I sighed, imagining just how that scene would go. Seemed unlikely he’d forget we’d dated for nine months, but considering he’d started dating someone else while we were still together, who could say? “You’re right. Better he remember me and feel like the sorry piece of crap he is.”
“I’m sorry about how awkward this is going to be for you, you know that, right?”
I knew. Eden had apologized as soon as she’d addressed Bret’s invitation, and several more times since he’d accepted. But my history with the Hardy brothers aside, Booker had his own history with them, and I couldn't expect my feelings to overrule his at his own wedding. I didn't love the idea of seeing my most recent ex-boyfriend again, but I would just have to suck it up and deal.
“It’s going to be fine. I'm past that.”
“There’s still time to add a plus-one and rub it in Bret’s face.”
I laughed, thinking about the string of first dates I’d had in the last several months. No one man stood out among them as someone I would ever want to see again for coffee, let alone bring to a family wedding.
“I don't think so.”
“What about that guy you met at trivia night a couple months ago?”
“He texted a truly unfortunate photo.” I’d wanted to disinfect both my phone and my eyeballs after that one.
“Ew. What about the musician?”
I had to think back a second to remember. “He thinks monogamy is an unnatural construct foisted upon us by religion.”
“What about—”
“Unless the next name out of your mouth is Justin Timberlake, the answer is no. Nope, I’m just going to be like Switzerland and stand alone. Neutral.”
She made a little sound of amusement. “You’re not exactly known for neutrality. You’re more like France, all heartfelt emotion and judgmental looks.”
All that heartfelt emotion had always been my Achilles heel. If I hadn’t been so caught up in my feelings for Bret, maybe I would have realized he hadn’t had any for me. Almost thirty years old, and I’d been played by a player.
“Then I need to be like Germany.” I sat up on the bed in a burst of inspiration. “I’ll be cool and calculating, and totally unemotional.”
“You’re thinking of robots, not Germans,” Eden said with a laugh. “And I love you, but you couldn’t be unemotional if your life depended on it.”
I sighed back onto the bed. This was probably true.
SIX
ty
“You don’t look so good.”
Aaron had just turned the last of the horses out to pasture for the day, and he now watched me with a wary expression. He’d been sneaking looks at me all morning, like he thought I might either pass out or spontaneously combust, and wanted to be sure he witnessed it.
“Sit down, at least,” he continued.
“I’m fine.”
I couldn’t lift so much as a jug of milk, standing under the shower spray that morning had been unbearable, and walking from the house to the barn felt like a herculean task, but I was fine. I’d spent the morning trying to find at least one chore I could still handle, but so far, I’d only managed to hover around the barn, groaning whenever Aaron was out of earshot.
He secured the pasture gate and brushed off his gloves. Finishing up his equine management degree, he was young, but he’d been around horses since he was a kid, and hard work didn’t faze him. He’d helped out around the ranch since just about the day I started my business up. I wasn’t sure what I’d do once he graduated and moved on to bigger things.
“You look like you’re going to faint.”
That would be better than spontaneously combusting, but not by much.
I moved closer to the low, rough-hewn bench spanning one barn wall, not liking the prospect of trying to sit on it. Not at all. Too many muscles in my chest pulled in sitting down and getting up again, as I’d learned many times over the last twenty-four hours. Wasn’t worth the effort. I leaned against the wall instead, but that didn’t bring any relief.
Aaron laughed as he walked by me to examine the tack. “You are something else. Broken ribs, man—you should be in bed at least a day or two. Get some rest.”
