Chapter 15
“What’s that mean, dumbass?” I ask him.
Macey and Raquel turn around from where they’re walking a few feet ahead of us, and Blake lowers his voice.
“It means that you’ll date bunches of girls, but if her name doesn’t begin with an M and end with a Y and she doesn’t work next door to your daddy’s ranch, you couldn’t care less about them.
So don’t come preaching to me about settling down because you’re preaching to the goddamn fucking choir. ”
“Screw you,” I say to him.
“You’ve been screwing somebody, but it sure as hell ain’t me. How was your night by the way? You look pretty fucking satisfied, Wild.”
I wrestle him across the walkway and into the wall of Darcy Bridal Salon, but nothing shuts up Blake. My cousin is a pain in the damn ass.
“You two may think you have everyone fooled, but you can’t fool me.” He loosens his arms from where I have them pinned and manages to point at the hickey I know is on my neck. “You and Macey are so transparent it’s hilarious.”
I shove him harder against the wall, but he gets me back in a headlock.
“You want her, Logan,” he says as I try to fight him. “I mean, you want her for more than a night. Why don’t you just fucking admit it?”
“What Macey and I have works for us. And why do you care?” I ask him.
“Because I’m a nosy asshole who also wants to see his cousin happy, so sue me.”
We’re so busy fighting I forget whose shop we’re in front of.
Tap, tap, tap.
Blake, who’s currently facing the large window of the bridal salon, glances past my shoulder at the sound. “Oh, fuck a duck. Eloise is knocking at us.”
He releases his hands from my shoulders, and the two of us turn and straighten up.
“Good afternoon, ma’am,” we both say as the owner of the bridal salon steps out of the shop door.
“Boys.” Eloise heaves a heavy sigh. “What are y’all doing playing up against my store window? You rattled the display.”
“I’m sorry,” I say at the same time that Blake points at me and says, “It was Logan’s fault.”
“Shut up, Blake.” I put on my most charming smile for Eloise. “We’ll get out of your way.”
“Well, you better…” She trails off as Macey and Raquel walk up to us.
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Macey says, smiling sweetly at Eloise.
“It’s too hot to be outdoors,” Eloise says with another heavy sigh. “And if it weren’t for your friends here, I’d still be inside my air-conditioned salon. I’m hot, Macey. Quite uncomfortably hot.”
Macey catches my eye, and I don’t bother hiding my grin. Macey turns away just enough that Eloise can’t see her expression. But then, she glances back at me, and the two of us crack up.
When Eloise glares at us, we quickly excuse ourselves, and the four of us hurry down the street.
Once we’re out of earshot, Blake and Raquel walk on ahead, and Macey loops her arm through mine. “What the heck were you and Blake fighting over?”
“Nothing,” I lie.
“Liar.”
I chuckle. “Wouldn’t you like to know? You’re too nosy, Ms. Henwood.”
She laughs. “Mama tells me the same thing. I don’t care. Life’s so boring when you’re apathetic.”
I do hate being bored.
I call out a goodbye to Blake and Raquel. Then, without warning and with Macey’s arm still linked through mine, I veer left with her toward the lake.
“What are you doing, Logan?” she asks suspiciously. “I’m not dressed for a swim.”
“Let’s put our feet in.”
We make our way down the sloped grass toward the water’s edge. Macey sits down, kicks off her sandals, and sticks her cute bare feet with her pink painted toenails straight into the water.
“Feels so good.” She pulls out her elastic and shakes her hair loose around her shoulders.
I take off my boots and join her at the edge of the lake.
The rest of the town disappears as I feel myself relax into the stillness of the lake. Next to me, Macey exhales like she’s feeling the same way. For the next few minutes, we sit in a comfortable silence broken only by the honking geese nearby.
Until—
“Macey!!!!”
The gut-wrenching scream is coming from behind us.
And we both recognize the voice.