“I thought so.”
With a sigh, I asked, “What do you want from me? You want me to pour my heart and soul out to you? What good would that do either of us?”
“It might make you open your damn eyes and see what you’re throwing away. Christ, Roger. It was fate that brought you two together. How do you not see that? What are the odds that the woman you got stuck in Chicago with ends up moving to the very town you live in? A million to one! And you’re really okay with just walking away from her?”
I steeled myself for another lie. “Yes. I’m okay with that.”
His silence finally made me look at him. He fixed me with a hard stare. “Then you’d be okay if she moved on. Met someone, dated them, got married, all while you watch from the sidelines.”
I felt anger rush through my veins as I clenched my fist and then slowly opened it. “If she meets someone she’s happy with, then that’s great.”
Even I could hear the lack of sincerity in my words.
Truitt dropped his head and slowly shook it. He stood and looked out the window for what felt like an eternity before he focused back on me. “Will you be at the fundraiser dinner tomorrow night?”
Standing, I nodded. “Mom will kill me if I’m not.”
Truitt laughed softly.
“Tell me it’s not black tie,” I said.
“Okay, it’s not black tie. But you better get your tux pressed if it needs it.”
I let out a groan. “Christ, I hate these things.”
Truitt started for the door, then stopped. “Mom’s going to ask me if you’re bringing anyone.”
For the briefest of moments, I thought about asking Annalise. But I highly doubted she would even take a phone call from me right now, let alone go to a charity dinner. “No, just me.”
“Are you sure?” Truitt asked.
I shot him a dirty look. “Just me.”
Without another word, Truitt opened the door, said his goodbyes, and then left me alone once again.
Seconds later, my phone went off in my pocket and I pulled it out to see it was a text from none other than my mother. She’d known about me dating Annalise, of course. I’d had every intention of introducing them eventually, despite putting my mother off every time she asked.
Mom: Truitt just told me you’re coming solo to the dinner tomorrow night. Is this true?
Exhaling, I typed out my reply. It’s true. It’ll just be me.
Mom: Press your tux and be sure to shave this time!
I couldn’t help but laugh as I dropped my phone on the desk and walked back over to the window. What I needed to do was go for a run in the fresh air. Clear my head.
I quickly changed into shorts and a T-shirt, put on my running shoes, and walked down to the Cibolo Trail, where three miles of paved trails ran along the Cibolo Creek. I thought back to Chicago and the bet with Annalise. She’d probably kick my ass on this trail. The two times we’d run it together, I knew she was holding back for my benefit.
I sighed. The hard surface pounding under my feet was exactly what I needed to get my shit back together.
Annalise
“ANNALISE, I’M NOT sure this is such a great idea,” Bryce said from below. He was looking up at where I stood on the very top of a ladder, attempting to hang the last of the Edison lights on the gazebo.
“Nonsense, these are going to look beautiful on the gazebo at night. Especially with how they sweep out to the cypress trees.”
He sighed for the millionth time. “Not the lights—you on this ladder. Patty is going to kill me if you fall and get hurt.”
“If you keep nagging me, I will lose my train of thought and fall.”
Another sigh.
“For the love of all things, Bryce, stop sighing.” I reached up onto my toes and stretched as I said, “Just one more inch and I’ve got it.”
“Oh, God. You’re going to die.”
I hooked the wire and smiled. “See? I didn’t die,” I mused as I glanced down at Bryce. When I looked back up again, my heart stopped, and I had to reach out and grab the roof of the gazebo for support.
Roger.
He was running on the Cibolo path, a determined look on his face. I started to step down when I saw a woman move into his path. Roger stopped, pulled out his AirPods, and smiled at her.
“What are you doing?” Bryce asked.
I waved him off. “Shh!”
He quickly stopped talking.
The girl looked like she laughed, and then Roger did as well.
“Well, he certainly seems okay,” I grumbled.
“Who seems okay?” Bryce called up to me.
“Hush, Bryce!” I scolded.
Then I nearly fell off the ladder when she reached up and kissed him.
She. Kissed. Him.
He did turn his face at the last minute, and she kissed his cheek before he stepped away. But she had definitely gone for his mouth.