Page 27 of Hot Mess Wedding

Her arms wrap around her body like she’s holding herself. “Oh God. I’m so embarrassed.” Her eyes close and tears fall down her pretty freckled cheeks.

And I feel like I’m being filleted alive.

“He swore me to secrecy,” I say.

“I did do that,” Micah says.

We both turn in unison and say, “Shut up!”

Then she nods and swipes at her cheeks. “Yeah, I was just a fool. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. It was lovely to meet you,” she says in Micah’s direction, but she doesn’t actually look at him.

Then she walks out the door leaving me when my oldest, though definitely not wisest, friend.

“Goddammit!” I yell.

“You really fucked up with that one,” Micah says.

“Listen, fucker, I am seconds from beating your face in so do not piss me off any more.”

He sits up and lifts his hands up in question. “What did I do?”

I mentally count to five so that I don’t just strangle him. I have to make a damn list of reasons not to kill him to keep myself from wrapping my hands around his throat. I’d definitely be caught. Arrested. Throw in jail. I could live with that though. Still, he’s written a couple of songs I really like. His fans would be very disappointed. And, he still has a lot of fans in Saddle Creek and some of them are good people. Am I really ready to break all those hearts? Probably not.

Finally I blow out a breath. “You are a selfish dickhead who didn’t think twice about asking me—someone you haven’t actually seen or spent time with in a hell of a long time—to do this top secret favor for you.”

“You could have said no if it was that much trouble. Damn, Ian. Don’t be a dick.”

“Did you see that woman?” I point at the door behind me. “The one who walked away. Yeah, that’s the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with you might have ruined it for me.”

“I’m sure your girl will listen.” He points behind me. “Looks like she left her suitcase so I’m sure she’ll be back.” Then he scrapes a hand on the back of his neck. “Sorry for messing with your life or whatever. But you have no idea the pressure I’m under. All the fucking time.”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, it must be so tough being a spoiled little pretty boy who parties all the time and gets paid to sing sad ass songs.”

“Tell me how you really feel.” He stands up. “Thanks for coming to find the ring. I truly do appreciate it. If you need to send your girl flowers or whatever, just send me a bill and I’ll cover it.”

“Whatever.” It would be easier to stay mad at him if I didn’t feel like I’d fucked everything up before he even showed up. I stare at Micah for a few minutes, then nod to his pocket. “Whatever happened to your girl?”

“She ran off with my drummer. They eloped in Jamaica.”

I wince. “Sorry, man.”

“It’s okay. I don’t even know what I was thinking proposing to her. She was a selfish bitch who didn’t even like my music.” He wipes a hand down his face. “I don’t know. Maybe I just need to walk away from all of this.” He releases a dry chuckle. “Kinda refreshing to have your mean ass threaten to kick my ass. I probably deserve it. But you don’t care about my money or my fame.”

“Never have.”

He nods.

“Saddle Creek is still where you left it. Maybe just don’t cause such a stir if you decide to blow into town.”

We do the one-armed bro hug, then separate. “Sorry again,” he says.

“Yeah.”

After he leaves I go into the bathroom to search for something to see if she left it behind. But it’s not there. It’s not in her suitcase or on the bedside table or anywhere else I look either. Which means she’s probably still wearing it.

If she’s still wearing my ring, maybe that means she does see more than a one-night-stand when she looks at me. Only one way to find out.

chapterten

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