Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
“You want me to… what?”
Tripp groaned, turning away from the open door and resting his back against Hallie’s house. “You heard me. Don’t play dumb.”
Hallie tapped her chin thoughtfully. “A bonfire…” she drawled. “What’s the occasion?”
He should have known better than to enlist Hallie for this particular activity.
The problem was he didn’t know any of Wendy’s friends other than Serenity and it wasn’t like Serenity would be interested in planning and hosting a bonfire.
She had two kids of her own and he had a quiet suspicion that she and her new husband were planning on trying for more.
That meant they’d have little interest in hanging out with the single crowd.
“Come on, Hallie. I know you love doing stuff like this. Why are you giving me a hard time?”
She exited the house and pulled the door shut before facing him with arms crossed. “You never come to my bonfire get-togethers.”
“Yeah, because all your friends ever do is hit on me.”
“And you like that.”
He rolled his eyes. There was once a time when he reveled in that kind of attention.
But it had grown old. That was before he’d gotten involved with Olivia and realized just what he’d be missing out on if he couldn’t find someone with substance.
And then that relationship had ended, leaving him feeling unbalanced.
“Okay, so you want me to throw a bonfire party this weekend. But you’re still not telling me why. What makes you think that I’ll do something like that for you?” She was goading him. Of course she already knew his reasons. She just found enjoyment in torturing him. That was all this was.
“Fine. I want you to invite Wendy.”
She smirked triumphantly. Did that mean she’d do it? “No.”
He frowned. “What do you mean, no?”
“I mean, I’m not going to put together some activity so you can pester her. Haven’t you put her through enough?”
His scowl deepened and he pushed off from the house. “I’m not pestering her… anymore,” he muttered under his breath.
“But you admit that you were pestering her before.”
“Look, I just want an excuse to hang out with her. I don’t want to seem too eager.”
“Too late for that,” she laughed. “Everyone can see you have it bad for her. Everyone but you and her, apparently.”
Wait a gosh, darn minute! If she could see that he liked her, would she also be able to tell if the feeling was mutual? He took another step toward her. “Do you think she likes me back?”
Hallie snorted. “Seriously?”
When he didn’t answer, she threw both hands into the air and headed for the door.
He darted in her path. “You have to tell me.” Desperation had never suited him, but that was where he was at.
Wendy had infiltrated his soul. Even though he was terrified to allow himself to have more, he still wanted it.
Maybe that was what it meant to love someone.
Love.
It was such a disorienting word and yet it seemed to fit the way he felt for Wendy perfectly.
Hallie studied him, her eyes sweeping over his form before returning to his face. Clearly, she was on team Wendy. Even if she refused to give him an answer to his question, surely she wouldn’t be able to deny the party if he offered her something she couldn’t refuse.
“I’ll bring Jacob.”
Hallie’s hard exterior shuddered. It was for a brief moment, but he noticed. Yep. Brent had been right. He was darn good at studying people and noticing the little things. Hallie had a crush on Jacob and lately he’d been hanging around a lot more.
Maybe that was where Brent’s interest in the rodeo was coming from.
Tripp would have to have a talk with Jacob if he wanted any chance of getting Brent off this crazy train.
“So?” Tripp pressed. “You plan the party and the food. I’ll bring the wood and the guys.”
Hallie hesitated. She worried her lip and glanced away.
“What do you think is going to happen? It’s not a trick.”
“I know that,” she shot back. Then she put her hand on her hip.
“I see the way you are with Wendy, and I see the way she is with you. It might have started out bad and honestly, I thought you two might have had a real shot at killing each other when you were first thrown into that wedding party, but…”
“But…” Tripp coaxed, his excitement reaching new levels. This was it. This was his chance to be on a date while not be on a date with the girl who was quickly becoming his obsession.
Okay, he’d already shot right past that and he was in a completely different realm at this point.
“But now it looks like something might happen between you guys and I don’t want her hurt.”
There it was.
Of course, Hallie would look out for her friend before her cousin. They were close. Tripp couldn’t even blame her. He’d want Wendy protected, too.
He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not going to hurt her.”
Hallie didn’t believe him based on the look she shot his way.
“I mean it. I’m not going to do anything like—”
“Sometimes it can’t be helped.”
Well, shoot. She was right about that. Just look at what had happened between him and Olivia.
She’d been in love with someone else and Tripp had to accept it for what it was.
The only people he’d told about that relationship had been his brother and his cousins.
Not even Jacob knew the extent of how that failed relationship did some damage to him.
“You’re right,” he said finally. “But I’ll do everything in my power not to let that happen with us. Right now, we’re… taking it slow.”
“Taking it slow…” she said slowly. “Does she know that’s what you’re doing?”
He chuckled wryly at her skepticism. “We’re not putting labels on anything, but let’s just say we’re getting closer.”
Hallie huffed. Even though she didn’t seem convinced, her resolve was cracking.
Tripp shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “Or not. I’m sure Jacob and I can come up with something else to do this week—”
“Fine,” she muttered, exasperated. “I’ll plan something.”
He grinned. “Great. I’ll make sure we’re all available Friday.”
Tripp knew the second Wendy arrived. It was like his soul had a connection to hers. He’d never had this with anyone before, which was the reason he knew he couldn’t let her go. For now, she wanted no strings. It gutted him, but he’d be respectful of her wishes.
It didn’t matter that the agreement was one-sided. He had no intention of spending time with any other girl. Wendy was it for him. He’d just keep that truth to himself.
His eyes followed her as she wandered toward the truck that had the coolers full of sodas and water. He was far enough away and hovering in the shadows that the fire couldn’t reach so he could watch her without being caught.
“Stop staring. You’re acting like a creep.”
Okay, he wasn’t going to be caught by Wendy.
Tripp shot his brother a dark look. “How about you go wander off and find someone else to pester. I saw Jacob head over that way.”
Brent snorted. “And get on Hallie’s bad side? I think not.”
“I’m already on her bad side,” Tripp mused.
His brother’s laughter all but confirmed Tripp’s suspicions.
“Will you just… mock me somewhere else?”
This time his brother actually listened. He chuckled, took a long sip of his soda, and wandered off.
Wendy hovered by the truck, her eyes darting around the crowd of people who had arrived. Then her focus locked on him. For a split-second, everything between them sizzled and sparked. Then her lips quirked upward and she held up her bottle of water as if to toast him.
He did the same.
She shook her head and her shoulders shook with a little bit of laughter before she made her way toward him. He met her halfway.
“This seems fun,” Wendy nodded around them. “I haven’t been to one of these in a long time. Hallie insisted I had to come though.” She cut him a glance out of the corner of her eye. “That wouldn’t have anything to do with you, would it?”
Tripp lifted a shoulder. “I may or may not have offered her something she couldn’t refuse.”
Her laughter was a balm to his soul. “And what exactly was that?”
He lifted his bottle and gestured toward the other side of their group. “See for yourself.”
Wendy followed the movement and frowned. “What am I…” Her voice trailed off. She didn’t gasp. In fact, she didn’t seem all that surprised to see that Hallie and Jacob were speaking to each other. Instead, she turned a knowing smirk toward him. “You made sure he’d come.”
“He doesn’t really do these things either, apparently.”
She laughed again, nudging him with her shoulder. “I think you’re right. That would be something she wouldn’t refuse.”
“So you see it, too, huh? That connection they have?”
Her eyes locked on the couple and she rolled her lips between her teeth. “Yeah, she likes him. But a connection? How can a connection be one-sided?”
Tripp frowned and glanced down at her, studying her profile. Is that how she felt about what he sensed was developing between them?
One-sided.
He cringed. Then he sent a little prayer heavenward that was not what went through her head.
Wendy nudged him. “What do you think?”
Tripp startled. “Hmm?”
She didn’t miss a beat as she motioned toward Hallie. “I don’t get the feeling that Jacob is interested. But you’re his friend. What do you think?”
He studied Jacob. His friend wasn’t a big talker when it came to women. Neither was Brent for that matter. Maybe that was why Tripp’s relationships were targeted when they couldn’t come up with anything to joke about on a given day. He sighed. “Dunno.”
“Well, you’re no help,” she snarked good naturedly.
“Honestly, he doesn’t date much. He works a lot. Your guess is as good as mine but if I had to guess, I’d say she has a shot.”
“Really?” She turned her attention to her friend and a small smile teased at her lips. “That’s good.”
“Yeah,” he mused. “It is.”
Their eyes clashed with each other’s once more. He didn’t know what prompted him to speak up in that moment, beyond the fact that all Wendy had to do was look at him and he was putty in her hands.
“I don’t do serious relationships…”
She snorted. “Yeah, I know—”
“I don’t do serious relationships because…” he smirked at her, “I’m a coward.”
Wendy stiffened at his confession. Slowly, she locked her gaze with his.
She didn’t have to utter a single word. He could read her reactions plain as day in her eyes.
She was surprised he’d said such a thing.
But there was also a sliver of sympathy.
They were two of a kind. She might not have been the one to admit to her own fears, but she had them.
And her fears didn’t just rest with relationships. Wendy was struggling with fears when it came to following her dreams, too.
He blew out a breath and chuckled as if that would be enough to ease the current pressure in his chest. “It didn’t used to be this way.
Sure, I wanted to have fun, but then a few broken hearts later…
” Tripp shrugged as he dragged his eyes from Wendy and stared into the flames of the bonfire.
“I think I got it in my head that love wasn’t in the cards for me. I was always a placeholder.”
Her hand landed on his forearm. “You’re not a placeholder, Tripp.”
His smile was taut. It didn’t feel natural. “It’s fine. I coped the best ways I could.”
“By dating. A lot.”
A laugh rumbled through him against his will. “That’s putting it nicely, I guess.”
She grinned.
They stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes with only the sounds of the crackling fire and the boisterous laughter of those surrounding them. Then Wendy glanced at him again. “I think I can understand where you’re coming from. Relationships are scary.”
“Yeah. They can be. But so are a lot of other things in life.”
“True.” She tilted her head and her smile seemed more relaxed. “Like chasing after a certification in equine dentistry.”
That had him laughing again. “Or writing a book.”
A knowing look passed between them.
Life was too short to fear the unknown, and yet that was where they were.
When the fire started to die down, Tripp offered to take Wendy home. She accepted. The electrical current that strung them together still hummed in the air, but it wasn’t as chaotic.
At least that was what Tripp thought until they reached her front door.
She held her keys in her hand, but she hesitated before heading inside.
Her eyes drifted over his face, lingering on his lips.
Then without warning, she hopped up on her toes, kissed him passionately, then pulled away. “This wasn’t a date,” she reminded him.
Tripp was still in a daze, but he nodded. “Of course not.”
She smiled and in an instant, she was hidden behind her apartment door.
He dragged a hand down his face and chuckled as he shook his head. She was definitely going to be the end of him.
Maybe she already was.