Cowboy Jackpot: St. Patrick's Day by Randi Alexander Page A

against her driver’s door. Her steps slowed, then
stopped. How had he found her? Then it all snapped into focus.
Kira, Gigi, and the stupidest phone conversation she’d ever had.
“Bitches.” They’d be hearing from her about their lack of
loyalty.
    Jayden tipped his hat back on his head and
stood up, his hands fidgeting at his sides.
    She had choices here. She could go into the
station and lock herself in the women’s room. Or ask the cashier to
call the cops. Or…she could get this over with, send him back to
Reno with a warning that her dad would come looking for him if he
didn’t give her a clean divorce.
    She walked toward him, her chin tipping up a
little more with each step, and stopped three feet away. “What do
you want?”
    He opened his mouth and froze.
    She waited for the bullshit to pour out.
Whining, pleading, cajoling…
    He took one step toward her. “I want a
divorce.”
     

Chapter Eleven
     
    The guy at the gas pump behind Stormie’s car
jerked his head to look at Jayden and her.
    The blood drained from Stormie’s face, then
raced back, heating her like a blowtorch. “You what?” That was
supposed to be her line. He wanted out of their marriage?
Her heart nearly stopped beating. How would she live without
him?
    His eyes searched her face. “I don’t want
your money.” He dug in his pocket and pulled out the scrap of paper
that had derailed her world. “Rance gave me this.” He shook his
head. “I didn’t ask him to do it, he just called in a favor or
something, and wanted me to know.”
    “Uh huh. Rance did it.” Why did he even need
to explain? He just wanted a divorce. She’d give him what he
wanted. It might not cost her half her inheritance, but it’d cost
her half her heart.
    “Call him. He’ll tell you.” He shoved the
paper into his pocket. “You know, don’t bother. It doesn’t matter
how it happened. Just that, I’m sorry you had to see it. And I’m
sorry you didn’t trust me enough to ask me about it…” His voice got
louder and his eyes looked angry. “…before you slapped down my ring
and left me.”
    “What?” She yelled it.
    At the pump behind them, the guy took his
sweet time cleaning his windshield.
    Jayden’s lips thinned. “You must have had the
nagging suspicion in the back of your mind the whole time. ‘All
Jayden wants me for is my money’.” He stepped closer. “Admit it,
Stormie. You didn’t trust me, and this note was just an easy way
for you to get away from me.”
    When she’d found the note, blaming him had
been so easy. Now, examining her own motives shook apart everything
she’d told herself over the last few hours. That Jayden had broken
her heart. That she was the victim. Even that she’d deserved it for
being so gullible.
    “No, you’re wrong.” Wasn’t he? She’d seen the
note and all her well-buried suspicions had come back to life like
a herd of zombies. “Oh God, I think you may be right.” Her chest
burned with the effort of holding back tears. “I did wonder about
it a few times. No, a lot of times, over the past month. But when
you never called me back, when you weren’t making claims on my
share of the ranch, I shoved it out of my mind.”
    “And now? Last night?” Shadowed from his hat,
his expression seemed dark, predatory. Maybe he was through with
her. Maybe he did want a divorce. Had her distrust hurt him too
deeply to heal?
    “I don’t know why I didn’t just talk to you
about it, get it out in the open.” Probably because she had no
relationship experience at all.
    Jayden blinked a couple times, then reached
out and caressed her arm. “Because we’ve only known each other for
a few days. We haven’t learned how to communicate with each other.
Isn’t that what you told me outside the Roundup Bar last night?
We’re too new at this. It takes a lot of time and effort to
understand someone well enough to develop trust, and make a
relationship work.”
    She felt a tear drip down her cheek. How