Ride Rough - Tessa Layne Page 0,75

voice came out funny. Strangled and rather high.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Was this just a case of pre-ride jitters?

"Home. You said when I get home. Did you mean it?"

It had just slipped out, but... she swallowed down the last remnants of fear. "Yeah," she answered firmly. "I did. When you get home."

Chapter Thirty-One

"Who's ready to plan Izzie's thirtieth birthday party?" Jeanine asked, dropping a grocery sack on the coffee table and pulling out magazines, ice cream, and wine.

Izzie tucked her feet under her on the couch and dropped her face into her hands. "Guys. I don't know if this is a good idea."

"Of course it's a good idea," objected Cecilia. "I spent my thirtieth birthday all by myself drinking wine alone on my colleague's couch while she went out on a date." She gave a shudder. "Two weeks later I was sacked."

"And two months later, your boyfriend is Trace McFuckingBride," Izzie squealed. "I'm so happy you two have figured things out. You're perfect for each other."

"We have a lot to work through, still, but yeah, me too," Cecilia agreed with a smile that grew from her heart. Although, she was certain that Trace would be very unhappy to learn she'd decided to stay in her house. The paparazzi could go fuck themselves. She wasn't going to run from her home. Although, she'd accept moral support from her girlfriends, anytime.

A knock sounded at the door. Jeanine and Izzie exchanged looks of concern until Emma Sinclaire popped her head in. "I heard there was a girls' night? I brought wine." She dangled a bottle of bubbles.

"We're planning my birthday," said Izzie, waving her in. "Celebrating my pending spinsterhood."

Emma shut the door and joined them on the couch. "Glad I brought the bubbles, then."

"Don't knock spinsterhood," Jeanine teased. "I mean, we can't all be as lucky as Emma and CiCi."

"No one's put a ring on my finger," pointed out Cecilia.

"Yeah, but it's only a matter of time," Izzie argued. "I'd always thought I'd be married with two-and-a-half kids by now."

"Well it's kind of hard to find a husband when you're pining for the local math teacher," Jeanine said with a hard eye-roll.

"So maybe your birthday is when we launch Operation Win Jaxon Boyd," Emma offered with a grin as she popped the cork on the bubbles.

Izzie turned pink. "Guys, no," she said with a vehement shake of her head. "I can't do that."

"Why?" Jeanine waggled her champagne flute. "Because you might find out he's secretly in love with you too, and you'll go on to make adorable babies with curly hair and big, gorgeous brown eyes?"

Beside her, Emma gasped, staring at her phone. "OhmygoshyouGUYS, pull out your phones, quick."

They all spoke at once, grabbing for their phones.

"What?"

"What is it?"

"What's going on?"

"Check out what's happening on Twitter right now," Emma spoke excitedly. "Quick, hurry."

The three women spoke at once again.

"Twitter?"

"I don't tweet."

"Emma, just tell us," exclaimed Cecilia, grabbing Emma's phone, eyes going wide. "It's Trace?"

Emma nodded excitedly. "Sterling asked me to set my notifications to Trace, so I get pinged anytime he's mentioned on social."

"We can talk about how creepy that is later," said Jeanine. "But what's going on?"

"Well for starters, he's shaved," said Cecilia, flipping Emma's phone around. "Holy smokes." The man's jaw was cut, and while he was a little pale from where his beard had been, he looked damn fine.

"You could cut bread with that jaw," Izzie exclaimed. "Girl, you're gonna have fun with that." She nudged Cecilia.

"What's he saying? Shhh, everyone." Jeanine grabbed the phone from Cecilia, flipped it sideways and turned up the volume.

"Tell us why you're in Dodge City playing cowboy?" a reporter asked.

"Is this preparation for a new film?" another asked.

Trace flashed his million-watt smile, and rocked on his heels, looking perfectly bashful. "Started off that way," he said. "Although no contracts were signed," he was quick to add. "But then I realized I've been making back to back movies for nearly twenty years. I'm exhausted. And this time away from Hollywood has given me time to reflect on what I want for the rest of my life."

"Is that because you were blacklisted?" another reporter asked.

Trace's eyes narrowed. "The director and I parted ways over artistic differences, and I decided to take a break."

"Ooh, excellent sidestep," Emma crowed, clapping her hands.

Trace looked directly at the camera. "The last four months have been some of the best of my life. That's why I decided to retire."

Cecilia's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline.

"Did he just say