Chapter 13

Chapter

Thirteen

Easton enjoyed the time with his brothers and Cassie, marveling that she could go from yelling at him earlier to melting into his arms now. He wasn’t about to complain. Though he really wanted to kick his little brothers out and get to the bottom of her thinking he’d cheated with some redhead before she cheated with Baxter, he didn’t see his brothers near enough and Cassie was clearly enjoying their banter.

They drew her out about her degree, her wedding planner career, and Presley, but neither of them asked about her husband. That was probably for the best as her husband was a murdering psycho and Easton didn’t want her to feel embarrassed about that. The guy had played mind games with her while she was vulnerable and alone. It was not Cassie’s fault that she’d fallen for him.

It was after ten when Houston said, “We’d better vamanos , as Marci would say. Cassie has a big day tomorrow. ”

“I’m excited about it.”

“Not as excited as Clint and Miles.” Rhett rolled his eyes. “I’ve never seen such tough guys get all sappy. Not quite as bad as Easton here though.”

Easton took the ribbing. He didn’t even jump at his brother and put him in a headlock like he should. Mostly because he’d have to release his hold on Cassie.

“I like him sappy,” Cassie said, gazing up at him with those teal-blue eyes.

“Good,” he said. “Because after we get rid of these two yahoos, I’m going to be more sappy than you’ve ever seen. ‘I’m a fool, fool for you,’” he sang Alan Jackson’s words.

“Whoa!” Houston cried out. “He sings?”

“You got me, bro,” Rhett muttered.

Cassie raised her eyebrows. “I look forward to that.”

Easton’s heart raced. Was she serious or playing for the crowd? She’d acted completely different with Rhett and Houston here. It was like old times. Was she ready to forgive and forget or at least talk it out, or had she simply fallen into their former patterns?

“That’s our cue to get out of here,” Rhett said.

They all stood, and Easton and Cassie walked them to the door. Each of his brothers gave her a hug. He did smack Rhett upside the head when he held her longer than was necessary, dwarfing her with his six-four contractor build.

“Hey,” Rhett said, but he grinned and didn’t hit him back. He knew when he was in the wrong.

They finally said their goodbyes and strode off into the cold night.

Easton shut the door, deadbolted it, and turned to her.

Cassie bit her lip, folded her arms across her chest, and suddenly looked nervous. Oh, no.

“Can we talk?” he asked.

Her mouth twisted and her teal-blue eyes darkened. Was she going to refuse him? He wanted to be patient and he was fully committed, but he was dying to resolve this.

“Okay,” she finally said. She walked back over to the couch.

Easton followed her, sitting down next to her. Where to start? How to prove he hadn’t kissed some redhead when he and Cassie were together?

“I shouldn’t have let down my guard with Rhett and Houston here,” she started with.

“Excuse me?” He turned to see her better.

“I don’t want to give you the wrong impression.” She paused and studied her hands. “You broke my heart six years ago, Easton. That heartbreak drove me into the arms of a controlling, emotionally abusive husband who I know now is a murderer. I’m not sure how to heal from that or trust you won’t cheat on me with some other redhead.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Easton lifted his hands. “I hate the thought that I ever hurt you or that you turned to that scum Baxter, but this all stemmed from you seeing a photo and thinking I cheated on you?”

“Yes.” She folded her hands together.

“You never even asked me.”

She studied him. “You’re right. I saw the photo right before that fateful wedding. I was a mess that night but focused on my job. I got through the night and the wedding went well. Baxter asked me to dance and I reluctantly agreed, not wanting to upset my boss. Then you came in like a thunderstorm, knocking him down. I was furious at you for cheating on me and I didn’t stop to ask you about it in the middle of that nightmarish situation. I’d just pulled off one of the biggest weddings in upstate New York, my boss was congratulating me, and then my boyfriend wrecked the entire event.”

Easton drew in a breath. He could’ve been more diplomatic, not gone straight to violence, but he’d been a twenty-two-year-old hothead in love with her and defending that love.

“There’s something else.” She studied the coffee table. “A year after that awful night, Baxter had patiently been there for me and dated me. He asked me to marry him. I decided I had to find you and know if there was any chance we could work things out. I still loved you, even though you’d cheated on me.”

His stomach curdled. He wanted to protest, but he didn’t know how to prove she was wrong about that.

“I was able to find a rodeo you were on the schedule for in Amarillo. I flew down there.”

“What? I never saw you at any of my rodeos after we broke up.”

She nodded, very sober. The sorrow in her eyes broke his heart. “I watched you ride, and you were brilliant and brave. Mesmerizing.”

“Of course I was,” he tried to tease.

“You won the bull riding.” She swallowed, not rising to his bait. “After it was over, I went to find you. You were by your trailer, with a brunette on one arm and a blonde on the other. The brunette grabbed you and kissed you. Then the blonde tugged at you, begging for her turn.” She was pale and looked physically sick. “That year I’d seen you splayed over social media with a different girl every weekend and it about killed me. Seeing it in person destroyed me. I ran away and promised myself I’d never trust you or get close to you again.” She edged slightly away from him. “But here I am.”

It hurt. It all hurt. How to defend himself? How to prove that he was loyal to her the entire time they dated and would be fiercely loyal to her now?

“Cass.” He wanted to reach for her, but she was stiff and leaning away from him. “I am so sorry you saw me kissing some girl in Amarillo. I don’t know that it helps, but none of the girls I dated since we broke up have held my interest. I only wanted you and was only trying to salve the wound of losing you and hoping I could find someone like you. I never could.”

Cassie raised her shoulders and lowered them. She looked broken. He knew her ex had hurt her in many ways, and it dug at him to think he had damaged her as well.

“I want to figure out what photo you saw of me and some redhead. Do you remember the magazine?” He didn’t know if it would solve everything, but it would be a place to start. Her thinking he’d cheated on her had been the instigator to her yelling at him at that wedding and believing he wasn’t loyal. It had broken her heart. He’d basically driven her into Baxter’s evil arms, even though he’d had no idea what he’d done.

She pursed her lips and said, “I think it was Western Lifestyles or Western Life Today .”

“Probably Western Life Today .” He opened his phone, his hands not quite steady. He Googled the magazine’s name, 2018, and his name. Several articles came up. He clicked on the first one. It was an interview with him and Walker about their soaring careers.

Please, Lord , he begged as he stared at his phone. Please help me love Cassie the way she needs and heal her. If possible, help me prove I was loyal to her and always will be .

He clicked on the next article and immediately his eyes widened. There was a photo of him dipping a redhead back and kissing her passionately. The caption said something about bull rider Easton Coleville receives congratulations from one of his many admirers. He stared at the photo and tried to dissect, tried to prove it couldn’t be him. The build and jawline and hat looked like his.

Cassie leaned a little closer, looked at the photo, blanched and eased even farther away. “That’s it,” she whispered.

He looked at the date on the photo. It was posted a few days before the fateful day he’d gone to find her at her wedding event.

Oh, man. This looked bad. But he knew he hadn’t kissed anyone while he was dating Cassie. He’d turned down so many women at different rodeos he had been labeled ‘the celibate’. Until he and Cassie broke up; then he became ‘the player’.

“I can’t believe this.” He shook his head. “I promise you I didn’t kiss any girl while we were dating. I swear it.” He met Cassie’s gaze, sick to his stomach and praying she’d believe him.

She didn’t. The anguish in her eyes revealed that.

“The proof is right there, Easton.” She hugged herself. “Please. This just hurts. It destroyed me back then and it still digs deep. I can’t … I can’t trust you when I know you cheated while we were still dating.”

“I didn’t,” he protested, but it sounded weak even in his own ears.

He focused back on that photo, trying to see if there was some way to prove his innocence. It wasn’t a clear shot of his face, mostly his back, his jawline, his hat, and the side of the girl’s face.

Cassie stood, and he knew she was about to flee.

Please help me , he begged his Father above.

“Wait a minute,” he said, standing and putting a hand on her arm. “Please. Look at …” What? What defense did he have? He glanced at the photo and his eyes widened. “The shirt! Look at the shirt, Cass.”

Cassie lifted her palms. “Easton, I don’t know what shirts you wear anymore.”

“I don’t own a red plaid shirt and have never worn any kind of red at a rodeo. I would never do that.”

Her gaze was wary. “How do you know?”

“It’s a fallacy that bulls see red but still the clowns wear red. Maybe it’s superstitious, but I don’t like red. I would never wear red to a rodeo.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “Maybe you changed your shirt after the rodeo.”

“No.” He was growing more certain by the minute. “This is Walker.”

“What?” She eased in closer to his phone and stared at it. “You’re not identical, but you do look similar. Do you think the magazine could have messed up your names?” Her voice sounded hopeful.

“Yes.” Relief rushed through him as his certainty grew. “Do you mind if I call Walker to verify?”

“Please.” She moistened her lips.

Easton’s hopes spiked as he pushed the side button of his phone and said, “Call the Sigma Twin.”

“The Sigma?” she mouthed.

“Funny story. I’ll tell you later.” Hopefully he’d tell her later. Hopefully they could put at least this piece of pain to rest. Cassie had been through so much, was still going through it with that creep Baxter after her. Easton wanted to heal her, not ever cause her pain.

He pushed the speaker button as it rang, hoping Cassie hearing the conversation would confirm it.

“Hey, bro. How are you? How’s Cassie and Presley?”

“We’re all right. I need you to help me with something.”

“Anything.”

Easton knew that was true. His brother would do anything for him. “I need you to think back to a rodeo in …” He looked at the photo and some lines of the article below it. “Cheyenne, August of 2018.”

“Um … okay. That was a few years ago.”

“Six. Do you remember after you won the rodeo, a redhead kissing you and it was photographed for a magazine?”

“Oh yeah. I do, actually. Her name was Shirlene and she sent me a text with the photo. We were both laughing because they thought it was you. I never showed you that?”

Easton was studying Cassie. “No.”

Her teal-blue eyes went wide and then they softened. She grabbed the phone out of his hand. “Thank you, Walker. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Hello, Cassie.” There was laughter in Walker’s voice. “You two have a good night.”

“We will,” Cassie said with conviction.

Easton’s entire body lit up. After six excruciating years, was his Cassie finally going to commit to be his again?

“Love. You know Shirlene is past history,” they heard Walker say before the phone disconnected.

Cassie grimaced as she set the phone on the coffee table. “Uh-oh. Did we just get him in trouble?”

“Doubtful.” Easton eased closer. “Marci is so gone over him, he’ll have her kissing him within ten seconds.” If only he could have Cassie kissing him, but more importantly forgiving him and being willing to commit to him again.

She stared up at him. Her teal-blue eyes were bright. A tear spilled over her thick lashes and dribbled down her cheek.

“Cass?” Easton gathered her into his arms. Should she be crying right now? He had no sisters. Though he may have become an expert on flirting and first dates, he’d never had a relationship with a woman besides Cassie. He wasn’t an expert on female emotions, but shouldn’t Cassie be happy and relieved? He’d felt they both were before the water works started. He’d never seen her so emotional, even the night she drove away ten years ago.

“Sorry,” she mumbled into his neck. She wrapped her arms around him and clung to him. “I’m just trying to process.” She shuddered and cuddled closer. After a few beats, she looked up at him, beautiful, vulnerable, upset. “All those lost years. All that heartache. Losing you. Marrying Baxter… And all that horrific downward spiral began because a magazine article got your name wrong. Oh, Easton.” She buried her head in his neck and cried.

Easton held her, rubbing her back and praying in gratitude that they’d figured out the mess, asking for help to heal her.

A couple minutes passed. She looked up at him.

“‘I loved you yesterday, I will love you forever,’” Easton sang the Tommy Rice song. “‘You are my life, my love, forever.’”

He lowered his head and kissed the moisture on her cheek. She sucked in a breath and clung to him. He longed to kiss her lips, but he wanted her to be ready, wanted to heal her and prove he would be here for her. Not just steal a kiss when she wasn’t ready.

Easton Coleville had officially left not taking anything serious, pretending to be a playboy while being broken inside, and teenage lingo behind. He was a hundred percent Cassie’s devoted man now, and that was the only title he cared about. Until he could be her husband and Presley’s dad.

“Do you hate me?” she asked.

“Hate you?” Easton shook his head, befuddled she could even think of that question. “Cass. There isn’t a world where I could hate you. Even when I was broken, angry, and longing for you, I only loved you.”

She smiled. It looked watery. Was she going to cry again? He didn’t mind. He’d hold her and let her cry all night if she wanted.

“I just can’t believe all that pain could’ve been avoided if I would’ve just done some research, slowed down and talked things through with you. I can’t wrap my mind around it.”

“I understand.” He felt the same regrets. “I wish we could change it all, but I don’t blame you, Cass.”

“You’re amazing,” she proclaimed.

“Now that I know.” He grinned.

She laughed.

“My sweet but sassy Cass.” His gaze trailed over her beautiful face, focusing on her teal-blue eyes. “Please don’t blame yourself. It was a misunderstanding that escalated. It was nobody’s fault. I shouldn’t have come in so hot at that wedding and knocked Baxter down.” He shrugged. “Actually, I really liked that part. But I should’ve slowed down and figured out how to talk it all through with you, not made a scene and stormed off.”

“My tough but beautiful Easton,” she said, smiling at him. “Please don’t blame yourself. ”

He chuckled.

“Maybe we both had to go through all these hard times so we would appreciate each other even more,” she said softly, as if testing the words. “When I left Coleville ten years ago it broke me to leave you, but I didn’t want to come back and I despaired that you’d never want to leave. I didn’t know how we’d ever end up together and it gouged at me.”

Easton nodded. He’d had the same worries, not sure how to reconcile leaving his family and his town and his life but never wanting to be permanently without Cassie.

“Now I love being here. I have succeeded at my wedding planning, but that’s not my top dream anymore. You are. You and Presley and your family.” She bit her lip and looked more enticing than ever.

“Cassie Johnston, are you proposing to me?” All of his dreams were coming together. God had blessed that broken road that led him to be here for Cassie, to grow and be the man she and Presley needed.

“No.” She smiled impishly. “My cowboy love is too manly not to woo me with the most beautiful proposal ever. When the time is right.”

Easton grinned. He thought the time was right now, but he’d do the thing right, find the most beautiful engagement ring, and knock her off her feet with his proposal. Could he use the song “Take my hand”?

“I’ll wait a few days on that one.” He winked. “But I think the time is right for …” He dipped his head toward hers, grateful for the healing they’d found tonight and the hope in the future and anxious to kiss her for a very long time.

“Hold that thought,” she whispered, moving slightly out of his reach.

“What? ”

He blinked in confusion as she jumped to her feet, tossed a flirtatious wink at him, and then ran up the stairs.

Easton was dizzy. He leaned against the couch, wanting her in his arms, wishing she’d hurry back.

Everything was healed between them. He hoped.

He was so in love with her. He prayed in gratitude and hope for their future.