Page 46 of Still A Cowboy
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you naked, Eden,” he said, voice low and sharp, “but that’s you.”
For a split second, something flickered in her eyes. It was gone fast, smoothed over by her well-practiced smile.
“You’re grasping, Cal,” she snapped. “You know who it looks like? Willa, that’s who. I tried to warn you. She’s capable of things like this. She would cut off her own nose if it meant hurting me.” Her voice hardened. “I’m telling you, she leaked this to get back at Brent. And now look at you, caught in the fallout. I just hope you’ve finally seen the light.”
“Oh, I’ve seen it all right,” Cal said, his stare pinning her in place. “I know you’re lying. I’m going to hire techs to tear this video apart frame by frame. I remember you used to have a mole high above your left ass cheek. When they find it, you’ll be exposed. In more ways than one.”
Eden’s mask cracked, the tight smile falling away as anger flashed hard in her eyes.
The front door behind them creaked open, and Brent stepped onto the porch, confusionpulling at his brow. One look at his face, and Cal knew he’d overhead their conversation.
“Eden?” Brent said, his voice rising like a challenge. “You leaked the video? You said it was Willa. You said you were positive it was her.”
Before Eden could scramble for another excuse, the door opened wider and Misty stepped out onto the porch. Her face was pale, her expression hard, but her voice shook with rage.
“You’ve been cheating on me?” Misty’s arms were crossed, but Cal could see the tremble in her shoulders. “With her? You told me you and Eden were done a long time ago.”
Brent’s mouth opened, but no words came out.
Lark and Sawyer appeared behind Misty, having clearly caught more than enough of the conversation. Lark wrapped an arm around Misty’s shoulders as the woman’s composure broke and tears spilled down her cheeks.
“You’re better off without him,” Lark whispered fiercely. She aimed a scary glare at Brent. “Way better.”
Sawyer gave Brent a look that could have knocked the man flat. “You just burned every bridge you had, friend.”
A car pulled up to the curb, brakes squealing a little on the wet pavement. Then another car slid in behind it. Willa climbed out of the first one, Fia right behind her, with Mason, Delia, and Willa’s dad piling out of the second. Delia was carryinga large plastic turkey drumstick that she smacked menacingly against the palm of her hand.
There was nothing menacing about Willa. She was breathless and a little panic stricken. “I couldn’t stop them. They were coming with or without me.”
Her family flanked her like a small but determined army, and her dad looked ready to deck someone. That look somewhat diminished when Delia gave the turkey leg another palm whack and the rebound bopped him right in the face.
Eden’s smirk spread as her gaze swept over the new arrivals. “What a mess, huh?”
Cal didn’t hesitate. “Yeah. One you helped create.”
His voice was sharp enough to slice through the night, and Eden’s smile slipped, just a fraction. Everyone was watching now—Brent, Misty, Lark, Sawyer, Willa, and her family—all waiting for what would come next.
“It’s you in the video, Eden,” Cal said. “And you leaked it.”
Eden’s shoulders stiffened, but she sure as hell didn’t deny it this time.
Her eyes glimmered with fury as she glared at him. “No one walks away from me, Cal. I do the walking away.” Her gaze flicked toward Willa, her mouth curling in disgust. “And they especially don’t walk away from me for that.”
Fia’s hand shot up. “Can I use the stun gun onher now?”
Delia’s jaw was tight, and Willa’s dad took a step forward like he was all in on the family defense plan. Mason cracked his knuckles. Delia lifted the turkey leg in a Babe Ruth pose.
Cal had heard enough. Eden had been given all the time she was going to get.
He turned to Willa, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her, slow, sure, and with every intention of making it clear exactly where he stood.
When he pulled back, he looked straight at Eden.
“This is me walking away from you, Eden,” he said, his voice low and final. “This is me walking away with Willa.”
Cal kept his arm firmly around Willa as he guided her back to his car. Fia, Mason, and Willa’s parents headed to their own vehicles without another word. No one looked back at Eden, not even Brent or Misty.
The porch lights cast Eden in a harsh, lonely glow as she stood there, arms crossed, watching them walk away.
