Page 63 of The Cowboy's Miracle Baby

“I decided to retire,” he repeated. “My days of pulling calves and wrangling sheep are over, I’m afraid. And Miranda and I are going to marry, travel the world. So, I offered my practice to Gus, but he turned me down. I guess he’s got his sights set on some practice in Denver.”

Shock rippled through her. “When was this? That you offered him the practice?”

“As a matter of fact, at the Deaver place, that night he pulled that calf. You were there that night.”

Cami went cold all over. He hadn’t said a word. He’d had the chance—the opportunity—to stay here, and he’d turned Alden down? Why would he lie to her about that? Maybe it was more omission than lie. But what did it mean? Was he just—ever since that night—justtoyingwith her? What… using her? Wanting to kiss her under the mistletoe and talking about practicing their dance moves? As if they might have a future together? Because clearly whatever was happening between them—maybe nothing, now that she looked at it clearly—hadn’t enticed him to stay here in Marietta. Or even tell her the truth—that he was choosingnotto stay.

“It’s too bad,” Alden was saying, “because I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have than him.”

She knew the feeling.

“Ooh! Looks like dinner’s about to be served,” Miranda said leaning into Doc Alden. “We’d better head on over there, darling.”

Alden patted her hand and the two of them said their goodbyes as they ambled over to the tables.

Cami’s brain suddenly hurt. She felt all the things, all at once. Mad, sad, foolish, guilty and worst of all, like she didn’t matter. Those things tumbled through her like sharp rocks as she looked across the room and found Gus chatting amiably with one of her mother’s old friends.

But what right did she even have to be mad at him for choosing Denver over her? He’d warned her. He had his career and she had hers. They were merely a brief intersection between two people who didn’t—and never would—belong together. And the sooner she got that through her thick skull the better. But she wasn’t mad about his decision to go. It was the lie that infuriated her. And for what? Just to break her heart? Make her think there was hope that he’d stay?

She swiped another glass of wine off a passing waiter and gulped it down, dropping the empty on another bus tray as emotion clogged her throat. The catering servers began coming out the kitchen door with plates of food for the guests mostly seated now at the tables. She nearly bumped into Liam as she considered which way to turn.

“Hey, hey,” he said, looking at her with concern. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” she said, but her eyes were filling with tears.

“Right. Come ’ere.” He tugged her out through the kitchen door and the two of them stepped out into the cold December air just outside the kitchen.

“Why are you crying?” Liam brushed her cheek with the back of a knuckle. “This is supposed to be a happy day.”

“I always cry at weddings,” she lied.

“Don’t kid a kidder. Is this about Gus? Did hehurtyou?” Liam didn’t often get his ruff up about things, but when it came to his sisters, that was a different story.

“No.” She turned away from him, unable to look him in the eye. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me. C’mon, what did he do?”

“I have no right to be mad. He warned me from the start that he was leaving. But I stupidly fell for him anyway.”

Liam put his arm around her. “What happened? I mean just now?”

She turned back to him feeling that wine take hold. “I let my guard down. I did it to myself. I have no right to expect anything from him. I just hoped he’d change his mind. And it turns out, he could have. He had a choice. He didn’t choose us. Or what might have been us. And it’s just over. That’s all.”

“Did he say that?”

She shook her head. “Doc Alden said it. He offered him the practice and Gus turned it down.”

Liam pulled her into a hug. “Ah, Cams… Wait right here. I’ll go beat him up for you.”

She knew he was kidding on the square. She laughed in spite of herself. “Nah. He’s your friend. Besides, it wouldn’t change anything.”

“You should go talk to him. Maybe you don’t have the whole story.”

“I think I do. Just, sadly, not from him.”

*

On the otherside of the barn, Gus was being buttonholed by a woman whose cow-kicked dog he’d operated on not two weeks ago as he wrangled Ella to the table where their seating cards were. Cami was seated at the wedding party’s table, but he was still looking for her in the room full of people.

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