CHAPTER 11
Cheyenne
Istood outside Southern Comfort and hesitated before going inside. The mid-morning sun was reflecting off of the tin overhang, so I squinted as I looked up at the sign remembering how I felt the first time I’d been here. My palms were sweatier than the first time. I’d even asked Reagan to come with me because I’d been so nervous, but this was worse.
Cash might be here and we still hadn’t spoken since the morning after the wedding. Even if Cash wasn’t here, I was going to have to face Billy and Reagan after I’d made a fool of myself at their wedding. I’d texted them to say that I was sorry and they both told me that I had nothing to be sorry about. But I was still worried it would be awkward seeing them in person.
But Hank had called a meeting here, so it was mandatory.
I heard the distinct sound of gravel crunching and looked over my shoulder to see the bride herself walking toward me.
I’d known Reagan for less than a year, but I could honestly say that she was like a sister to me, no in-law about it. Of course, it’s not like I was the expert on what having a sister was like, so I supposed I wouldn’t know the difference. But she was what I’d always wished for when I used to daydream about having a sister.
She was smart, cool, confident, successful, fun. She also had great clothes that I’d borrowed on more than one occasion.
“Is everything okay?” Reagan asked as she removed her sunglasses. There was genuine concern in her eyes.
“Yeah!” I chirped hoping to disguise my anxiety. “How was the honeymoon? You look like you got some sun.”
Reagan had the sort of beauty that Hollywood starlets possessed. In fact, she reminded me a lot of a young Elizabeth Taylor with her jet-black hair and blue eyes.
Hmm.There was someone else who had black hair and blue eyes but he didn’t remind me at all of Elizabeth Taylor. He had more of an Ian Somerhalder vibe about him.
“It was great!” she enthused before taking a step closer to me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I’m just…embarrassed by how drunk I got at your wedding.”
“Don’t be.” Reagan pulled me into a hug. “You just enjoyed yourself.”
“Um after you left…”
“We saw.”
I pulled out of her hug. “You did?!”
“Yeah, the next morning on Facebook. Billy already talked to Cash about it.”
“Billy talked to Cash about it?” Was that why he hadn’t reached out? “Nothing happened.”
“I know.” Reagan rubbed her hand up and down my arm in a comforting fashion. “I’m sorry.”
Reagan knew how I felt about Cash. I was pretty sure everyone did, except Cash. Maybe he truly was clueless about how women felt because he had no clue that Mallory had feelings for him and it was so obvious that she did.
I was still processing the fact that my brother had called to talk to Cash, and wondering what he might have said, when the door opened and Billy stepped outside.
“My two favorite girls!” My brother exclaimed, ruffling my hair before taking two steps and scooping Reagan up into his arms. “I missed you.”
Reagan smiled widely as he swung her around. “You just saw me a few hours ago.”
Billy buried his head in the crook of her neck. “That’s too long.”
“We spent every second for the past two weeks together,” she pointed out as he set her back down.
“I know, that’s how it should be all the time.”
I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy pinch my chest. I wanted to be with someone that missed me that much after spending two weeks with me and then only being separated for a couple of hours.
Since I’d returned home, all three of my notoriously single brothers had met and fallen in love with the women they would each be spending the rest of their lives with. And they hadn’t even wanted to.