Lily said. “I’m worried that he blames himself for Dad’s injury, as if there was anything he could have done to prevent it.”
“Well, that’s ridiculous,” Tate said. “I mean, it was a freak accident, right?”
“That’s what Dad says.” Lily frowned at the doorway, as if her thoughts were elsewhere.
“But you don’t believe it?” Mel asked.
Lily turned back to her and forced a smile.
“Oh, I’m just being silly,” she said with a shake of her head.
Mel wanted to question her further about the shooting, but Lily reached out and squeezed Tate’s arm in a familiar way that Mel found alarming.
“I’m going to go make sure Shelby steers clear of the rodeo for the rest of the day,” Lily said. “I’ll see you later at the barrel-riding competition?”
She was polite enough to pose her question as if she were asking both of them, but Mel got the feeling it was really just for Tate.
“Count on it,” Tate said.
“Yeah,” Mel agreed. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
They watched as Lily walked away.
“We should get you one of these hats,” Tate said as they made their way out of the tent and back toward the cupcake truck.
“I think yours is too tight,” Mel said. “It’s obviously squeezing off the blood flow to your brain.”
“What? No, it isn’t. It feels…Oh, wait—that was an insult, right?”
“You think?” Mel stepped out of the tent and back into the sunshine. She took a deep breath and got hit with the rich, peaty scent of horse dung.
“So, a guy from Scottsdale can’t dress the part at a rodeo?” he asked.
“Of course he can,” Mel said. “But I was under the impression that he was pining for the love of his life, not jollying it up with the rancher’s daughter.”
“Lily?” he asked. He shook his head. “No, it’s not like that.”
“Oh, please,” Mel said. “It’s obvious she adores you.”
“Well, I happen to be very adorable,” Tate said with a shrug.
“Is this just a joke to you?” Mel asked. “You know Roach is putting the pressure on Angie to move to LA, and if you don’t get up the nerve to say something to her soon, she may actually go. What are you going to do then, smarty-pants?”
Tate blew out a breath. “Look, I can’t say anything to Angie.”
“Why not?”
“Because I had my chance, and I blew it,” he said. “It’s not fair to Angie to make her choose between us. What if she only picks me because she
thinks
she loves me, or she confuses friendship love with relationship love and then she loses him, too. No, I can’t do that to her.”
Mel stopped walking and stood gaping at him. When her power of speech returned, she said, “You are a moron!”
“Hey!” Tate said. He pushed his hat back so he could give her his full glare. “I’m trying to do the right thing here.”
“No, you’re not.”
He huffed out a breath, looking outraged, but Mel held up her hand to ward off any tirade he might offer up.
“Tate, you’re my best friend,” she said. “I’ve known you even longer than I’ve known Angie, so I want you to take what I’m about to say in the spirit that it’s being given.”
Tate gave her a wary look, as if he was afraid she was going to put him in a headlock and stomp on him.
“Tate, you are a complete and total wuss bag.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” she said.
“I am not,” he protested.
“Oh, please. Yes, you are,” Mel insisted. “You’ve never had to work for anything in your entire life. You’ve never had to take a risk, and it’s turned you into a ginormous chicken.”
“How can you say that?” he asked. He looked hurt, and Mel felt bad about that, but honestly the boy needed to face some facts.
“Tate, you are the only son of parents who have more money than they can possibly spend in this lifetime. You coasted into Princeton as a legacy, and when you graduated, you took a job at your father’s firm. Did you even have to interview?”
Tate opened his mouth to
“Well, that’s ridiculous,” Tate said. “I mean, it was a freak accident, right?”
“That’s what Dad says.” Lily frowned at the doorway, as if her thoughts were elsewhere.
“But you don’t believe it?” Mel asked.
Lily turned back to her and forced a smile.
“Oh, I’m just being silly,” she said with a shake of her head.
Mel wanted to question her further about the shooting, but Lily reached out and squeezed Tate’s arm in a familiar way that Mel found alarming.
“I’m going to go make sure Shelby steers clear of the rodeo for the rest of the day,” Lily said. “I’ll see you later at the barrel-riding competition?”
She was polite enough to pose her question as if she were asking both of them, but Mel got the feeling it was really just for Tate.
“Count on it,” Tate said.
“Yeah,” Mel agreed. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
They watched as Lily walked away.
“We should get you one of these hats,” Tate said as they made their way out of the tent and back toward the cupcake truck.
“I think yours is too tight,” Mel said. “It’s obviously squeezing off the blood flow to your brain.”
“What? No, it isn’t. It feels…Oh, wait—that was an insult, right?”
“You think?” Mel stepped out of the tent and back into the sunshine. She took a deep breath and got hit with the rich, peaty scent of horse dung.
“So, a guy from Scottsdale can’t dress the part at a rodeo?” he asked.
“Of course he can,” Mel said. “But I was under the impression that he was pining for the love of his life, not jollying it up with the rancher’s daughter.”
“Lily?” he asked. He shook his head. “No, it’s not like that.”
“Oh, please,” Mel said. “It’s obvious she adores you.”
“Well, I happen to be very adorable,” Tate said with a shrug.
“Is this just a joke to you?” Mel asked. “You know Roach is putting the pressure on Angie to move to LA, and if you don’t get up the nerve to say something to her soon, she may actually go. What are you going to do then, smarty-pants?”
Tate blew out a breath. “Look, I can’t say anything to Angie.”
“Why not?”
“Because I had my chance, and I blew it,” he said. “It’s not fair to Angie to make her choose between us. What if she only picks me because she
thinks
she loves me, or she confuses friendship love with relationship love and then she loses him, too. No, I can’t do that to her.”
Mel stopped walking and stood gaping at him. When her power of speech returned, she said, “You are a moron!”
“Hey!” Tate said. He pushed his hat back so he could give her his full glare. “I’m trying to do the right thing here.”
“No, you’re not.”
He huffed out a breath, looking outraged, but Mel held up her hand to ward off any tirade he might offer up.
“Tate, you’re my best friend,” she said. “I’ve known you even longer than I’ve known Angie, so I want you to take what I’m about to say in the spirit that it’s being given.”
Tate gave her a wary look, as if he was afraid she was going to put him in a headlock and stomp on him.
“Tate, you are a complete and total wuss bag.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” she said.
“I am not,” he protested.
“Oh, please. Yes, you are,” Mel insisted. “You’ve never had to work for anything in your entire life. You’ve never had to take a risk, and it’s turned you into a ginormous chicken.”
“How can you say that?” he asked. He looked hurt, and Mel felt bad about that, but honestly the boy needed to face some facts.
“Tate, you are the only son of parents who have more money than they can possibly spend in this lifetime. You coasted into Princeton as a legacy, and when you graduated, you took a job at your father’s firm. Did you even have to interview?”
Tate opened his mouth to
Similar Books
