to get Goat, and I was hoping to get there before she did.
“This morning.” Annoyance weeded Angie’s tone.
“Do you know where she went?” I could hear the desperation in my voice.
“Doesn’t matter. She left… because you are an idiot.”
My hands went to my hips, my head down like a bad puppy. “I know.”
“My beautiful boy, I warned you.” Angie shook her head, treading down the steps. “This is not something I would normally say about a woman when it comes to you, but that one was special. You fucked up.”
I exhaled, my head bobbing. Didn’t I know it.
“She told me you have a wife.”
I blew out, feeling exhausted. I hadn’t slept any, my emotions strung out like untuned violin.
“I can see it clear now; she will only bring you more misery. Be careful. She is your weakness.”
“You could say that about Kinsley,” I muttered.
“No, that girl is your strength; you need to change your view of what weakness and strength are.”
Ugh. Damn, Angie. “You know I hate when you’re right.” I rubbed a hand through my hair, the heat of the day sweating my brow.
She chuckled, dropping her irritation with me. “Love, I am always right.”
I snorted, leaning in for a hug. “Thanks, Angie. It was really good seeing you again.”
“Don’t make yourself a stranger.” She rubbed my back, kissing me lightly before stepping back.
“I won’t.”
“Now stop wasting your time on my doorstep and go get her. Fix it.” She waved me off, heading back into her house full of dogs, love, and warmth.
The only way I knew how to fix this mess was to divorce Becca, but she was set on me giving us a chance first, demanding I take her to the wedding as well, to make me remember what we used to have.
It did the opposite.
I stayed away from the rehearsal dinner and the actual wedding, showing up to the reception with Becca to at least be there for my old friend. Becca clung to my arm, constantly fiddling with her diamond ring she still wore like a red flag to any woman who approached.
But all I saw was Kinsley.
Seeing her was like a bolt of lightning and the sensation of being hit by a semi combined. If I thought I might feel different once I saw her, I was wrong.
I wanted to take her. Claim her up against the wall again. Show the prick touching her that she was mine. But everything went to shit. She wanted nothing to do with me, pretty much kicking me out of the wedding, the Maxwell family, and her life.
Becca thought that made the path clear for us, but when I put her on a plane, telling her if she didn’t sign the papers, I’d be contacting my lawyer, she flipped out.
With my past and her pushing me at every turn, our lawyers were having a difficult time negotiating. I didn’t care if she wanted every penny of mine. I just wanted out.
“Hey? Are you coming?” Chance bellowed through my house.
“Yeah, yeah, keep your panties on,” I yelled down, rising from my bed, dragging myself to the shower.
Once outside in the hot southern California heat, beer in one hand, hammer in the other, my shirtless torso sucking up the rays, I felt better.
“So?” Chance ripped the half-eaten wood strip from the base. The goat, with so many names I picked the one I’d remember the best, Mutton, pranced around us, wanting to see what we were up too. “You gonna tell me?”
“Tell you what?” I hauled up a fence post, sweat dripping down my back. Damn, this felt good. Outside, building again.
“Mate, I know what it looks like when a girl gets under your skin. Levels you.” His last words froze my blood in the summer heat. He moved out of my way as I positioned the fence plank in place. “Aubrey wanted nothing to do with me either when I first returned.”
“You fucking disappeared on her for two years.” Chance thought it had been better to walk away, not telling he was going to prison, thinking it was better to let her go. Totally backfired on him. He couldn’t forget her, but she had moved on to someone else. In the end, it all worked out.
“Yeah, but I didn’t give up.” Chance tipped his beer back, taking a sip. “Took me a long time to regain her trust again, but I did, and I have the woman of my dreams now.”
“And a goat.” I smirked, rubbing the head of