Page 51 of The Scars We Heal

“Cool. I’m not gonna ask questions.” Colter ran his hand through his hair and cleared his throat. “Um, Mom was trying to get ahold of you. She’s gotta go into town for some Creek Club thing, so she dropped off Whitley at our house because she wasn’t sure what you were doing or if you were home, and uh, yeah, she couldn’t reach you. I’m not sure why she didn’t just drive out here to drop her off and check if you were home, but I’m sure she was in a hurry and knew Ellison and I would be at the house. It’s closer, too. I’m sure she wanted to see the baby and check on Ellison, too.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “You know how she is sometimes.”

Caitlin’s eyes widened. “Oh! Sorry, I’ll go back with you to pick her up.”

“Cool, cool.” He nodded then spun on his heel, walking out of the room and leaving me and Caitlin alone.

“Sorry.” She pressed her lips into a thin line, one brow raising above the other. “We can finish this later?”

I nodded. “Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here.”

Her expression fell, the color draining from her face.

“Cait? Everything okay?”

She snapped out of it, putting on a mask that everything was fine. “Yeah. I’m good. I’ll see you later, Jake, ’kay?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

caitlin

TWO YEARS AGO

Adam had been shooting daggers at me the entire day. All I wanted was to make it through the day to celebrate my little brother’s marriage without a tantrum. From either Whitley or Adam.

“I don’t like you on his arm,” Adam said with a scowl after the ceremony had concluded and we were driving to the hotel where the reception was taking place.

“It’s not like I had any say in who I was walking down the aisle with. You would have had issues if I’d been paired up with any of his groomsmen. Besides, the grand entrance is all we have left, and then I won’t have to be ‘on his arm’ for any longer.” I spoke with air quotes.

He rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t have had issues with you walking down with Clay.”

“Well, that’s not how it happened, so can you just let it go? It’s not like you have anything to worry about. I’m your wife.”

“Damn right you are,” he grunted in approval, except it didn’t feel like he was saying it out of pride. More like possession.

I released a big sigh, looking out the passenger window so I didn’t have to face Adam and give him more reasons to argue. Whitley didn’t need to see the deterioration of our relationship.

Was this really what my marriage had come to? Getting in fights simply because I was involved in my younger brother’s wedding and he wasn’t?

When we pulled up to the hotel, I gave him a reluctant kiss on the cheek and waved to Whit. “Mommy’s going to find you two later.” Surprisingly, she didn’t cry or protest, and I was able to leave without any issues.

“Don’t do anything stupid.” Adam huffed. I wasn’t sure if it was a threat or just some petty jealousy coming out, but I ignored him.

The moment I met up with the wedding party, they all cheered.

“Sorry. I would have gone with you guys, but you know.” I shrugged, feigning a casual demeanor. “Wife duties.”

Ellison and Colter exchanged a look that I couldn’t decipher, but it was Isa who squeezed my arm.

“Well, you’re here now, so we can get this party started!”

We all lined up in order for the grand entrance, just as the DJ tapped the microphone and said, “Let’s welcome the wedding party onto the dance floor!”

Clay and Sloane, one of Ellison’s friends from college, were introduced first and did their choreographed entrance, which got some laughs from the guests. Mikey and the girl he was paired with went next, then Hayden and Cora, one of the rodeo wives Ellison had developed a friendship with, went.

I’d gotten to know them a little bit when Ellison had her bachelorette party, but most of that weekend was spent sending Adam hourly updates of what I was doing. Ironic, considering I never asked him what he was up to when he went on bachelor trips with his work friends. Especially because I probably had more reason not to trust him, given the company he was surrounded by.

Most of his friends who were married had secret girlfriends. Adam always told me he would never, but if he did, I thought I was better off not knowing.

When the DJ called Jake’s and my names, I stepped through the double doors, but he wasn’t next to me like we had planned. I figured a simple entrance would be best, and that was what we had agreed on.