Page 34 of Untruly With You

“And when Wells was arguing, I said the first thing I could think of to put him in his place. I can’t believe I said that.”

“Me either,” I snort, grabbing the axe from Sutton and leaning it against the tree trunk. “Can you tell me more about you and Cassidy? I’m flying blind here.”

Sutton sighs, raking both hands through his hair.

Please don’t look at his chest, I ask myself politely.

Too late, I think immediately after.

“You know that Cassidy and I grew up together. We knew each other from preschool and dated all throughout high school.”

“Sure.”

“When I first moved to New York, I thought we would work through it. I planned on moving home for the summers, and I thought she would visit the city here and there during the school year. I thought, at the time, that we were so in love that it had to work out. But Cassidy knew something I didn’t.”

“That flights from Montana to New York City are astronomically expensive?”

“She knew we weren’t in love. Not really. Things were easy between us because it was all we knew, not because we were destined to be together. Shortly after I left, she and Wells started spending more time together. I had no idea, though, until I came home for Duke’s funeral. As soon as I got to the ranch, I found them…you know.Together.”

“No!”

“In my truck.”

I let out a harsh exhale.

“Cassidy tried to patch things up with me. She apparently told Wells that she was making a mistake by being with him. To make matters worse, my father lectured me nonstop the week of the funeral, telling me it was my duty, as the newly appointed eldest son, to take over the ranch. He was scrambling to make sense of everything and make a plan. I didn’t want to be a part of that plan, though. But my dad wouldn’t hear it. He told me that if I was walking out on the family when they needed me most, I would never be welcome back.”

“Wow,” I whisper. “That’s some seriousDays of Our Livesstuff.”

Sutton smiles, then laughs, then sighs. “You’re not mad I didn’t tell you about this before?” he asks me, his eyes looking darker than usual.

“Why would I be mad?” I ask.Weirdly jealous? Maybe.“It’s not like we’re actually a couple.”

“Right,” Sutton murmurs, rubbing the stubble along his jaw. “I know.”

16

LAINE

“Areyou sure Cassidy wants me to come?” I ask, twisting around in the passenger seat of Magnolia’s SUV to look back at Frankie.

“She specifically asked me to invite you,” Frankie says, shrugging. She looks as apprehensive as I feel.

“It’ll be fun,” Magnolia insists, nodding as if to convince herself of her words. “What’s not to love about cake testing?”

She has a point. If I’m going to be spending the morning with my best friend’s ex, then there might as well be dessert involved.

“I think Cassidy wants to spend more time getting to know you before the bachelorette party,” Frankie says.

An image of me with a genitalia-topped hat and pink feather boa pops into my mind, and I shudder. Further embarrassment in front of Cassidy is the last thing I need. “I doubt she wants me to go to her bachelorette party.”

“Sure she will!” Magnolia says, waving a hand dismissively. Changing the subject, she asks, “Is Sutton working at the ranch today?”

“He is.” I try to not sound disappointed.

After the argument yesterday, Wells and Cassidy left to go to town, probably so Wells wouldn’t have to see Sutton. Though, that wouldn’t have mattered much, seeing as how Sutton went upstairs at eight-thirty, took a shower, then his sleeping pill, and promptly fell asleep. It’s felt like ages since we had a good chance to talk, to hang out, to just be…Sutton and Laine.

Thankfully, Frankie and Magnolia kept me company last night. We stayed up until one in the morning as they taught me all of their favorite card games: crazy eights, rummy, hearts, and some I swear they made up on the spot.

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