11. Tucker
Chapter 11
Tucker
I was walking on air.
Getting Bex to agree to have lunch with me after being able to hold her all night was like hitting the lottery. The crack in the door pushed wider with each interaction we shared. I was determined to blow it wide fucking open, to reclaim what had always been mine.
Since we’d already hit up the Range during the scavenger hunt, we decided to go a little more casual and meet up at Canyon Comforts, the town’s diner, after both of us had the opportunity to shower and change.
Every second I spent apart from Bex, I found it harder to breathe. I was desperate to get back to her, so when I walked out my front door, of course, I discovered my truck had a flat tire. Shooting off a quick text that I was running behind and sending a picture as to the reason why, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.
Thirty minutes later, I was cruising down Main Street, searching for a parking spot. I found one, but there was an SUV parked diagonally across a space long enough to fit two cars. The luxury brand stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the weathered pickup trucks lining the street. A blond man stood nearby on the sidewalk, dressed in a button-down and black slacks, tapping away on his phone. It wasn’t much of a leap to determine that he was the culprit of the inconsiderate park job.
Turning on my blinkers, I put my truck in park before hopping out and approaching the stranger.
“Not from around here?”
The man’s head whipped up as he pocketed his phone. “Is it that obvious?”
Offering him a kind smile—having been taught from my mama that you caught more flies with honey than vinegar—I replied, “Not at all. It’s just that us locals tend to know everyone by name, and I haven’t had the pleasure.”
Extending a hand, I introduced myself, “Tucker Grant.”
He met me halfway, and we shook. “Aaron Bishop.”
“In town for the wedding?” I ventured a guess based on his expensive clothing and the high-end car he was driving.
Mac had mentioned that no one from his side planned to make the trip down for the event, but maybe there was a last-minute change. This guy certainly fit the bill for someone who ran with billionaires.
“I am, actually,” Aaron confirmed. “I was just trying to get ahold of—”
“Aaron?” The surprised voice from behind me was one I knew all too well, and a sense of foreboding tightened around my chest like a boa constrictor. I wasn’t stupid. There could only be one reason she was on a first-name basis with this stranger.
When I turned around, her eyes were wide, volleying between me and the man set behind me, guilt swimming in their brown depths. That was all the confirmation I needed.
Aaron was Bex’s new man—my competition .
Swallowing so hard that her throat muscles rippled, she addressed her boyfriend, “I thought you weren’t getting in until later tonight.”
That was a detail everyone had conveniently left out. Not once had Mac or Aspen mentioned that Bex was bringing a plus-one to the wedding. When she showed up alone, I’d assumed she would be flying solo all week.
Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Tuck, I can explain.”
“Jesus, Rebecca. It’s the middle of the day, and you’re walking around like you just rolled out of bed.”
The words alone were bad enough, but the condescending tone with which they were said had me spinning around, fists clenched. He didn’t get to talk to her that way. Not now, not ever.
But before I could open my mouth to give him a piece of my mind and demand he treat women with respect, Bex rushed past me, putting her body between me and Aaron.
“We camped out on the ranch last night,” she explained.
The thought alone had his lip curling in disgust. “You’re not camping now. You’re out in public. Less than a week down here, and already you’ve let yourself go.”
My jaw popped with how hard I was grinding my teeth.
The idea that she’d let herself go simply because she wasn’t wearing makeup was ludicrous. Bex was the most naturally beautiful woman I’d ever met, and this tool couldn’t even appreciate the treasure set right before him.
Aaron’s gaze dipped to the cast encasing Bex’s right forearm, and he scoffed. “What the hell have you done to yourself?”
I couldn’t remain silent a moment longer. Not with him acting like she’d done something wrong when her wrist was broken because of an accident. “Bex had a fall. ”
His eye roll had me itching to turn one or both of them black. “Are we really back on this Bex thing?” he asked her.
“That’s her name,” I gritted out.
“I don’t remember asking you,” he shot back.
Was this guy fucking for real right now? Did he think he could walk into my town, disrespect my woman, and get away with it?
Bex standing between us was the only thing holding me back.
Aaron grasped her left hand, lifted it up, and his expression darkened. “And where the fuck is your engagement ring, Rebecca? I swear to God, if you’ve lost it, I’m going to lose my shit. I spent thirty grand on that, and if I have to replace it, you’ll be wearing a fake until you’ve proven you’re trustworthy enough to hang onto it.”
No. No, no, no, no.
My heart dropped to my stomach. That door that had been cracked open slammed shut, shattering any hope of winning her back.
She was engaged. To a man who could easily win Asshole of the Century.
“Bex,” I croaked out, my throat closing up as reality sank in that the fight had been over before it even began, and I’d already lost.
She peeked over her shoulder briefly, her eyes pleading with me, begging for forgiveness.
When she turned back to face her fiancé, she spoke with a measured calmness, like she had practice in placating him. “Aaron, it’s in a safe place. I didn’t want to risk it slipping off while we were on the ranch. We covered so much ground on horseback that it would be impossible to find it unless I noticed right away.”
He let out a hum, eyes narrowed in displeasure. “I expect it to be back where it belongs as soon as possible.”
Bex ducked her head. “Of course. I’m sorry. ”
Of course? What the actual fuck, Bex? Stand up for yourself and tell him to take a hike, that you have a better offer standing right here!
My head was reeling, working overtime to reconcile how she could willingly be with a man like that, when he tugged her hand forcefully, causing her to fall against his chest. Curling an arm around her waist, he guided her toward the SUV my truck was blocking.
“It was nice to meet you, Tyler. Now, if you don’t mind moving your car?”
I opened my mouth to correct him, but Bex’s cringe betrayed that he’d purposely said my name wrong—his preppy boy version of a power play.
Cocking my head, I gave her a look that said, Seriously? This guy?
Her sad eyes peered back at me. The regret written in them was like a punch to the gut, the air whooshing from my lungs from the impact.
Was this the end for us?
Anger simmered beneath my skin as I hit the number on speed dial.
“Hey, buddy. Miss me already?” Mac’s cheerful voice only served to stoke the fire burning within me.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I barked, clutching my cell so hard it was a wonder it didn’t break.
“Um.” His confusion was audible. “Gonna need a little more than that. You sound pissed, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say your fury is aimed in my direction. But since I haven’t done anything wrong, I’m gonna give you the benefit of the doubt and ask what’s got you so riled up.”
I huffed in disbelief. “Didn’t do anything wrong? You were all about me winning Bex back, pushing me to fight for her.”
“Yeah . . . Still not seeing the problem. You two looked super cozy this morning when she was using you as her own personal body pillow.”
Fuck, that felt like a lifetime ago now instead of only a few hours.
“Why didn’t you tell me?!” I screamed, the pain of learning she was engaged leaking into my voice.
There was a beat of silence on the other end of the line. “Tucker, you’re not making any sense, man. What am I supposed to have told you?”
“Are you serious? You didn’t think it was important to warn me that she’s marrying that asshole?”
“Whoa, back up. Are we talking about Bex?”
I scoffed. “Who else?”
“What makes you think she’s getting married, and why does it sound like you’ve gotten a read on Aaron?”
Humorless laughter fell from my lips. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because he fucking showed up on Main Street this afternoon, and I ran into him on my way to have lunch with Bex. Only to have her pop up so he could berate her for not wearing makeup, breaking her wrist, and culminating in him dressing her down for losing her engagement ring because she wasn’t wearing it. And the worst part? Watching as she completely kowtowed to him, apologizing and promising to put it back on.”
Mac sucked in a sharp breath. “Shit. I had no idea, I swear. Aspen didn’t mention it.”
Some of the fire seeped out of me, and I dragged a hand over my face. “Something about this seems off. If Bex were engaged, Aspen would have been her first call. They don’t keep secrets.”
“You think she’s having second thoughts and didn’t want to say anything because she wasn’t planning to go through with it? ”
“Then why is he down here?” I challenged. “If she were gonna break things off, she wouldn’t bring him to her best friend’s wedding.” A rumble sounded from my chest. “Don’t pretend you didn’t know anything about that . A little warning would have been nice.”
“Yeah, that’s my bad,” he agreed. “But you were already halfway to throwing in the towel when you learned she had a boyfriend. If you knew he was gonna show up, you’d have backed off completely. And now you can see why I couldn’t let that happen. You said it yourself, he’s an asshole.”
My temper flared back to life. “How could you and Aspen sit idly by and watch him treat her badly? You’re supposed to be her friends!”
“Don’t get me wrong, the guy’s always given me a bad vibe, but I’ve never seen him be verbally abusive to her. Trust me, if I had, I would have stepped in.”
A primal cry born of pure frustration clawed up my throat.
“Tucker?” Concern leaked into Mac’s voice.
“He calls her Rebecca.” My nose wrinkled, the memory of him using her legal name leaving a bad taste in my mouth.
A heavy exhale came through the line. “Yeah, I know. Pretentious as fuck.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I swallowed roughly. “Aspen said something about him using her to check off a box on his list.”
“Okay, I’m gonna need you to not freak out when I tell you this.”
Hot lava churned in my gut, and I gritted out, “No promises when you start off with a statement like that.”
“Fair,” he conceded. “Well, from what I understand, Aaron pursued Bex. He’s a partner at the law firm where she’s the up-and-coming junior associate. She works hard and is well-liked by the founding partners.”
“Sounds like the Bex I know. ”
“What Aspen was implying is that it’s a good look for Aaron to have Bex on his arm. She’s practically an accessory. And I hate to say it, but I think she’s well aware of where she stands in that relationship.”
I sighed. “I don’t get why she doesn’t push back. She’s worth so much more than what she’s settling for.”
“You won’t get an argument from me on that, buddy. But the real question is: what are you going to do about it?”
“What can I do? She’s marrying the guy.”
“Until she says I do, there’s still a chance. Show her the alternative, the life you could offer her. In my mind, it’s no contest. Now it’s up to you to make her see that too.”
If Aaron had blown into town and been some upstanding guy, I would have felt bad about trying to steal his girl—my girl—out from under his nose. But he was a dick who talked down to her, stealing her spark. Regret was so far gone in the rearview mirror that it was practically a speck I had to squint to see.
It was time to take back what was mine.
The Watering Hole was busier than you’d expect for a Thursday night. But the heavier crowd was due to the joint send-off of Mac and Aspen’s single days.
Most Rust Canyon bachelor parties were a couple of guys tossing back a few beers with their legs hanging off the end of a truck bed. Usually, it was because the grooms were underage and bars wouldn’t serve them .
The prelude to my rushed wedding had been more of a death march than a celebration, so I’d skipped out on this tradition when I’d gotten married.
Typically, a few drinks would mellow me out enough to have a good time, but that was impossible when I couldn’t stop glaring at Aaron, who was currently talking the groom’s ear off. The guy couldn’t take a hint; Mac was barely giving him one-word answers, never making eye contact as he nodded along to whatever the prick was yapping on about. To say Mac barely tolerated his presence was almost too generous.
My palm twitched, eyeing the uncut lime resting on the other side of the bar top. I had decent aim, and if I was quick enough, no one else might notice I was the culprit if I decided to bean him with it in the back of the head.
But making a scene wouldn’t earn me any favors with Bex, and that’s where I needed to concentrate my focus. She was what was most important—treating her the way she deserved, giving her the life she always wanted. Everything else was merely background noise.
Loud laughter sounded over the live band playing on stage, and like a magnet, my gaze was drawn to her across the room. With her head tipped back and a smile on her face as she practically howled at something one of the other women had said, she was stunning.
My chest warmed, drinking in the sight of her in a carefree, unguarded moment. That was until the lights caught off the massive diamond resting on her left hand, and I practically ground my molars into dust.
Bex could have any man she wanted falling at her feet, yet she chose to be with him ? It made sense why Aaron wanted to be with her, but what did she get out of it?
“I represent Bellini Real Estate, and they’ve acquired some undeveloped land in areas that are perfect for BlazeLuxe hotels. If you want, I can put you in touch with them. ”
Mac’s head whipped around; his normally jovial expression had gone hard.
From beside me, Tripp muttered, “He’s stepped in it now.”
I grunted my agreement. Mac went to great lengths to separate himself from his family’s business. And he especially hated that his last name was an open invitation for people to leverage their relationship with him to elevate themselves.
He’d found solace from those transactional relationships in coming to Rust Canyon. He was free to be himself here, able to make genuine personal connections with the people he interacted with instead of constantly worrying about ulterior motives.
Aaron represented everything Mac loathed about his old life. So, watching him try to broker a business deal made me wish I had popcorn while I enjoyed the show.
Eyes narrowing dangerously, my best friend gritted out, “As my guest, it’s extremely inappropriate for you to be lobbying for my family to partner with your client. A client, I might add, that has been rumored to have ties to organized crime. Be careful about who you get into bed with, Bishop, because when they go down, they’ll take you with them.”
The count was still out whether Aaron had a death wish or was just plain stupid because he didn’t back down, countering, “Well, excuse me for trying to bring you a deal that would be lucrative for both parties. Their money is as green as anyone else’s, and you said it yourself: those are only rumors.”
Mac shoved off his stool, taking a menacing step forward. “Let’s get one thing straight right now. You’re not bringing me ”—he pressed a finger to the center of his chest—“any deals. I have no part in BlazeLuxe or how it’s run. And consider yourself lucky that I don’t because if I did? I’d make sure every client you represent was blacklisted, not only from working with us but everyone we know. In case you’re wondering, our connections are vast. I would go to the ends of the earth to ruin you.”
Aaron blustered, his face turning red as he huffed, struggling to formulate a rebuttal.
Unfortunately for him, my buddy was determined to have the last word. “Do me a favor. Enjoy the free booze and keep your mouth shut for the rest of the night.”
Confident Mac had the situation handled, I clapped Tripp on the shoulder. “I’m gonna get some air. Be back in a bit.”
“I’ve got her ’til you get back,” he replied, head tipped toward where the girls sat.
“Good man. Appreciate it.”
Tripp was more of a lover than a fighter, but I knew he’d throw down for Bex if push came to shove. She might as well be his sister alongside Aspen, and he cared for her.
After pushing through the back door to the bar, I leaned against the brick exterior, letting my head drop back and blowing out a heavy breath.
What the hell does Bex see in that guy?