“I just need a few weeks away to clear my head. Please. Please just do this for me,” I said with pleading eyes as I looked between Brad and Amanda.
Brad nodded and reached for his keys. “I’m heading into Austin this morning anyway. Let’s move your car into the garage.”
I smiled as I hugged Amanda. Then, I walked over to Brad and whispered, “Thank you.”
Brad pulled up to the Austin-Bergstrom Airport and jumped out to help me with my bag. “Do you even have a ticket, Jessie? Where are you going?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Will you do me a favor? I know I’m asking a lot of you.”
Brad nodded.
“Please don’t tell anyone you brought me to the airport—at least not for a few days.”
Brad’s mouth dropped open. He slowly shook his head. “Jessie, I can’t make you that
kind of a promise. If people ask, Amanda and I are going to have to tell them that I brought you to the airport. I mean, if I don’t know where you’re going, then I can’t really tell them any more than that.”
I nodded. “That’s fair enough. Hell, at this point, I don’t even know where I’m going.” I gave Brad a weak smile and thanked him for the ride.
“Jessie, Amanda said you threw your phone in a field. Will you please buy a new phone? Then, let us know when you get to where you’re going. Please.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at my own stupidity. I nodded. “I’ll buy another phone and get in touch with y’all, I promise.”
“You better. Your father and brothers are going to freak the fuck out when they find out you’ve just up and left without any word on where you’re going.”
I laughed as I hugged Brad good-bye.
I turned and walked into the airport with the worst feeling I’d ever felt. Something was telling me that I was making the biggest mistake of my life. At first, I didn’t even try to stop the tears. I finally got them under control as I walked up to the ticket counter.
I sat down in my seat on the United flight that was taking me to Houston and then on to Ambergris Caye, Belize. I asked the flight attendant for a drink before takeoff.
“What would you like, dear?”
I just stared at her. “I don’t care. Something to make me forget a guy.”
She winked and nodded. “Oh, I know just the thing.”
As the plane took off, I grabbed the arms of my seat and closed my eyes.
Never will you make me feel like a fool again, Scott. I’ll never waste another tear on you for as long as I live.
Jesus H. Christ. I woke up to damn horses sniffing around my face. Where in the fuck am I? I tried to stand up, and immediately, I fell back down to my ass. Holy hell, my head is pounding. How much did I have to drink last night? I slowly stood up and looked around. I was in Gunner’s stable. Why in the hell am I in here?
I couldn’t even remember anything that had happened last night. All I remembered was playing tag football and drinking. Yep, I did a lot of drinking.
Oh shit!
I reached down into my jeans pocket and let out a sigh of relief when I felt the ring box in there. I reached in and pulled out the box. I opened it up and smiled at the engagement ring I had bought two days ago. I was going to ask Jessie to marry me at my parents’ anniversary party on Christmas Eve. That was the whole reason I’d drunk my ass off last night. Gunner had said it was nerves.
I walked out into the sun and let out a few curse words. As I made my way back to Gunner’s house, Dewey, Aaron, and Drake were standing there, talking to Gunner. Drake turned and started toward me.
Shit, he looks pissed. Where’s Jessie? Damn, I’m never drinking again.
As Drake walked up, I held out my hand to shake his, and before I knew what was happening, he reached back and punched the fuck out of me. I fell backward, and I swore I saw my future flash before my eyes. Gunner yelled out and ran over as I slowly got up and wiped the blood from my mouth.
“What in the fuck, Drake?” both Gunner and I said at the same time.
“You son of a bitch, what did you do to my daughter?”