he was gone.
“What the hell is with these people and this town?”
Ugly sweater lady and her posse—including my waitress—were all staring at me now like I had grown another head. I was done. Forget it. This place was too weird for my blood.
I was going to head back to the lodge and hide out there until tomorrow. I’d meet with Easton, make him listen to me, seal the deal, and go back to the city. If we had to come back for any reason, Christian could come.
Chapter Six
Easton
The open-air gazebo was filled with friends and family. Good old country songs blasted through the speakers hidden in the high beams. The wedding dinner had finished an hour ago, and the after-party was in full swing.
The fancy tables with their white draped cloths had been rearranged to make room for dancing, and Elaina had taken over, pulling any and all volunteers up out of their seats to dance with her.
I’d found a secluded beam to lean on, removed my bow tie, and loosened the top few buttons on my shirt so it no longer strangled me. Despite the open sides on the gazebo, there was a roaring fire in the stone fireplace on the one wall, sending out enough heat to take the chill out of the air provided people stayed underneath.
We rented out the gazebo for weddings and other gatherings all the time. It was one of the best add-ons we’d made at the stables. Having a place to cater events helped drive up traffic to other areas too.
It had been decorated with fairy lights and draped with a sparkling white voile. Her chosen colors were soft blue-violet and silver. When Elaina had seen the finished gazebo, she’d cried.
“Eh, here.” Knox appeared beside me, bumping my shoulder as he offered me a beer. I hesitated. “Come on. It’s one. Isn’t gonna hurt you.”
I accepted, mostly to shut him up since he’d been hounding me all night. “Just didn’t wanna ruin Elaina’s wedding if I had a problem.”
“You won’t have a problem.”
“Don’t know that. I’m not supposed to drink anything.”
“I know. But that’s a new rule, and you used to drink plenty and were fine.”
“I wasn’t fine. Hence the new rule. Doc said it counters my meds, and then they don’t work right.”
“It’s one beer, East. Relax. As much as I’d love for you to get drunk with me, I get it.”
He didn’t get it.
I sighed and tipped the bottle to my mouth, savoring the rich yeasty blend as it marked a cool path down my throat. I would have a few tiny mouthfuls and be done. “Damn, that’s good.”
“See. You’re welcome.”
“You ain’t dancin’?”
Knox laughed. “Hell no. The day I dance is the day you put on a suit Monday to Friday and work in a stuffy old office building.”
“Not even if she asked?” I tipped my chin at one of my sister’s bridesmaids who’d had her eye on Knox all day. “She’s cute.”
Knox eyed her but shrugged, saying nothing. When it came to relationships, Knox was closed off. For a best friend, I knew little about what type of girl he liked. He’d gone out with plenty, but they never lasted long enough for me to surmise what appealed to him. It was always random and short-lived.
“I heard you had a visitor this morning. Mr. City Slicker himself. He come back to try and get in your pants again?” Knox sipped his beer but refused to make eye contact.
“Nah. Had an ulterior motive this time.”
“Eh? What’s that?”
“Well, I didn’t really let him get it all out, but from what I gathered, he works for some developing company outta Edmonton, and they sent him to try and goad me into sellin’ my land.”
The heat of Knox’s gaze burned my face. I watched Elaina dance, refusing to look at him. Austin had joined her and was making a fool of himself.
“He wanted to buy the stables? What for? Why? You told him to fuck off, right?”
I shrugged and sipped my beer again. “Dunno what he was here for. Didn’t let him talk really. But he knew we were in trouble.”
“Shit. What’re you gonna do?”
“I ain’t sellin’.” I pinned Knox with a hard glare. “I’ve lived here my whole life. I can’t walk away. I can’t even fathom it. I have thirty-two horses here that would be without a home. These trails have been my backyard playground since I learned to walk.” I paused, looking away, a lump growing in my throat. “My mother’s