“Dammit,” Mary whispers.
Brandon emerges and walks around his car, leaning on the passenger side door. I can’t deny how hot he is. A couple of inches taller than Travis, but the same strong jawline and short hair. Dressed in black boots, black jeans, a black t-shirt, and a gun belt, I try my best not to stare.
“Ladies,” he says. “Where you off to?” Even though he’s wearing aviators, I can tell he’s staring at Mary.
“I’m getting some food with my friend. Is that okay with you?” Mary snaps at him over the top of my car on the passenger side.
A very brief moment of disappointment flashes across his face before he answers, “I brought you lunch. Mom made your favorite.”
“Tell her to stop. I don’t want your food, and I don’t want your pity. Char, let’s go.” She gets in the car, slams the door, crosses her arms, and looks out the window, away from Brandon.
He runs his hands through his hair and blows out a frustrated breath before looking at me. “Hey, Charlotte.”
“Hi.”
“She doesn’t like me very much right now.”
I laugh. “I gathered that. How are you?”
“Been better. What about you?”
That damn smile of mine comes back. “Good.”
“Right. Well, I’ll see ya around. Tell Trav I said ‘hi’.”
“Okay. And Brandon.”
He raises his eyebrows.
“I’m sure you can figure it out. She’s a really nice person, and I can tell she cares about you.” Her anger is fake. It’s the same way I treated Travis, and she looked at Brandon with such longing that I swear I see myself in her.
“That’s the problem, Char. She cares way too fucking much.”
I back out and give a wave before pulling onto the street. Mary gives me directions and when it’s quiet, I ask, “Why is he bringing you food?”
“He thinks I’m too skinny.” Her laugh is irritated. “What kind of man tries to get a girl to eat more? It’s stupid. Every day he brings me lunch. Drives me nuts.”
As I’m pulling into the restaurant parking lot, I look out my window and do a double take. No. It can’t be. I squint and lean over the steering wheel. My heart drops and bile rises in my throat. Mary follows my stare and gasps. Travis is standing by his car and has his arms wrapped around another woman.
Chapter 24
Travis
“IT’S OKAY, TANYA.” I hug Tammy’s sister and try to console her. I’ve been avoiding this for a while now, but since I was in town, I decided seeing her was the right thing to do.
“I still expect her to walk through the door. It’s been like eight years, Travis.” She wipes her eyes and backs up. “I’m really sorry to have bugged you. I just needed to talk to somebody.”
“You can call me anytime. Don’t apologize.”
“It’s the wedding. We always talked about being each other’s maid of honor, and I hate that she’s not here for this. When I have kids, they’ll never know their aunt.”
Taking a deep breath, I try to make her feel better. Tanya was devastated when Tammy died. She blamed me for a long time, so it’s hard to forget all the shit she said to me.
“I know. She talked to me about it, too. She loved you.”
“Yeah,” she nods. “I’m really happy for you. Char sounds great.”
I told Tanya about Charlotte over breakfast. I felt guilty at first, telling the sister of your dead ex-fiancée that you’re in love with someone else. But Tanya’s happy, too, and we both agreed that Tammy would want us to move on with our lives.
“Can I see it?” she asks.
“See what?”
“The ring.”
“Oh. Yeah, sure.” I open my car and pull the black velvet box out of the glove compartment. She takes it and pops the top.
“Oh, Travis. It’s beautiful.” Turning the box to get a better angle, she admires it in every direction. The large square diamond shines in the sun. “This was your grandmother’s?”
“Yeah. I had the stone replaced and added a couple smaller ones, but the band itself is.”
I never even thought to give this ring to Tammy. It was a hard pill to swallow when I realized I was never really in love with her. Yeah, I loved her, but it’s not even in the same realm as what I feel for Char. I knew when I decided I was going to ask Char to marry me that I wanted to use this ring.
“Wow. She’ll love it.” Tanya hands it back and sticks her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. “Well, I should go. Thanks again for meeting me, I really do feel better.”
“Good. And good luck with your wedding and stuff.”
She smiles, and I wait to leave until she’s in her car. Honking her horn as she pulls out, I stand there for a few minutes. The ring weighs about a thousand pounds in my pocket, and I can’t wait to give it to Char.
The drive home is never ending. I feel like shit for telling Char I had to work today, but as soon as the jeweler called me and told me the ring was ready, I couldn’t wait. I pull into my parking spot and look around for her car, but don’t see it. Hopefully, she went shopping or something with Meara.
When I open my door, the place feels empty. Calling for her, I get nothing but silence. I get to the bedroom and the emptiness of my apartment transfers to my heart. Her clothes are all gone and the drawers left open.
I grab my phone and call her, but it goes right to voicemail. Something’s wrong. Rushing back to my car, I call Meara.
“Yeah?” She picks up on the first ring.
“Do you know where Char is?”
“No. I haven’t talked to her since yesterday. Why?”
“I came home and all her stuff is gone. She’s not answering her phone.” Dread begins to take form, and I press the gas pedal a little harder.
“I’m alone at The Pub, but I can get someone to come in.” She’s panicking, too.
“Let me check her place, and I’ll call you back.”
I hang up and barely have my car in park before running to her door. Using the new keys I had made, I open her door and search, only to come up empty.
“Fuck!” I shout.
I run back to my car and head to the only other place I can think of.
She has her arms around her knees and stares at the water. I breathe a sigh of relief and slowly walk toward her.
“Hey, sweetheart.”
Her spine straightens, but she doesn’t acknowledge me. I hop up and sit next to her.
“What are you doing here?”
Still ignoring me, I set my hand on her back, but she scoots forward.
“Char, what’s going on?”
Her head shakes back and forth.
“Did something happen?”
“Just stop, okay? You don’t have to pretend anymore. I get it, alright?” Her voice leaves no room for argument.
Fuck that. “Wanna clue me in here ‘cause I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She whips her head around and shoots daggers at me. “I saw you.”
“You saw me what?”
“Don’t play games, Travis.”
Irritation forms because I have no idea what the hell is going on.