Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Wendy brought the lemonade to her lips, but she couldn’t enjoy it. She was on edge. Regret and anxiety were her best friends now. What had she been thinking?
It was the heat of the moment, that’s what.
She wanted Tripp to know that his charm wasn’t going to get him out of everything—especially not out of the hot water he was in with her. She’d wanted him to feel a degree of embarrassment that Olivia had felt when he’d broken things off with her.
Unfortunately, her southern sensibilities were not so happy with her rash decision.
Dang it.
She blew out a breath, praying that if she stayed tucked beneath this maple tree that no one would pay her any mind. It was probably a little late for that, seeing as she’d made such a scene.
Tripp had managed to bring out the worst in her.
Wendy narrowed her eyes as she not so accidentally found him in the crowd. He was speaking to Hallie now—Hallie, who didn’t seem all too pleased with him either.
She was poking him in the chest, and he was smirking at her.
Wait a minute. They were familiar. Were they family?
Wendy groaned. Of course they were family.
She was probably one of his other cousins.
How big was this family? Turning away, Wendy fought the blush returning to her face.
This had been a mistake. She shouldn’t have come.
Heck, she should have taken Serenity up on backing out of her responsibilities. It wasn’t like she’d begged to be here.
Blowing out a breath, she had just about made up her mind to search Serenity out of the crowd when she caught sight of the woman herself striding toward her.
And she didn’t look happy at all.
Uh oh.
Shoot. Shoot. Shoot.
Wendy looked around as if she’d be able to find a reason to take off and run from the friend she’d probably embarrassed just as much as the culprit she’d set her sights on.
Nothing.
“Okay, now you have to talk. I was willing to let you brush it off but that was before he came over to talk to you. Have you guys met before?” Serenity didn’t shy away at all. Maybe it was the fact that she’d already been married—already had kids—already grown up from childish grudges.
Wendy winced. “No…” she hedged.
“Is that a question?” Serenity whispered.
“No,” Wendy muttered stronger this time. “I haven’t met him before.”
“Then what was that all about? I’ve never seen anyone react to Tripp that way. Most of the women here—”
“That’s just it, isn’t it?” Wendy stammered. “Apparently in Rocky Ridge, the girls who know him love him.”
One day, you’ll love me. His voice echoed in her head.
She shut her eyes to fight it off and shifted her feet.
When she opened her eyes, she found Serenity staring at her with concern but more than that, expectation.
Wendy cleared her throat and flashed a smile.
“The thing is, I’m not like other girls.
You know me,” she said playfully. “I don’t go out all that often.
I have particular tastes and his charm,” she spat that word with disgust, “doesn’t work on me. ”
Serenity’s eyes narrowed. Then she glanced over her shoulder toward Tripp where he still spoke to Hallie. At that moment he turned his attention to them. The smile that spread across his face was a knowing one. Like he could tell they were talking about him.
Wendy fought the urge to stick her tongue out at him. She nearly succumbed when Serenity returned her attention to their conversation.
“Are you sure there’s nothing else going on? Because Reese says Tripp will behave, but I don’t want to force you into a situation if you’re uncomfortable.”
Wendy stiffened. Interesting. Tripp didn’t even try to tell them that he hadn’t done anything.
Her eyes flicked toward Tripp but only briefly.
What game was he playing at? She hadn’t been thinking of repercussions when she’d tossed the lemonade at him—repercussions of him tattling on her.
She shrugged. “If he promises to behave, then fine. I don’t care as long as he doesn’t overstep. ”
“Okay.” The first hint of a smile returned to Serenity’s lips. Then she cocked her head. “What…” she let out a nervous laugh. “You gonna tell me what he said to make you throw your lemonade in his face?”
Blushing again, Wendy looked away. “I’d rather not. It’s okay, really. I just wasn’t expecting anything so forward.” It was a weak excuse and she knew it. Thankfully, Serenity got the hint and changed the subject.
“So… how’s the book coming?”
Her head snapped up. Book?
Oh, right. Book.
Wendy rolled her lips between her teeth and chuckled. “I have some ideas, but I haven’t started anything yet.”
“Isn’t that what you said last time?” Serenity’s voice was light. There was no judgment. And yet, that was exactly the way Wendy felt.
Judged.
They’d discussed at length how much Wendy wanted to become an author. But how could she get there if she couldn’t get past the block in her head? Part of her wondered if the block had more to do with fear than anything else.
But what did she have to be scared of?
Clearing her throat, Wendy shrugged. “I don’t want to start until I have all the ideas mapped out. It’s a long process. You probably wouldn’t understand.”
Her friend’s happy expression faltered and once again, Wendy felt guilty.
She needed a reboot. A fresh start.
Wendy reached out and squeezed Serenity’s arm. “The second I start, I’ll tell you. You’ll be the first person to read what I have.” She forced a smile, the anxiety about the looming project trickling into her chest.
She still dreamed of being an author but there was so much to think about in order to get there. The dream she once had was starting to feel harder to grasp.
Serenity pulled her in for a hug. “Deal,” she whispered.
“Thank you, come again!” Wendy waved after a sweet elderly woman before tucking the cash into her register.
She could breathe again—back in her shop. The party a couple days ago had thrown her for a loop. It was strange realizing that Tripp had been in the same small town she was and she hadn’t even known it.
He could have walked into the shop at any point. Heck, they could have bumped into each other at the coffee shop or Sweet Everything Bakery.
Wendy shook off the chills that came with that realization. Of course, he wouldn’t have recognized her and the trauma from the event would be hers and hers alone. Then she would have immediately got on the phone and called Olivia to tell her about the encounter.
She blew a sharp breath, the hair near her cheek lifting with the effort. The only solace she had in knowing he was a local in her town was that they’d managed to avoid each other this long. What were the chances that they’d be forced together beyond the wedding itself?
Resting her forearms on the counter, she grabbed her book and flipped it open to the page she’d been reading. A highlighter rested nearby, ready for when she needed to notate parts that stuck with her.
The descriptors and dialogue in this romantic comedy had her laughing out loud so hard at times that her eyes watered. How authors could manage that was so far beyond her. Reality being what it was, she didn’t think she had a shot at writing that well no matter how hard she tried.
But that wasn’t the reason for her dream. At least that hadn’t been what spurred her dream of writing. Once upon a time, all she’d wanted to do was learn how to write well enough to touch a handful of readers. If she could bring joy, if she could light up one person’s day, then she would be happy.
Wendy wasn’t sure when her dreams shifted to being something more. Now, she wanted to be good enough so she wasn’t a laughingstock.
Tinkling filled the air when the door whooshed inward and knocked the bell overhead.
“Welcome to Horseshoe Antiques, let me know if I can…” Wendy lifted her head and her words died in her throat.
The desert could have spilled from her mouth and she wouldn’t have been as surprised as she was in this very moment.
Standing in front of the now closed door was the one person she would have died happy never seeing again.
Disdain for her and everything she was rolled off him in waves.
He stood with his arms crossed and his legs spread enough to show a dominant stance.
His head cocked slightly and his hat shaded part of his face.
Wendy’s eyes narrowed and she rose stiffly.
For the next couple of days, she was the only one working.
Serenity had requested more time off as she prepared for the wedding and Wendy had lost their other employee about a month ago.
Nothing but her current predicament would have been enough to make her wish she’d hired a replacement before now.
She could shout at him to get out, but that wasn’t who she was. Wendy Scott had been raised to be respectful even to her enemies—most of the time.
A slow smile spread across her face. This was her turf. Tripp didn’t know what he’d just stepped into. Wendy folded her arms, mirroring his stance. “What can I do for you?”
Tripp let his eyes scan the room before locking them on her. Then he moved toward her.
Breath caught in her lungs. She’d been expecting a retaliation. Tripp hadn’t thrown a tantrum after she’d made a scene. No, he wouldn’t do that.
Tripp was the kind of guy who had a scary sort of calm about him. The part of her soul that was the same could recognize it in him. He wanted to get her back.
The hairs on the back of her neck lifted but she refused to retreat. Tripp stopped at the counter, pressed his hands onto its surface, and leaned forward. “Hello, sweetheart,” he crooned.
“Don’t call me that.”
His thoughtful expression did nothing to ease the tension she felt. His eyes were calculating, planning. What was he going to do? She couldn’t take it. She needed to get to him before he could get to her.
At that moment, the bell above the door rang again and a couple young women wandered in. They smiled at her, then their focus lingered on Tripp. Wendy didn’t miss the way he looked right back, unabashed.
The tightness in her chest increased and she gripped the counter so tight her fingers turned white. Her shop wasn’t his hunting grounds. If only her scowl could shoot fire.
Tripp turned back to her as smug as ever. His voice lowered so the other guests couldn’t hear him. “Look, I don’t know what I did to deserve that little…outburst… the other day, but I want to call a truce.”
She arched a brow. “Truce?” A disbelieving laugh burst from her lips. “We don’t need a truce. I’m not afraid of you.”
His eyes flared slightly but he covered his surprise quickly as one side of his mouth quirked upward. That tightness in her chest unfurled, shifting into something else—something not entirely unpleasant. He leaned closer again. “Maybe you should be.”
Wendy huffed. “You’re just an emotionally stunted man with a pretty face.”
Tripp’s grin widened further. “So, you do think I’m pretty.”
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the oncoming blush. “Like I said. Cocky.”
He chuckled then turned his head when female laughter drew his attention. Wendy scowled at him then at the girls. Of course he was going to blatantly check them out. Why not? And why should it bother her?
It didn’t.
Wendy’s jaw ached from grinding her teeth. She hated this feeling—the fact that Tripp seemed to be on top of the world when he wreaked so much havoc in other people’s lives. It wasn’t fair.
A lightbulb in her head suddenly came on and the fury that had been simmering in her chest eased. Wendy brandished a smile—the only clue that Tripp was about to taste a little more of her wrath.
His own smile fell and he straightened. His eyes narrowed and when she glanced at the girls, he swung his head around toward them.
Louder than was necessary, Wendy said, “I’m sorry, Tripp, but the pharmacy is all out of that Imodium you needed. You’re going to have to go to the next town over.”
“What? No,” he stammered, glancing at the girls who were now staring at him with what could only be adjacent embarrassment.
Their voices hushed and they turned from him as they started whispering and one of them giggled nervously.
A growl slipped from Tripp’s lips and he slammed his palms down on the counter, but she spoke before he could.
“I told you never to eat sushi from the gas station. You just can’t trust them.
” She had to bite back a laugh as she continued to lay it on thick.
“Sweetheart, we’re just lucky that you made it to the bathroom in time.
Hopefully you can get to that pharmacy just off the freeway before you have to…
” She made a show of looking him over then lowered her voice to an exaggeratedly loud whisper. “use the bathroom again.”
She’d never seen that color of red on a man’s face. Not ever.
Wendy held a hand over her mouth to stifle the laughter as the girls who’d been eavesdropping shuffled out of the shop.
“Why did you do that?” Tripp snapped.
“Do what?” she asked as innocently as she could manage.
“You know what.” he seethed. “There was no need. No need to do that. I came here to ask for a truce. I didn’t want to make things worse for my cousin. He deserves enjoy his wedding without having to worry about what shenanigans you’re planning.”
She arched a brow. “Shenanigans? Really? How old are you?”
Tripp’s hands balled into fists and he leaned close again. “You know what? Who cares about them, right?” He jabbed a finger down on the counter between them. “This? This means war.” With that declaration, he spun on his heel and charged from the shop.
It was minutes later when Wendy realized she might have made a grave mistake.
What had she done?