“It’s none of your fucking business.” Hudson’s snarl matched Matty’s rage, their heated gazes locking in a silent battle of wills. Neither seemed willing to back down. Tension crackled between them, ready to snap. I glanced from Matty to Hudson.
Oh my.
Oh my.
Wasthatwhat all this was about?
“It’s my business if my brother’s fiancé runs off with the help.” Matty turned to me. “You’re not stupid enough to fall for his tricks, are you? You should be aware he’s known for taking back the things he says, so don’t get your hopes up with this one.”
“Fuck you, Matty.” Hudson shoved him hard in the chest. “Don’t bring Ozzie into this.”
“Youbrought him into this.”
“Will you guys just kiss already?” Two angry men glared at me, and I flinched. Okay, maybe that didn’t lighten the mood at all. In fact, they seemed even more hostile toward each other.
“I ain’t got nothing more to say to you,” Matty said. “Get off my ranch.”
Hudson snorted. “I don’t work for you.”
“But someday you will, and then your ass will be mine.” Color rushed into Matty’s face, and he spluttered. “I d-didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
Hudson smirked. “In your dreams, cowboy.” He tipped his hat. “See you around, Ozzie.”
Hudson turned on his heel and stalked toward his truck. Matty stared after him, the anger in his eyes replaced by something else. Sadness. Hurt. He looked like he wanted to go after Hudson.
Do it. Do it.I silently urged him, but he didn’t budge.
“Stay away from him,” he snapped. “He’s not for you.”
“And he won’t be for you either if you keep being so nasty to him.And to me.”
“You know why I don’t like you, Ozzie?” Matty tilted his head to the side. “Because you have this sweet butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-your-mouth crap going on, but you don’t fool me. You were only here one night, and you were already fooling around with someone else.”
I gasped, my hand flying up to my mouth. He knew? “You don’t understand.”
“What’s there to understand? You’re a whore who sleeps around on your fiancé, and my brother might be an ass, but he doesn’t deserve that.”
“Matty, enough!” Gray’s voice cut through the air like a knife, and it took everything out of me not to run to him.
22
GRAY
The second Emma answered the call, everything I’d rehearsed vanished from my mind.
“Hello? Gray? Can you hear me?” A clear hint of impatience colored her tone when I didn’t respond, and with it, my resolve returned to end our marriage.
Our relationship had been like this for years. Since the boys grew up, we seldom spoke to each other. I still sent her the occasional birthday and Christmas gifts. After all, we didn’t hate each other. We just had nothing in common and no love for each other. At least not the kind of love that should exist between a married couple.
“Emma, how are you?”
“I’ve never been better. Yesterday was the…” She prattled on about a charity event she hosted that was “such a smashing hit” that they wanted her to be in charge next year as well. I let her speak until she was out of breath.
“That sounds wonderful, Em. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.”
“Immensely. Moving here is the best decision I’ve ever made. Though I wish you had stayed.”
I chuckled. “You know you don’t mean that. How else would you have moved Marc into your bedroom?”
