Hot Cowboy Nights (Lucky Penny Ranch #2)(84)

Fiona went to the refrigerator and brought back a bottle of water. “Here, drink this. You look like you are about to faint.”

“Thank you,” Myra said softly. She twisted the top off the cold water and took a tiny sip. “I’m miserable and I’m about to marry a man I don’t love, and I don’t know how to change things.”

“I barely know you. I met you at the church, shared a few potlucks with you, and sang in the choir together a couple of times. All I can tell you is to follow your heart,” Lizzy said.

Myra wrung her hands and looked like she might break into tears any minute. “I thought it was cute the way he was so possessive at first. It made me feel protected and loved, but that’s changed to controlled and smothered. We’re supposed to get married tonight in a small ceremony at my parents’ house with just family there. Everyone thinks we are already married, even our church in Mexico. We did say vows to each other before we…” She paused and blushed. “Well, you know.”

Myra looked over Lizzy’s shoulder and gasped. Her face registered fear, shock, and disgust all at the same time. Lizzy followed her gaze to see Mitch pushing through the swinging doors from the dining room to the kitchen. “Hello, Lizzy. Nadine said I’d find you back here.”

His cold gaze started at her head, hair thrown up in a ponytail with errant strands sticking to her sweaty neck. It dropped down to the hot pink tank top that hugged her body like a glove, then on to the skinny jeans held up with a blinged-out cowboy belt with a diamond-studded four-leaf clover on the belt buckle. His lip curled in a sneer like she’d seen it do a million times when he didn’t like what she was wearing.

“Mitch,” she acknowledged. Mentally, she stood at the end of a bridge with Mitch on the other side with a raging river below them. She held a flaming torch in her hand ready to set the brittle wood on fire.

“Myra, darlin’.” He crossed the room and laid his hands on her shoulders. “We must be going. It’s only three hours until wedding time, and you still have to do your hair and get into your dress. Lizzy, I hear you are seeing one of those cowboys who bought the Lucky Penny.”

“I am.” She nodded. “You should remember Toby. I sat between you two at Sunday dinner when he came to visit one time.”

“Oh, I remember him well. I’m sure with your background, you are pretty well suited,” Mitch said with a sneer.

“I hope so.” She smiled. “Y’all been in town all day?”

Myra nodded. “We watched the parade, prowled around the vendors, talked to some of Mitch’s friends, and ate at the potluck. Where were you all day?”

“Enough chitchat, Myra. We have to go.” Mitch let go of her shoulders and took her hand, pulling her up to her feet.

She broke free of his death grip and took two steps backward. “I need to go to the ladies’ room. I will meet you out front.”

His jaw worked in anger. “Don’t take more than five minutes.”

Her smile was forced as she waved and pushed through the doors toward the hallway to the restroom area. Poor thing had a tough decision to make and very little time to do it in. But it sure wasn’t Lizzy’s problem.

“It would have never worked between us.” Mitch kept an eye through the window where the orders were passed rather than looking at Lizzy.

“Probably not,” she said.

“Myra and I will be happy.”

Who was he trying to convince? Himself? Her? God?

Hopefully, it was himself because Lizzy didn’t give a damn and she didn’t think God was taking time out of his schedule to attend the Dry Creek Festival.

“I hope you are very happy.” In that mental picture of the bridge, she tossed the torch and immediately there was nothing but a gaping hole between her and Mitch.

Fiona had been right. Complete and utter closure was a beautiful thing.

Fiona! Dammit! Where were her manners?

“I’m so sorry. Mitch, this is my sister, Fiona. You heard me talk about her a lot but I don’t think you two ever actually met each other.”

Fiona stretched out a hand. “Pleased to meet you. How are you enjoying Mexico?”

Mitch had no choice but to shake hands with her. “It’s God’s work and that brings happiness.”

“I see. Well, I do hope you and your new bride are happy.” Fiona held on to his hand a moment longer than necessary.

Lizzy had closure and she’d expected her fiery-tempered sister to cuss Mitch out at the least, maybe send him to the wedding with a black eye at the worst. It was over now so why was her sister continuing to engage this sorry bastard in polite conversation? She tilted her head to one side and caught Fiona’s very slight wink. Her sister, bless her heart, was thinking about Myra. She was trying to give the woman a few more minutes in the bathroom to figure out a way to get out of a doomed marriage.

“We will be.” He jerked his hand free. “Tell her I’m waiting beside the car for her when she returns.”

Fiona nodded. “I’ll do that. I’m sure she won’t be much longer.”

He was all the way at the swinging doors when he turned around. “You would have never gone to Mexico with me, would you?”

Lizzy shook her head. “My store is in Dry Creek. Going to Wichita Falls was a stretch.”