The hostess pockets the money. “Right this way, Trent.”
Lacy cuts me looks of fury as I walk beside their table, and her mouth drops open as I’m seated not five feet from them. I don’t care. I cross my arms on my chest and stare at them.
I can hear Bradley talking about himself, bragging about the job he just completed at the library.
I smirk and literally laugh out loud. “You mean the job they fired you from because you kept hitting on Lottie, the librarian.”
Bradley gets really flustered after that, and I can see I’m really making Lacy mad, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Bradley lie and use her.
Bradley whispers something to her and gets up, taking Lacy out onto the dance floor. I already feel murderous when Bradley’s hands are where they are supposed to be on Lacy’s waist, but when they slide down to cup her butt, I’m on my feet and across the bar in an instant.
Lacy corrects Brad’s hands by pulling them back to her waist, but the jerk holds on to the fabric of her dress, hiking it up to expose more of her legs to his and everyone else’s view in the restaurant.
I pull at Bradley’s shoulder and punch him in the face. There’s a commotion all around, but I notice there’s not any people that are coming to Bradley’s defense. They all know about me and how I am. Now, if only Lacy did.
Bradley doesn’t try to defend himself. As a matter of fact, the coward doesn’t even look toward me. He looks at Lacy and tells her, “You’re too much drama for me” very loudly in the now quiet dance area.
I know I should apologize. Everyone is staring at us, and I know I messed up royally. Lacy walks toward me, her chest heaving, her nostrils flared. Man, she’s mad. I still my body, ready to be smacked in the face. I’m sure I deserve it, but the fact that Bradley has me left has me not caring. But I’m surprised when instead of Lacy giving me what I deserve, she says to me softly, “I’m stranded and embarrassed, Trent. I hope you’re happy. I need a ride home.”
And with that, she walks toward the exit with her head held high, determined to not let the small town of Forest Grove see exactly how embarrassed she is.
We barely get settled into the truck before she starts. “How could you do that to me?”
Through gritted teeth I tell her the image of Bradley cupping her butt and pulling her skirt up for everyone to see sent me into a rage. “He touched you, Lacy. Maybe I shouldn’t have caused a scene, maybe I should have handled it differently, but rage went all through me. I don’t know what else to say. I don’t want you to date someone else.”
She’s quiet and doesn’t respond to me, so I sit quietly, waiting for us both to calm down.
When I pull into the B&B and park, she doesn’t make a move to get out. “Trent, what we had is over. No matter how much I wish we could have what we had before, I can’t risk you deciding that you don’t want me again.”
Before I can even disagree with her, she’s out of the truck and running up to her front door.
I follow her, refusing to let her escape me this time.
We get into the front door, and I try to stop her, but she’s not listening. I follow her through the house, pleading my case. “I broke up with you to give you freedom and let you realize any dream you wanted instead of being stuck in this small town. I couldn’t leave because of the ranch. My parents passing away meant the family needed me to stay to keep it going.” She slows down and finally stops on the stairs, turning back to me. With absolute sincerity shining on my face, I tell her, “I let you go because I loved you too much to hurt you by holding you back. There’s not been anyone else, Lacy. I haven’t even looked at another woman. When I found out you were back and staying for good, I knew I had to do whatever to keep you this time. I can’t give you up again. I can’t.”
Raw emotion fills my voice, and I’m on the edge of tears, but I don’t care. It’s time she knows how I feel about her.15LacyI shake my head, and confusion sets in. I turn away from him, wanting to run from him again. But he stops me, his arms around me, holding me firmly against him.
“You’re lying,” I accuse him even though I know he’s telling the truth. I could feel the truth of his words in his conviction. “This is just another one of your games, and I’m not playing,” I say, trying not to cry.