Laid Out and Candle Lit (17 page)
Read Laid Out and Candle Lit Online
Authors: Ann Everett
She raised her brows and widened her eyes. “Apparently you’re not as glad to see me as I am you. Were you going to leave without a hello?”
“You’ve been gone,” he said. “I thought you were scheduled with flights, and our paths wouldn’t cross this trip.” He picked up his briefcase and laid it on the bed.
She slipped her arms around him and nuzzled at his neck. “Surely you can’t be in that much of a hurry. I’m off the next two days, and I hoped we could spend some time together before you left.”
He shrugged away and spoke without looking at her. “It’s just not going to work out, sorry.”
“What’s going on, Ridge? Why so distant?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just have to get back, that’s all.”
She sat down on the bed and smiled up at him. “Oh my God, you’ve met someone, haven’t you? Who is she? Some little country bumpkin with pigtails and freckles?”
Ridge locked his eyes on hers. “Look, Ava, I think you know as well as I, our relationship wasn’t serious. If I ever led you to believe otherwise. . . I’m sorry.”
“Relax, Ridge. I’m not going to throw a fit. You made it clear from the beginning what you and I were all about. We had fun together. The sex was great and now it’s over. I get it. No hard feelings. But, be honest with me, you have met someone. Right?”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, I have.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
T
izzy sat on her back patio and watched the sunrise. She closed her eyes and thought of what her Grandma Perry used to say. ‘
With each new day comes the promise of hope, happiness and possibilities’…
yeah, right. Then why didn’t she feel happy or hopeful?
She slanted her eyes over at the azalea sitting on the porch, went to the faucet and turned the spigot. She gave the plant a good soaking, took a deep breath, filled her lungs to the max, then exhaled slowly. She felt better. Still not happy. Still not hopeful, but better.
Inviting Jared to the party had been a bad idea. She’d been impulsive, which was totally out of character for her when it came to men. She bit her bottom lip, sucked in more air and tried to clear her head. Her goal today would be to make the best of a bad situation.
After a lot of early morning introspection, Tizzy stood naked and stared into her closet considering if she’d made the right choice about what to wear. She had bought the dress specifically for the party but was having second thoughts . . . too fancy? She stepped into it and pulled up the zipper. It was white cotton with a soft ruffle accenting the neckline from front to back. She put pearl studs into her earlobes and focused on her reflection in the mirror. She was pleased with what she saw.
* * * * *
Tizzy loved where she’d grown up. The large ranch style rested on land which had been in her family for over a hundred years. In order to get to the home, she turned off county road ten-thirty onto Lavender Lane. She drove another two miles before turning onto the long caliche driveway that led to the house. The property was heavily wooded. Three large barns sat behind the house. One held farm equipment, the second stored hay and the third one was hers. Climate controlled, the unit housed an antique car collection she’d inherited from Boone.
The collection wasn’t extensive, but Tizzy never felt right about getting rid of it. The inventory consisted of a 1941 Ford pickup, a 1949 Plymouth sedan, a 1958 Chevrolet Biscayne, a 1995 Aztec gold Ford Mustang, and last but not least, a 2003 golden anniversary red Corvette, Boone’s pride and joy.
She frowned thinking about the Mustang. She’d lost her virginity in the backseat, the worse five-and-half minutes of her life. The Vette, a gift Boone gave himself, was her favorite. Driving the car always cheered her up. The way the sports car handled and how she felt when she was behind the wheel, or maybe because Boone loved the car so much. She decided long ago she’d keep it for Gracie. The edition would be a classic by the time she graduated high school.
When she and Gracie arrived, Pattiecake and Sugarpie were in full swing decorating. Tables with folding chairs sprinkled the lawn under a canopy of Live Oak trees.
Tizzy distributed disposable cameras among the tables with instructions attached for each person to take candid shots for the bride and groom. Sweeping her eyes over the grounds, she thought how beautiful everything was.
Rayann, bathed in
bridal glow
, was wearing a pale pink cotton sundress. Her long blonde hair fell softly around her face.
Tizzy approached and gave her a warm hug. “You look beautiful.”
Rayann twisted her mouth around. “Where’s your date?”
“I asked him to meet me here,” Tizzy said with a forced smile. “A good decision on my part, I think. This way I can avoid the whole should-there-be-a-goodnight-kiss dilemma.”
Bubba tilted his head and rolled his eyes. “Is there going to be more than one date?”
He looked more handsome than Tizzy had ever seen him. He and Rayann, replicas of
Ken and Barbie,
were perfect together, happy and in love. Tizzy’s heart skipped a beat. “Don’t start with me, Bubba. I know you and Cooper became fast friends and you agree with Rayann where he’s concerned.”
He held his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I’m not startin’ anything. It was only a question. Do you like Jared, or is this your way of trying to make Cooper jealous?”
Her eyes flashed with anger. “I’m not trying to make Cooper jealous. He won’t be here, never even know about this unless you tell him. Can we please not talk about Cooper?” The sound of an approaching car got Tizzy’s attention. “There comes Dan, Mandy and the kids. I’d better go help get Andrew and Sarah.”
* * * * *
Soon, the party was in full swing. While kids played in the pool, Pattiecake and Sugarpie stood guard. Saint tended the grill and Sugarpie’s husband, Sam, was in charge of two ice cream makers. Everyone else milled around, sitting on the front porch, visiting, and drinking.
Tizzy noticed dust kicking up as a car came down the long winding road to the house. She jumped to her feet and dashed to Rayann’s side. “Who the hell invited him?”
“I did,” she said coolly. “This is my party. Mine and Dwayne’s. So get over it.”
Tizzy clamped her jaw. “I can’t believe you’ve done this. You knew I wouldn’t want him here. Especially . . .”
“Especially what, Tizzy? Especially since you have a
date?
Well, excuse me. If I’d known you were going to invite Jared, I wouldn’t have asked Cooper. I only found out after the fact, and I’m sorry. You’re just gonna have to make the best of the situation. Do you think you can do that?”
A disgusted gasp escaped Tizzy’s lips. “Of course, I can,” she said, trying not to panic at the thought of Ridge and Jared in the same location.
Behind her sunglasses, Tizzy couldn’t take her eyes off Ridge as he got out of the car. He was wearing jeans and a black-and-white checked sport shirt, both starched to perfection, cowboy boots and no hat. A wave of heat slid across her skin. She sucked in a deep breath and silently prayed for strength.
Gracie bounced onto the porch, chanting
Trooper Cooper, Trooper Cooper.
She
ran to him, and he lifted her into the air. “Hey Honey-Bunny.”
Gracie threw her arms around his neck and hugged him hard and looked to find Tizzy. “Mama, Trooper Cooper called me Honey-Bunny.” She giggled.
“I know, sweetie. He’s a silly boy, isn’t he?” Through the dark lens, she met his gaze, then quickly turned away. Those blue eyes of his seemed to see right through her.
Gracie placed her hands on Ridge’s cheeks. “Come swim with me,” she begged.
He gave her a light kiss. “I would, but I didn’t bring a suit.”
“You’re not gettin’ off that easy,” Pattiecake said. “I have tons of swim suits, all sizes.”
Ridge shrugged. “Okay, I guess I’ll swim with you. But first, I brought you a surprise.”
Gracie’s eyes got big. “What is it?”
“Come with me and I’ll show you.”
Gracie took his hand and walked toward his car. He opened the back door, reached inside, and produced a box. she peered down into it, sucked in a deep breath, and squealed with excitement. “Mama! Trooper Cooper brought me a kitty!”
Tizzy walked to the end of the porch. “Cooper! You didn’t!”
In her arms, Gracie cradled a soft fuzzy yellow ball of fur. “Look, Mama.”
She knelt beside Gracie, then looked up at Ridge. “Really, Cooper, don’t you think you should have asked me about this before you show up with a pet?”
His lips thinned into a grin. “That was kinda hard to do, since you weren’t speaking to me. Besides, you would have said ‘No.’ So I had to go over your head.”
Tizzy’s heart slammed against her ribs. The sight of Ridge with Gracie was too much. She had attached herself to him like a little spider monkey. Tizzy didn’t know what to do. First the azalea, now the kitten. Ridge Cooper was a dangerous man.
She stood up, removed her glasses and lifted her brows. “What do you mean
over my head?”
“I asked Pattiecake. She approved.”
Tizzy twirled around to find her mother. “Mama, is that true? Did you tell Cooper he could give Gracie a pet?”
“Just simmer down, Tizzy. If you don’t want the kitten at your house, she can keep it here,” she said, dismissing her.
Pattiecake winked at Ridge. “Now, about that swim suit. Let me show you where they are.”
* * * * *
After the kitten incident, Tizzy made it a point to ignore Ridge, doing her best to keep him clear of Jared. Her stomach turned when she saw him headed their way.
Ridge stuck out his hand and Jared took it. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Texas Ranger Ridge Cooper. Bubba tells me you’re a lawyer.”
“That’s right. Jared Medina. Nice to meet you.”
Ridge eyed Tizzy and curled his lip. “So, now you don’t go anywhere without an attorney?”
“He’s not here as my lawyer. He’s here as my date,” she said calmly.
Before he could say anything else, Gracie came running to him holding her kitten and a book. “Read me a story, Trooper Cooper.”
He lifted her into his arms, “Okay. But first, have you decided what you’re gonna name your kitten?”
Her big brown eyes doubled in size. “I’m gonna name her Cuddles!”
Ridge smiled. “I like that name.”
“C’mon. Read my book to me and Cuddles,” she said.
Ridge sat down, took Gracie onto his lap, and turned to the first page.
Once upon a time, pirates sailed the seven seas.
Gracie pointed to the red-haired pirate. “Why does he have that on his eye?”
“That’s an eye patch. He has something wrong with his eye, so he wears a patch,” Ridge said.
“Like a boo-boo?”
He smiled. “Yeah, like a boo-boo.”
“How’d he hurt it?”
“I’m not sure,” Ridge answered.
“Did somebody poke ’im in the eye?”
“Yeah, I guess somebody poked him in the eye.”
Gracie giggled. “Somebody poked him in the eye and made him a pirate.”
Tizzy looked at Ridge. Their eyes locked. They smiled at each other, sharing the moment like
parents
do when their child says something clever. Then she turned away, and her eyes began to mist. Damn the man. He was killing her.
By the third page, Gracie slumped against Ridge’s chest. Her long brown hair, still damp from swimming, formed soft ringlets around her face. Cuddles snuggled in her lap. Tizzy’s heart lost its rhythm for a moment. Gracie looked so sweet curled against him—and Ridge looked downright perfect.
* * * * *
It was approaching twilight and all the guests were gone except for Tizzy’s date. Average height and weight, Jared Medina had black hair, dark eyes, and a complexion most women would kill for. His smile could light up a room. Too bad it was all lost on her. Tizzy sat next to him on the front porch and forced conversation. “Thanks for coming. I hope you had a good time,” she said.
“I did. Thanks for inviting me.” He got up and started toward his car, with her following. “I’d like to see you again, Tizzy.” He paused. “Would you like to go out sometime?”
She hesitated for a moment. Inside her head, she was screaming, ‘No, I don‘t want to go out with you. This date was a huge mistake.” What she really wanted was to rip Ridge Cooper’s clothes off and screw him until the sun came up, but decided that wasn’t a good reply. The truth was, she had trouble with confrontation and little experience with men. So, she smiled and politely answered. “Sure. Call me.”
He leaned in and sweetly kissed her on the lips. “Goodnight. I’ll call.”
“Goodnight. Thanks again for coming.” She watched him drive away and took a deep breath of relief.
Rayann stepped up to the porch. “Scale of one to ten, how was the kiss?”
“A four at best,” Tizzy sighed.
Bubba peeked around her. “He didn’t French ya, did he?”
“No, Bubba. He didn’t French me. That would have been gross.”
Rayann locked her arm in Dwayne’s. “We’re going down to the baseball field. They’re having a fireworks show in honor of the team winning the championship. How ‘bout you and Gracie coming? I know she’d love it.”