Chirp(50)

“I’ll take Nicky home so he can get ready for his hot date. Why don’t you swing by to check on Chirp?” She was probably okay, but Rance couldn’t help himself. He needed to make sure and figured she’d rather see Seth.

“Will do.”

Rance brought the truck to a halt. Seth climbed out and took off toward Hanna’s.





Blaze


Blaze had just finished spreading fresh hay for her nightly bed when a shadow passed through the light beaming across the opening. She whirled around. Muttly barked.

Seth stood in the doorway. “Hey.”

“Why are you here?”

“Wanted to check on you. You doing all right?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

He grinned. “No reason. But you’re here all by your lonesome, so something could happen. Did you hear all that shooting?”

“Yeah. Rance texted earlier to warn me.”

Seth shook his head. “Damn thoughtful of him, don’t you think?”

She propped the pitchfork against the wall. “Yes.”

“He’s the one who sent me. He wants you to come home.”

“Did he say that?”

“Not those exact words, but he does. You don’t have to wait for Hanna to return. You can still come here to milk the goats.”

“No. I don’t think so.”

“Come on, Blaze. He’s pretty miserable without you. What do you say?”

She’d thought about the subject all day. Even if Rance asked her to come home and meant it, he still wouldn’t love her. He didn’t even want to have sex with her. And living under the same roof feeling about him the way she did wasn’t a good idea. No. To get over him, she needed to stay away. Far away. “I’m invoking attorney–client privilege.”

“Oh, okay.”

“I’m never coming back to Dessie’s. On Monday I’m leaving Bluebird.”





23


Seth


Seth trailed the oak branch in the dirt, stopping now and again to whack at the weeds growing next to the ruts. Dammit to hell. Why had he accepted Blaze’s money? It had seemed safe enough, but now she planned to leave, and he couldn’t tell Rance.

No doubt when his brother found out, he’d never speak to him again. He could hold a grudge better than most. But considering all he’d been through, and the people who’d disappointed him, Seth couldn’t blame him. He just didn’t want to be added to the list.

His reason for staying extra days wasn’t a lie. He needed to get his head straight about Heather, but more than that, he wanted to see Hanna. She was the one girl he’d never forgotten, and for months he’d thought more and more about her.

The way her skin looked in the moonlight. How she’d fit perfectly against him. The sound of his name on her lips. Oh God, how he’d loved that. No woman had ever said it the same way. Not even Heather, and she claimed to love him. And he’d thought he felt the same. But the closer the wedding got, the more he doubted it.

Nick was right. She planned every moment of Seth’s life. Dictated when he could spend time with friends. Demanded his attention to things that didn’t matter. He realized his mistake. It’d been over for months. The only thing left to do? End it.

Career suicide for sure. At least in Houston. But that’d been part of the problem. He’d gotten so caught up in her dad’s fancy law firm and social status, he’d lost himself.

If he didn’t have over $100,000 in school loans, he could go into private practice. Hell, he already had a client. That made him laugh out loud. A weird runaway hairdresser. Yeah, she should bring in the big bucks, and he’d have that debt paid in no time.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and turned it on. By now Heather was pissed. But he’d grown tired of hearing the damn thing chime, knowing she’d sent him some selfie with her uppity friends. All spoiled little rich girls and one loser guy.

Shouldn’t think that way because he was no better. He’d promised his soul to be a part of that world, but he’d finally come to his senses. No need to put it off any longer. Time for a little FaceTime with his betrothed.

Heather’s response to his announcement of staying extra days in Bluebird surprised him, but it shouldn’t. She’d flown to Vegas with her gay guy friend. Not unusual. She dropped everything to fly to New York, Paris, wherever she wanted on short notice. He doubted she’d ever find it necessary to use her degree in English, a language she’d been speaking since she could talk, but, hey, a degree was a degree if that’s all a person wanted.

She wasn’t dumb, just unmotivated. No reason to be. She’d had everything given to her. Her goal in life was to wear the latest fashions and appear in the society pages at least once a week. And she was successful at both.

He looked up and saw Rance standing on the front porch. “Took you long enough.”

“Sorry, I stopped to call Heather about staying longer.”

“How’d that go?”

Seth tilted his head. “Pretty good.”

“So, how was Chirp?”

“Doing fine. Her, the dog, and the goats. You should go over there and talk to her. Fix whatever the problem is between you.”

“Why? Did she say something?”