“How you doing, Carter?”
I look at the man beside me. I didn’t even realize it when I sat down, but my friend Garrett is sitting drinking a whiskey. “I’m good. How’ve you been? How’s Kaylee?” I ask him, referring to his longtime best friend. I’m trying to pay attention, but also looking in the mirror over the bar to see if I can find Janie.
“She’s doing well and coming into town next weekend to visit her dad and we have plans to grab dinner and catch up.”
“That’s good, man,” I tell him.
“How’s the new ranch coming, Carter?”
I look to my other side, and Ledger is sitting there. I chuckle. “What’s up, rich boy?”
He laughs good naturedly. “Not much, just working.”
I nod. “Me too. The ranch is coming along fine.”
Malcolm spots me and just by the guilty look on his face, my fists clinch and I slam it on the bar top. “Where is she, Malcolm?”
He points behind me and I see her in the corner dancing with another man. I jump out of my seat and can feel the rage coming through my veins. I tell the two men beside me that I gotta go and stalk over to Janie.
It’s a fast song, but the person she’s dancing with obviously doesn’t care because he’s holding her like it’s a slow one. Everyone in the bar stops, and the only sound is the country song playing on the juke box. I can feel everyone’s eyes on me, but I stopped giving shits about one minute ago when I saw her in the arms of another man.
I stride toward Janie, glaring at the man with her. “Get your hands off her, Pete.”
Pete puts his hands up and backs off.
Janie puts her hand on her hip. “Really, Carter? You can’t tell me who I can dance with.”
My jaw tightens, and my fists clench at my sides. “Oh yes, I can.”
The whole room is staring at us. Janie walks up to me and points a finger in my chest. “You don’t want me. You just don’t want anyone else to have me. Well, I’m not playing that game anymore.”
“There’s no game, Janie. You’re mine. You have been since I first laid eyes on you.”
Janie opens her mouth to argue, but she doesn’t get a chance. I pick her up, swinging her over my shoulder. With a hand on her ass, I hold her in place and stalk out the door. It will be all over town by tomorrow, but I don’t care. I’m tired of playing it safe. I put her down when we get out the door. She tries to walk off, toward the bakery, but I grab her hand and walk her back to my truck. I put her in and put the seatbelt on.
“My car...” she says, pointing down the block.
“You can get it tomorrow,” I tell her. I’m mad. I’m fuming mad. I can’t get the image of Peter’s hands on her out of my mind. No one should be able to touch her. No one but me.
I get in the driver’s seat and slam the door. “The whole damn town...” I start, but she interrupts me.
“I know, Carter. I know. They all think you broke up with me and broke my heart. I never said a thing to anyone. I know we’re friends. I didn’t expect the town to turn on you. That’s why I was at the bar tonight. I wanted people to think I was okay... I didn’t want anyone mad at you.”
I stop then and stare at her with my mouth hanging open. “Wait... you did that for me? You were protecting me?”
She rolls her eyes. “Well, yeah. You’re a good man, Carter. It’s not your fault that you don’t like me. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
I shake my head, still wanting to make things clear. “You didn’t want to dance with Peter?”
She blanches. “No, and I told him I wasn’t interested in anything other than a dance.”
I sit back in my seat, stunned. Was I really just going to give her up and let her decide what she wants? After the scene I made tonight, she no longer has that choice. I grabbed the preacher’s daughter’s ass right in front of everyone. I claimed her as mine. How could I be so stupid to think I could just let her go?
I put the truck into gear and take off, spinning tires as I pull out of the spot. Janie puts her hand on the dash, and she’s talking to me, asking me if I’m okay. Guilt eats at me.
I don’t say a word. As soon as I get to her house, I help her out of the truck. “Thanks for the ride,” she says and sounds almost in tears.
I don’t say a word. I follow behind her and up the steps to her porch. She turns when she realizes I’m right behind her. “Carter, what are you doing?”