Page 62 of Duke
Cash frowns, lines appearing in his deeply tanned face. “I won’t say a thing. But I’m here for y’all, Wheeler. If there’s anything you need—if you do want me to help you tell him or you need some of those ginger candies that Mollie likes—”
“Those are good.” Mollie nods. “They help some with the nausea.”
My eyes flood with heat all over again. I close them. “That’s very kind of you, Cash. Thank you. I’m okay for now. Just—yeah, I definitely wasn’t expecting this to happen. It’s a bit of a shock.”
“No shit,” Cash replies with a scoff. “But these things happen more than you think, so…”
He’s talking about the pregnancy scare he and Mollie had when they first started dating. She didn’t end up being pregnant, but the experience did bring them closer together.
I doubt that will be the case with me and Duke. It took a minute for Cash and Mollie to open up to each other, but once they did, it was over for both of them. They were saying “I love you” to each otherweeksinto their relationship.
A few weeks after that, they were engaged.
So yeah, a bit of a different story than the one I have with Duke.
Mollie starts closing the door. “We’ll be out soon, Cash. I’ll holler if we need you.”
“All right.” He nods, running a hand through his hair. It’s matted from the Stetson he undoubtedly just took off and hung on the rack by the front door. “Just—I’m thinking of you, Wheeler.”
“Thanks.” Goddamn these cowboys and their manners and the way they care and just—
Ugh, I’m crying all over again.
“But you’re really going to tell Duke, right?” Mollie asks, closing the door with a gentlethump.
“He deserves to know, so yes.” I wring my hands. “Mollie, what are we gonna do?”
She wraps me in a hug. “First, we’re gonna dry these tears. Then, we’re gonna get you some snacks, because eating helps. It will at least make you feel a little less like dying.Then,we talk about next steps, okay?”
“Okay.” I blow out a breath and shake out my hands, looking up at the ceiling. “Thank God I have you, Mollie.”
“Thank God we have each other.” She gently nudges me with her hand. “You know, Duke may not be your guy, but he is agoodguy.”
“He is a good guy. A really good guy who’s about to get some really bad news.”
Mollie frowns, running her hands up and down my arms. “Y’all will figure this out. One thing at a time, okay? Let’s go get you some crackers. Some cheese too if you think you can keep it down. And Patsy keeps a supply of Gatorade on hand. Does that sound good?”
“Sounds great.” I manage a tight smile before pulling her in for another hug. “I love you.”
“I love you too, friend.”
I can barely breathe around the tightness in my throat.
Today started out so well. Sales at Bellamy Brooks are booming. Payroll ran overnight, depositing hefty sums into our checking accounts. It feels so great to have money after many, many,manyyears of barely scraping by. My parents lent us money, but they started turning off the spigot when it became clear that I definitely wasn’t going to law school. Today, though, I had a decent conversation with Mom, who seems to be doing better.
Thenthishappens, and suddenly my world is turned upside down. A flare of anger ignites inside my breastbone.Thanks, universe, for knocking me back down after I’d just dusted myself off and gotten on my feet.
But really, I have no one to blame but myself.
Myself and Duke’s delicious Wrangler butt. And his wit. His filthy mouth too, and his kindness, and his interest in me and my business and my life…
There was no resisting any of that, was there? Not when I was snowed in with him and scared out of my mind that I was experiencing my last hours on earth.
“I think I need to go back to Dallas,” I blurt as Mollie and I climb into the ATV. “Just for a little while. Just to get my head on straight. I’m worried…”
Mollie looks at me. “You’re worried about what, Wheeler?”
That I’ll run into Duke, and he’ll see that I’m upset. I’m worried I’ll drop this bomb on him but he’ll still be wonderful, and I’ll say things—do things—I shouldn’t.
