“Well, if it isn’t little Miss City Girl.” I knew that voice. Once my feet were safely planted back on the floor, I turned to face none other than Levi James. He was no longer the scrawny boy from high school, definitely a man now. Tall, built from all the manual labor on his ranch, and confidence rolling off of him in waves. Just another person I’d missed desperately.
“Decided to return home finally?” He smiled, already knowing a little more detail about my city life than most. Levi had always been like a big brother to me, nothing more. We didn’t look at one another any other way. Over the years I was trying to tackle LA, he was my sounding board. He’d heard in great detail of all my failures and yes, even some of my accomplishments. Though I felt like those were few and far between. But talking on the phone or video chat was nothing like the real thing.
“I knew you missed me, so I felt like I’d better come back, for your sake.”
Grinning wide, that familiar gleam in his eyes, some things hadn’t changed. Most of the girls in town thought of him as dreamy and charming, they giggle in his presence and do about anything to gain his attention. But to me he’d always be the boy I wasn’t afraid to show my true self in front of.
We chatted and teased one another until Jessie called out Anna and my name. After saying a quick goodbye to Levi with the promise of getting together very soon, we slipped out of the shop and immediately I regretted it.
Wishing I’d stayed a little longer, maybe around a few other people to chat with, but my good day had gone to shit real fast.
My drink was smashed between my chest and that of another. An unforgiving, strong, masculine chest that belonged to someone much taller than me. The whipped cream, and drizzled caramel that I’d been dreaming about from the very second Anna mentioned it to me was no longer drinkable. The sweater I wore was adhered to my chest by the sticky substance and I almost cried at its loss.
“Shit,” the mumbling of a man and then Anna’s giggle pulled my attention away from my shirt and I looked up. My heart feeling as though it seized in my chest, and the easy breathing became much more difficult.
My cup fell from my hand and the remaining contents sloshing from the cup and landing on both my shoes and those of the biggest asshole of my adolescent life.
Wyatt Murphy, wearing a cop uniform and a sympathetic look that only managed to infuriate me more.
Chapter Three
Wyatt
* * *
“I’m so sorry.” I bent down and grabbed the cup, then gently grabbed the woman’s hand and pulled her off to the side. “I was too busy looking at my phone.” She appeared flustered and I couldn’t blame her. I’d just plowed into her and what drink she did have, she was now wearing.
“Let me get you a new one,” I offered, like that would help, but I was at a loss. She seemed familiar, though I couldn’t place her. Something about her was like a blast from the past, only I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
“I’m fine,” she insisted, and tried to walk around me only I sidestepped to block her path. She was beautiful in the sweet innocent kind of way.
“Really you gotta let me do something—,”
“I think you’ve already done enough.” I noticed the way her nostrils flared as she looked up at me. I knew her, in that instant I knew I did. But there was something about her I couldn’t quite pinpoint. “Anna.” She motioned to the person at her side and that was the moment I realize exactly who this beauty was.
Sadie Michaels, the girl I’d stood up my senior year. The girl I’d thought of often only I’d pictured her as the girl with glasses, a sweet smile and a wild array of curly hair. The same girl I wished I’d gone out with instead of going two towns over to hook up with some cheerleader who later ended up as a fiancé. The same fiancé that couldn’t keep herself out of another man’s bed.
“Real smooth, Wyatt.” Anna, my best friend’s wife shoved my shoulder and I stumbled, still completed lost in the memories of my youth. I was a dumb kid, with a one tracked mind and shit friends that I’d allowed to lead my decisions. “You don’t just owe her a caramel macchiato, you owe her a hell of a lot more.”
“He doesn’t owe me a thing.” Again, the hatred she obviously held for me was written all over her face. Narrowed eyes, her lips pressed tightly together as if trying her best to avoid saying what she truly felt. Her nostrils flared, and that alone was enough to indicate she wanted to be anywhere else but standing in front of me.
Before I had the chance to say anything more Sadie walked off and left me staring after her.
“Bet you’re wishing that you didn’t pull a dick move by leaving her waiting on her front porch for you while you ran after a bimbo in a skirt. She’s hot, and you missed out. Karlie was your karma, I’ve told you that for years.” Anna flipped her long dark hair, the reflection of purple catching the light just right. Beau had managed to land the sassiest girl in town, and she kept him on his toes. Daily, she hassled him, and he’d fallen in line. He was a sucker for Anna, had always been and always would be. Hell, she kept everyone on their toes.
“Still pissing off the ladies I see.” Levi walked out of Java Jitters holding a cup of coffee in his hand. Lifting it to his lips he took a swallow, hiding his smirk behind his cup. I knew he was close with Sadie, they were always together years back. I used to think there was something between them, but now I know they’ve never been more than friends.
“You think you can—”
Holding up his hand he shook his head, “Let me stop ya right there. In no way am I sticking my neck out for you. That mess is all yours to clean up. The one today and the one you made years ago.”
Levi, just as the ladies had, walked off and left me standing in a puddle of sticky goo and no resolution to the problem I’d now had on my hands.
Sadie Michaels was back, and she was one hell of a woman. Built perfectly in all the right places, and those eyes, damn her eyes were intense. They were almost emerald in contrast to her dark hair. She’d always had amazing eyes. It was one of the first things I’d noticed about her, even in high school.
Looking across the table in Biology, seeing her looking back at me like I was a God, it fed my ego. I loved the way she looked at me, but all my friends, the assholes who thought they ruled the world thought Sadie was beneath us. Problem was, I let an image I was trying to convey become the most important thing to me.
I hadn’t thought of those years in so long. Chalking up the choices I’d made as nothing more than a lost cause, I couldn’t do anything about now.
One wrong move and I ended up with a girl who at the time I thought was the perfect key to the image I was striving for. A football star with a hot cheerleader on at my side.
The same hot cheerleader became one of the ugliest people I’ve ever had in my life. After I blew my knee out the final game of my senior year, the dreams going pro were no longer a reality. Karlie stuck around which surprised me. But I was still blinded by the girl. She showed me all the attention I was in need of, carried herself with a pride at the time I actually respected.
What a joke!
Too many years later I found out what I thought we’d had wasn’t even close to the reality. She’d tell me what I needed to hear, but she was telling those same things to another guy when I wasn’t around.