Chapter 31 #2
She sipped her drink, eyes casting a strange glare over my shoulder. “Let’s just say I didn’t exactly leave this place with fond memories.”
My curiosity hit an all-time high as I glanced over my shoulder to follow her line of sight, and there he was.
Zane stood near the drink station, his back half-turned, talking to someone I didn’t recognize. Even from a distance, I could tell it was him. That easygoing cowboy posture of his was practically trademarked.
The woman’s grip on her glass shifted just enough to make me notice. Her shoulders squared, but not in confidence—more like someone bracing for impact.
I turned back to her slowly. “You okay?”
She let out a breath through her nose, like she didn’t want to answer but couldn’t help herself. “Oh, sure. I just wasn’t expecting to see him here tonight.”
I didn’t reply right away, but my thoughts started ticking off what she’d said.
Brooding cowboy. Didn’t leave with fond memories. Now bristling at the sight of a man who could only be—
You have got to be kidding me.
“You two have history?” I asked, keeping my tone casual, but my chest was already tightening.
“You could say that.” Her lips thinned. “He’s my ex.”
Ah. There it was.
I nodded slowly, like I wasn’t filing that away for later. “Gotta love small towns. I guess running into exes is part of the charm, huh?”
She hummed, but it wasn't exactly an agreement. More like…a reluctant confirmation. “You never quite leave it all behind.”
I cut into a piece of brisket, keeping my voice indifferent.
“He doesn’t exactly give off warm-and-fuzzy vibes.
” I said it like a throwaway observation but, the truth was, I wanted to see how she’d react.
Zane had a way of being prickly with most people, present company included, but there was something in the way she was trying real hard to sound unbothered.
So, yeah, I was poking the bear. Just a little.
Her expression twisted. “Oh, he’s not. He’s stubborn, impossible to read, and would rather wrangle a wild horse than talk about his feelings.”
I let out a quiet laugh through my nose. “That sounds about right.”
She looked at me, surprised. “You know him?”
I shrugged. “Well enough to know he has a death stare that could stop traffic.”
That drew a real laugh from her, brief and sharp. “God. That stare. He always thought it made him look tough but, really, he just looked like he was constantly on the verge of needing a nap and refusing to admit it.”
I smirked. “It’s his resting cowboy face.”
She chuckled again, but this time it faded into a sigh. Her eyes drifted back toward Zane before shooting me a sideways glance. “Are you two…?” She didn’t finish the question. Just let it hang there in a curious but cautious way.
I hesitated, then gave the only answer that felt true. “It’s complicated.”
Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes this time.
“Then let me help you out. Woman to woman. Cowboys are nice to look at, but they aren’t made for love.
Sure, they let you in and let you get close—close enough to make you think you’re their whole world.
” Her lips twisted as she shook her head.
“But you’re not.” She shrugged. “That’s cowboys, though.
Their worlds revolve around livestock and land.
” She brought her hand up high, palm flat to the ground, and dropped it with every word as she emphasized, “God. Land. Livestock. And right down here at the bottom? That’s you. ”
The way she said it, like it was some universal truth, made something in me recoil.
I didn’t know if she was telling the truth or just trying to get under my skin, but it worked.
So much that I felt it settle low in my stomach.
But I also felt something else rise up to meet it.
Something defensive and protective, because the thought of her reducing Zane to some closed-off cliché pissed me off more than it should have.
I didn’t know everything about Zane. I didn’t know all that went down between them or what truly sparked their split. But the Zane I knew deserved better than a drive-by character assassination in the middle of a cookout.
“You can argue about ranks all you want, but I’m not concerned about where I stand on some list.” I smiled, pleasant as ever, and added, “I’m not that desperate for attention that I need to be his whole world. I want to be the one he shares that world with.”
Her eyes snapped to mine and, for a heartbeat, we just stared at each other—both still smiling, but it wasn’t friendly anymore.
I took a breath and stood, smoothing my skirt. “And, woman to woman…if all you want out of life is to be the center of someone’s universe…get a dog.”
Without looking back, I headed across the yard toward the drink station as the chatter and music faded into background noise—focused on one thing and one thing only.
Zane.
He was standing there mid-laugh, red solo cup in each hand, talking with a guy near the cups and drink dispensers. His expression fell and curiosity flashed into his gaze as he saw me walking straight toward him with purpose.
I closed the space between us quickly, each step fueled by a mix of irritation and something sharper—anger at his ex’s words, but mostly a fierce protectiveness I hadn’t expected.
Zane turned toward me fully, concern etched across his face. “Andi, what—?”
And before he could blink, I wrapped my hand around to the base of his neck, fingers threading through the short hair there, and yanked him toward me as my lips claimed his in a bold, searing kiss.