They turned to look at each other again and shrugged.
“What was that?”
Waylynn did it again. “It’s called a shrug. I have no clue what’s going on with them. I know she said she enjoys his company and he makes her laugh.”
Fucker.
“Paxton and Harley talk every day. If you want the scoop, you’ll need to ask her,” Waylynn added.
I let out a scoff. “I don’t want any scoop. It’s none of my business.”
A sadness settled into Waylynn’s eyes. “Yeah, I guess so.”
I spent the next two hours at Waylynn’s helping with Liberty while Waylynn and Corina cut up a bunch of fruit for trays they were making for Mrs. Johnson. Something about a luncheon. I tuned them out and played with Liberty most of the time until she finally crashed out on me for her nap.
Before I headed out the door, I turned back to Waylynn. “Do you know about Doc Harris’s brother trying to take the clinic away from Harley?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Pete’s trying to help her, but I think he’s in over his head with this one. Harley is getting ready to find a lawyer in San Antonio. Someone with a bit more experience.”
Guilt hit me right in the gut. “I’ll stop by the clinic and see if there’s anything I can do. Besides, I owe Harley an apology for acting like an asshole.”
A wide smile took over her face. “It’s about damn time you realized that.”
Kissing her on the cheek, I pulled back and winked. “I’m a man. What did you expect?”
“Touché.”
The drive over to the vet clinic took about thirty minutes from the ranch. When I pulled in to park, I noticed an older couple walking out of the clinic. Harley was behind them, holding a cat carrier. She was dressed in jeans, a white blouse, and cowboy boots. Her hair was pulled up into a sloppy bun that was piled on top of her head. I was left breathless by the sight of her. That was never going to change. She held a piece of me that would always be attracted to her. Guilt ate me up inside as I thought about my feelings for Harley, and the fact that I was with Mallory.
When she turned and saw me getting out of the truck, she smiled. And my knees damn near went out from under me. After the way I’d treated her, she still rewarded me with a smile.
I’m such an asshole. Maybe if I think it enough times it will sink in.
“Thank you so much, Harley. I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t been able to figure out what was wrong with Snuggles.”
I tried like hell to cover my chuckle.
“No worries at all, Mrs. Poteet. Now that we know she has a food allergy, she should be feeling better soon.”
The older man took the cat carrier and set it in the back seat before shutting the passenger side door to his car. “Thanks again, Harley!” he called out before climbing in and pulling off.
As I walked over, our eyes met. Her green eyes sparkled when the sun hit them just right. An urge to pull her into my arms hit me, causing me to pause for a moment before I continued on.
“Snuggles, huh?”
She nodded while pressing her lips together. “Yep. A six-month old calico kitty who is the apple of Mrs. and Mr. Poteets’ eye.”
We both grinned.
“Do you have any more clients waiting on you?”
“No, I’m finished for the day. I was about to head into San Antonio.”
A hard squeeze in my chest reminded me what I was here for. “May I talk to you first? Before you leave?”
The hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth offered me a bit of hope. I didn’t deserve this, not after the way I’d stormed out of here the last time.
“Of course. Come on in. Everyone’s already left for the day so I have to clean up, if you don’t mind chatting while I clean.”
Motioning with my hand for her to lead the way, I replied, “I don’t mind at all.”
Harley gave me a once over, and I was wondering if she was thinking the same thoughts I had been only moments ago. She headed into the clinic and down the hall to one of the examination rooms.
I decided to get right to the point. On both reasons I was there.
“Harley, I’m sorry for reacting the way I did when you…well…when you told the truth about everything. I was angry.”
She gave me a soft grin. “You had every right to be angry. I lied to you and made a decision about our relationship without giving us a chance to make things work. I hope you know that is a decision I’ll regret for the rest of my life.”
Her eyes filled with a sadness that seemed to spill into the room and swallow me up. After a deep breath, I looked at her. She was spraying the counter with something and wiping it.
“The other reason I’m here is to offer you legal help on your problem with Doc’s brother.”
She stopped cleaning and looked at me. “You know?”
I nodded. “Yes, and it won’t be long before the whole town knows too.”
With a deep sigh, she dropped down onto a stool. “Shit. The last thing I want is drama. Pete isn’t really offering much hope…or help. I was heading to San Antonio to find another lawyer.”
My hands started to sweat, and I prayed she couldn’t hear my heart pounding.
“Well, that’s why I’m here. I want to help you.”
Her eyes widened with hope. “Really? You’d do that for me after everything I told you?”
“Of course I would, Lee.”
A beautiful smile spread over her face but quickly vanished. Tears sprang up in her eyes and I hated that I was the cause of them. I hated seeing her upset. I always had.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, walking over and lifting her chin so our eyes met.
“I’m going to lose everything, Tripp. Every penny I’ve saved for ten years was spent on this practice.”
My brows pulled together. “What?”
She sniffed. “After college, I was home and helping Doc Harris at the clinic. He asked me if I ever planned on moving back home and I said yes. He told me that when he was ready to retire, I could buy him out.”
“How long have you known you were going to move back to Oak Springs?”
She looked away. “Since…not long after that day. It didn’t take me long to realize the mistakes I’d made in my life.”
I realized I was holding her arms. I let her go and took a few steps back.
“Anyway, every bit of money I had saved went into buying Doc out. I have a feeling his brother is going to drag even more money out of me. Money I don’t have.”
I shook my head. “I won’t let that happen. Finish up here and then let’s grab something to eat at the café. You can follow me if you’d like.”
She chewed on her lip for a few seconds before giving me a slight smile. “Okay, let me finish up.”
As I cleaned up the clinic, I told Tripp about Doc’s older brother, Gerald Harris, and how he had started sending me harassing notes soon after I purchased the clinic.
“What did the notes say?”
“At first they said things like the clinic belonged to him. He was the rightful owner. Then they got angrier when I ignored them. He accused me of stealing from Doc, forcing him to sell out to me for under-market value. Trust me when I say that I paid fair market value for this place.”
Tripp turned out the lights as we made our way out of the clinic. “What does Doc say about all of this?”
I stopped at my car and sighed. “At first he told me to ignore the notes. He said it was his older brother causing problems. I guess they had a falling out a few years back. He told me it would all blow over once he contacted him and they talked.”
“Did that help? Doc talking to his brother?”
“For a few weeks. Then I got served with the papers that said Gerald was suing me for illegally buying out Doc and that he was also part owner and deserved to be bought out.”
“Is that true?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Doc claims it isn’t true, but I feel like he’s hiding something
. That or he truly doesn’t remember borrowing money from his brother and not paying him back.”
Our eyes met, and we stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity. I finally managed to tear my gaze away. Trying to break the awkward silence that surrounded us as we stood alone in the parking lot, I began to shift uncomfortably.
“Well, um, I’ll meet you over at Lilly’s?” I asked.
A few moments passed while Tripp simply stared at me.
“Tripp? Are you okay?”
He took a step back. “Yeah, sorry. I got lost in a thought for a moment. We’ll get this figured out. I promise.”
My stomach dropped at his promise. He was being so kind, and I was so thankful he had forgiven me, although I was sure it wasn’t forgotten.
“Thank you, Tripp. I appreciate you helping me on this.”
With a hard swallow, he replied, “Of course. I’ll see ya at the café in a few minutes.”
My teeth sank into my lip as I reminded myself not to reach up and kiss him. Tripp’s eyes looked so empty. It made me sad because I was positive I’d caused that. I couldn’t help but wonder why he had done a one-eighty. Maybe Waylynn had threatened him. It didn’t really matter. I was just happy he was talking to me.
I gave him a small smile. “Okay. See ya there.”
The moment we walked into Lilly’s, all eyes were on us.
“Oh lawd, let the rumors start flyin’,” I whispered as Tripp took me by the elbow and guided us over to a table.
“Gives them something to talk about tomorrow.”
I chuckled as I slid into a booth in the far back corner of the café. One quick scan of the restaurant, and it was confirmed. We would indeed be the talk of the town by morning.
“Karen’s here,” I whispered.
Tripp rolled his eyes. “I take that back. Gives them something to talk about tonight. She’s already on the gossip text.”
“Gossip text?” I asked.
Leaning in closer, he spoke softly. “There is a group of women who are on a text message chain. It started as a ‘prayer chain.’” He used his fingers to do air quotes around prayer chain. “But in reality, it’s really the modern-day gossip mill.”
“Great,” I huffed as I sat back. “I hope Mallory won’t be upset with us eating dinner here together.”
Tripp’s eye appeared to twitch. “Mallory?”
Nodding, I said, “Yes, your girlfriend.”
When he opened his mouth to respond, I let my heart believe he was about to tell me they weren’t dating. That they were only friends. But I knew better.
“Evening, y’all,” Lilly said with a wide-as-Texas grin. “Fancy seeing y’all two in here together.”
Turning my attention to Lilly, I grinned, but it faded when Tripp spoke.
“We’re only here for business. That’s it.”
I tried not to let those words hit me in the gut like a hard punch. I had made my bed, and now I had to lie in it.
“Business, huh?” Lilly asked with a wink.
“Yes. Business only, Lilly. I’ll take a water and a coffee, please.”
Lilly’s eyes bounced between the two of us. For a brief moment she looked confused. I tried to force a smile and act normal, but the way Tripp was acting bothered me more than it should. It’s true; we were there for business. But the way he stressed it…twice…made me feel like I was doing something wrong.
“What will you have, Harley?”
“Water, please.”
“Y’all want to order some food?”
“No.”
“Yes.” Tripp looked at me confused. I had said no because all I wanted to do in that moment was run from the café and back home to the safety of my house.
“I thought we were having dinner?” he asked.
“Just the drinks for right now, Lilly,” I said.
She nodded and headed away.
“What’s wrong?” Tripp asked.
“Listen, Tripp, if you’re worried about people getting the wrong impression and this getting back to your girlfriend, then maybe we should only talk at your office during office hours.”
“What?” he asked with a stare.
I shook my head and looked down at my nails. For some reason, in that moment, I noticed how much I had let myself go since coming back to Oak Springs. I no longer went and had my nails done. I didn’t even remember the last time I’d worn my hair down…or washed it, for that matter. Okay, not true. I’d washed it two days ago.
Why would Tripp ever want someone like me when he had the perfectly polished Mallory? She owned her own business, was a successful single mom. Beautiful and always dressed to the nines. She was the perfect match for the future mayor of this town.
“Harley? Harley?”
When his hand touched mine I jumped back.
“Jesus, what’s wrong with you?”
I could feel the tears burning at the back of my eyes. Jesus, I’ve turned into a crybaby. “I, um…I just think we should talk at your office.”
“Nonsense. I meet with clients here all the time. I’m not worried what people will say.”
“It didn’t seem like that when Lilly said something. You were very defensive.”
He leaned back in the booth, took off his cowboy hat, and pushed his fingers through his hair. He let out a frustrated sigh as he set the hat down next to him. My stomach pulled with desire and all I could think about were the days my fingers went through his brown hair, giving it a small tug when I needed him to be deeper inside of me.
My tongue slid over my dry lips. Tripp’s eyes immediately landed on my mouth. I’d give anything to feel those lips on my skin.
Closing my eyes, I dropped my head and cursed. Christ above, Harley Carbajal. Knock it off and stow the dirty thoughts. He’s made it very clear he’s not interested, and he’s dating someone.
“I’m sorry if I made you feel like I didn’t want to be here.”
I held up my hands to stop him. “You don’t have to apologize. My emotions are just all over the place right now because of Doc’s brother, and I don’t know which end is up and which is down.”
He reached for my hand again but I pulled them both back and rested them in my lap.
Clearing his throat, he said, “I am seeing Mallory, yes. But we’re not…I mean, we are… It’s sort of…”
“Here are those two waters and a coffee. Are we getting food?” Lilly seemed annoyed. She looked at me with sympathy and at Tripp with frustration.
Before I could answer, Tripp did.
“Yes. I’ll take the special.”
Lilly faced me. “And for you, Harley?”
I wasn’t even sure what the special was, but I ordered it as well. “I’ll take the same.”
Scooping up the menus, Lilly gave me a wink. “Two specials it is.”
Watching her walk away, I wanted to call out to her. Ask her to sit down and join us. The thought of being alone with Tripp suddenly scared me to death.
“Do you even know what the special is, Lee?”
His pet name for me sounded so good. My eyes met his. I shook my head.
“I didn’t think so.”
He gave me a smile that melted my heart and had it breaking even more. Just when I was positive it couldn’t possibly break anymore, it kept proving me wrong.
“Doc’s brother came back into the picture claiming he has stakes in the clinic. Is that all you know?”
“Yes. I’ve been putting off talking to him and his lawyer for weeks now. I’m afraid my time is up. We’re meeting in the courthouse tomorrow at eleven AM.”
Tripp pulled out his phone, and I guessed he was pulling up his calendar.
“I’m free, so I can attend. I’ll get everything from Pete first thing in the morning and go over what he has. Once we meet with them we’ll be able to find out what in the hell is going on with the clinic, and you can go back to doing what you love.”
Tears formed in my eyes. “Th-thank you, Tripp.”
 
; “Don’t cry. God, Harley, please don’t cry. You know how much it kills me to see you cry.”
Wiping the tears from my cheeks, I looked down at my folded hands. “I’m sorry. It’s just…I thought things would be so different when I moved back here. Honestly, I don’t know what I was expecting or even thinking. Nothing has worked out like I thought it would and a part of me wonders if I should give him the clinic and just slip away.”
“Look at me.”
His voice was strong and commanding. Like it was when we were together. Memories flooded my mind all at once and I couldn’t have stopped the tears even if I tried. I knew people were staring at us. The gossips were probably typing out their text messages and snapping their clandestine pics now.
Harley is crying. Tripp’s told her to leave town. Oh, Harley’s now on the floor in a fetal position sobbing like an idiot. Click, click, click.
“I’m sorry for the way things worked out. But we can’t change the past.”
I swiped the tears away again and took a shaky breath. “We can’t,” I said. My voice shaking.
“But we were best friends at one time, Harley, and I don’t want to lose your friendship.”
A sick feeling settled in my stomach. Friends. He wanted to be friends.
Forcing a smile, I replied, “I don’t want to lose that either. Our friendship.”
His sweet, gentle smile should have made me feel better, but all it did was serve as a reminder of the terrible mistake I had made.
I’m an idiot. How could I ever think he would take me back after the pain I caused him?
“We’re going to figure this out, Harley. I swear to you. Once we meet with Gerald and his lawyers tomorrow and see exactly what proof they have of his claim, we’ll get this taken care of.”
Lilly walked over with two plates of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and fried okra. “Two specials. Anything else I can get y’all?”
Her eyes met mine. She could tell I had been crying. I could see the sympathy in her eyes.
“No thank you,” I said with a smile.
For years Lilly would hardly speak to me because of what I did to Tripp. I was pretty sure Waylynn had told her mother, Melanie, the truth and Melanie had spread it over town like wildfire. Probably like wildfire on the gossip text. I no longer got stares of anger, now they were looks of pity. The silly girl who lied to Tripp thinking she was doing the right thing only to have him ignore her for years…