one.
“I’m sorry,” I curtly said, making my way over to my mother.
“Mom …” I interrupted a conversation she was having with two younger guys, both my age.
“Tucker! I wanted to introduce you to …”
“I need to leave. Emergency at work.”
Her eyes filled with worry. “Is everything okay?”
Shaking my head, I leaned down to kiss her cheek. “No.”
It was the truth. Nothing was okay. Everything was fucking wrong, and I was pretty sure I was the cause of so much of this.
“Will you be okay getting home?” I asked.
She placed her hand on my arm and gave it a slight squeeze. “Of course, thank you for coming sweetheart.”
Forcing a smile, I nodded and turned to head to the exit. Before I stepped out of the door, I chanced one more look into the room and found Charlie. She stood next to Darrell, but neither of them had their hands on each other. They simply stood there like the perfect couple that they were.
NOTE TO SELF: I don’t like this crowd. Avoid all dinners like this in the future.
Two hours of standing on my feet and working a room full of people was not my idea of excitement. Darrell, however, was in his environment. He thrived on the people, the business talk, the promise of future deals and golf games.
I scanned the room for Tucker. I saw Lily on the arm of some good-looking guy, who was clearly not Nash. Continuing my search, I found Patty.
The second I saw Tucker in his tux, I wanted to rush over to him. Beg him to forgive me for being so damn stupid. Tell him I panicked and that I was really in love with him. The look in his eyes, though, when he saw me walk off with Darrell was unmistakable. He was angry. Hurt. I needed to find him and tell him it wasn’t what he thought.
“Darrell, I’m getting a headache. I’m going to step outside and get some fresh air.”
My “date”, and I used the word very loosely, glanced down and gave me a half-a-second look. “Sure. Okay.”
Excusing myself, I walked to the outdoor balcony that overlooked the Texas Hill country. I closed my eyes and let myself dream of another life. One where I designed a house on the land I bought just outside of Austin. One where I sat on a horse, enjoying the sun shining on my face.
“So, found another guy already? When’s the wedding?”
The sound of my best friend’s voice startled me out of my daydream.
Turning, I faced Lily. By the look on her face, I had to question if we’d ever really been friends at all.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“Couldn’t rope my brother into marrying you, so you found someone else?”
I narrowed my eyes and glanced past her. If she wanted to play that game then fine. “I’ll gladly answer your twenty questions if you answer mine. Who’s the guy? What happened to Nash?”
The way Lily’s body went stiff, I had to wonder if I poked a hornet’s nest.
“We’re no longer together.”
Wow. I wasn’t expecting that. “Did Tucker find out y’all were sneaking around behind his back for the last year?”
Her arms crossed her chest. “No, I met Mark and something sparked between us.”
I lifted one brow. “Is that so? Wasn’t he the guy your father kept trying to get you to go out with?”
“Don’t you dare judge me, Charlie. You lied to my brother and had every intention of tricking him into marrying you to save your ass.”