Every bit of me wants to run and hide because I’m so mortified about last night, but I know I need to be a big girl and not avoid Rhett like I want to.
But seriously, who takes off and leaves their new wife alone in a cabin, naked as the day she was born, in a hot tub? Rhett Walker, that’s who.
Yes, I realize this isn’t a real marriage, but we were being intimate, for fuck’s sake. Not bailing is just good manners.
I take a deep breath to steel myself. Except when I peek out the window, it’s not Rhett.
“You asshole,” I whisper. “Why do you always twist me up in knots?”
He fucking sent Beau to pick me up.
At the realization Rhett didn’t come, my eyes sting and my throat gets tight. I blink rapidly and wave at my face so it doesn’t turn red. I don’t want Beau to know I’d rather crawl into a bin of bees than return to the ranch.
“Knock, knock,” he yells. “Hey, Paige. It’s your favorite brother-in-law.”
I glance at the rear of the cabin. Unfortunately, there’s only one entrance, so I can’t run out the back door. Though that window in the bedroom is starting to have more appeal.
“Paige! You there?”
Quickly, I back away from the door. “Yeah. Hold on!” I run to the bathroom and splash my face with water.
When I don’t think I’ll start bawling, I unlock the front door.
Beau’s smile falls when he sees me. “You okay?”
“Yup. Great. Never better.” I tuck my hands in the back pockets of my jeans. “Are you here to take me to the ranch?”
“Actually, Rhett asked me to pay for another few days here for you.”
I’m going to kill him with my bare hands. “Really? Why’s that?”
“We have a situation back at the ranch. The boys had a rough night, and someone cut our fences again. It’s a mess. He thought you might be more comfortable here.”
“You mean where I don’t have a phone signal, a TV, or any transportation?” As I found this morning, I can send texts if I stand on my toes and hold my phone in the air, but my calls don’t go through. “I could be murdered in my sleep, and no one would know for days. How thoughtful.”
Beau winces. “I know this isn’t ideal, but?—”
“Are the kids okay now or are they sick?”
“They’re, uh, they’re doing better.”
I can understand Rhett needing to be with the boys if they weren’t feeling well, but the fact he wants to leave me in themiddle of nowhere after ditching me last night is a step too far. “Can you take me to Baylee’s?” I’ll sleep in her bathtub if I have to.
His head tilts. “I don’t know. He really wanted to?—”
“Beau Walker, I don’t give a shit what Rhett wants. Tell him he can shove this cabin up his ass.” I march back to the bedroom to get my bag. When I return, I cross my arms. “Take me to Baylee’s or I’m calling Aunt Sylvia to get me, and she won’t be as nice as I’m trying to be.”
On the drive to Baylee’s, it takes everything in me not to cry. How do I get involved with these kind of men? I thought Marcus was bad. Rhett has him beat by a country mile.
When we get there, Beau’s barely put his truck into park before I fly out the door.
“Paige, wait.”
Ignoring him, I head to Baylee’s house. I knock, but no one answers. It’s just my luck that no one’s home right now. Beau watches me march around to the side, where I try to scale the fence. I’ll just hang out on their back deck until they get home.
Behind me, he calls out, “Paige, let me take you to the ranch. Once you get there, you’ll see what Rhett’s up against. He’s not doing this to be an asshole.”
The knot in my throat is too much, and I give in to the tears. The truth is I feel left behind, like always. Why does everyone in my life do this? The only person who doesn’t is Baylee. Oh, and my friend Abby, but she just moved to Houston.
