Sweet Texas Kiss (Sweet Texas Secrets) (12 page)

“Any chance you can turn it around?” Grayson asked. Did he not hear Gavin just say how poorly things had been going?

“Turn it around how? Suddenly start being nice to her?”

“Yes. Exactly. Maybe turn on the charm. Too bad you can’t seduce her.” Grayson looked thoughtful—maybe trying to romance a woman to get what he wanted was a real possibility. For Grayson. “I know you used to have a crush on her. Maybe try to bring up those old feelings to see if you can at least start thinking of her in a positive way again, just long enough to make nice and get her to sell you the house.”

“That’s probably pushing it. She never knew I had a crush on her, so it would seem like it was coming from out of the blue. Even if I tried to rekindle the friendship, I think she’d be suspicious. I’ve been pretty rude to her.” Gavin took a sip from his drink. “Plus, I’m a horrible actor, and I don’t think she’d buy it.”

“Then don’t act.” Grayson sat back, like it was that easy. “Just get over yourself for once and maybe be human, treat her like the friend she used to be. You never talk about Tori, but it might do you both good. It could be helpful for you to have someone else who was close to her to talk to, you know? That’s something you two have in common that nobody else has. You could apologize and offer to start over, really turn on the charm.”

“Easier said than done. We haven’t been friends for a long time, and too much has happened to change that.”

“Seriously? If you can honestly say that you still worry about her being valedictorian instead of you, then I’d understand.” Grayson polished off his fries and chewed thoughtfully. “Otherwise, you’re just grasping at straws. As far as I can tell, you’ve been able to achieve everything you set out to do, and anything that’s still left undone is because of you. Not her.”

“Okay, fair enough. No one has ever asked me if I graduated first in my class.” He had to laugh. Talking about it out loud made the whole thing seem incredibly petty, and he didn’t really care who finished first in high school anymore. He’d carried the resentment for her role in Tori’s death around for years, though, and it wasn’t as easy as simply dropping that. “It doesn’t change the fact that she cheated to get ahead and didn’t even apologize. Or go to college, which seems to me to be the natural next step after working so hard to graduate first in our class. And she’s not acting like getting our dad’s house is strange in the least.”

“Being second instead of first doesn’t matter, so what’s the problem then?”

Gavin didn’t believe in wearing his heart on his sleeve, so naturally Gray had no idea what kind of crap he’d just stepped into, and given their predicament with the will, he didn’t have the option of letting little bro wander around spreading the shit on his boots everywhere. He’d have to share his reasons; only a complete asshole would let his family continue to believe that he couldn’t get along with Macy just because she was valedictorian instead of him.

“I blame her for Tori’s death.” He glared at his little brother. “Happy now?”

Grayson sat back, as though the glare physically hit him. “What? I thought she died in a car accident.”

“She did.”

“Well, how is that Macy’s fault?”

Gavin was instantly sorry he’d opened this can of worms.

He kept his eyes trained on his hands, not answering. What could he say? Tori was gone, and Macy didn’t stop her, end of story.

Finally realizing Gavin wouldn’t say any more, Grayson spoke up. “I think you’re going to have to put that aside, as tough as it might be. Surely Macy having to live with whatever she could or couldn’t have done to save Tori is punishment enough. You’ve got to forgive her.”

With a sigh, he finally looked up at Grayson. “I don’t think I can.”

“Well, as far as I’m concerned, any argument you lay out is irrelevant. Do you want the house or not?” Grayson spread his hands. The situation really was as simple as doing what he had to do to get what he wanted or letting it go because of ancient history. Could he forgive Macy? It was so hard because she would never take responsibility, much less apologize. And she didn’t exactly owe Gavin an apology, so he wasn’t going to get satisfaction. The best he could do would be to try to forget it, try to move forward, away from the past.

“Of course I do. It’s all I’ve always wanted.” The thought that someone, anyone, else could own it was devastating.

Gavin had never stopped to consider that he’d have to justify his claim. Even when his dad was healthy, Gavin knew that he would someday own the family home, had never pictured a future in which he didn’t. The house was synonymous with the Cooper name and legacy. He couldn’t hand it over to Macy without even trying to fight for it.

“Then you’re going to have to make your peace with everything and make up with Macy.”

Gavin rubbed the back of his neck, tensing with the thought. “I don’t know, man.”

“I don’t see any other way. Plus, it’s not like you have to make it work long-term. Just figure out a way to get along with her while she’s in town.”

“You’re right. She’s got to go back home soon.” Gavin finished his burger, starting to get comfortable with the idea as he realized it could really work. “I could probably manage to be nice to her for a little while. Long enough for her to warm up to me and hear me out. I’ll offer her a fair price, take the house off her hands, and everyone will walk away happy.”

“Sounds easy enough.” Grayson nodded his thanks to the waitress as she topped off his iced tea. “All you’ll have to do is treat her like the friends you once were.”

“I’m a charming guy, right? This should be no problem.” Gavin wiped his hands on a napkin, ready to get through the workday and try out Grayson’s idea.

His little brother scoffed. “Don’t rely on your charming personality, dude. You want this to work.”

• • •

Kelly was outside her flower shop, polishing the window in front of the display of Sweet Ridge Founders’ Day arrangements.

“Hey, girl. What’s going on?” she greeted Macy.

“Hey, Kelly. I was just going to grab some coffee from Betty Lou’s before I head over to the Cooper house.”

“Are you going to put it on the market?” She squinted into the sunlight.

“You know, I was going to. Now that I’m here, I’m not so sure what I want. It’s probably stupid, but something is stopping me.”

“Oh yeah?”

“If I was smart, I’d just go home and forget all about it. My contract for
America’s Next Country Star
is up soon, and my agent is hunting for new opportunities. It looks like they’ll be offering me another five years, and I’ll probably take it, but you never know. I do know I’m not getting anywhere wandering around Sweet Ridge. It’s like I’m avoiding going back.”

“Maybe your gut is telling you to do something besides work in Nashville.”

“Maybe. Part of me wants to just crawl into bed at the hotel and watch TV. Lord knows it would be easier than staying at the house with Gavin.”

“I wondered if he would move out. Guess not. How’s that going?” Kelly picked loose leaves off the rim of a bucket of daisies, looking much more casual than the subject, or her interest in it.

“It’s really strange. We were friends in high school, but that doesn’t matter at all. Sometimes he’s mean to me, and sometimes he can be nice. Mostly it’s stressful to practically live with him, but I don’t want to let him make me so uncomfortable that I rush into making a decision I’ll regret.”

“Sounds like sticking around for a while is a good idea. If nothing else, it’s got to be nice to have a little break, right?”

“Sure, it is. I just don’t want to get too comfortable here.” Macy sighed. “The truth is that I’m tired. I love working on the show, but it only films part of the year, and auditioning for other shows is exhausting. It’s too tempting to draw things out here and put off going back.”

“I had no idea.” Kelly stopped rearranging the flowers and laid a sympathetic hand on Macy’s arm.

“Nobody knows, really. If you’re on TV, people assume that everything is perfect. It’s not.” She should be happy for the opportunities that she still had, and she was, but she wasn’t fulfilled. Not like when she and Tori were collaborating, anyway.

“Then maybe Mr. Cooper leaving you the house was the perfect thing. You can have a place always ready for you whenever you need a getaway.”

“It’s funny you say that, because I was just thinking it is too high-maintenance to be a vacation house. It’s really a place for a family, or at least a full-time resident.” And as someone who couldn’t seem to keep herself fed like a grown-up, or her house clean without paid professionals handling the details, she clearly didn’t belong in the house.

“True. That is a giant house.” Kelly tucked the cleaning cloth into her apron pocket and straightened the assembled bouquets in the buckets lined up in front of the shop one last time. “You can always come back and take care of everything once you decide.”

“Good point. So, maybe I’ll sell the Cooper house, maybe not. Who knows?” She dug around in her handbag for a paper and pen. “Let me give you my cell number, and we can get together before I go home. Just call me when you’re free.”

It had been great to wake up when she wanted, to not have to make sure she had her butt in the stylist’s chair by 6 a.m. Eating dinner with Gavin wasn’t exactly pleasant, but it beat having to worry about finding a picture of herself shoveling food into her mouth in the papers. And the people in town had welcomed her home with open arms, without judgment. Nobody in Sweet Ridge ever stopped her to sign an old Young and Wilde photo; the only time people ever stopped her was to chat and catch up.

She grinned at her old friend, relieved to talk out her indecision. Visiting her old haunts reminded her what a vibrant community Sweet Ridge supported, from the delicious meals at Betty Lou’s to the funky bookstore down the street. Everything was special here, and she could see herself fitting in as though she hadn’t left. It would be nice to be just Macy Young for a while, rather than famous and alone.

But she had a job and a life in Nashville, and she hadn’t spent all those years working so hard only to quit for no reason. She’d simply been overwhelmed lately, and once the season was over, she could catch her breath and decide what came next. Being in Sweet Ridge made her mistake her nostalgia for possibility. Surely that was all it was. She’d go back home soon, and deciding what to do about her newly acquired real estate could wait.

But speak of the devil and there he was—Gavin, paper coffee cup in hand and sunlight glinting off his dark hair, approaching This Bud’s for You. His smile was disarming, almost erasing his rudeness of the last week. “Hi, ladies.”

“Hi, Gavin.” Kelly was friendly, apparently immune to his deep voice and tantalizing scent. He smelled like sunshine and spice, and Macy was dangerously close to acting like an infatuated teenager. She needed coffee and a brisk walk, time to clear her head and forget about how handsome Gavin Cooper was. It was bad enough that they were basically living together at night; her days should at least be Gavin-free.

“I’m due back at the clinic, so I don’t have a lot of time, but I need to pick up an arrangement for my office manager. It’s her third anniversary at the clinic. Sorry I didn’t call ahead, but I just realized it was the day this morning.” He smiled at Macy, sending her heart galloping despite herself. “I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”

Surely he was talking about her inheritance, but instead of a biting insult, he’d smiled. What was going on?

“Of course. Let’s find her something nice.” Kelly held the door open and invited them in.

Macy needed to get some coffee, return to the Cooper house, and shake Gavin out of her mind. She needed distance, and she needed it fast. Things were confusing enough when it was clear that he wanted nothing to do with her. Figuring him out after this subtle shift in his behavior was impossible. The last thing she wanted was to go into Kelly’s shop and spend any extra time with him.

“All right, I’ll see you at home.” Cringing, wishing she could take the words back as soon as they left her mouth, she whipped around. Why had she said that? Should she clarify? Make a joke? Instead, Macy started to hurry away, face hot with embarrassment, but then she stopped in front of the empty storefront next to the flower shop. Though she knew it was a bad idea, she couldn’t seem to help herself. “You know what I mean. I’ll see you at the house, not home. I’ll see you later.” The explanation was more awkward than the original gaffe. Why wouldn’t the sidewalk simply open up and swallow her?

He smiled, and she tried not to notice the way the dimple in his right cheek made him look boyish. “I know what you mean. Don’t worry about it.” There was that charm again.

“Great, then. See you tonight.” Something told Macy she’d be better off checking back into the hotel.

Gavin stood at the door of his childhood home, a bottle of wine in one hand with Merle’s leash loosely wrapped around his wrist, and a sleepy kitten in the other. He rang the doorbell and waited for Macy to answer. If his plan held, the evening would be painless. Things had gone well during their brief exchange downtown this afternoon, and tonight would be no different. He was determined to make it work. Rocking back on his heels, he tried to center himself, to keep his focus on the end goal and tamp down his lingering resentment. If he had any hope of convincing Macy to sell the house, he couldn’t dwell on her betrayal, his disappointment, or his sheer anger at the injustice of it all. The goal for the evening was to get her to agree to sell the house, not to convince her that he was right about everything.

The door opened, and her genuine smile set him at ease. There was no apprehension in her pretty face, no wariness clouding her blue eyes. This would work.

“Why did you ring the bell?” Her brow furrowed, crinkling her delicate nose. She was the source of so much grief for him, but she was definitely cute.

“Just trying to be polite,” he said as he lifted the kitten, “and I didn’t want to put her down.”

“Hey, come on in.” She stepped aside awkwardly to let him in. “It seems strange to be inviting you in.”