Chapter 29
My cheeks still tingled from the late afternoon sun as I slid into the booth at the local bar. I tucked a stray curl behind my ear, glancing across the table at Hattie, who was already waving down the bartender for a round of celebratory drinks. Wes slid into a chair beside Maisie, his Stetson resting on the seat next to him.
The photo shoot had been Hattie’s idea—a “fun, new business idea that she had,” she’d said, and I had reluctantly agreed to help her not knowing that I would be her first victim in this new business endeavor. I hadn’t expected Wes to be the mystery cowboy, nor had I expected the old ache in my chest to flare up the moment he smiled at me, but I knew it was all for show for the camera. It had been a month since our one night together and a month since he told me it was a mistake, that things wouldn’t work out between us. I had tried to move on, but seeing him again—his easy grin, the way he tipped his hat—had made my heart stumble all over again.
Now, with the shoot behind us and the bar humming with the night energy, I tried to relax. Hattie was in high spirits, recounting the funniest moments from the afternoon. “Maisie, you should’ve seen your face when Wes dipped you for that last shot!” she said as he winked at me over her glass.
I rolled my eyes and laughed, grateful for the teasing. “I was taken off guard is all. Won’t happen again.” As I throw that last part out there and took a quick glance towards Wes.
Wes grinned and his eyes pinned me to my seat, but the smile did not reach his eyes.
Maisie rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help smiling. The drinks arrived—a glass of whiskey for Wes and I, a margarita Hattie. We clinked our glasses, toasting to “successful shoots and surviving awkward moments,” as Hattie put it.
After a couple of rounds, the conversation turned to old stories and small-town gossip. I found myself relaxing, the tension between me and Wes softening just a little. But then Hattie glanced at her phone and groaned.
“I have to go,” she said, sliding out from behind the table. “My mom’s got me on dog-sitting duty tonight. Don’t let Wes talk your ear off, Maisie. He’s full of tall tales.”
I laughed, but my heart thudded as Hattie hugged her goodbye and disappeared into the crowd. Suddenly, it was just Wes, the air between us thickened with every unsaid word.
For a moment, we sat in silence, nursing our drinks. I stared to trace the rim of my glass, searching for something safe to say. But Wes beat me to it.
“So,” he said, his voice low, “I heard you went out with Preston last week.”
My cheeks flushed. I hadn’t expected him to bring up Preston, not after everything that had happened between us. I shrugged, trying to sound casual. “Yeah, He’s nice.” That all I could muster up to say. I took another sip and looked over the rim of my glass and saw that he was watching ever move that I was making. I started to get hot under his stare and I needed to get out of this bar sooner then later.
Wes finally nodded as he took a drink and his gaze shifted to his whiskey glass. He was twirling it around on the table, “You like him?”
I hesitated. Preston was sweet, funny, and easy to talk to. But he wasn’t Wes. “He’s… easy to be around,” I said finally. “It was just one date.”
Wes was quiet for a moment, then looked up at me, his blue eyes searching. “I’m glad you’re getting out there. You deserve someone that treats you like a queen.”
My heart twisted. I wanted to ask him why he’d pushed me away, why he’d said that we wouldn’t work when it had felt so right. But I bit my tongue, afraid of what he might say.
Instead, I forced a smile. “Thanks, Wes. That means a lot.”
He nodded, but the silence stretched between us, heavy and awkward. I took another sip of my drink and looked around the whole bar just to avoid the person sitting in front of me.
Wes cleared his throat. “Maisie, about… about that night. I know I hurt you. I just—things were complicated. I didn’t want to mess things up for you.”
I looked at him, my eyes shining. “You didn’t mess things up, Wes. I just wish you would been honest with me.”
He ran a hand through his hair, looking away. “I was scared. I thought I wasn’t what you needed.”
My voice was soft. “You don’t get to decide that for me.”
He looked back at me, regret etched across his face. “I know.. and I’m sorry.”
They sat in silence, the noise of the bar swirling around us. I felt the old ache in my chest coming back, but it was softer now, dulled by time and the comfort of being near him again.
After a while, Wes spoke. “Preston’s a good guy. If you like him, you should give him a chance.”
I smiled sadly. “Maybe. But I think I need to figure out what I want first.”
Wes nodded, his expression gentle. “That’s fair.”
We finished our drinks in companionable silence, the awkwardness slowly giving way to something like understanding. When Wes offered to walk me home, I hesitated, then agreed. Outside, the night was cool and quiet, the stars bright above the rooftops.
As we walked, I felt a sense of peace settle over me. Things between Wes and were still complicated, still tangled with old feelings and regrets. But for the first time, I felt like maybe—just maybe—we could find our way back to being friends.
When we reached the side of the bakery, we both paused, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. “Maisie, I really am sorry. For everything.”
I smiled, my heart lighter than it had been in months. “I know, Wes. Me too.”
He tipped his hat, a shy smile tugging at his lips. “Goodnight, Maisie.”
“Goodnight, Wes.”
I watched him walk away, the ache in my chest slowly getting dull. Maybe things hadn’t worked out the way I had planned or hoped. But maybe, just maybe, they were exactly as they were meant to be.