Chapter Thirty-Three
Cash
The Same Afternoon
I wanted to confront Hailey about what I’d seen as soon as she closed the front door behind us, but I walked into the living room and sat down on the armchair, which forced her to sit on the couch. I didn’t even want to touch her right now.
“I didn’t expect you home so early,” she said, speaking carefully as she pushed her glasses up her nose. “Where’s your truck?”
“Around back,” I replied in a clipped tone. I’d parked back there to surprise her after I noticed Buck and Lettie weren’t in the corral with the rest of the horses. I figured she and Eric were out riding and I could hide in the house until she came in. I hadn’t expected to see them all over each other right out in plain view of God and the mountains.
“What got you here an hour early?” she asked.
I shrugged. “There were seats on an earlier flight and I switched my ticket so I could get back soon.”
She nodded and then asked, “How was Colorado?”
“That part was fine. We had a good get-together with family from all over coming in to celebrate Uncle Rog’s life. People told stories about him that I’d never heard before. I’m glad I got the chance to go.” The more I talked about my uncle, the madder I got. I’d been away at a funeral, and she hadn’t wasted any time moving on to Eric. I hadn’t thought her capable of it before leaving for Colorado. Things sure had changed in the short time I’d been gone.
“That’s good, Cash.” Her lips twitched, but she didn’t quite smile. After an uncomfortable silence, she asked, “Did something else happen that upset you?”
I stared at her in disbelief. Did she really not know why I was mad? Or was she hoping that if she just played clueless, I wouldn’t mention how comfortable she’d seemed in my best friend’s arms?
“I’m not upset about the funeral. I am feeling good about that.”
Her face scrunched into a frown, her eyes clouding over in confusion. “Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t seem like yourself. What is wrong?”
I took a long time to answer, not quite sure what I wanted to say. I hadn’t liked the look of Eric kissing her out in the yard, but I didn’t know if I should even bring it up. Hailey was acting like nothing had happened. It sure didn’t look like nothing, and that kiss had really bothered me to see, especially considering Eric’s earlier feelings for Hailey. Obviously, those feelings hadn’t gone away.
“While I was away celebrating my uncle’s life, I just didn’t expect to come home and find you all over Eric.”
The careful, confused expression on her face evaporated in an instant, replaced by dark fury, her eyes narrowing. “The hug you saw? Is that what you’re talking about?”
“I saw a hell of a lot more than a hug. Y’all looked awfully comfortable with each other. Who knows how far it would’ve gone if I hadn’t interrupted.”
“Are you serious?” She was angry, but she looked surprised too. Maybe because she hadn’t expected me home quite yet. Or maybe because she didn’t think I’d noticed the way she laughed at every single one of Eric’s dumb jokes and how she looked at him all starry eyed sometimes. “You really think I’m actively pursuing another guy? And not just any guy, but your best friend?” I didn’t answer right away, so she added, “You’ve been gone for less than a week, Cash.”
“I only know what I saw.”
She shook her head, the look on her face getting harder, her eyes cooling to chips of blue ice as she stared me down. I half-expected her to launch out of her chair and start beating the hell out of me with her fists. I’d never seen anyone as pissed off as she looked right now. But her lips were pressed into an angry pink line as she breathed in and out, her eyes never leaving mine.
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” she said.
“Tell me you’ve never been attracted to Eric, not even a little,” I said, speaking in a low, controlled voice.
“How dare you speak to me like this,” she hissed, voice even lower than mine had been, and trembling steadily. Her eyes were glassy. “You have no right.” She flew to her feet, but not to attack me. She was headed in the other direction, towards the door. “I’m going back out on Buck for a while. I need to clear my head after listening to all the bullshit you just spouted. I don’t even want to see you until you pull your head out of the horse’s ass where it’s been since you got home.”
She stomped out, wiping angrily at the tears in her eyes, and slammed the door behind her, leaving me steaming on the couch. I thought about going after her, but I was just too pissed to sort through my thoughts. All I could see was her in Eric’s arms and his lips on her cheek. How far had things gone while I was in Colorado?
The phone rang before I could figure that out. I jumped to answer, expecting my parents, who were headed home today too after spending weeks at Uncle Rog’s place taking care of everything.
“Hello?”
“Hey, is everything alright?” It was Eric, which just pissed me off all over again.
“You got what you wanted,” I spat at him.
“What are you talking about?”
“Hailey’s done with me and ready to move on from what I saw when y’all came in from riding.”
“What?” he asked.
“Don’t act like you haven’t been trying to horn in where you don’t belong from the moment she first got here. I saw that hug. You had your hands and lips all over her. I can’t imagine what else was going on while I was gone.” I knew if I had him here in front of me, we’d be exchanging punches again, and over the same damned woman. It pissed me off to be this out of control, but just thinking of Eric with his hands all over Hailey made me see red.
He actually laughed at me, the sound squeezed free of any real humor. “The hug you saw when you were standing on the porch? Shit, Cash, that was her thanking me for being such a good friend to you and helping out on the farm for the last few days. Or do you mean the kiss? That was my way of thanking her for busting her ass while you were gone. I really put her to work. She could be a fine ranch hand now. Do you honestly think I was trying to get her into bed while you were out of town at your uncle’s funeral?”
I didn’t have an answer for that. Hearing it said plainly and out loud like that made it sound ridiculous.
“Nothing is going on between me and Hailey besides a friendship. Don’t fuck this up over you being a jealous asshole.” He made a disappointed sound. “I even told her the truth about me setting you up with a boarder without even asking you because I wanted to get you out of your comfort zone. Why would I tell her any of that unless I wanted y’all to be on the same page? And you should’ve heard the way she talked about you when you were gone. She was thinking of staying even longer than October. At least until you accused her of running around on you.”
I couldn’t even argue, because that was exactly what I’d done. I was too ashamed to admit to how harshly I’d spoken to her. She’d be well within her rights to never speak to me again.
“Where is she now? Packing her stuff and getting ready to leave your ass?”
“No,” I muttered. “She went out for a ride.”
“Go after her, then. Don’t ruin this chance. This girl is good for you.”
I felt like I really did have my head shoved up a horse’s ass, just like Hailey said. “I really messed this up. Maybe more than I can fix it.” He hadn’t seen the look on her face. She’d been surprised first, then hurt, then angry. I’d done all that, and all because I’d seen her hugging a man I’d trust with my own life.
“You won’t know that until you talk to her. Get off the phone and go.”
I hung up without another word and ran out of the house. Buck was gone, but Lettie was still standing next to the corral, tied to a post and wearing her saddle. I jumped on her back and got her going at a full gallop, searching for the woman I loved.