Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Roth looked down at the phone in his hand. A text message notification had come in just as he'd ended a call with Ryker. His brother was checking to make sure he was still going to stop by the tailor to get his measurements taken.

The actual tuxedos were being made by a haberdasher in Las Vegas. A place called Savile. His brother being his brother, he wouldn't accept the measurements Roth rattled off as accurate, he wanted a professional to take them. So, he'd made arrangements with someone in Houston.

It was a good thing Roth was already planning to be in the city to handle some business. He'd groused about potentially making a special trip just to have his legs measured, but he would've done it. If for no other reason than to keep his brother from worrying about something so small being handled.

He was actively walking through the nondescript shopping complex when Ryker called. Their conversation was quick, but Roth stopped to read the message he'd received from his Sugar.

I won't be over tonight. I'm going to stay with Granny. We're cooking dinner and having a girls' night.

Frowning at the screen, Roth bit the inside of his lip. Here she goes with this shit again. They were both well aware that she didn't come over as much as she was always there. Most of the clothes she'd brought with her were at the Lazy Creek. She'd have to pack a bag to spend the night at her Grandma Hattie's. Not the other way around.

However, she didn't want to admit she was essentially living with him. It wasn't a secret where she'd spent the majority of the last three months. With him. In his bed. Waking beside him each morning.

When will you be home?

Propping against the wall a few stores away from the place Ryker made the appointment, Roth watched the cellphone screen as the notification bubbles appeared, disappeared, then reappeared before Autumn's next message came over.

I'll see you tomorrow. I may have breakfast with Granny, then I have a meeting at the Daley Group. I'll come over when I'm done.

Roth's gut tightened. They'd parted ways earlier when she'd left to follow up with someone about an issue she'd been working on for the company. That was hours ago. Now she was saying he wouldn't see her again for possibly another twenty-four hours? Nope. That wasn't gonna happen.

If you don't think you can make it home for breakfast in the morning, I'll come by Miss Hattie's before I check in with the guys.

Roth...

Gotta go. I'm about to be late for my appointment.

Slipping the phone into this back pocket, Roth grinned to himself. Two can play that game, Sugar. He knew he was pushing her buttons with his insistence on calling the Lazy Creek their home. But, that's because it was. She just needed to come to grips with it.

Once he was done imitating a mannequin in the tailor's shop, Roth had a thought. Looking around, he located a visual display which included a map of the shopping area. Finding the place he needed, he set off in the direction of the custom scent shop.

Just as he drew near the store featuring the two interlocked letter Es representing the shop's name, Essence Envy, Roth noticed movement in his periphery. It was a public place, so people being nearby wasn't unexpected, but intuition prodded him to look to his left.

Initially, the couple didn't look familiar. However, when the man turned, Roth saw his full face. Years had passed, but he was nearly certain he was looking at Autumn's former fiancé.

Roth's suspicion was confirmed when the woman he was with said the man's name.

"Russell. Russell!" Jerking back around, the cousin fucker looked at the woman with wide eyes before his expression settled into a frown.

"What?"

"I want to go in here."

"For what?"

"It's a clothing store." The woman responded dryly. "To look at clothes."

Roth didn't catch Russell's response and didn't really care. He'd reached his destination. Ducking to miss the bell tinkling above the door, Roth stepped into Essence Envy without looking back.

"Good afternoon, sir. Welcome to Essence Envy. Can I help you create something?"

The cheerful greeting and offer came from a pretty woman with a dark bronze complexion. Her hair framed her face in waves making her look like she should be on an advertisement for a tropical vacation.

"Yes, ma'am. You can. I'd like to get a few things made, but I'm not sure where to start."

"Call me, Julia."

Her smile broadened as she waved him over to a counter containing small bottles filled with liquids ranging in color from clear to dark brown. Once they were there, she began asking questions. After they'd established he wasn't looking for anything for himself, the queries became more specific.

Roth was on the verge of regretting his bright idea by the time he set the small cup of coffee grounds onto the counter to sniff the latest fragrance she presented to him. As he waved the scent stick under his nose, he listened as she described the scent and the notes it would add to the overall fragrance they were crafting.

Nodding in agreement, Roth passed it back. They had just finished discussing the particular products when the bell above the door tinkled announcing a new customer.

"Hello. Welcome to Essence Envy. Feel free to look around, I'll be with you in just a moment."

Glancing over his shoulder, Roth saw the cousin fucker and the woman from earlier. While the woman immediately began wandering around to the different displays, he hung back. Enough time had passed for Roth's anger at the way Russell hurt Autumn to dim. So, the urge to kick his ass again wasn't as strong. But his disdain for the shit stain remained solid. Which meant the option wasn't completely off the table.

"Okay, Mr. Stephens, I can have everything ready for you by tomorrow afternoon. However, if you're willing to wait for twenty to thirty minutes, you can take the perfume with you today."

Roth looked at his watch. He had the time. The problem was, even when he was a teenager, hanging out at the mall had never been his thing. Loitering around the store wasn't looking like a viable choice either. He didn't give two shits about the woman and her unfaithful companion, but Roth couldn't one hundred percent trust himself if Russell made the mistake of speaking to him. In the few seconds of his hesitation, Julia spoke again.

"I promise it won't be longer than that. Our other perfumer is due back any moment. So, I'll be able to give it my undivided attention. You can also watch the process."

As if Julia conjured her, the door behind the counter opened and another woman walked through.

"Right on cue. Should I get to work on the perfume, Mr. Stephens?"

Seeing the other perfumer approach the couple to engage them, Roth nodded. Taking a seat on one of the stools in front of the mixing station, he settled in to wait. Watching Julia take the scented oils he selected, measure them out, and begin the blending process was actually very interesting.

While he was conscious of the others in the store, he was able to regulate their presence to an awareness only level. That is until he detected elevated voices with an angry undercurrent. Swiveling on the stool, he regarded the couple. Their voices weren't loud, but his situational awareness training hadn't dulled simply because he left the military.

The other perfumer's back was to the couple and the woman was glaring at Russell. His expression projected a mix of defiance and annoyance.

"Are you seriously doing this right in my face?"

"Doing what, Lucy? Being polite to the person helping you spend my money?"

"Don't play crazy with me. I'm not stupid."

Brushing her off, Russell looked away. When his gaze landed on Roth, there was no attempt on Roth's part to pretend he wasn't listening to the exchange. From the rings on their fingers and the content of the conversation, it sounded as if the cousin fucker and his pretend cousin, Lucy, were still together.

If Roth hazarded a guess, he'd been as faithful to her as he'd been to Autumn. Not a surprise. He'd seen it too many times to count with members of his unit and soldiers on post. Cheaters didn't stop cheating simply because one partner wouldn't put up with their shit. And the woman they cheated with simply became the next woman they cheated on .

Apparently, Russell's attempt to ignore Lucy only served to make her angrier.

"Are you fucking her too?"

"What?! Are you serious? I don't even know this woman. I only came in this damn store because you've begged me to spend some time with you. I do what you want, and you start shit with me for being polite. I can't fucking win."

Stomping away from her, Russell beat a path to the door while Lucy trailed after him. She was immediately contrite and apologetic, but the asshole never stopped walking. Shaking his head, Roth didn't turn back toward Julia until they were gone.

Julia was a woman of her word. In less than thirty minutes, she presented him with a package prettily wrapped in lavender and pink paper with a bow affixed to the top. She placed it inside a bag with the store logo on the front. Paying for the item and the remainder of his order, Roth thanked her before leaving.

He'd completely put the interaction he'd observed between Lucy and Russell out of his mind. His thoughts had already turned to his plans for the remainder of the evening. There was one more stop he needed to make before heading back to the ranch. A grin tilted his lips as he thought about it.

"I suppose that was funny to you."

Bitter words laced with tears came to Roth from a bench to his left. Not breaking stride, he didn't bother to look at or acknowledge Lucy. There was no reason to. They'd never been more than passing acquaintances all those years ago. He owed her nothing.

The quick tapping of her footfalls on the pavement told him his lack of response wasn't going to deter her. With a heaving sigh, he stopped. Piercing her with an aggravated expression, Roth already knew he'd regret even speaking to her.

"Lady, I don't know, nor do I care to know you. So, no. I don't find anything funny, since I wasn't even thinking about either of you."

Having said his piece, Roth resumed his trek to his truck. When the taps against the concrete continued to follow him, he stopped again. His arms remained at his side with the small bag looped onto two fingers on his left hand.

"What do you want?" Roth had neither the time nor inclination to play nice.

"I know who you are."

"So do I. What's your point?"

"I know people in Lone Star Ridge. They told me you and Autumn are a thing now."

"What the fuck does that have to do with you?"

Roth's scowl deepened. This conversation was pointless, but his gut said the only way to keep her from following him to his truck was to get it over with.

Instead of answering his question, she continued to ramble. "They told me you bought her in a charity auction. That you dropped a hundred thousand dollars on her."

Her face could've been pretty, if it wasn't filled with such bitterness and obvious jealousy.

"What do y'all see in her? She's not worth all that effort."

Roth didn't owe her an explanation, but he wouldn't allow her to talk bad about Autumn in his presence.

"Look, lady. And I use that word loosely. I don't owe you or anyone else an explanation for what I do with my money. But as for Autumn Daley, what she's worth can't be measured in currency. If you can't see it, that's a you problem.

You're jealous and bitter. Again, a you problem. But it's in your best interest to swallow that shit and pretend you never met her. Whatever is going on with you and the cheating shit stain you married has nothing to do with me and Autumn."

Dismissing her, he continued to his vehicle. When he'd made it two steps, he heard the tip-tap of steps coming closer. Whirling on her, he gave her the full force of his glare.

"Stop fucking following me." The low, near growl was laced with his frustration. What the fuck was this woman's damage? "I'm not your minister, your priest or your counselor. Find someone else to work out your issues with."

"But why? Why do y'all keep choosing her?"

Roth stared at the woman in disbelief. Tears gathered in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. He wasn't heartless, but he couldn't drum up an ounce of sympathy for her.

What the hell did she expect him to do? Shaking his head, Roth walked away. Long strides made it such that she'd have to run to keep up with him. Soon, she stopped trying.