Stealing Hearts (Wild at Heart #1)(3)

Danny chuckles, and I want to crawl under the table and die. Rhett looks at me sheepishly. “Sorry, Paige. I shouldn’t be saying that kind of stuff around you.”

I shrug because what am I supposed to say?

Danny tosses a pickle at his best friend. “Well, if I was dating someone with a rack like Amber’s, I wouldn’t bother with strippers either.”

I can’t help but glance down at my flat chest. Will my boobs ever get bigger if I stick with gymnastics and cheer? That’s the only downside to what I do. My body is muscular and lean, which I love, but bigger boobs would be great. I’m never going to find a boyfriend if I don’t get a few curves.

Rhett reaches over and smacks Danny. “Stop talking about Amber’s tits or I’ll kick your ass.”

They shit-talk each other for a while, and as I’m nibbling on a tomato, Rhett shakes his head. “I can’t believe we’re walking down the aisle in two weeks. I can’t fucking wait. We went to taste the cake the other day, and she looked so happy. I love putting that smile on her face.”

I’m going to be sick.

“Amber’s cheating on you.” When I realize what I’ve just said, I clamp a hand over my mouth.

My brother coughs, and Rhett’s eyes cut to me. “What did you say?”

I swallow past a boulder-sized lump in my throat. “I, uh, I could be wrong, but I think she’s cheating on you with… with Kacey Miller.”

His eyes go glacial, and he stares at me like I’m a complete stranger. I lean back in my chair as he growls, “Why would you say that?”

Danny frowns. “Jesus, Paige, what the fuck?”

I look down at my lap and rush to spit it out. “I saw her with Kacey a few weeks ago, and when she saw me, she jumped away from him like she was guilty of something. And then she was really nice to me afterward. Amber never talks to me, never, but after that, she was saccharine sweet.”

Finally, I brave a look at Rhett, who frowns. “And?”

And? That’s not enough? I scramble to think of what else to say. “Amber and Kacey are always talking when no one’s around. Haven’t you noticed that?”

He looks at me like I’m an idiot and rubs a hand over his face. “Paige, that’s a shitty thing to say. You shouldn’t make that kind of accusation without hard facts.”

My eyes sting, but then my brother makes it worse.

Danny’s voice gets soft, almost sympathetic. “Squirt, you’re just a kid. You must’ve misunderstood what you saw. And based on how we all know you feel about Rhett, I think you’re letting those feelings get in the way.”

My breath catches in my throat, and I glare at him. “Danny!” When I glance at Rhett, he’s staring at his meal like it personally offended him.

Danny shrugs. “Just calling it like I see it.”

Everything I’ve said is bad enough, but I have to make things worse. “Amber doesn’t appreciate you, Rhett. She always complains about how much you work and that you smell like cow shit. That you’re too busy to take her on dates and that she wishes you’d get a life. But to your face, she’s all smiles.” It’s so much like Irma and how fake she is, it’s a small wonder they’re not related.

If looks could kill, the one in Rhett’s eyes would pulverize me. “How do you know she said those things?”

I swallow. There’s no way I can tell him Baylee overheard Amber while working in her mom’s salon. “This is a small town. People talk.”

Danny winces. “Paige, you’re embarrassing yourself.”

I swipe at the tears that tumble down my face as I promise myself to never confront someone like this again. What was I thinking? “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m just a kid. What the fuck do I know?” I get up so fast my chair clatters to the ground, and I race to my room and slam the door.

Before my brother can find me to talk, I sneak out the window and sprint into the forest behind our house. If I could run away right now, to another city or state or planet, I would, but I have nowhere to go.

But one thing is sure. I’m going to have to avoid Rhett Walker and his new wife for the rest of my life.





1





RHETT


SEVEN YEARS LATER




Clean cuts. I give my younger brother Beau a look. “A cow didn’t do this.”

He tosses me my gloves. “Who do you think did?”

As we run new razor wire between the fence posts to patch what someone obviously cut, I start to wonder if I’m in over my head. These days, it seems I’m drowning at every turn. We spent half the night chasing down cattle. “What are the odds it was those high school kids who got in trouble for tagging the grocery store?”

“Slim to none.”

I was afraid he was gonna say that. “I’d hate to think it was Frank.”

“He’s pissed about the rent increase.”

With the back of my arm, I wipe the sweat from my brow. “Dad gave the Fletchers that cottage for a steal. It’s been ten years. We’d be fools to not increase the rent.” Our father Augustus was an asshole, but if you drank or played poker with him, he’d do dumb shit like let you rent our cabin for a song. It makes me wonder if good ol’ Gus gambled away the money he got from the second mortgage.