Six

Never had the distance between her car and the front door of Everglades felt so far apart. However, the weight of her emotions combined with the idea of facing Wes made every step Noel took seem as if she trudged through quicksand. She didn’t know what she would say to him, not after the way he looked at her last night. She spent the entire night, after that, trying to get that image out of her mind, but unable to shake how hurt he appeared.

The thought brought her up short as she felt a tight constriction pressing in on her heart, Wes’ face once again filling her mind. She didn’t blame him for the way he left her last night. He had to feel betrayed, lied to and deceived by the woman who claimed to love him over the past few months. They were lovers, sharing everything except the truth of her past. Bull Creek was good for that. People moved there to keep their secrets and avoid their pasts, to make a fresh start without having to deal with things they weren’t ready to handle. That is, until the things they avoided showed back up, demanding their attention. Noel should have taken a lesson from Eve Hartlow’s past when the short blond woman’s abusive ex-boyfriend reappeared ready to drag Eve back home. Nothing stayed buried for long, and secrets always had a way of coming out, and then, people got hurt.

Wes hurt, and she didn’t blame him. This entire mess was her fault.

Just as Noel took another step, another car pulled into the parking lot, pulling her attention. Recognizing the dark burgundy Toyota of Brianna Hughes, another one of Wes’ serving girls and bartenders, Noel wondered if Wes had called out for the day. With her arms crossed over her chest, Noel stood still and waited for the other woman to join her before walking inside. She knew Wes hurt, but didn’t think he’d skip work to avoid her. Everglades was his second love. Or, maybe now, his first love.

Brianna had short-cropped dark hair that hugged the top of her neck, dark hazel eyes, and the softest complexion for someone who had lived her entire life in the Sunshine State. She wasn’t slender, but she wasn’t overweight, either, having that happy balance that gave the woman curves that kept the patrons watching her move around the tables. She also had the fullest set of breasts that Noel had seen outside of her own that always overflowed the woman’s top, making it a competition between those creamy globes or the cups of her ass that threatened to pop out from under her skirt every time she bent over for the attention of the customers of Everglades. There was no competition for Noel; she liked both top and bottom.

Brianna shoved her keys in her purse, and as she slung the strap over her shoulder, she finally noticed Noel standing there. “What are you doing here?” she asked, her brows pinched in confusion. “Wes said you weren’t coming in today.”

“I never told him that.” Although, I bet he hopes I don’t come in today. “He called you in to cover for me?”

“Yeah. Made me rush, too, as he didn’t call me until about thirty minutes ago. You didn’t call out?”

Noel sighed as she shook her head. “We had an issue last night, and I think he’s still dealing with it.”

Brianna stopped walking, holding a hand up, palm out. “Look, I don’t want to get in the middle of any lover’s quarrel. If you didn’t call out, I can just turn around and go back home. No big deal.”

Noel glanced back at the front of Everglades. “No, you made it here, and he called you. I’ll just take the day off and call him later.” Turning back to face Brianna, she tried to smile, but the pain she felt that Wes hadn’t even bothered to call her and tell her not to come in clutched at her heart, making the smile hard. “I hope you make lots of tips.”

Brianna arched an eyebrow at her. “On a Thursday afternoon? Everyone’s broke until tomorrow. We both know you’re getting the better deal here.” She straightened the purse strap on her shoulder and walked to the front of Everglades again. As she reached Noel, she paused a moment, her face an expression of sympathy as she reached out and placed a hand on Noel’s upper arm. “Whatever is going on, I hope the two of you get it fixed. You and he are too good together to let anything come between you for too long,” She gave Noel a soft smile, and then continued on her way.

Noel watched Brianna walk away, wishing she knew how to fix the situation between her and Wes, but seeing no way to do it. Well, I have the day off. What should I do with it? She didn’t have an answer for that, either. Turning back to her car, she dug her keys back out of her purse and tried to put Wes’ rejection out of her mind. They needed to talk; she knew, but just didn’t know what she should say. Then, there was Jake, who was still somewhere out there waiting on her to give him more of a reason for what she did and what she intended to do now. She didn’t have answers for him, either. God, the one morning I need something stronger than coffee, and the only bar in the area is closed off to me. This Thursday gets better and better.

She slid into the driver’s seat, slipped the keys into the ignition, and started her car. Yet, she had no destination in mind, so she just sat there, doing her best not to break into tears. She glanced back to the front door of Everglades, her guilt simmering toward anger at the fact that Wes wouldn’t even talk to her. He walked out on her last night, and now, today, had called Brianna in to take her place without even letting her know. Noel knew she screwed up, but he should at least give her the chance to explain. At least Jake, who she walked out on just before their wedding, had given her that much, allowed her to explain why she left.

Noel took a deep breath as she yanked the keys back out of the ignition, her decision made for better or worse. Wes needed to listen to her, and she would be damned if she’d allow him to shove her to the side because he didn’t want to deal with things. She shoved her car door open, slamming it shut once she got out, and stormed her way to the front door. They were going to talk whether or not Wes Stapleton wanted it.

She paused at the entrance a moment, the shift from bright day to the dark interior of the bar making her vision go dim a moment. However, once her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, she continued her march to the back of the bar and Wes’ office. Brianna stood by the bar, setting out the garnishments for drinks. She looked up at Noel, a crooked smile on her face as she gave Noel a short nod of approval and tilted her head toward the office. “He’s back there sulking.”

Noel just nodded as she continued on her path and the confrontation ahead. When she entered Wes’ office, he sat hunched over his desk staring at a picture of the two of them he had taken a few weeks back. They were fishing out on Crabgrass Creek, one of the few days he had taken off from the bar. He had his thick arms wrapped around her as he tried to teach her how to hold a fishing pole. They eventually gave up on fishing, and she showed him how she could hold his pole, and that it didn’t require bait. “We need to talk,” she said, closing the door behind her.

He glanced up at her, his dark eyes bloodshot, telling her how he must have spent his night. A pang twisted her gut, but she would not turn away. She knew she hurt him, and now, he needed to hear her reasons.

He nodded, leaning back in his chair. He gestured to the other chair in the room, still not saying anything. A cup of coffee sat on his desk, untouched by the looks of it.

She took a couple of deep breaths as she made her way over to the chair and sat down, giving herself time to gather her thoughts. Now that she sat here, in front of him, this idea didn’t seem like a good one. She should have thought it through better. She sat there a moment, wringing her hands as she tried to formulate her thoughts. Nothing for it but to jump right in, I suppose. After taking another deep breath, she said, “Wes, I love you. And I know I screwed up by keeping my relationship with Jake to myself but, I promise, I didn’t do it intentionally. I just…” She took another deep breath, doing her best to swallow the nervousness she felt at being rejected by the man across from her. “Right before our wedding is when I learned of shifters and anything to do with the paranormal. Oh, I heard rumors, sure, but I thought they were just tall tales people told each other around the campfire at night. Then, right before we’re supposed to tie the knot, Jake tells me he’s a bear shifter and all about the mating mark and what it might do to me.” She stared down at her hands, twirling her fingers around each other in her agitation. “I got scared and ran.” She shrugged. “I did some research online, came across Bull Creek, and decided I needed to get a closer look into what Jake wanted of me.” She glanced up at Wes, his eyes staring at her, giving her all the time she needed. His face showed no judgment, just patience. “It pissed me off, knowing he lied about who he really was, and I just wanted to get away from him.”

“And when you got here?” Wes asked, his expression never changing.

She gave him a weak smile. “I took over a cabin, found a job at the coolest bar around, and, while discovering all about shifters, fell in love with you, knowing who you were and all about the animal inside of you.”

“And I take it, you never reached out to Jake?”

She gave a sad shake of her head. “I know I should have, but by the time my anger fizzled, and I grasped what shifters were and how they mated, I was already in love with you. I never looked back, or even thought about it.”

He turned his gaze to his coffee cup, reaching out and twirling it with his fingertips. “But he’s here, feeling the same mating call that I feel. How are we going to deal with that?”

She shrugged as she shifted in her seat. “To be honest, I don’t know, but I know we will. Wes, unless you toss me out on my ass, I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here, with you, and we’ll figure this out. Together.”

He just stared at her a moment, and she could see the war going on within him. She meant what she said. She wasn’t going anywhere. While she had no idea what came next, she knew part of it involved Wes. A major part.

After what seemed like forever, Wes finally gave a slow nod as he turned his attention back to her. “All right, we’ll see where this goes.” She watched his shoulders rise and fall with the deep breath he took. “I guess, I should talk to Jake,” he said.