Page 31 of Sugar
Wells materializes out of thin air, dropping three cold bottles of beer on the table. “You ladies need anything else?”
“Oh,” I say, eyeing the beer. “Uh, I’m actually okay—gotta drive later.”
“Okay,” he says. “Sure.” He picks up the bottle closest to me and takes a long swig before kissing Layla on the cheek and disappearing again.
“Damn, he’s whipped too,” I jest, watching him stride back to the narrow alley behind the bar. “Anyway, Kasey was . . .good,” I say. “He had a real good heart and was very protective of me. I was a stick of dynamite, blowing up his life.”
“What do you mean?” Olivia asks.
I sigh. “I just always felt like I was ruining him. I was never good at following rules and he’d end up in the middle of all my messes.”
“It couldn’t have been easy, you being the sheriff’s daughter,” Layla points out.
“Oh my gosh, that man has a stick so far up his ass when it comes to the Bennetts!” Olivia exclaims before shooting me an apologetic look. “No offense.”
I laugh. “None taken. And you’re right—he hated that we were dating, which only brought more heat on Kasey. His parents didn’t love it either, knowing who my father is. We’d have to sneak around just to see each other.”
“Why did you leave?” Layla asks. “Was it because of Kasey?”
Yes.
No.
“I was afraid, I think, of what my life would look like if I never made it out of here.” It’s vague enough that I don’t feel so raw letting the words out, but it still feels heavy to admit out loud.
“I get that,” Layla admits. “But you’re back now. Maybe . . . maybe there are still feelings between you both?”
The insinuation has my heart catapulting. I frown, looking back and forth between the girls. “Our feelings are long dead and buried,” I say bluntly. “Trust me.”
Layla’s mouth pinches.
“Sorry if this is overstepping,” Olivia chimes in, her voice lowering as she leans in, “but Rhett told me you and Kasey were engaged for real once.”
Layla’s attention snaps to Olivia as the words hit me like a slap in the face. Rhett knows? I mean, why wouldn’t he? There’s no reason to think Kasey wouldn’t confide in at least one of his brothers about it, even if the whole thing lasted all of five minutes.
“Does this arrangement have anything to do with . . . You know,that?” she continues. “Like maybe trying again?”
“Who’s asking?” I throw back. It comes out harsher than I mean for it to, but it’s hard not to feel affected by the weight of history I’ve been trying to keep from falling on top of me.
Olivia straightens, her eyes widening. “Me,” she assures. “Rhett didn’t ask me to, or anything?—”
“Look,” I say, glancing around at the tables full of other patrons and keeping my voice quiet. “Kasey and I have history, sure. But it’s been ten years, and we’re two completely different people. This wedding isn’t about anything more than convincing the rest of town that we aren’t committing any felonies with a fraudulent marriage so the Bennetts can keep the ranch, even though that’sexactlywhat this is, okay? I knew Kasey wouldn’t want to lie to his family about it, but outside of them and us three sitting here, no one else can know the truth or we risk all of this going up in flames. But just because we’re pretending doesn’t mean anything is there, either.”
They nod. “Understood,” Layla says.
“Got it,” Olivia echoes.
Silence wraps around us before the sound of rowdy cheers comes from the bar, where two patrons are locked into a game of quarters.
“Still,” Layla eventually says, “thisisa wedding, and youarea bride, right?”
I stare at her. “Yeah . . . I guess so.”
She smiles softly. “Let Olivia and me be a part of it. I’m sure there are things we can do to help plan? It’ll be at the church, right?”
“That’s the plan,” I grumble. “We just have to pass Pastor Brown’s tests first.”
Wednesday comes in a blink,and soon Kasey and I are back in Pastor Brown’s office. It’s been raining all morning, and the air inside the church is musty and stale. I try my best to not let it affect me, but I have to breathe slowly so I don’t start gagging.
