Page 25 of Ace of Spades
“Nice to see you again, Ella.”
“It’s Ava,” Ava and I state at the same time.
“Right,” he says, his attention already elsewhere as he looks around the room with disinterest.
“Anyways,” Ava rolls her eyes, turning back to me. “Oh yeah, before I forget—you know how you said that Vegas threw a shoe, and that farrier can’t get to her before the next rodeo? Well, it turns out that Rafe is a farrier! He works on all of the horses at the ranch. He said he can come by as soon as tomorrow morning if you want?”
“Really?” I turn to Rafe.
“Definitely,” he tells me. “I’ll swing by first thing in the morning.”
“Thank you so much, you’re a lifesaver,” I tell him, just as I spot someone approaching out of the corner of my eye. I turn tofind Weston walking our way, wearing a straw hat and a black button down that make his green eyes seem even more vivid than usual.
I feel my stomach do a little somersault as he walks to the table, his eyes clashing with mine. His eyes drag over me for the briefest second, taking in my appearance as something flickers in his gaze. He blinks once before schooling his features, a confident smirk replacing whatever had just passed across his face. But when my eyes slide behind him, my heart sinks to the floor.
A gorgeous blonde follows behind him, her smile radiant and her face every bit as gorgeous as I would imagine a model to be. She’s tall and lean, her skin a sun-kissed glow that compliments the beautiful baby blue gown that fits her like a glove, her golden hair pulled into a messy low bun.
The little green monster inside of me rears its head, and a lump forms in my throat for reasons I can’t explain. It’s not like I have any claim to him whatsoever, so why was it hitting me so hard?
“Hey, Langford,” Brad calls, raising his beer in greeting and throwing an arm possessively around my shoulders.
Weston turns his attention to him, an impassive look on his face.
“What are you doing here, Easton?”
“Oh, just had something to return to ya, bud.”
With that, Brad lets go of me to reach into his pocket. I watch in horror as he pulls out a playing card, my breath catching in my throat once I realize what it is—an Ace of Spades.Weston’sAce of Spades.
Everybody seems to freeze, a heavy silence stifling the air around us as Brad flashes Easton a wicked smile.
“Where did you get that?” Weston asks through clenched teeth.
“You know, you really shouldn’t leave your hat lying around. Just saying.”
Weston’s jaw ticks, his fist clenching at his side, though he manages to keep his face neutral and voice calm.
“What do you want, Bradley?”
“Let me think about that,” Brad says, making a show of pretending to think about it, toying with Weston. “Better idea—how about I just do this.”
It happens too fast for anybody to react. One second, the card is intact, and in the next, it’s torn into a hundred tiny pieces floating to the ground.
“Stay away from my girl, Langford. Word travels fast in a small town. If I ever hear you stepped foot in her trailer or her house again, we’re gonna have some trouble. You guys have a good night.”
I barely comprehend Brad’s words with the ringing in my head.
I can’t take my eyes off the pieces of the card lying dead on the floor at my feet, tears burn in the backs of my eyes—tears of frustration and embarrassment. Not tears for myself, but for Weston. I force myself to glance up at him, only to be met with green eyes so cold that they send a chill down my spine.
“Wes…” I breathe, but he’s gone in the next second.
I chase after him, my boots slapping against the ground as I follow him through the doors and into the corridor.
“Weston!” I yell as he slips through the back door to the parking lot, the cool evening breeze blowing through my hair as I manage to catch up and grab his arm.
He spins around to face me, a murderous glare aimed right at me.
“What, Hailey?” he shouts. “What could you possibly want?”
