with the books and I see how much overhead we have, I understand why he’s always stressed out about the ranch. The payroll, vet bills, mortgage, maintaining our vehicles and tractors—it all costs a small fortune.

“Oh, shit,” Baylee mumbles.

“What?”

She folds her lips and blinks slowly, like she’s searching for the right thing to say. “Did Rhett ever talk to his friend with benefits?”

“That Darlene girl? I don’t know. He said he’d let her know he couldn’t meet up anymore, but we’ve been so busy, I forgot to ask about her. Why?”

“Because she’s here.”

My head jerks. “Where?”

Baylee makes a face. “Headed straight for your husband. That brunette.”

I follow where she’s looking, and my heart sinks because Darlene is drop-dead gorgeous. Like, this woman should be a model. She’s tall and elegant with long brown hair and perfect skin. I know I’m no troll, but I’m also self-aware enough to know I’m no model.

Based on Darlene’s expression, she’s pissed. “You got married?” she shouts at Rhett. “We were together for a year and a half, and you didn’t have the decency to tell me you had a side chick?”

Oh, God. She thinks he cheated on her?

The minute those words are out of her mouth, the whole town turns to look at me.

I’ve never wanted a hole to open up beneath me and swallow me this badly before. At least I don’t see Harlan in the crowd. I’d be mortified if he saw this.

Rhett squints at her and lowers his voice, but I’m still close enough to hear. “You and I were never together. And Paige isn’t a side chick. Look, it’s complicated.” He helps Mrs. Campbell back to her wheelchair.

Darlene follows him. “Complicated? Would it have killed you to give me a heads-up that you were getting married? Or to answer my calls?”

Baylee tugs on my arm. “Let’s get out of here.”

“No.” I need to hear Rhett’s response.

But he doesn’t say anything, just takes Darlene’s elbow and ushers her to a dark corner of the park under a great oak where he talks to her in hushed tones.

I stalk closer until I can hear him. “Darlene, I called you at least three times to let you know what was going on.”

“You never left any messages.” The hurt in her voice kills me a little. That’s so Rhett. I roll my eyes.

He glances around, probably wondering where I am, but I’m standing behind him, so he doesn’t see me. His voice gets quiet, but the band is taking a break, so I can hear every word. “We agreed from the very beginning that we were friends with benefits. You had to know we weren’t serious. We fucked in my truck in bar parking lots, for Pete’s sake. What part of that says committed relationship?”

They had sex in his truck.

Regularly.

My stomach drops. Here I was thinking that when we did it in his truck after he bought me this outfit, it was special. That I was special. That he was so into me, he couldn’t wait until we got home to have me. In reality, that’s just a typical Friday night for him.

He was treating me like his hookup.

My eyes sting, and I blink furiously.

That’s when Cash and Trig McAllister walk up, and Trig yells, “Damn, Walker. Were you keeping your friend with bennies on standby in case your marriage didn’t work out?”

My eyes widen.

Rhett whips around, and when he sees me, his face goes blank. What does that mean? Is Trig right?

What the hell? Did Rhett deliberately not end things with Darlene in case he and I went south?

Cash elbows his brother. “Don’t listen to him, Paige. Trig’s just being an asshole.”

But it’s too late. I heard it. So did the rest of the town. The Amber meltdown was bad enough, but now the gossips will be talking about this for months.

I turn on my heel and race through the crowd. Baylee follows me, and when we reach the parking lot, she hugs me.

Over her shoulder, I see a woman giving some guy a blow job. Headlights flash across the man’s face and recognition hits me. He’s older now, but still familiar. Kacey Miller’s still a player. Some things never change.

Behind me, someone calls my name, but I’m not ready to talk to anyone, much less Rhett. Baylee takes my hand and pulls me to her car, and I jump in.

“Take me home.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to come to my place?”

It’s tempting. Because right now, I want to hide under a rock for the next ten years until the humiliation of tonight wears off. I have a feeling it’s going to take that long to get over this.

Except I know I can’t do that.

Even though I’m hurting, if I want this marriage to have a shot, I can’t run away when times get tough.

When I get back to the ranch, it’s dark and quiet. The boys are asleep. I thank Pauline for babysitting, and she heads home.

Truthfully, I have no idea what I’ll say to Rhett. When I reach our bedroom, I’m too upset to crawl into our bed, so I grab my pillow and some blankets and curl up on the couch. I’m exhausted. If I fall asleep, I suppose we can talk in the morning.

I try to wait up for Rhett, but sleep overpowers me.

And in the morning, he’s already gone.