Shine Not Burn(41)

I smiled weakly. “Oh. Gatorade. That’s good.” I put the troll doll down on the tabletop and took the glass with a shaking hand, drinking the entire serving of watery sourness in about five swallows.

“Good,” she said, patting my arm and taking the glass back before standing. “Come on, Ian. Let’s let this young lady have her peace with Mack.”

“I’m not staying,” said a deep male voice from across the room near the entrance.

“Yes you are, dear,” said the lady, leaving my side and walking over to Mack. I could just barely see him by tilting my head all the way back into the pillows at the end of the couch. He stood there in jeans and a black t-shirt, his hat and belt buckle proclaiming to the world that he’s a country boy. The beautiful cowboy I’d thought I had imagined had risen from my dreams and nightmares like a specter to stand before me, a ghost who was not only haunting my past but my present and possibly future now, too.

The older woman patted him on the upper arm as he looked down at her with an unreadable expression. “She came all the way from who knows where, and from the looks of it, walked a lot of the way. She deserves a couple minutes of your time, at least.”

“She’s already had a couple minutes of my time and it was more than enough, trust me.”

“Well, then, just give her a few more for me. Make your momma happy.” She left the room and dragged Ian with her. He said nothing, just stared at his brother and then at me for some reason. His eyes were still drilling holes into my head as he disappeared around the corner.

I tried to sit up but only got partway there before my brain was spinning again with the dehydration or whatever, so I laid back down. “Would you mind coming a little closer? I can’t really see you over there.” My stomach was in knots being in the same room with him, but I’d come this far and put up with snakes, spiders, dirt, and a man-bear-pig leaving me to die. It was time to woman-up, bite the bullet, and get ‘er done. I had no idea where my satchel was, but it had to be close; I’d made it all the way to the front gate before dropping it. Those annulment papers were all ready, and the only thing I had to do was explain so he would sign on the dotted line.

Mack took a few steps into the room, stopping about ten feet away from me in the center of the space. He said nothing.

My heart ached with how handsome he was standing there. I might not have been able to remember everything of the night I met him, but his face I could never completely forget. I knew that now. When I’d met him I’d thought him the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen; but now I knew I’d been wrong then. Now he was the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen. The two years had been good to him. His face was a little lined and his tan deeper, his expression more severe. But those eyes … those glowing eyes were as brilliantly blue as ever. They drilled right into my chest and seared holes into my heart. He was angry, and he was making it very clear I’d been the one to cause his pain. He was probably furious that I’d put him in a position to have to explain to his family the ridiculous thing he’d done on a crazy weekend in Vegas.

I tried to smile, but I could feel it was coming out more like a grimace. My face didn’t seem to want to obey my commands at this particular moment. I gave up on forcing it when one side of my mouth started to twitch. “I’m sorry to come out here without any notice, but I did try to call first.”

His smile was definitely of the bitter variety. “That’s interesting.”

“How so?” I had a feeling there was more to that response, and I wasn’t disappointed when he finally explained half a second later.

“I thought maybe you didn’t know how to use a phone. That’s what I told myself, anyway.”

I frowned. “What? Of course I know how to use a phone. The problem is you apparently don’t know how to answer one. I called your house here like ten times in the last couple days.” I struggled to sit up. I’ll be damned if I’m going to be insulted lying down. Swinging my legs over the side of the couch, I was finally able to present a more serious appearance, battling nausea but determined to win. Time to get down to business. “Listen, I don’t want to waste your time or cause you any problems with your family or girlfriend or whatever, but I’m about to get married and we have a problem. In the process of applying for a license, I discovered a little issue with the records in Nevada. I just need to get them straightened out and I’ll be out of your hair forever, I promise.”

“A little problem. With the records.” He said it so coldly, it made me flinch.

I cleared my throat and continued, boldly ignoring all the body language in front of me that said I had a very angry cowboy on my hands. “Yes. A problem. The State of Nevada seems to be under the mistaken belief that you and I are actually married.” I tried to force a laugh, but it sounded more like a goose being strangled so I quit immediately. “I just need you to sign off on the papers I brought so we can fix it.”

“Papers.” He was like a parrot the way he kept repeating what I said. It was highly irritating. I tried not to let my annoyance show in my voice but it was pretty much impossible.

“Yes. Annulment papers. Or divorce papers. I brought both.” Thank God I knew attorneys in Nevada through my own networking who I could contact privately. No way could I have used the firm’s connections without alerting every single employee there that I was married to some dude out in Oregon. What a mess that would have been. No … secrecy was the only way to handle this. Bradley could not find out what I was doing out here. He’d never understand. I’d tell him after we’re married for a few years, when it wouldn’t matter anymore. Not that it mattered now...