Chapter 27
WYATT
I kick off my work boots and stride into Grayson’s place like I own it.
He follows behind me, but as I make a beeline for the kitchen, he heads upstairs to jump in the shower.
It’s been a long day and I’m in need of some of my mom’s lemonade before I head home and figure out something for dinner.
Given Gray’s house is where we always congregate after work—because it’s the closest to the yard—Mom always keeps a fresh supply of her lemonade on tap here.
Chloe’s sitting at the table, her nose buried in her laptop, when I stride into the kitchen.
“What are you working on?” I ask as I head for the refrigerator.
She jumps in her seat, exclaiming, “Oh my God, you scared me.” She presses a hand to her chest before adding, “Is Kade back? I’m just editing some photos and wanted to get them done before we go to dinner.”
I shake my head, turning to the cabinet and pulling a glass out. “He’ll probably be another ten minutes; he’s just finishing something up with Beau. You want a lemonade?”
“Great, and no, thanks.”
I turn back to the counter and pour myself a large glass. The citrus scent reminds me of my childhood and how we’d spend all day outside in the sun before rushing inside for some refreshments. I always picked the lemonade.
Downing half of the contents of my glass, I lean against the counter, catching sight of Chloe staring at me.
“What do you think of this one?” she asks, spinning her laptop toward me and pushing it forward as she looks at me expectantly.
On the screen is a picture of Maddie. Her hair is down and she’s wearing a cream vest with a pair of blue jeans that are molded to the curves of her body.
Her hat matches her outfit, and I immediately know it’s more for fashion than practicality.
She looks like a proper cowgirl, like the one I saw wrangling cattle the other week, but with an air of effortlessness to her style.
I wonder if Maddie knows Chloe took this picture.
She’s looking off into the distance with a thoughtful expression on her face.
“It looks good,” I reply, aiming for nonchalance before bringing my glass to my lips and taking another hefty swig.
“Great.” Chloe grins. She pauses as if waiting for the perfect moment before adding, “I told her it would look great on her dating profile.”
I choke on the lemonade in my mouth, spraying it all over the kitchen counter as I cough. “Down the wrong way,” I splutter as I try to clear my throat.
Holy fuck. I did not just hear what I thought I heard.
Chloe stands, rounding the island and coming to a stop next to me. She slaps her hand on my back, hard. “Are you okay? It wasn’t something I said, was it?” She sounds innocent enough. Maybe a little too innocent.
I take a step away, my focus zeroed in on her as I back up. Wiping my hand over my mouth, I cautiously ask, “Why would it be anything you said?”
She lifts a shoulder before looking down at the mess I’ve made, the liquid covering the counter a reminder of my reaction.
“I don’t know. Just something Maddie said earlier.”
There’s no way Maddie told Chloe. She was too determined to write both times we had sex off as a mistake. And sure, that hurt, but if it was a mistake, why would anyone need to know about it? Especially my soon-to-be sister-in-law.
“What did Maddie say?” I rasp, my throat sore from my coughing fit.
“You should really get this mess cleaned up. It’s going to get sticky and then Gray will get ants.”
“What did she say, Chloe?” I ask again, a firmness to my tone.
Of course, Grayson chooses that moment to enter the kitchen. He takes one look at the mess I’ve made and a deep groove forms between his brows. “What happened?”
I open my mouth, but Chloe springs into action, distracting me. She offers Grayson an easy smile as she closes her laptop and heads for the door with it, replying, “Nothing. Wyatt had an accident.”
Grayson moves to the refrigerator and pulls out a beer, unaware of what’s just happened in his kitchen.
What the hell is going on? Did Maddie really tell Chloe or is she just fishing for information? I need to know what happened and why Chloe seems to be under the impression that Maddie is signing up for a dating app.
There’s no fucking chance I’m letting that happen.
The thought catches me off guard, but I don’t feel any of the alarm that I should. All I feel is determination and certainty. I’m going to have to unpack that later, but for now, I need answers.
I’m striding across the room when Grayson calls out, “Are you going to clean up this mess?”
I grunt in response, the sound noncommittal before I move through the house looking for Chloe. She’s not in the living room, or the dining room. There’s no way she’d have gone upstairs or into Grayson’s home office. Which leaves the front porch.
The cool evening air hits me when I step outside. It’s been another hot summer, but thankfully we’re on the tail end of it and the evenings are getting cooler.
Curled up in the loveseat, Chloe has a blanket over her and her laptop on her knees. She doesn’t acknowledge my presence, but when I move to lean against the railing, she smirks.
“What did she tell you, Chlo?” I ask, hoping my voice contains enough authority to get me answers.
Chloe sighs, like I’m not the one who mentioned Maddie in the first place. “Fine, if you must know. She told me what the two of you did.”
“What did she say we did?” I need her to spell it out because I’m not spilling shit to her. I still don’t believe that Maddie told her everything. It’s too risky.
Chloe leans forward, looking side to side before she whispers, “That you had sex. Twice.”
Fuck me.
For reasons I can’t explain, I wasn’t expecting that.
I know that Maddie and Chloe are friends, like good friends, maybe even best friends, but I didn’t think Maddie would go and share something so intimate with the woman who’s engaged to my brother of all people.
Especially as she was so adamant that nobody finds out.
“Don’t worry, I promised her that I wouldn’t tell anyone,” Chloe reassures, but it doesn’t have the desired effect.
I’m not worried that Chloe knows. I’m trying to figure out what the hell it means that Maddie told her.
“Tell anyone what?” Kade asks as he ambles up the front porch steps.
“Oh, Wyatt was just trying to get information out of me about the gallery opening,” Chloe replies, surprising me with how quickly she can think on her feet.
Kade bends to kiss her, before straightening and saying, “He was?”
I shove my hands in my pockets and cross my ankles as I lean against the railing before saying, “Yeah, just wanted to know if she’s got any hot friends coming.”
Kade chuckles and shakes his head. “Typical. And don’t go messing with any of Chloe’s friends. They’re too good for you.”
I give him a half-hearted chuckle before he holds his hand out to Chloe and they say goodbye. They leave me behind, stuck on one thing: Maddie Hart told someone. And I don’t know what the hell that means.