3 weeks later

––––––––

COURTNEY WAS NOT AMUSED when she opened the door at six a.m. that morning, still in her pajamas, her hair wild, and not a lick of makeup on her face to find Ev standing there, hands in his pockets, smiling up at her. She left the door open and turned on her heel with a groan. "Jesus, Ev, what the hell are you smiling about this early in the damn morning? Did you go home with that redhead last night after I left?"

He walked into her trailer and shut the door behind him while she threw clothes out of her closet over her shoulder before finding a pair of joggers and a racerback tank. Her blonde hair was falling out of the sloppy bun at the top of her head, and she had to push it back when she turned around to glare at him. Ev rocked back on his heel and wisely swallowed back a chuckle. "Good morning, darlin'. Happy to see you, too. And yes, I did go home with the redhead, but you know me. Home by two this morning and woke up hungry as a bear, so come on. It's time for breakfast."

She glared at him as fiercely as she could before she screeched, "Have you lost your damn mind? I tried to drink with you last night. Ev, Bobby had to bring me back to my trailer last night, and I am pretty sure that the rodeo clown thinks I have lost my mind because I kept singing Free Bird at the top of my lungs, with no music. I am putting on these clothes, going to feed the horses, and let them out, and then I am going back to bed. And if you try to stop me, I will slaughter you."

There was no effort to contain his hilarity this time. Instead, he roared with laughter. "Court, you get dressed, and for Pete's sake, run a brush through your mop, and meet me outside. I'll take care of your girls, and I'll even drive."

"Ev, this isn't funny! I don't have any makeup on, and I’m hungover. Just go alone. Leave me here to die alone in peace!" Dramatically, she flung herself onto the couch and covered her head with both arms.

This only caused him to laugh again before he stepped over to her and lifted her at the armpits. "Come on, Court. Quit bein' a drama queen. No one is going to see you dressed in sweats, and if they do, they won't care. Most everyone in camp is still recuperating. And that stink eye doesn't work on me. You know that." Playfully, he tussled her hair before heading to the door. "I'm taking care of Mystery and Rambler now. You have ten minutes before I'm dragging you out of here."

As soon as the door slammed shut, she screamed out and threw a pillow at the door before rolling into the couch and falling asleep again. The next thing she knew, she was being lifted from her couch and put on her feet. "Woman, you wanna go like that? Because I will take you."

Realizing what had happened, she immediately panicked. "Shit! Hang on a sec. Dammit, Ev, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

She grabbed the clothes she had pulled out of her closet earlier and rushed to the little bathroom. "I'll wait for you outside. You got five minutes!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!"

Ev pulled his truck up to the door of her trailer and got out to lean against the door and wait. He was shocked when she rushed out of the trailer only three and a half minutes later with her hair up in a knot on her head, huge glasses covering her eyes, and wearing workout clothes with a pair of white Adidas with the black lines on them. He grinned at her and then climbed into the driver’s seat while she walked around the truck and climbed in. "Well, it looks like the dead have arisen!"

Her glasses-covered face turned in his direction, and her jaw dropped. "Ok, who in the hell are you, and what did you do with the quiet cowboy I normally hang out with? He isn't annoying, and I actually like spending time with him."

"Court, I'm awesome. You like hanging out with me, and I figured since it's not Man-food Monday or Whiskey Wednesday, we could declare today Hangover Huevos Rancheros Day."

Courtney only gaped at him in silence for the next several minutes before he threw on his blinker and made a turn. "Where are we going for the huevos rancheros? And how on earth do you even know where to go?"

"Been on the circuit a lot of years, and I try to stop at this little mom and pop diner every year when we come through here. You won't regret it. Best hangover food that I've come across so far."

Courtney propped her feet up on his dash and nodded, sticking an arm out the window and letting the breeze make her hand dance around as the truck sped along the deserted highway. "I guess that makes sense. I hope this really is good hangover food, though, because I don't think I've felt this shitty since my twenty-first birthday."

Ev slowed and put on his blinker before pulling into what looked to Courtney like a run-down building that had her seriously doubting his conviction about the food, but she held her tongue. No point in offending him. When he parked the truck, she unfolded from her seat and opened the door to climb out. Walking to the door, Ev spoke up, "I know your princess sensibilities are screaming at you right now, but just go with it and give it a chance."

"I have to be honest here. I am a tad concerned about the potential for food poisoning."

He grinned at her and opened the door saying, "Get you a whiff of that smell and tell me you’re still doubting me."

She walked in and immediately, her mouth began to water at the smells coming from the kitchen and the food from the tables loaded to the gills. The hostess looked up and grinned at them as they approached. "Sean! So good to see you again. I was wondering if you’d be making it into town this time. Did you two want a table or booth?"

Courtney looked at the people lined at the door waiting to get a seat and mentally rolled her eyes, knowing the wait was going to be ridiculous as Ev answered with, "Either is fine, Laverne, and you know I couldn't hit New Mexico and not visit my favorite restaurant."

The older woman blushed at his praise and said, "Well, follow me. I have a booth I can sneak you into."

Courtney's stomach let out an angered snarl, and she was beyond happy that they weren't joining the line of people waiting for a place to sit. She almost kicked Ev when he spoke up and said, "You can go ahead and seat these other people, darlin'. We can wait our turn."

"No, no, that's alright. They can wait. I only get to see your handsome mug once or twice a year."

Ev grinned at her and put his hand at Courtney's back to lead her to their seats, and Courtney didn't kick him only because they weren't going to have to wait.

After they were seated and had placed their orders, Ev asked, "I see Mystery is still favoring that front leg. Did you rub it down with the liniment the vet gave you the other day? I rubbed it on her when I loaded them back up this morning."

"I did before we left last night for the bar and again when Bobby dropped me off. How was it looking this morning? The swelling had gone down the rest of the way last night. Is it still gone?"

"Yep, the leg looks good, and there isn't any heat in it."

"That's a huge relief, but she's going to be down for several weeks at least. I'm thinking of sending her to my parents' spread and getting Red for the rest of the season. I just hate to be away from her."

"I understand that. It's a tough position to be in, but you’re holding a really good spot, so you can't afford to take a chance on your last horse going lame and you not having a backup and losing your rank."

She sighed and said, "I know. I really hoped that Mystery would bounce back quickly, but I'm worried because she's getting up there in age, and I hate spending any time away from her, which is selfish, but you know me. I'll call my dad tonight and see about having one of the hands bring Red out to me and take Mystery back to recoup." The waitress showed up with their food, and the talking was sparse throughout their meal. When they were done, they rode back to camp in companionable silence, and when they got there, both went about their normal business.

Courtney placed third in her event, and after taking care of and putting Rambler in the trailer, she went back to hang around to watch Ev on the bull he drew that night named Satan's Finest. She was relieved when he rode almost a perfect ride that night and was able to get off the bull without any mishaps, going from the bull’s back to the pickup horse on a smooth move that had her on her feet cheering with the crowd. They stuck around until the end and made their way back to her trailer, both high on the night and laughing.

Neither noticed the black SUV parked behind her trailer as she pulled the keys out of her pocket to unlock her door. They were still laughing when she pulled the door open and climbed into the trailer. "I couldn't believe it when Bobby said that you pulled Satan's Finest tonight, but holy shit, you did it. And did you see when Bobby was in the barrel and that red bull came after him after throwing Darnell and kicking him on the way down? I was scared to death!"

"Yeah, darlin', Darnell is going to catch hell for that because he made a rookie mistake not tightening up on the rope enough. He could have had a perfect ride if he had paid attention to what he was doing." He slammed the door shut and scared her when he yanked her behind him and snarled out, "Who the hell are you?"

Courtney had no idea what was going on, so she peeked over Ev's shoulder. The man sitting on her couch caused such a harsh reaction in her body that she gasped so loud she choked while she wrapped her arms around Ev's chest subconsciously. After all, the last time she had seen Cole La Barron face-to-face, she was learning that he was married to another woman while she still wore his engagement ring. "C-cole, what the fuck are you doing here?" she managed to ask in a raspy voice.

For a moment, he didn't respond, only stared at the couple standing in front of him as the muscle in his cheek jerked and his face went hard. The silence drug on for several moments before Ev spoke again, "Gonna ask you again, man. Who the hell are you?"

Cole stood from the couch and held out a hand to Ev. "Cole La Barron. And you are?"

"Sean Everett."

"Nice to meet you. Look, man, I need to talk to Courtney about something personal. Do you mind taking a walk or going back to wherever you came from?"

Courtney didn't speak, but her arms tightened around Ev’s chest, so he looked at Cole and lifted an eyebrow. "You know, I would if Court wanted me to, but she's squeezing me so tight I can barely breathe. Court, you want me to step out?"

"No! God, no. Don't leave me alone, Ev."

"Ok, you heard the lady. So, what brought you all the way to New Mexico?"

Cole stepped back on his heels and shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. "I have reason to believe that Courtney is in danger."

Ev straightened up then. "Courtney hasn't gotten a note in weeks, and she spoke to Devon, so I’m not real sure where you get your information from, friend, but I assure you that everything is ok here."

"What note?"

"Are you not talking about the two photos she got that had those threats on the back?"

"Goddammit, Courtney. For fuck's sake, you were getting threats and didn't call me?"

Finally, Courtney spoke up and shouted, "Why in the hell would I tell you? And why in the fuck are you here and not with your family?"

That caused the large, angry man to pause before he growled, "You are my fucking family, Courtney.”

Ouch. That hurt.

Worse than anything that she had felt in the last year, and she couldn't hide her emotions as she cried out, "I am not your family. Not anymore. You have a wife and a kid and a brother, and yes, my family still loves you, but I am not your family. Why. Are. You. Here?"

Wordlessly, Cole handed something to Ev. It was a photo of Courtney wearing a rodeo costume while walking Mystery in the sunset. Ev flipped the photo over and read the text. Tick tock, time's running out.

"That is just one of the ones I found."

"What do you mean, that you found?" Ev asked.

"My soon-to-be ex-wife must have been intercepting them and hiding them, because I found a bunch of these with similar threats on them hidden. I found them and called Court's folks to see where she was and grabbed a flight out here. I called Clint when I landed, and he and Devon are headed this way as well. We are going to get to the bottom of this and find out who is stalking you."

"Well, that's just fine and dandy, Cole La Barron, but where in the hell do you plan to stay? Because you aren't staying here."

"I had planned to stay with you and keep you safe until your brother could get here, but it looks like three would be a crowd. I don't want to intrude on your evening, so I'll just get out of your hair."

"Man, it's not—"

Courtney cut off Ev's sentence and said instead, "It's not that far of a drive to town, and I'm sure we saw a motel on the way home from dinner, didn't we, lover?"

Ev was silent for a moment, and Courtney was stiff as a board until he reached up and squeezed her hand in reassurance. "Yeah, man. There's a motel right as you cross into the city limits. Not sure what they run, but I wouldn't think too much."

Courtney dropped her forehead to Ev's back in relief that he had played along with her. Now, if only Cole would leave. If he would just get out, she could breathe again and figure out what in the hell she was going to do next.

Cole was staring at them. Sizing up the situation, trying to find a crack in her façade. She knew that if he so much as breathed at her the wrong way, her whole world was going to crumble, so she kept her head buried in Ev's back and prayed that Cole would leave.

It took years, maybe even ages, before he sighed and spoke again, "Ok, I'll head into town now and see about finding a room. I will be back here first thing in the morning. I need to know where you are headed next and what the plan is because we need protection on you constantly until we can get this resolved. Sean, can I talk to you outside for a moment?"

Courtney had started to relax, but when he asked to speak to Ev, she tensed again. Ev gave her hand a friendly, reassuring squeeze and said, "Sure. Court, I'll be right back." She had no choice but to drop her arms from around him and step back, and doing so, she dropped her eyes and refused to look at Cole even though she felt his eyes on her as he made his way through her trailer and back toward the door. But she refused to look up at him. There was no way that she could take the chance of making eye contact.

She steadfastly stared at her feet even when he stopped directly in front of her. She absently noted that he was wearing a new pair of boots and his jeans appeared to be severely starched. Her breath was stuck in her lungs as she waited to see what he was going to do. She didn't even move when he pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear and whispered, "Christ, I'm sorry, Baby Girl." Then his hand dropped, and he walked away.

She had known heartbreak. She'd been living with it for the last year. It was her roommate, her constant companion, and her chief emotion, but with that little gesture, he shattered the rest of her being. There was nothing left of the heart she had managed to hold together through sheer will. He had finally managed to destroy her.

***

EV CAME BACK INTO THE trailer a few moments later and found her in the exact same position he had left her in. Her face was blanched and stricken. Looking at her was looking at a shell of the woman who had only moments before been animatedly reliving their latest show. Gently, as if she were made from the rarest of porcelain, Ev lifted her from her feet and carried her to the couch, holding her in his lap with one arm and stroking her hair with the other. "I'm going out on a limb here and assume that this is the same Cole you were engaged to, right?"

She couldn't speak, so she only nodded.

"And you wanted him to think we were in a relationship of some sort?"

She froze before nodding again.

"You do realize he said he was going through a divorce. That change things for you? I don't mind playing your buffer while he's around, but you gotta know he doesn't seem any happier about this situation than you do."

She lifted her head from his chest, and he saw her bloodshot, glassy eyes. "Ev, I can never forgive him. I'm sorry I used you like that. I just panicked. I never in a million years expected him to just show up here out of the blue. Honestly, I don't even know why he did. Obviously, I don't mean shit to him, so what is the point of trying to keep me safe?"

Ev blew out a breath before speaking. "There is no telling, Court. But if he was getting threats against you, that means you aren't as safe as we thought you were. So, I guess I'm back on your couch, since he's gone. Let me go grab a change of clothes, and I'll be right back."

Gently, he helped her up, and once she was off him, he climbed up to leave the trailer. She collapsed back onto the couch, so this time, he locked the door before he left and snagged her keys on his way out, so he would have a way back in. It was a good thing because, in her frame of mind, she would be lucky to move from the spot while he was gone.

She felt cold all the way to her bones. Seeing Cole after the last time she had seen him standing beside the striking brunette who he had married had shattered the pieces she held together. No matter how desperately she searched herself, she couldn't find the peace she had known only moments before. She was broken in a way she hadn't been before. The man who had sat on her couch and assumed that she was in a relationship with another man was a far cry from the boy who had taken her heart and her virginity. In her whole life, she had never imagined a time when Cole would be sitting opposite of her while she clung to another man. Yet it had just happened. And she had no idea how to handle that.

Thankfully, before she could dwell on it much further, she heard the key turn in the lock, and Ev opened the door and walked back in, this time in a pair of sweats and a hoodie that was faded and worn with the words "Wolfe Springs Lobos" embossed across the front and what she knew from him staying with her before to be a wolf howling. She did a double take to see that he was still wearing cowboy boots with the outfit. Only Ev would wear his boots with sweatpants and a hoodie. Still, she didn't move from where she lay on the couch. She felt Ev's eyes on her, but she didn't meet them. She couldn't bear to think about the pity he was probably feeling for her. She had more than enough for herself. She watched him as he opened the mini fridge to grab a couple of beers, and after taking the caps off, he walked over to the couch and held one out to her, forcing her to lift to a semi-sitting position, which freed up a few inches at the bottom of the couch. He went there and lifted her legs, then took a seat before setting her feet back on his lap. "Love fucking sucks, doesn't it?"

She couldn't hold back the half-hearted laugh, then she took a drink of her beer. "Fuck 'em, right? What did Merle say? I think I'll just stay here and drink." She tilted the bottle in his direction before tipping it up and drinking it all in one swig. "I have something perfect for tonight!" she declared and then rose from the couch and walked into the kitchen area, where she shuffled through the cabinets for a moment before coming back with a green bottle of liquor that was labeled The Glenlivet. "Scotch is good for a broken heart, right? Because unfortunately, it's all we got."

She shook the bottle in Ev's direction before plopping onto the couch, taking the top off, and swallowing straight from the neck. "S'almost a sin to drink twelve-year-old scotch like this, but I think today the need outweighs the impropriety of the situation." She tipped it up once more and then passed the bottle to Ev and was shocked when he took it and drank from it as well. Wordlessly, he passed it back. As she lifted it to her lips once more, she said, "You know what the worst part is? I don't even know why he did it, and I am too terrified to ask. Did he fall in love with her? Meet her on some exotic trip? And why are they getting a divorce now? But I can't ask. Ya know why? Because I am supposed to be the only Mrs. Cole La Barron in the world. I've known pretty much my whole life that I would be, but nope. It wasn't me after all. It was some brunette bimbo with a stupid French accent." Then she drank deep from the bottle, and when she came up for air, she was coughing and gagging from it.

"Court, I don't know what to say, darlin'. I can tell you that he looked as torn up as you, and I can tell you that we are stupid creatures when it comes to love. I walked out on the love of my life, and now she's out of my reach. I'll never get her back. And it was over the stupidest shit." Courtney handed Ev the bottle. This time, he took a long drink from it. Only he wasn't dramatic about it when he was done. He simply handed it back to her in silence.

Normally, an opening like that would have Courtney prying into Ev's life with a single-minded determination that bordered on annoying at times, but she didn't take the bait. She was lost in her own turmoil as the room began to swim and she felt as if her brain were on a merry-go-round while her body remained stationary. In silence, they passed the bottle back and forth until it was empty, and then she tossed it above her onto her bunk with a laugh before falling back against Ev, who lifted an arm to allow her to lie against his chest. Courtney nestled into his chest and closed her eyes before saying, "I wish I were in love with you, Sean Everett. I don't know why you beat yourself up, but you are the best man I know besides my daddy."

"Oh, darlin', if only you knew." But he was talking to himself because Courtney had drifted off as the words left her mouth. Sean shook his head and leaned it back against the couch. What a pair they were.

***

THEY WERE WOKEN UP when they heard men speaking to one another, not bothering to lower their voices, and Courtney and Ev looked up to see Cole and Devon standing in front of them, this side of the now open door. Courtney and Cole locked eyes, and she became hyper-aware of Ev's arm laid across her chest, but she didn't have the energy to give it any thought as she leaned back against Ev again and groaned, “Ugh, will you please tell them to go away? It’s too early.”

Ev chuckled lightly and said, “Darlin’, I can't be certain, but I'm thinking it's probably not too early anymore. We were up pretty late last night."

Without addressing either of them, Cole turned to Devon and said, "I'll be taking off now, but I'll be in touch. Keep an eye on her for me, will you?"

Devon nodded and was silent as Cole made his way out the door and shut it behind him, then he spoke, "Ok, Court. Spill."

"God, Dev, I just woke up. Give me a damn minute. Jeez. Go start some coffee, will you? We killed your bottle of Glenlivet last night, and my head feels like it weighs two tons."

He made a scoffing sound but evidently took his sister at her word when he turned on his heel and stomped the couple of feet to the kitchenette and began pulling what he needed from the cabinets.

"Ok, asshole! Make some more noise, why don't you?"

"Little girl, you have a man in your bed who you still haven't introduced your big brother to, your ex-fiancé just walked out the door to follow a lead on who is threatening you, and Mom called ME to tell me she hasn't heard from you in ages and she's worried sick. You have no room to talk. You're lucky I haven't called Dad yet."

Clutching her head, she growled, "Devon, Sean Everett. Ev, Dev 'The Supreme Asshole' Kincade. Now, please shut UP!"

Devon looked back at them and gave Ev a chin tilt. "S’up, man. Gotta say I have mad respect for a man who would lie there cuddling another’s ex in front of him when that ex is ex-special forces. You got some brass balls, brother."

Courtney growled in anger once more and threw a pillow at her brother. "Head. Ache. Shut. Up!"

Devon chuckled lightly to himself and continued to make the coffee. He jumped to attention when there was pounding at the door of Courtney's trailer, but she only yelled, "Oh, for Pete's sake, WHAT?"

A red-faced Bobby poked his head in the door and said, "Ev, man, uh, you must have dropped your phone last night because when I got up to take a piss a minute ago, I heard it going off and found it on the ground. I answered it, and it was some old man named Sheriff. He said there's an emergency and you need to call home. Here's your phone. Sorry to interrupt."

Courtney felt the tremor that went through Ev's body as Bobby stood there awkwardly holding the phone out until Devon walked up to him and took it. He seemed to sense that something was off because he quietly said his thanks to the rodeo clown and shut the door when he walked away. Devon was the one who broke the silence. "Ev? You alright, brother?"

Ev cleared his throat and shook his head as Courtney sat up and gave him room to rise from the couch. "Yeah. It's just there aren't many reasons Sheriff would call, and none of them are good. I, uh, I need to call him back."

"Ev, you'll sit right here and call him. Just until he can tell you it's not bad, and then we will give you privacy, ok?"

Ev leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees as he ran his hand through his hair and then nodded his head while holding his neck. "Yeah. Ok. Shit."

It took him a couple more moments to compose himself before he looked up and took the cell phone that Devon held out in his direction. He stared at the phone in his hand for a moment before he sighed and dialed Sheriff back.

"Sheriff? Is everything— No." This was said as if it were ripped from him. "I— Yeah, ok. I'm on my way. Yeah. Thanks for telling me. I'm on my way."

He held the phone in his white-knuckled grip before bringing his hands up to cup his face and yanking at the hair that tickled his fingers. He didn't speak. He didn't make a sound. Courtney looked up at Devon, who was staring at the two of them like he didn't know what to do. She looked back at Ev and heard what sounded like a sob coming from him. She made eye contact with her brother again, and then they did what the Kincades were good at: they circled Ev and took over.

Courtney crouched down next to Ev on the floor and pulled his hands away from his face. His tortured eyes met hers, and even though she was sure that she had heard a sob, they were dry. He whispered out so softly it was barely audible, "My mom's gone. I didn't even think to call her last night, and now she's gone."

"Oh, Ev." That was all she said before she crawled between his legs and wrapped her arms around his waist. He surprised her when he took the comfort she offered and buried his face in her hair. The couch depressed next to him as Devon came over and took a seat next to him and wrapped his arm behind Ev, resting his palm on top of Ev's head while bringing his own down to where Courtney and Ev were. Courtney shook with silent sobs while she held the man who had become like a brother to her while her actual brother offered comfort to them both in his reassuring way.

The three of them sat like that for several moments before Devon pulled away and spoke, "Ok, we need to get you home. I'll be back in a bit. I’m going to get someone to keep an eye on the horses while we're gone. I rode over with Cole, so we’ll have to take your ride back home, Ev."

Ev nodded against Courtney's hair and pulled away. "Yeah. I need to take care of a couple of things as well. You guys don't have to come back with me. There's no sense in that, and Courtney is still at risk."

"Ev, I am NOT letting you go back alone. You have lost your mind."

"And I'm not letting my little sister follow you home without some protection, so it looks like you get us both."

***

THE RIDE BACK TO EV's home was tense and silent. Neither of the Kincades spoke because they didn't know what to say. However, they lent their comfort quietly, and Ev valued that more than he would have the useless platitudes.

Courtney was surprised to find herself nervous about seeing Ev's real life up close and personal for the first time. They had been casual friends before the threats had started, and she had never really pictured where he came from other than to think of all the things she would do to the girl who had broken his heart, should they ever come face-to-face. She had always imagined that this Katherine would show up at a rodeo, begging Ev to come back to her now that he was successful and on his way to the big time, and even though there was nothing remotely romantic between the two of them, should the time ever come, Courtney planned to plant a big ole kiss on Ev right in front of the bitch. After all, if she hadn't cared enough about him to make the sacrifices to be with him, then she didn't have any right to his life now.

Those thoughts were still weighing on her mind as they pulled to a halt and Ev killed the engine to his truck. He climbed out as Courtney did, and she made her way around the hood and wrapped her arm through his in a comforting gesture, hoping to lend just a little of that strength he was always giving her back to him. Devon climbed out of the backseat of the truck as a beautiful blonde woman a little younger than her rushed across the driveway. Courtney could see that her face was tearstained, and she didn't miss the way Ev stiffened or his eyes landed on the other woman and didn't shift away.

"Sean?" the other woman asked in a wobbly voice.

Ev didn't move, didn't so much as breathe, so Courtney took the moment to address the woman who she had a sneaking suspicion was Katherine, the ex. "Sean?" Courtney asked sarcastically. "Ev, who is this girl?"

Devon walked up to Ev and clapped him on the shoulder opposite Courtney before he could respond and said, "Alright, brother. Let's get inside and see what's what."

Courtney dropped her arm from Ev and watched as he followed her large brother, who could sometimes be a really nice guy, before she reached out a hand and said, "Hey, girl! My name is Courtney Kincade, Ev's girlfriend. I just realized who you are! That sweet little neighbor girl who followed him around in high school... Uh, Candy or something like that, right?"

Courtney watched as the woman looked up, trying to find Ev before looking back at her, still without taking her hand, mind you, and said, "Why do you call him Ev?"

Courtney gloated inside. She had something over this woman. This may not be the scenario she had pictured before, but she was going to make her suffer for the pain she had caused such a good man. Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth when she responded, "Well, goodness, honey, it's what all of his close friends call him." She leaned forward conspiratorially. "You must not know this, but his last name is Everett."

Checkmate.

She could see that one hit home, and she felt no remorse as the woman spat back at her, "Since I have known Sean Carter Everett since the day I was born and we spent the entirety of his high school career in a very serious relationship, yes, I would say that I do know what his last name is. And my name is Katherine, not Candy." Courtney watched with a satisfied smile playing at her lips as Katherine stomped away, in the opposite direction of the heartbroken man they appeared to care about in very different ways.

In the following days, when she wasn't doing what she could to comfort her friend, she was coming up with as many ways as possible to deter the she-wolf ex of his from cornering him and taking another bite out of him. She only felt a twinge of remorse when, while washing dishes in Ev's mother's kitchen after the service and when most of the people had left, she pretended to accidentally let it slip that they had been window shopping for engagement rings. They were hours away from leaving town, for what could be Ev's last time ever, and she would be a terrible friend if she left it to chance that Katherine came looking for him at some other time. She had played up her 'relationship' with Ev the whole time they were there. Ev thought it was for Devon's benefit, but Courtney had a feeling that her big brother could see right through her and only stopped short of ratting her out because he knew that she was trying to protect her friend. When they climbed into the truck and the town of Wolfe Springs faded into the distance, she gave herself a pat on the back for being a good friend and protecting herself at the same time, because Devon had yet to confirm her suspicions that he knew the truth. So she was holding out hope that maybe, just maybe, she could get by him this once.