But even in the state I’m in, I can tell something’s off with her. “Piper, is something wrong?”
Her loud exhale filters through the connection. “It’s Nana.”
The hair on the back of my neck stands up. “Is she okay?”
“Yes, sorry. She’s fine, but she’s, well, she wants toretire.”
“Retire?” How does oneretirefrom a horse ranch? Wade helped her find a part-time foreman two years ago to lighten her load. If Nana doesn’t want to run it at all… “Do you mean sell?”
Her silence answers my question.
“Oh, no.” That burn hits behind my eyes as the memory of my parents telling me they were selling our ranch flashes front andcenter, but I push it away. Piper doesn’t need to add my distress to her burden at the moment.
“Don’t say anything to Wade. I need to be the one to tell him.”
“Of course. I understand.” I certainly won’t have any problems not mentioning it, considering he and I are barely talking. “Does Ellie know?”
“No. Not yet. She’s getting ready for midterms and doesn’t need the distraction.”
Message received. “I won’t say a word.”
“Thanks, Bree. Please tell my brother to call me.”
I cringe again. “I will. And I’m here, Piper. Whatever you need, let me know if I can help?”
“Sure thing. And thank you.”
Still staring at my phone, I sink onto the edge of the bed, my heart heavy for Wade and his sisters. My dad often said things came in threes. Mostly, he meant the good stuff, but I know he meant both.
First, I disappointed Wade by dating his nemesis. Then he winds up with a groin pull, and now this. He’ll be crushed.
I open up my chat, hoping he’ll reply to me this way so I won’t have to actually call him.
Yes, coward is now my middle name.
Bree: Hey, Piper just called. She really needs to talk to you.
Wade: Why?
I roll my eyes. Typical male response, but I won’t break my promise to Piper.
Bree: She sounded upset.
Three dots appear, then disappear. I wait for them to show up again, but they never do.
And my heart aches, because my best friend is about to get the worst news of his life, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
Chapter Eighteen
WADE
I didn’t sign up for this.
That’s the only thought going through my head right now. And it’s selfish, I know.
When I called Piper, I filled her in about Bree, the part Langston played, because she knows who the guy is, and how I didn’t exactly handle things as well as I should have.
Yeah, Piper ripped me a good one. I may not sit comfortably for weeks.
