Page 86 of Extreme Romancing in Idaho

She spoke so quietly that I had to lean closer to hear her.

“What you did today meant the world to Papa.”

Tony loved every minute he was on the water. Life bled back into him, but it’d also exhausted him. Still, a tired yet satisfied smile was on Tony’s face when he’d left with Myles.

“You’re welcome.” I brushed a hand through my drying hair. “You’re lucky to have a dad like him.”

“Yeah.” I caught the waver in her voice and wanted to fold her into my arms and take away her pain.

To hell with mortality. Some people should be allowed to live forever. “I’m sorry. For what you’re going through.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.” She smiled through the wet sheen in her eyes.

“Are you expecting someone?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No.”

But then I saw a familiar figure under my porchlight. The glimmer of twilight highlighted her stilettos, designer clothes, and Chanel purse dangling from her artificially tanned arm.

Kathryn.

How had she found me? This took stalking to a whole new level.

I clenched my jaw and shoved the truck into park, heat rising from the pit of my stomach to my face. Rushing to get out of the truck before Angie, I slammed my door and met Kathryn on my sidewalk.

She threw her arms around my neck. Her abnormally long nails stabbed into the skin next to my spine. She kissed me everywhere. My lips. My cheeks. My neck. Not giving a care my clothes were still quite soaked.

“I’ve … missed you …” she said between kisses. “Your brother … told me … where to find you … Why didn’t you … answer my calls? … It doesn’t matter … We are together now …”

Matthew. How dare he manipulate my life like this?

I grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away from me. Angie stepped into view, and for a split-second, heartbreak reflected in her eyes. With one shake of her head, she took off toward her land.

“Angie, wait!”

But she didn’t pause or turn back to me; she ran faster.

“Who’s that? Don’t tell me she thought you would ever be interested in someone like her. It looks like she lives in a shack like a feral woman.”

“Kathryn, I look just like her.”

Her over-plumped lips drooped downward. I didn’t have time to feel sorry for her. Or feel sorry for the way I treated her. I couldn’t afford to waste another second and risk the chance of losing Angie.

“Here.” I shoved my keys into her hand. “Go inside. I’ll be back later. To talk.”

“No. You can’t do this to me.” She chucked my keys at me, hitting me square in the chest. “After everything. How can you leave me? I know you said you didn’t want anything serious, but I thought …”

I tried not to think about how far ahead Angie was getting. “Look. You’re an amazing woman and you deserve someone to treat you better than I treated you.”

Tears tracked down her cheeks and she arranged her features into a practiced pout. “I came all this way. To show you I love you. You’re good enough for me. Really, you are.”

I was lower than the dirt growing my corn. Lower than the lowest life form on earth. How many guys had treated Angie this way? Discarded her like I was abandoning Kathryn? I needed to be better. To change.

But I still wasn’t meant to be with Kathryn. I took her hands in mine and placed a kiss on the back of them. “I’m sorry.” I dropped her hands, and, without a backward glance, I sprinted into the fields.

Chapter 32

Remi

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