Page 45 of Chasing Forever
“Why is he running for mayor?”
“I have no idea. I didn’t ask about his campaign. I prefer people not knowing who I am.”
She turns the SUV toward Willowbrook. “Speaking of your parents… what did they say?”
I glance back at Wren. She’s already asleep, her cotton candy still in her hand, tipping toward the floor of the car. I reach back and take it, stalling. I don’t want to tell Lottie what my parents really said about her.
“That bad, huh?” She frowns.
Damn it. I waited too long to answer. “No. Just classic them.”
“Afraid I’m trying to ruin their lives by marrying one of their sons again?”
The hurt in her voice just about kills me. Yeah, that decides it. I’m not telling her. Not yet anyway.
“I don’t care what they think.”
The road stretches ahead of us, quiet and dark. Wren’s out cold in the back seat, and for once it’s just Lottie and me—and the silence between us.
“Please don’t keep things from me,” she says. “The last thing I want is to be cornered by your mom and her passive-aggressive comments while she plays fake nice in town. I’m a big girl, Brooks. You don’t have to be my bodyguard.”
But I want to. I want to protect her from any more pain, especially the kind my family can deliver.
“They’re not happy. They want us divorced or annulled.”
“Did you tell them they’re not the only ones?”
I whip my head in her direction. “It’s none of their business. This is between you and me.”
“That’s the thing—it’s not. The second that picture got passed around, it wasn’t just between us anymore. This town has opinions. They think I’m hopping from one brother’s bed to the next.”
I scowl at her. “More than a decade later?”
“Time doesn’t matter here, you know that. Once the picture is painted of you, there’s no way to paint a new version over it. I’m the slut. I’m the one they’ll always think the worst of.”
We’re closing in on Plain Daisy Ranch, and I don’t want this conversation to be cut short because we’re dropping Wren off.
“I wish…” I trail off, shaking my head. She’s shut herself off again. I can feel it. The ease from earlier, the connection, is gone.
Lottie pulls into the ranch and winds around the drive near the lake. She parks in front of the guys’ house. I climb out, unbuckle Wren, and carry her to the porch.
Bennett steps out of the house and takes her from my arms.
“Sorry,” Lottie says softly.
“I love it when you bring my kid home dirty and sticky past her bedtime,” Bennett says dryly.
Lottie cringes. “We lost track?—”
“Did you have fun?” he asks, eyes flicking more to me than to her.
“We did,” I say.
He nods. “Good. Have a good night. Thanks for taking her.”
I open the screen door for him. “Tell Zeke and Megan hello tomorrow.”
“I will. And make sure your date drives you home. Don’t feel obligated to kiss her good night just because she paid for your ride tickets.” He chuckles, then kicks the front door shut behind him.
