Page 6 of The Best Friend's Billionaire Brother
He scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. “Well, I was supposed to be at an event, but it got canceled due to weather.”
“That’s—” She caught herself before finishing the sentence. Why hadn’t that been on the events website page? “Oh.”
Wyatt held her gaze with his eyebrows knitted together. “Are you upset that I’m picking you up?”
Yes, but he didn’t need to know that, and now she was stuck with him because finding another way home would lead to questions she didn’t want to answer. “No, I’m fine.” Then she noticed a jagged line along his jaw and stepped closer. “Is that a scar along your jaw?”
Stepping in to get a better look was a mistake. Whatever cologne or aftershave he wore swirled around her, and the scent made her skin tingle. A rush of memories and longing hit her so hard her heart physically hurt.
“Yeah, I got bucked bad a couple of years back. Broke a few bones and got this scar and a couple more you can’t see. I couldn’t afford plastic surgery at the time, and to be honest, I like them because it reminds me to remain humble.”
Carrie Anne had mentioned he’d been in a bad accident. She’d even seen a few pictures, but in person, it hit her a little harder. “Carrie Anne said you’d been in an accident. I’m sorry you were hurt.”
He nodded. “I was lucky it wasn’t worse.” Pausing, his gaze roamed over her face. “You sure look different.”
The words sobered her. Stepping back, she held his gaze. “I am different.”
“I guess we all are, huh?”
“Maybe.” Her gaze traveled to his hand. Where was his wedding band? He’d never struck Gabby as a man who would get married and then run around pretending he wasn’t. “Is Lori okay with you not wearing your wedding band?”
“Lori? I’m not married.”
“What?” she asked softly.
Wyatt’s eyebrows drew together. “Didn’t Carrie Anne tell you? I would have thought she’d have wasted no time telling you. I never married Lori. She…never mind.” He paused and cast his gaze to the floor. “It’s been over with her for a while now.”
Over? For a while? But the invitations. “I just figured…by now—” She stopped short.
A little sprig of hope hit so hard, she felt gut-punched. But she got ahold of it quick. Wyatt was never going to be interested in her, and the feeling was mutual. She’d repeat that until it stuck.
“She wasn’t good enough for you anyway.” The sentence slipped out before she could stop it.
He lifted his head and narrowed his eyes. “Why would you say that?”
She waved him off. It didn’t matter now, did it? Gabby was over him, and he was probably dating someone else. “It’s water under the bridge. I need to get my luggage. Mom and Dad are expecting me to be there when they get home.”
“My understanding is that we’re all staying at Casa Bear through the holidays.”
She blinked a few times as she tried to process what Wyatt had said. She would only be there for Thanksgiving weekend, not all the holidays, but staying with the Wests for even five days? As in, in the same vicinity as Wyatt? Clearly, the start of the holidays had been declared open season on Gabby Fredericks. Was this another thing Carrie Anne didn’t tell her? “What?”
“Bear invited our families to spend the weekend at the ranch house for Thanksgiving. It’s all fixed up and ready to go. He did a bang-up job on it too. Looks like a brand-new house in my opinion.”
“Oh.” She nodded as her gaze traveled to the floor, muttering to herself, “The weekend. I can do that.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t catch that last part,” Wyatt said.
Yeah, and she wasn’t providing a net. She smiled as she brought her gaze back to his. “Nothing. This’ll be great. I won’t have to divide my time between my family and Carrie Anne.” She turned and walked to the nearly empty conveyor belt.
Wyatt kept pace with her, stopping at the same time she did. Awkward silence fell between them as they waited for her luggage. Her large red bag rounded the corner, and they both reached for it at the same time.
Their hands touched, and for a second, she thought she’d actually been hit with electricity. Then the lingering jolt rolled like a wave from her hand, up her arm, and settled in the pit of her stomach, setting her heart racing. No, no, no, she couldn’t let that happen. She was home to spend time with her family. There’d be no…whatever it was that just happened. She’d wear gloves if necessary.
Gabby jerked her hand back, and he pulled her luggage off the belt. Laughing, she said, “Staticky.”
He caught her gaze a second and then nodded. “Yeah, I guess it was.”
She turned on her heels, and looking over her shoulder, she said, “The quicker we get on the road, the quicker we get there.”
