Part 9 (1/2)

”Are your parents cowboys?” Gary asks me.

I shake my head. ”No, sir.”

”Good.” He nods more to himself than to us. ”Now that we've established how no one here is a cowboy, you need to sell that shack in Texas and move back here where you belong.”

It takes me a minute to realize what he means. Our apartment isn't a shack, not that he's even seen it, and besides, we don't own it so we can't sell it.

”I was thinking of renting it out,” Jace says without missing a beat. Only then do I understand the full meaning of Gary's suggestion. The beautiful two story home in Salt Gap, Texas is not anything close to being a shack. But it was Jace's grandfather's house before he died and left it to Jace and I know that Gary didn't get along with his father. So I guess in his eyes, the gorgeous home is just a shack.

”We don't live there,” I say. ”We have an apartment in Mixon.”

”I know, but I'm talking about Jace's inheritance. You need to get rid of it, Son. It's just wasting your time right now.”

”I think renting it out is a nice idea,” Julie interjects, placing a hand on her husband's arm. ”It'll be a nice source of secondary income.”

Gary shakes his head. ”I'd be happier if the d.a.m.n place was gone for good.”

”Unfortunately for you, honey, this is not your decision.” I don't have to be related to her to know that she's giving him a look that says shut up right now.

Jace lets out an exasperated sigh. Something tells me this isn't the first time he's had a conversation like this with his dad. I don't know what happened to end Gary's relations.h.i.+p with Jace's grandfather, but it's a little sad that the man can't just get over it already.

The awkwardness has reached epic proportions. It would be easy to excuse myself and say I need to use the restroom. I could take my time walking there and back and hopefully when I returned, the conversation would have changed.

”Excuse me for a minute,” I begin, sliding my chair out from the table. ”I need to use the restroom.” I go to stand up, but the waitress rushes up and blocks my exit. Only when I look up, I realize she's not a waitress at all. She's just some girl.

”I'm so sorry to interrupt your dinner,” she says, staring straight at Jace as she speaks.

”No worries at all, Ashley,” Gary says with a ma.s.sive smile on his face that wasn't there a few moments earlier. ”It's good to see you, girl.”

”Thanks, Mr. Adams,” the girl gushes. ”Hey, Jace.”

The way she says his name makes my heart stop. Immediately, a stab of painful awareness pierces into me. This is not some type of girl who stops Jace in a parking lot and tells him she loves watching him race. She's not going to smile and blush and ask him for an autograph or a picture to post on her Facebook. This girl knows him. She used to, at least.

She places her hand on the back of his chair when he turns around to greet her. He looks a little surprised to see her, but surprise isn't the worst expression he could have. For all I know, she could be his cousin or something. He gives her a tight-lipped smile. ”Hey, Ashley.”

Definitely not a cousin.

She puts her hands on her hips like she's about to gripe at him for something stupid like drinking from the milk carton. ”So are you finally back here for good?”

Jace snorts a little laugh. ”Nah, not right now.”

”Why not?” She's whining like a twelve-year-old girl. I roll my eyes and lean back in my chair. No one notices my own prominent display of acting like a child, probably because everyone's eyes are on this chick. She's dressed like a teenager, in tight jeans with rhinestones all over the pockets and a skimpy tank top that shows so much cleavage, you can tell there's totally a push up bra under there. But the fine lines around her eyes and the creases around her lips when she smiles makes her look older. I can't really pin her age, but the way she's smiling at Jace would make me hate her even if she were old enough to be his grandmother.

I'm startled out of my silent fuming over this girl when Julie taps my arm. ”Honey, weren't you going to the restroom?”

I shake my head. Funny how the urge to pee can completely disappear and be replaced with an animalistic urge to rip another woman's head off. ”I think I'll stay and meet Jace's new friend.”

I say it a little louder than necessary, hoping it reaches my fiance and gives him the hint to introduce me. But I don't think he even hears me. Julie's eyebrows crinkle together. ”Ashley's not a new friend. They've known each other for years.”

”Good to know,” I say. Jace still hasn't introduced me. You want to know why? Because he's wrapped up in a conversation with this Ashley girl and he hasn't even bothered to look in my direction since she showed up. Did he forget about me?

”Jace.” I don't really mean to say it out loud, but maybe I do. When he turns toward me, eyebrows lifted, I realize I don't have a single thing to say. At least not anything I could say in front of other people. ”Um, where's the restroom?” It's a dumb question, but it's the first thing that comes to mind. He motions toward the front of the restaurant. ”I think it's near the door.”

Ashley jiggles her hand which is still on the back of his chair. The dozen golden bangles around her wrist dance around, clanking together in what I can only a.s.sume is the tune to the national anthem of s.k.a.n.ks. ”Oh, Jacey!” Ashley touches her arm, bouncing on her heels. ”I can't believe I forgot to tell you about Kristen!”

And just like that, Jace's attention is back on this girl who everyone seems to know but no one is introducing to me. I grab my fork and press it into the tablecloth, trying like h.e.l.l not to listen to the stupid c.r.a.p Ashley is rambling on about. She says something about a girl named Kristen who got into some fancy dance academy and then I don't hear the rest because I take out my phone and text Becca.

Me: So we're getting dinner and some b.i.t.c.h comes up and is talking to Jace and his whole family. She knows them apparently.

Becca: It's probably a family friend? Prob not a big deal, Bay Me: Is tall, gorgeous and blonde not a big deal?

Becca: You're gorgeous and blonde!

Me: I'm dirty-blonde.

Becca: Who cares? Jace is with you. So stop worrying. Stress isn't good for you.

I know she's right and I know she's trying to help. But it doesn't really help. I just want someone to side with me and tell me I'm not crazy for hating this girl who is interrupting our dinner. If I had any guts, I'd just introduce myself to her, let her know I'm Jace's fiance. And if I was really bold, I'd ask her to leave.

Ashley's voice filters back in my mind and I glance up and find that she's still talking like some kind of unstoppable children's talking Elmo. ”So you guys should totally come by and see my art, okay? I won't take no for an answer.”

Her art? I look around at the faces of Jace's family and they're all nodding and smiling and saying what a great idea it is. ”What are ya'll talking about?” I ask, looking exclusively at Jace and not at the s.k.a.n.k hovering around behind his chair.

”Ashley invited us to her photography exhibit.”

”Oh, that's too bad because we're leaving tomorrow.” I give him a tight-lipped smile.

He nods. ”Yeah but our flight isn't until five, so we have some time.”

I never take my eyes off of him. I know everyone is staring at me but I don't care. ”We can't make it.”

”Sure you can,” Gary says, holding up his wine gla.s.s when the server pa.s.ses by. ”We'll stop by on our way to the airport.”

”Jacey, that would be awesome!” Ashley squeals. ”You have to see those shots of you I tookyou look amazing. I'll make you a CD tonight so you can have them, okay? Just make sure you give the credit to me.”

”Jesus Christ,” I mutter under my breath. There are a million questions I will ask Jace once we are back home in privacy, things such as who the h.e.l.l is this b.i.t.c.h and why did she take photos of you? But right now, I am so livid I will surely explode if I don't get the h.e.l.l out of here. My chair slides backward and I stand up sharply. ”I have to pee,” I announce just before I walk away. Luckily the anger boiling inside of me keeps any hint of tears far far away. I am nowhere close to crying. I'm more likely to punch a random stranger in the face.

Once I'm inside the bathroom, I take out my phone and open it to Becca's text. Now I know what to say that will put her back on my side, however irrational my side may be.

Me: She keeps calling him Jacey.

Becca: What a b.i.t.c.h!

Chapter 16.

Our brief visit with Jace's parents flies by much sooner than I had antic.i.p.ated. Now that it's the morning of our last day here, I'm not so sure Sacramento is all it's cracked up to be. I stand on the second floor balcony, sipping on some hot chocolate and watching the sun rise in the distance. Sure, the scenery is beautiful but the people are beautiful, too. And they all seem to have a thing for my boyfriend. Well, at least the ones that I've met. As I look around the ma.s.sive house and take in the scenery, all I feel is a deep longing for home.