Ethan held up a mug. She swung her legs out of bed, but they were bare, and she was suddenly self-conscious. Her jeans lay across the foot of the bed, so she grabbed them and pulled them on before she crossed the bunkhouse to the kitchen and took the mug from his hand. It was warm, and she sipped, and it didn’t make her stomach revolt.
“Drew and Orrin left early,” he said. “Willow, just now. Trevor’s in the shower.”
“I need one, too.”
“There’s a second bathroom. It’s all yours. I just wanted to see you before I headed out.”
“Oh? You were waiting for me?”
He nodded. “I wanted to tell you before anyone else.”
His tone wasn’t all excited like, I couldn’t wait to tell you. It was, more like, I thought you oughtta know.
He took a breath, gave himself what looked like a nod of encouragement, and blurted, “I’ve decided to sell the cantina soon as I can find the right buyer.”
“Oh.” She took another sip of the coffee. She didn’t say anything else, but her mind was reeling. This was his reaction to those kisses. In spite of a thousand reasons to stay here, he’d decided to leave.
She took a deep breath, looked him right in the eyes, and said, “Well, fuck you, then.”
“What?” His face was completely lax, and then his phone went off. He reached down to silence it, but it went off two more times before he could, and he looked down at it then.
Lily set her coffee mug down hard, went to where she’d left her backpack on the floor, and yanked it over her shoulders like she was mad at it.
“Lily, come on, you knew this was my plan.” But his eyes kept darting to his phone screen again as it buzzed two more times.
“Sure did,” she said. “I’ll get that shower at home. You have a nice life, Ethan.” And then she went right out the door.
He didn’t pay any attention. He didn’t shout at her to wait or to stay. He didn’t apologize or try to explain. He didn’t come running out the door behind her. Nothing. He’d fallen fully into his phone. Like she didn’t even matter.
She picked up the pace, hiking the trail back toward the ranch house. Her angry strides ate up the distance, but the whole time she was sure he would come bouncing along in his big red truck and pick her up and say something. Anything.
He didn’t. God, she was so humiliated. His reaction to her kissing him was to cut and run. She broke the crest of a rise and saw her dad’s pickup parked alongside the house, not in front. Chelsea hated people parking in front.
She crossed the driveway and headed up the porch steps to the door. Breakfast smells came from inside, and her stomach growled. She pushed open the creaky screen door—family didn’t knock here—and went inside, following voices into the kitchen where her father was laughing, and as he scooped a perfect western omelet onto a plate, pivoted, and with a flourish, placed it in front of Miz Cat Shaw, the local realtor. She’d found them the little cabin where they lived and had helped Maria and Harrison buy their adorable house on Bluebonnet Lane.
Cat Shaw had a mass of minky-brown hair with silver near the roots and just in front of her ears. Her brows were perfectly arched, and her makeup flawless at seven a.m. on a Tuesday, even though she still wore a fluffy robe and slippers.
So, she noticed, did her father.
Cat saw her first, and said, “Oh, don’t look like that, Lily Ellen. I had my own guest room.”
Her father turned, “Lily! You look…you look a little wobbly, honey. You want an omelet?”
“I do and I don’t. Too many beers.” She held her stomach.
“Go upstairs, take a shower,” he said. “Use mine, I’m in the blue room. While you’re gone, I’ll make you an omelet. I know just how you like ‘em”
“Okay, I’ll go, but no omelet. I couldn’t do it justice.” She frowned, still not seeing anyone else in the house. “Where are Chelsea and Garrett?”
“Went for an early morning trail-ride,” Cat Shaw said. “Conveniently,” and then she winked. “They’re pretty obviously tryin’ to play matchmaker with your dad and me.”
“Very transparent, aren’t they?” Hyram said. “To be honest, I’m flattered anyone would think a pretty lady like you would be interested in a washed-up old chef like me.”
“Huh. And here I was, flattered they’d think an accomplished, talented, handsome man like you would be interested in a busy-body small-town real-estate lady like me,” she replied. And the two of them smiled at each other as if nobody else was in the room.
“Welp, that shower awaits,” Lily said, and headed up the stairs at the same pace she’d walked over from the bunkhouse.
Once she’d closed the bathroom door behind her, she called her brother.
