: Chapter 21

I woke up in Cruz’s bed to hot coffee, a heated croissant, and a note.

I clutched the note to my chest. Instead of freaking out, I contemplated how nice it would be to actually date Cruz.

After I woke up and used a spare toothbrush he left for me in his bathroom, I gave myself a tour. I’d never been inside my Barbie Dreamhouse before.

Yesterday, we were too busy having sex and wolfing down takeout food for it to be appropriate to ask for a tour. Plus, a part of me was still heavily guarded around him.

It wasn’t exactly an even playing field.

He had so much leverage over me, being who he was, and me being who was, that I didn’t want to point out I’d had vivid dreams of living in this house ever since I was pretty much a (not yet potty-trained) toddler.

The house was gorgeous from the inside. With chevron accent walls, ranch-style furniture, and golden light switches. He had a classic white kitchen, sprawling with space and filled with patterns and textiles.

The bathrooms had claw-footed baths and all kinds of soaps I bet were strictly decorative, but wanted to use anyway, the philistine that I was.

There was no doubt in my mind this place had been the passion project of a pricey interior designer from out of town, and for a minute, I wanted to cry, I was so impressed with how beautiful and yet familiarly intimate it felt.

I rushed to find the game room, the one Bear had wanted to visit, when I heard the doorbell ring.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

My instincts told me not to answer it—it wasn’t door after all, and Cruz and I had both planned to keep this a secret at least until Wyatt and Trinity’s wedding (and, let’s admit it, long after it, too, if I had my way).

Then again, Cruz had left the house so hastily. What if he’d been waiting for something and was now counting on me to receive it?

I slipped my phone out and shot him a quick text.

His answer came less than five seconds later.

Well.

At the very least, I was wearing one of the beautiful Anthropologie dresses he’d gotten me. So if it was someone from town, I could always say we were working on last-minute arrangements for our siblings’ wedding.

The doorbell chimed again, and I raced from the second floor to the entrance, flinging the door open.

Gabriella stood on the other side of the threshold, her big shiny black curls and thin smile in place. She had a deep tan and a knee-length, trendy powder-blue dress, not much different than the one I was wearing.

Her smile dropped as soon as she saw me.

“Messy Nessy.”

There was no question mark in her voice.

Not much surprise, either.

I leaned a hip against the doorjamb, disappointed I didn’t have gum to pop in her face as I took her in. “Sherlock. How can I help you?”

I allowed myself an attitude with her when Trinity wasn’t around. My personal payback for all the times she’d mistreated me while we were in company.

“What are you doing here?” She clutched her straw purse in her fist, baring her too-white teeth.

“Cruz and I are running the RSVPs against the seating arrangement one more time before the rehearsal dinner.” The lie slipped from between my lips so naturally, I made a note to pat myself on the back after she left.

She raised a skeptical brow. “You expect me to believe that?”

“I have no expectations from you whatsoever, but I would like to get on with my day. So if you could tell me how I can help you sooner rather than later, I’d appreciate it.”

“I want to talk to Cruz.”

She tilted her chin up. I had to hand it to her, she handled the situation with (relative) grace. I knew better than anyone how desperate she was to bag Fairhope’s favorite bachelor.

“Sorry, he went to help the Duggars give birth.”

“And he let you stay at his house?” She craned her neck to look inside.

On principle, I narrowed the door a little, to keep the interior away from her prying eyes.

“Don’t sound so shocked. I couldn’t steal the valuables even if I wanted to. I mean, how the heck am I supposed to remove that antique Astoria grand sofa? Unless you’re up to giving me a hand?”

That really set her off.

“Oh, this is nonsense!”

Gabriella pushed me into the house in one swift movement, joining me inside and closing the door behind her. For a moment, I suspected she was going to try to kill me, but then remembered I could take her.

Not to mention, she’d never be able to hide my body. She was the least creative person I’d ever met.

“Listen here.” She poked my chest, advancing toward me like a lethal tiger in a cage. “I know what you’re trying to do, and I’m not going to let you get away with it, homewrecker.”

“Dang, I finally graduated from a hussy to a homewrecker. Took me a decade, but here we are.”

“You’re trying to get knocked up again, thinkin’ Cruz is not the sort of guy to turn his back on you.”

Another step toward me.

I took a step back on instinct, mainly because I suspected she would tear me limb from limb if I pushed her back and didn’t want to engage in a cat fight in a house that wasn’t mine (as much as I wanted a fistfight, I did want the accompanying headline).

I laughed, because I was trying to do the exact of getting pregnant. So much so, I put it on my phone calendar to make an appointment with my OB-GYN, who hadn’t heard from me since Bear was born, to go on the pill.

“Get lost, Gabriella.”

“I’m telling you right now, Nessy.” She cornered me into an alcove, her body pressing against mine, her face so close her spit peppered my skin. “If you don’t back off, I will make sure your life is a living hell in this town. First, I’ll make you lose your job. I have no idea what you even have worth taking, but then, I’ll make you lose everything else you’ve ever cared for.”

“Is that a threat?” I smiled, but inside, I was screaming.

I didn’t need this. Didn’t need to go head-to-head with Gabriella Holland. With the entire hometown. Because they would choose her. They were always looking to trample me to stand a little taller. They really needed new hobbies.

“It’s a promise. Leave Cruz alone.”

“On your request?”

“On my .”

“You should know.” I pushed Gabriella off me, tired of her attitude. “I don’t take very well to threats. You may think you have huge pull in this town, but I’ve been holding my own for a long time, and I plan to do so long after you’re gone. Now, if that’s all, I suggest you call Cruz and try to arrange for the two of you to meet. Unless, of course, he’s been ghosting you.”

I made a pouty face.

According to the look on Gabriella’s face, I hit the nail straight on the head.

“This is not done.” She wiggled her finger in my face.

“Shakin’ in my boots here, Holland.”

She slammed the door behind her.

I collapsed against the wall, letting out a ragged breath.