I did jerk back then. Emma, her chin hitched high and shooting daggers at me, stepped out onto the porch. I resisted the urge to hide in Gray’s arms.
No more using him as a shield from the world.
No more having him protect me.
No more waiting for him to stand up for me.
I had to stand by him through thick and thin.
“You can’t even wait for Carter to find out the truth before acting out in public,” Emma snapped.
Gray sighed. “Emma, we’re hardly in public. We’re in our home.”
“Don’t get it twisted, Gray, or have you forgotten that half of this house and the property belong to me?”
Oh god, how could I have been so dense? With Gray asking Emma for a divorce, his assets, including his beloved land, would be divvied.
“Gray,” I said.
“That’s nothing for you to worry about.” He squeezed my hand. “Talk to Carter. Focus on that.”
A truck rumbled on the gravel, and Matty drove his Ford up to the porch.
“You ready, Ozzie?” he called.
I nodded. “Go back to bed, Gray. Promise me.” I held up my pinkie.
He linked our fingers. “I promise.”
Emma made a sound of disgust and walked down the steps. “I should go to the airport as well. Carter will need the support of someone who actually cares about him.”
My heart lurched. Emma couldn’t be there when I talked to Carter. She would manipulate the discussion. Carter, I could manage, but not the two of them.
“You’re not going, Emma,” Gray said sternly. “This has nothing to do with you. Let them work it out on their own.”
“On their own? And haven’t you influenced everything that’s about to happen today by sleeping with him?”
Gray mumbled under his breath, asking for strength. What was I supposed to do? Emma wasn’t being unreasonable. She was worried about me hurting her son, as any good mother would be. But that didn’t mean I wanted her at the airport.
“Mom, you coming along won’t help the situation,” Matty said. “If I didn’t have to drive, I wouldn’t even be there. Only two people are in that relationship, and they have to find a way to end things their way. If Carter needs you, he can talk to you when he gets home.”
I could have kissed Matty. Emma’s face turned red. She gave me a nasty look, then strutted back inside. The door shut with a bang that made me wince.
“Come on, Ozzie,” Matty said. “I’m not fond of this whole situation either, but we gotta make the best of it.”
I cupped Gray’s face to draw strength from him one last time, then hurried down the steps and climbed into the truck. In the rearview mirror, I watched Gray on the porch until he was just a spot on the horizon. With a sigh, I sank back against the seat and checked my phone. Carter’s flight was on time.
Matty wasn’t a talkative person, and as I’d expected, he turned on the radio, and country music filled the cab. The soulful songs and jaunty rhythms did nothing to dispel the ache in my chest and the nervous flutter in my belly. I’d never broken up with someone, and certainly not with someone I’d been about to marry.
Carter couldn’t be all that disappointed, though. The man had abandoned me in an unfamiliar town. If he genuinely loved me, he would have been in Bristlecone Springs with me, planning our wedding.
Thank god he went away so I could spend time with Gray and learn what it means to be cherished by someone.
The short time I’d been with Gray only showed me all the things that were wrong in my relationship with Carter. DidI think Carter was a bad person? Not entirely. Maybe he could make someone happy, but I wasn’t the one. I needed the snuggling, the touching, and the kissing. I needed the I love yous, the sincere babys and sweethearts. I needed the whispering in the night after we made love.
I wanted to be told I was beautiful.
My stomach settled until we arrived at the airport. I thought I had it all figured out, but my heart threatened to leave me stranded.
