Page 67 of Just Say When

My stomach twisted and my heart ached. Holy fuck, I was so tired of the men in my life walking away from me. Like how I felt about it didn’t matter to them at all, not even a little bit. I was so damn tired of it.

Tired…andmad.

My phone buzzed with a voice message from Chloe. “Hey, babe. I’m at the Painted Cat. Janie is working tonight. Say hi, Janie. Come hang out with us!”

I wasn’t in the mood to go out. I was in the mood to chase Brax down and force him to have an honest, open conversation with me. But I wasn’t going to do that. I wasn’t going to chase a man down and beg him to care about me. I would shave my head clean bald before I did that.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I had changed into a sparkly top that showed plenty of cleavage, the jeans that made my ass look phenomenal, and my favorite pair of going-out boots. The next thing I knew, I was down at the Painted Cat, and Janie was serving me my first shot of tequila.

Maybe if I occupied myself with enough bad choices tonight, I wouldn’t make the worst one of all. I wouldn’t pick up the phone and beg Brax to talk to me.

“Miss Essie Price, as I live and breathe,” a deep voice drawled out.

I looked up into the grinning face of Bobby Waters. “Bobby? What are you doing in Aspen Springs?” Rodeo season was long over, and his home base was Oklahoma.

“Just passing through, darlin’. I forgot this town was yours, or I would have let you know I was here.” His gaze travelled down my body, taking the scenic route. “But I sure am glad I found you.”

Couldn’t say I felt the same. I had never left this man’s bed feeling anything but kind of regretful.

I held up my left hand like a shield and wiggled my ring finger. “I’m married,” I blurted out.

He grinned, but the edges were sharper this time. “Well, congratulations. Is the lucky man here now?”

I shook my head, feeling irritated at Brax all over again.

“Well, then, there’s no reason two old friends can’t catch up, is there? What are you having?”

I rolled my lips together, weighing my options. I didn’t particularly want to reminisce about old times with Bobby Waters. But a small, petty part of me remembered Brax’s reaction when I said his name.

“A beer. Whatever’s on tap. Thanks.”

Then I sent Brax a pin with my location, and a text.

Come get your wife before someone else does.

27

Brax

Ibroke the speed limit.

I ran the only traffic light in this goddamn town.

If I could have broken the laws of physics, I would have done that, too.

Fucking Essie.

Gravel sprayed in a dusty cloud as I slammed on the brake in front of the Painted Cat. It would have been prudent to take a minute to pull myself together. Maybe take a few deep breaths until my fury dissipated enough that I could see straight.

But I wasn’t going to do that.

She had sent me that text to provoke a response, and by god, she was going to face the consequences of that now. Because I wasfuckingprovoked.

I yanked open the wooden door and stormed inside. It took a second for me to find her in the dim yellow light, but when I did, my rage only intensified. Because she was standing there in skin-tight jeans and a sparkly top with a plunging neckline, fuckingsmilingup at a man who was aiming his own smile back at her chest.

Not just any man.

Bobby Waters.

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