She knew this was the right decision, but why did it hurt so much?
* * *
Luke watchedthe taillights of Rowan’s car disappear around the corner. Dierks Bentley’s song,Settle for a Slowdown, played in his head. Other than yielding to pull onto the road, she didn’t stop.
The look in her eyes had been physically painful. The hurt and devastation had glittered like shards of glass in the tears falling down her face.
He’d been wrong to think he could barge back into her life and everything would fall into place like a Hallmark Christmas movie. He knew that now. But he also knew Rowan was it for him—that his life wouldn’t be complete with her in it.
He didn’t plan on going anywhere and he could afford to wait days, weeks, months, hell, even years if he had to if it meant he and Rowan would be together.
The automatic doors slid open when he turned around and he approached the registration desk.
A pretty young woman smiled at him. “Good evening and welcome to the Alpine Inn.”
“Thank you. Do you have any rooms available?” Not something he had considered when Rowan had asked him to get out of the car.
The clerk typed away at her computer. “We do have a few…you have your choice of a double queen or a king.”
“I’ll take the king.” He slid his credit card and driver’s license out of his wallet and passed them to her. When was the last time he’d checked himself into a hotel? He was either on the bus or someone on his team took care of it for him and handed him the key card to the room.
“Luke Stone?” The girl looked at him with wide eyes. “TheLuke Stone?”
“Yeah.” It was still weird being recognized as someone famous. He hoped he never got to the point where he expected it.
Rowan would keep you grounded and never let you forget you’re from a town called Flat Holler.
“I love your music! Not as much as Miranda, ’cause Miranda’s the shit, but you’re my favorite male country singer.”
He smiled. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
She leaned closer and said in a low voice, “Do you and your wife need some privacy? We have private cabins at the back of the property if you’re trying to keep a low profile.”
Not a very big fan. “I’m not married.”
She leaned back as if he’d slapped her. “Oh. I thought…well, everyone thinks you and Rowan eloped.”
How did she know about Rowan? “What do you mean everyone? How?”
“Mr. Stone, you’re all over social media. The clip of you interrupting her wedding has over a million hits on Twitter.” She sighed. “Soromantic, but still so tragic you know? I mean, who leaves their bride standing at the altar and doesn’t sock the guy interrupting in the face?”
Right?
“Although maybe not in this case, since it would have been your face.” She ran his credit card and programmed two key cards while talking.
“The rumor going around is that you eloped and that’s why no one has seen you. The most popular rumor is that you went to Vegas. I didn’t think that was true becausesomeonewould have seen you and posted about it. Come to find out, you were here in Colorado all along!” She slid the room keys across the counter. “You’re in room four-twenty-three.”
“Thank you.” He took the keys and his credit card and headed to the bank of elevators. Waiting for the car to arrive, he heard the unmistakable sound of a shutter click and knew his whereabouts would be announced to the world. He couldn’t work up the energy to care.
He finally powered up his phone and waited for it to connect to the network. After eight pings, a window popped up that told him he had fifty-three unread texts. Opening the app, he quickly scrolled through. Most of them were from Marla and Brett wanting to know what the hell he’d been thinking and where the hell he was.
One text from his sister Shelby caught his eye.
Not the way I would’ve done it but it’s about damn time.
His phone rang while he was scrolling to the latest texts and Marla’s name appeared on the screen.
He hit the green dot. “Hey.”
