gain. I’m done.” I hadn’t been able to see that she hopped from man to man. I’d been blinded by what I thought we had. Baker had shown me what a relationship should be, even if that hadn’t ended well either.
“You love me.” She’d always known exactly how to play me.
“Yeah. But not enough to let you walk all over me anymore.” She reached for me again, but I stepped out of reach. “You should leave.”
My feet carried me toward my family, and I didn't look back. I pushed through the crowd and froze when hurt green eyes met mine.
Easy.
She clambered from her seat and rushed toward the door. Trish and Andrew looked around to see what had spooked her when they saw me.
Trish rushed after Baker while I stood there. Frozen between past and present.
Two worlds collided.
And I couldn’t move.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Baker
“Baker. Wait up.”
Trish grasped my hand just before I made it to the door.
“I can’t,” I said. “I’m here for you, but I can’t stay.” My heart pounded against my ribcage, images of Holt and that woman from the picture assaulting me.
“You’re not going back to New York, are you?” she asked, panicked.
“No. I just . . . need to regroup.”
“I’ll go with you.”
I shook my head. “Stay. Everyone’s having a good time.”
“I’ll be worried about you.”
“And I’ll be fine.”
“Thought you weren’t coming until Friday?”
My breath caught when Holt appeared behind Trish.
“Want me to stay?” She touched my shoulder.
“We’re ready to call it a night.” Andrew led the rest of the group, who had their coats on before I could say anything to Holt. “The hotel is sending a car over.” His phone pinged with a text. “Here it is.”
Mr. Dixon patted Holt’s back. “You’re not driving are you, son?”
He turned red. “I, uh—I can get a cab.”
“Do that. It’s not worth getting in an accident.”
We moved outside. Before I could climb into the waiting SUV, Holt hooked my arm. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out, so he closed it. I slinked out of his hold.
“Guess it would have been hard to juggle two women in the same place at once.” I crawled into the third row of seating without waiting for a response.
I tried not to look back as we pulled away, but his magnetism was too strong. He remained in the same spot on the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, staring after us.
Patrick let out a low whistle. “You two are like fire and ice. One second you’re hot for each other, the next it’s bitter cold.”
“Like it’s any different with you and Marlow,” I said.
“Actually, it is. Marlow’s always cold. Always.”
“I can’t argue with you there.”
“She’s had a hard time since Jack died.” Mr. Dixon turned around from his position in the front seat.
“She’s had more support than anybody knew.”
Andrew shot a warning look at me over his shoulder. I stared out the window.
“She seeing somebody else?” Patrick asked, a hint of anger behind the question.
“I have no idea,” I said honestly.
“It sounds like you know something.”
“What she does is none of my concern.” I clutched my purse on my lap. “The only Dixons that matter to me are Trish and Ella.”
Trish gave me a sympathetic look, seeing right past the lie. If I kept telling myself I didn’t give a damn about Holt, maybe one day it would be true.
“What’s on the agenda for today?”
I picked at a piece of bacon, but it was like cardboard in my mouth.
“Andrew wants to move the wedding up to tomorrow since everyone’s here.” She blushed and fiddled with a lock of her hair. “I want to too.”
I tried to be upbeat. The travel and lack of sleep had my enthusiasm at a low level, even though I was genuinely happy for my friend.
Ella screamed, drawing the attention of the whole restaurant. I scowled right back at the woman next to us who had a look of disgust on her face.
I tickled Ella’s tummy. “You always say what you think, okay? Never let anyone silence you.”
“The hotel wedding planner wants to meet at ten, but it shouldn’t take too long. They’ve arranged everything.”
“So we’re free to hang out in the spa all day?”
“I was thinking we could all go on a hike. It’s not supposed to be too cold,” she said.
“I’m game.”
“Even if Holt comes?”
I set down my piece of toast. “This is your weekend. I’m sorry about last night, but I’m more prepared now.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. And if you want to talk