Love Again (Cowboys & Angels 4)

“Makes sense to me.”

As we started toward the kitchen, the front doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” Tripp said. He stopped abruptly as he walked by us. “Holy fuck.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked, turning to look out the window. You could see the front drive perfectly from the family room. The old truck parked behind Tripp’s was easily recognizable. So was the woman getting out of it.

Covering my mouth slightly, I whispered, “What is she doing here?”

“Who?” Jonathon asked, looking at a stunned Tripp and then back out the window. “Who is she? I don’t see anyone.”

Looking at Jonathon, I softly said, “Harley.”

“Oh. Shit.”

I turned to Tripp to say something, but our mother called out. “Are you getting the door, Tripp? Waylynn, Jonathon, come eat dinner.”

All three of us spun around to face my mother.

“Yes, I’m getting the um…the…”

“Door?” I finished for him.

“Waylynn needs something out of the truck. Come on, sis.”

Tripp pulled my arm as he dragged me toward the front door. I reached out for Jonathon’s help, and he shook his head.

“You’re on your own.”

My mouth dropped. “You just said you loved me, Turner! Now you’re leaving me?”

He winked before turning and heading to the kitchen.

“Tripp Parker, why are you dragging me into this?”

He looked scared to death. “I can’t talk to her alone, Waylynn, and Mom can’t find out she’s here. If she does you know she’ll invite her in.”

“Just see what the girl wants and send her on her way.”

“What? The last time she talked to me she told me she’d met another guy. I’m pretty sure this conversation ain’t gonna be that easy.”

I chewed on my lip. “That’s true.”

The doorbell rang again. Tripp and I headed to the door as I yelled, “We got it!”

“Jesus, Waylynn. A little louder next time. I’m not sure the entire city of Austin heard you.”

“Hey, if we don’t answer this door soon, Mom will be answering it.”

Tripp took a deep breath with his hand on the knob.

“Just do it. It’s like pulling a Band-Aid off.”

Jerking the door open, Tripp and I stood there like statues to face Harley Carbajal. She was just as beautiful as I remembered her. Her long black hair was pulled up into a ponytail and she wore jeans, cowboy boots, and a T-shirt that said I love dogs. I couldn’t help but smile.

I could feel Tripp tense next to me.

Clearing my throat, I figured someone needed to speak. “Harley, fancy seeing you here. What brings you by?”

She smiled and stepped closer to me to give me a hug. “Waylynn, it’s wonderful seeing you! I heard you’re opening a dance studio. That’s amazing. The town will surely love that.”

“How would you know?” Tripp asked. “You don’t live here. Don’t you remember? You didn’t want to settle for a small town like Oak Springs?”

Oh, hell. Tripp had just word-vomited and I was incapable of stopping it.

Then he went in for the kill. “Or was that just because you were cheating on me and fucking a city slicker?”

I took a step back. “Okay, well, I’ll be going…”

Grabbing my hand, Tripp kept me rooted to the spot.

“I guess I deserve some of that,” Harley bit back. “I had no choice but to come to your folks’ place. I knew you’d be here tonight.”

“Wait, you came here knowing we would all be here? To do what?” I asked. Now I was mad. Why would she see Tripp for the first time in front of the entire family?

“I wanted to talk to Tripp.”

“You come here when you know I’m with family? So I don’t make a scene, Harley? If I wanted to talk to you I would have returned the messages you left at my office all week.”

“You won’t let me explain. The least you could do is—”

I held up my hands. “Whoa! The least he could do? I’m sorry, are you forgetting who broke up with whom? You met another person at college and dumped my brother with the stupid-ass excuse that you didn’t want to settle in Oak Springs. And you think he needs to do anything for you? You’ve got some nerve, Harley.”

Glancing down, she nodded. “I guess you’re right on that point, Waylynn.”

When she looked back up, her eyes were filled with tears. I turned to Tripp and willed him to be strong.

Do not break for her! Make her earn back your trust, Tripp Parker! Right now her trust level is zero, so do not fall for this nonsense.

“I figured with me moving back to Oak Springs after the holidays, it was probably a good idea that we talked and maybe we could be friends?”

I huffed. Please. You want back in my brother’s pants.

“I’m sorry, Harley, but I don’t think we have anything to discuss right now. I’m with my family, and they’re waiting on us for dinner.”

She nodded. “I understand. Can we at least have coffee once I get back in town and settled? I’d like to explain things a bit more to you.”