My two friends exchanged more looks, and I rolled my eyes. “Will you two quit doing that? I’m not blind, I can see the looks you’re giving each other.”
“Okay. Fine,” Lottie said, putting her elbows on the table and lacing her fingers together. “What was that about then?”
“What?” I shrugged, picking at my nails.
I guess I should be more careful about what I ask for. I hadn’t meant to bring on the interrogation. I only wanted them to stop having their silent conversation about Billy and me.
She tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing. “Did something happen?”
“No. We’re fine. Not everyone is into PDA.”
“Where was that attitude at my barbecue last year?” Leighton snorted a laugh behind her glass of wine.
“Oh, suck it, you two. I was drunk then. It doesn’t count,” I argued.
“And you’re as sober as an alcoholic right now,” Lottie goaded me some more.
“You know what?” I stood from the table. “I don’t need this from you two. You’re the worst two friends a woman could ever have.”
“Where are you going?” They giggled as I walked away.
“Where else? To get another bottle of wine for you two lushes!”
I walked into the kitchen and headed straight for the wine fridge, where Lottie had another bottle of sparkling rosé chilling. Pulling the bottle from the fridge, I glanced around for the corkscrew that I was sure we’d left on the counter.
The screen door creaked open behind me. “Hey, where’d that corkscrew go?” I asked mid-turn, stopping short when I saw it wasn’t Lottie or Leighton walking in behind me but Billy. “Oh. It’s you.”
He stopped a few feet in front of me. “Don’t sound so disappointed, Han.” He took the bottle from my hands. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough?”
I shrugged, crossing my arms. “It’s not like I’m driving. You know, because I have no car. That made it a little bit of a challenge to meet you here.”
“Yet you managed…by calling Wes.” His eyes narrowed with his accusation, his entire body rigid.
“I didn’t have a lot of options,” I remarked flippantly.
“You could’ve called me.”
“You were working.”
“So was Wes, Hannah!” He threw his arms out from his sides. “I would’ve left the same as him to come get you.”
“What are you more upset about right now, Billy? The fact that I called Wes and not you? Or the fact that I’m standing here at all?”
“Don’t, Hannah. Don’t even go there. You know I want you here.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” I mumbled, grabbing the bottle back from his hands as I brushed past him to leave.
His hand clamped around my wrist, and my head jerked to the side to look at him. My veins pulsed as heat flushed through me.
“I don’t know what to do here, Hannah. Or what you expect me to say.”
“That’s the problem, Billy. I don’t know either. I just know this isn’t how I wanted our last night together to be. If you’re gonna break my heart, then just break it. Because I’m not gonna stand here all night, waiting for you to figure it out.”
I lifted his hand from my wrist and walked out. I plopped back down on the bench at the picnic table, both Leighton and Lottie falling silent as I did. I spotted the corkscrew lying in the middle of the table between us. Annoyed, I picked it up and started twisting it into the bottle.
“Hannah?”
“I’m fine. Just wasted the last five minutes of my life searching for this little sucker.” I failed miserably at hiding my anger behind my snide remark.
Their eyes went to the back side of the house as the screen door slammed open and Billy stomped out.
Perfect. Everything was just fucking perfect.
Over the next hour, I stayed close to Lottie and Leighton. Finally acting like true friends, they distracted me with light banter and didn’t press me anymore about Billy. I knew it was obvious to everyone that we were fighting. It was impossible to hide with the two of us keeping our distance and exchanging nothing more than furtive glances from across the yard.
It wasn’t until Leighton got up to chat with the guys that Lottie gave me the look, the one that said, “start talking.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Are you sure?”
“No. Yes. Shit. I just…the man is infuriating. It’s like one minute he’s the man of my dreams, and the next he’s a complete douchebag.”
“Aren’t they all?”
“Ha!” I huffed a laugh. “Yeah…maybe so…” I silently fiddled with my ring some more. “I told him about my interview last night. And now, he’s…I don’t know… acting cold. I don’t understand it. It’s not like he didn’t know I was going to leave.”
Her head bobbed up and down as she tucked her lips between her teeth, like she was trying hard to keep her mouth shut and not say what was on her mind.
“Just say it,” I demanded.
“Say what?” she feigned ignorance.
“Whatever you’re thinking.”
“It’s not my place.”
“You’re my best friend, Lottie. It’s your place and I’m telling you to just say it.”
“Okay!” She threw her palms in the air. “It’s just obvious you really like him.”
I scoffed, crossing my arms.
“I’ve never, in all my years of knowing you, seen you this bent out of shape over a guy.”
“We’re just having fun.”
“Sure.” It was her turn to scoff with sarcasm. “Well, if you ever feel like you’re having so much ‘fun’ you never want to leave, you always have a job here.”
“You must be drunk, lady. Because there’s no way in hell you’re getting me to move out here. Two weeks was long enough. I’m not cut out for this country living.”
“Okay, fine. All I’m saying is, it’s a standing offer if you change your mind.”
She didn’t have to worry about that. I would never make it in a small town. I’d miss sushi, for one. Not to mention the noise and excitement of the city. My soul belonged in Seattle. With a longing gaze over my shoulder, I watched Billy with his friends. If only my heart hadn’t decided it wanted to belong to a small-town cowboy.
Wes’s long legs appeared out of nowhere as he hiked them over the wooden bench to take the seat beside me, his hands full of unopened beers. Lottie gave me a supportive smile before excusing herself to do some last-minute prep work in the kitchen, leaving the two of us alone.
“You hanging in there?”
I looked over at him, surprised by the concern on his face. “Sure.” I snuck another peek over my shoulder at Billy before turning back to look at Wes. “What do you care anyway?”
Wes smiled, but it lacked its usual enthusiasm. “Figured it’s my responsibility to look out for you.”
I laughed, taking a sip of my wine. “And where did you get that idea?”
“You mean other than the fact that we’re BFFs?” He winked, then shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe because you remind me of someone.”