Chapter 22
MADDIE
Hunter Kingsley, my dinner companion for this evening, holds the door open for me as we walk into Big Sky diner. We’ve spent the early afternoon walking around the stores in town as I gave him and his fiancée, Abigail, a guided tour around Coldwater.
Hunter runs a marketing agency in New York City and wants to bring his team out to Montana for a wellness retreat.
If all goes well, this could be our step into corporate events.
When Hunter and I first talked, I did my research.
It’s safe to say, he knows a lot of influential people and that could open doors for us.
I’ve been on edge all afternoon, praying we don’t run into Wyatt.
It would be just like him to show up and make this hard for me.
Ever since running into him when I was rounding up our wayward herd, I’ve been racking my brain, wondering why he was being so nice.
Nothing is ever that simple with Wyatt; I know from experience.
Doris, the eighty-something-year-old head waitress at Big Sky diner, waves at me, raising her brows in question at Hunter.
Thank God, he’s typing something on his phone and not actually looking up.
She’s not normally one for getting into people’s business, but I guess it’s unusual for me to be seen with a man.
At least one that’s as attractive as Hunter, anyway.
“Abi said thank you for the massage and sorry that she couldn’t make it to dinner,” Hunter says, pocketing his phone. “I promised I’d eat a stack of pancakes for her.”
I chuckle, leading the way to a booth in the far corner, scanning the room.
Abigail dipped out of the tour a couple of hours ago after her migraine worsened.
Which means Hunter was left to listen to me gush about the town’s history as we walked down Main Street with its cobblestone roads and two-story white and red-brick buildings lining either side.
We slide onto the worn leather benches of the only empty booth. It’s busy in the diner tonight, which I guess is a given since we’ve turned up in the middle of the dinner rush. We’re barely situated before Doris appears with the menus.
“Who’s your handsome friend?” Doris asks.
I flash Hunter an apologetic smile before scowling at Doris. “This is a client. He’s in town with his fiancée.”
Doris raises her brows before smirking at me. Why is she being so annoying? I want to tell her to mind her own business, but I’d also like to eat here again, and she has a lot of pull in this town.
“Don’t you have people to serve?” I say, when she continues to stand beside the table.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m going, but I have questions for you later, ma’am.” She waves her arm in my direction before walking away.
Maybe this was a mistake. I know nothing is happening with Hunter, but this is a small town, and people are keen to gossip.
Hell, I heard the murmurs and felt the watchful stares of the regulars as we crossed the room.
They’re no doubt wondering who Hunter is and what I’m doing with him.
It’s been months since I was last romantically involved with a man, not including the blip that happened with Wyatt.
Which I’ll take to my grave. I guess it doesn’t help that Hunter’s a good-looking man. He’s not him.
God, what is wrong with me?
“She seems… involved,” Hunter teases, forcing me to focus on him.
I study the menu and murmur, “Sorry. She’s not normally.”
We fall into an easy quiet until Doris returns to take our orders. I get the cheeseburger, and Hunter, true to his word, orders a stack of pancakes with a side of extra-crispy bacon.
When Doris is gone, Hunter leans back in his seat and says, “I’m excited to make the announcement to the team when I get back to New York. I think they’ll really love it here. There’s a calmness to the town that I think will help relax them after the year we’ve had.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll make sure they’re well taken care of,” I reassure him.
Hunter laughs. “I’m sure Abi can fill them in on everything. She said she felt like she was walking on cloud nine after being pampered. In fact, she’ll probably be sound asleep by the time I get back to our cabin.”
“I’m just sorry she couldn’t make dinner. If you can’t make it here before you leave tomorrow, at least promise me you’ll take her to Chapters and Crumbs for a sweet treat?”
“She’d kill me if I didn’t.” Hunter chuckles.
I dip my chin before looking up at him from under my lashes and leaning closer as I whisper conspiratorially, “All I’ll say is, if I was on the jury, it’s an automatic not guilty from me.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch sight of Wyatt approaching.
Or should I say, marching toward us. If I’m being honest, I felt his presence as soon as he walked in and approached the counter.
A frisson of awareness skates down my spine, the feeling becoming all too familiar whenever I’m near him.
It feels easier to focus on the irritation I’m used to, so that’s what I do.
I felt the moment he noticed me. My stomach flipped and I hate it, but even more, I hate that my body’s natural reaction is to be turned on at the sight of him.
When I saw him out in the pasture the other day, I thought about asking him to touch me again.
We were all alone, nobody would have known, but then I reminded myself how I felt when everything around us had settled, when I was standing in front of Deacon and all the history we share.
That I haven’t been able to get him out of my mind since we had sex is just another issue to add to the long list I have with Wyatt.
I tense as he gets closer, bracing myself for his presence. Damn, I wish I knew which version of him I’m about to get. Hell, I’d settle for why he’s even coming over. It’s not like we have anything to say to each other. If he messes this up for me, I swear on my life, I’ll make him pay.
“Maddie,” he practically purrs, and I feel the deep timber of his voice in my core.
I turn toward Wyatt, reminding myself of my company as I reply in my most professional and business-like tone, “Wyatt.”
It feels like hours pass as we get locked in a silent battle, with neither one of us willing to break eye contact.
I let the anger and disappointment I felt on the truck drive home the other day return.
It bubbles under my skin, turning the lust into something else entirely.
Because of what we did, I’ve been making stupid mistakes at work and I’m not the type of person to make mistakes, like calling a client by the wrong name or zoning out in meetings.
He’s all I can think about, but that ends right now.
Hunter clears his throat, drawing my attention to him and away from the tempting blue of Wyatt’s eyes.
Scrubbing a hand over my forehead as if that might make me get some sense, I say, “I’m sorry, Hunter, this is Wyatt Wilde. Wyatt, this is Hunter. He’s in town on business.”
Hunter holds his hand out to Wyatt, a smile on his lips. “It’s nice to meet you, Wyatt.”
Instead of being polite, like any normal human being would, Wyatt narrows his eyes, looking down at Hunter’s outstretched hand like it’s covered in bear shit.
It feels like an eternity before he claps his hand into Hunter’s and shakes it.
The atmosphere feels strained. I’d give up my favorite pair of bell-bottom jeans—the ones that make my ass look extra perky—just to not be here.
“Do you work with Maddie?” Hunter asks, either oblivious to the air of asshole Wyatt is giving off or simply choosing to ignore it.
Wyatt opens his mouth to reply, but I don’t trust anything remotely polite to come out of it based on the scowl on his face.
I jump in before he can reply and say, “No, Wyatt’s family have their own ranch not far from Hartlands.
” I bare my teeth in what I hope is a polite grin as I slide out of the booth.
“Will you excuse us for just a second? Cowboy stuff and all that,” I mumble, my cheeks growing hot with embarrassment.
Normally I wouldn’t leave a client alone, but there’s no way I’m putting up with Wyatt’s shitty mood sucking the air out of the room. He either needs to chill the fuck out or leave.
Keeping my back to Hunter, I shove Wyatt’s chest. He holds his hands up, an arrogant smirk on his lips as he walks back toward the restroom hallway. Some patrons—the ones we grew up around and who know our history—turn to stare, but I don’t pay them any mind.
“What is your problem?” I hiss when I’m certain that we’re out of view of Hunter and earshot of everyone.
Wyatt raises his brows in mock surprise. “My problem? Does he know we fucked?”
My head rears back. “Excuse me?” I scoff, my stomach dropping to my feet as I look around the small space, double-checking that we are alone. Does he have to be so crass? “Nobody knows that,” I sneer.
“Maybe I should tell him.” Wyatt moves as if to pass me, but I grip his bicep. The muscles contract under my hold and remind me of his strength, of the way he carried me to his bed.
I release his arm like he’s on fire. “Have you lost your goddamn mind?” I seethe, ignoring the way—despite how pissed off at him I am—I want to tell him to get on his knees and taste me.
He turns toward me, towering over me. A muscle ticks in his cheek, and I focus on it, using it as an anchor as the floor shifts beneath my feet.
I hate how unbothered he looks by the possibility of someone discovering what we did.
Like he’s not wrapped up in shame by it all.
I guess I was just another notch on his bedpost.
Tilting his head to one side, he asks, “Don’t you think your boyfriend deserves to know what we did?”
He thinks Hunter’s my boyfriend? The thought is almost laughable, and if I didn’t feel like a weight had been lifted from me, I would be doubled over with how funny that is. Instead, I collapse against the wall, pressing a hand to my chest as relief seeps into me.
I feel the heat of Wyatt’s stare on me as I suck in a breath, reinforcing my strength. It’s about time I owned what we did and put Wyatt in his place. He doesn’t get to walk around here acting like I owe him something just because we had sex one time.
Straightening, I step into his space and say, “What I do with my life is none of your damn business, Wyatt. You don’t get to come over in the middle of the diner and be rude to the person I’m having dinner with. Am I clear?” He doesn’t say anything, and so I add, “I’m glad we got that sorted.”
I brush past him, heading back to my table, and ignoring the way my body is craving his touch in the worst possible way. Maybe it’s not such a bad idea to find someone who can help me forget all about Wyatt and the way he drove me wild.