Panic rises inside of me. “We aren’t just going to show up at his hotel room tonight. It’s late, and Amarillo isn’t exactly close.”
“But Lauren needs to know. She deserves the truth. She can’t just keep sitting around thinking her relationship is okay if it’s just going to end.”
The silence that falls over us is suffocating. I think of Rhett and how I’ve been wanting him to open up to me, but I haven’t given him anything to indicate that it’ll be worth it. I’ve always made it clear we had an expiration date. I can’t blame him for not wanting to take the next step with me, or any step for that matter.
“I bet Jax would drive us.” I can practically see Callie’s heart pounding out of her chest. She seems way too invested in this, like maybe she’s familiar with the feeling of losing someone she thought she had a future with.
“I don’t think we should do anything rash tonight. Let’s just sleep it off, and we can regroup in the morning. If you think there’s a chance there’s something going on with Austin, then we can make a plan to find out for sure. He won’t be able to keep that hidden for long.”
“I don’t have time! We are supposed to get married in two months. I can’t be planning a wedding to a man who doesn’t think of me as the only woman in the world.”
“And you shouldn’t settle for anything less than that. I promise we will figure this out. Let’s go to bed.”
Callie and Lauren exchange a glance but nod somberly. The cottage is silent as we brush our teeth and wash our faces, but I swear I hear the sound of the door creaking open after I’ve slipped into bed.
ChapterThirty-Nine
Rhett
Olivia
Have you seen or heard from Callie or Lauren at all? I haven’t been able to get ahold of them
Me
Nope. What’s going on? Did something happen last night?
It’s a long story
I’ve got time. When will you be home?
Headed back from Resilient Paws in about 10 mins
Have you had dinner yet?
No
But that doesn’t mean you need to cook for me!!
Too late! How do burgers, baked beans, and corn on the cob sound?
Fine… but I’M going to cook for YOU one of these days
Fine by me
Fifteen minutes later, the burgers are on the grill, the beans are on the stove, and the corn is boiled. The doorknob jiggles as Olivia lets herself in, immediately making my heart hammer in my chest. I’m determined to swallow my pride and finally tell her the truth about my past. Callie was right. That’s the only path forward with Olivia if there ever will be one. God, do I want there to be one. I swing the door open, and Maverick rushes in, immediately making himself comfortable. Olivia follows behind, her earth-shattering smile making me feel like I’ve just come home. I want to tug her into my arms and feel her warmth, let her presence seal all the cracks that have formed in my soul over the years.
“Hey, Wildflower. You’re right on time.”
She follows me to the back patio as I pull the burgers from the grill and turn it off. “So, are you going to fill me in on what happened with Callie and Lauren?”
“I’m not sure how much of the story I can tell you because, you know, girl code.”
“Okay, then tell me what you can.”
“Callie came up with a sort of sketchy plan last night. I thought I convinced her it was a bad idea, but I woke up this morning to an empty house, and now I can’t get ahold of either one of them.”
I reach out, running my fingertips gently across her back to soothe her. Concern is painted all over her face. “Are you worried they’re in danger, or are you just upset that you don’t know what’s going on?”
