Broken

I sent Whitley back a quick text.

Layton: Damn, girl. You read fast. I can’t believe you’re almost done with the book. And what in the hell does TTFN mean?

I hit Send and started laughing. What I wouldn’t give to see her face when she reads my response.

“There’s that smile again! Someone or something sure is making you smile today, Layton,” Reed said with a wink.

Lucky looked and grinned as he shook my hand.

“How are the horses looking, Lucky?”

“Good, but I wanted to talk to you, if I could. I got a lead on a horse in Kentucky.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Oh yeah? Let’s talk about it later?”

He handed me the reins on Trigger and smiled. “Oh, believe me, we will because I won’t let you pass this one up.”

Kevin came out, and we all got on the horses and took off. I felt a sense of peace wrap over my whole body. I always felt so close to Mike when I was on a horse and out on the ranch. I closed my eyes and felt the summer sun warming my face.

Reed and Kevin were going on and on about some club in Austin.

All I could see was green eyes staring back into mine.

When my phone went off, alerting me to a new text message, I almost dropped it when I tried to get it out of my back pocket. I slowed Trigger down, so I could open up Whitley’s text.

Whitley: Ta Ta For Now. ;) Have a great day, cowboy.

I tried not to smile, but I couldn’t help it.

Layton: Have a great day, CG.

I put my phone in my back pocket, and for the first time in months, I actually felt happy.

Chapter Nine: Whitley

I looked at Layton’s text message again and smiled.

What a jerk! He can’t fool me. Telling him I used a vibrator on myself has to have affected him. He’s just being a stubborn cowboy.

And I couldn’t believe he hadn’t known what TTFN meant.

I smiled again, and for the first time in years, I had butterflies in my stomach.

Oh hell no. Friends, Whitley. Only friends. No way in hell am I opening myself up to another controlling man.

My phone went off again. I read his simple reply, telling me to have a great day, and I actually believed I was going to.

“Holy fuck. Either you enjoyed the book, or you got laid last night—and not by B.O.B. Which one is it?”

I looked up at Courtney, who looked like she was about to step onto a red carpet.

“Jesus, where in the hell are you going, all dressed up like that?”

“To your appointment. Where else? If you want me to help you with your business, I’m going to have to actually see what in the hell it is you do. Plus, I want to scope this Olivia bitch out.”

Ugh. Just the mention of her name caused my skin to crawl. The way she had looked at me last night had given me the creeps. For someone engaged to be married, she couldn’t keep her eyes off of Layton all night.

“Okay. Well, I think it’s great you want to go with me. Plus, I need to use your truck, and I don’t think I could even drive that thing, but—”

“But, nothing! I’m coming.”

I let out a laugh. “That’s fine, but she lives in the middle of the country, and yesterday, I was so overdressed that it was unreal. Jeans and a shirt will do just fine,” I said with a wink.

“Oh, can I wear my cowboy boots?”

“Sure! I’ll wear mine, too.”

She sat down and smiled. “Okay. Now, back to that huge-ass smile that was on your face when I walked in here. Spill it.”

I smiled as I thought about Layton’s playful side. He’d seemed so serious yesterday, so it was nice to see he had a bit of a fun side.

“It’s nothing really.”

“Did I win?” She wiggled her eyebrows up and down. “I got up at five fifteen and saw your lights on.”

I smiled and felt the blush hit my cheeks.

“Holy shit! You used it, didn’t you?”

“Well, oh my God, Court! How could I not? Those sex scenes were amazing, and then talking to Layton…”

Oh. Fuck.

Courtney jumped and damn near knocked her chair over. “What? Talking to Layton? When in the hell were you talking to Layton?” She put her hands up to her mouth and started laughing. “Tell me you didn’t do that with him on the phone?”

What? “Oh my God! No, Courtney! I’m not a slut, for fuck’s sake!”

She slowly dropped her hands down to her sides, and the smile on her face caused me to laugh.

“What?” I said.

“Oh, don’t what me! You were talking to Layton last night? What were y’all talking about? Spill it, Whitley Ashley Reynolds.”

I started to laugh.

Why am I feeling so giddy? You need to get yourself under control, Whitley. Now.

“Okay, will you calm the hell down if I tell you?”

She clapped her hands together and grinned from ear to ear. “No promises, but I will attempt to calm myself.”

“Okay…well, last night, I was feeling really bad for what I’d said to him since he really was kind of like my hero yesterday. So, I sent him a text that just said I was sorry. We got to texting back and forth, and I kind of told him about—”

“About what? What!”

“The bet we made.”

Courtney fell back in her seat. “Mother of all things good, you told him about the vibrator bet? Whitley…you damn tease!”

I couldn’t help it. I started laughing. “Well, he was in such a playful mood, and I wanted to see how far he would take it.”

“And?” She moved her whole body closer.

The look in her eyes almost had me pissing in my pants from laughing. “He was a perfect gentleman.”

Her face dropped. “No. He didn’t bite?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Bastard was cool as a cucumber. So, you see…he doesn’t look at me in any other way but friendship—just like I look at him.”

Courtney shook her head. “I’m…I’m so damn confused.” She stood and started walking over to the coffee pot. “What in the hell is wrong with these Texas men? I mean, his damn friend Reed was the same way. I think I could have pulled off my shirt and shook my titties in his face, and he wouldn’t have budged.”

I busted out laughing again. “Oh God, Court! Hey, do you like Reed? I loved his name. It was fitting for you.”

She smiled and shook her head. “That’s about the only thing appealing about him—his damn name.”

I raised my eyebrows at her.

She let out a sigh. “Fine. He’s hot as hell. My God, he looks like a young Colin Farrell. I bet he’s good in bed.” She wiggled her eyebrows up and down and grinned.

I stood and shook my head. “Come on, let’s get ready to go. You’re going to love Mrs. Pierceson. She is a hoot.”

“Yes! Off to break my baby in on some good ole country roads!”

As we pulled up to the Piercesons’ gate, Courtney let out a gasp. “Mother of God, I thought my parents had money!”

I laughed. “I know, right? You should see Layton’s place. My God, it’s my dream home.”

Courtney looked over and smiled as she raised her eyebrows.

“Stop it, Court!” I said with a giggle.

I couldn’t believe how happy I was today. I knew it was because I was starting my new life, and I already had two jobs lined up. As much as Court had tried to say that it was because of my message fest with Layton last night, I knew that wasn’t true.

Courtney pulled up and parked her truck next to a BMW. We both jumped out and started to make our way up to the house. The front door opened, and Olivia came walking out with the biggest, fakest smile I’d ever seen.

“I don’t like her,” Courtney said.

I smiled back at her and whispered, “Neither do I.”

“Well, hello, Whitley! Who’s your sidekick here?”

“Good morning, Olivia,” I said. “This is my best friend and business partner, Courtney Will.”

Olivia looked Court up and down, like she was a bug that needed to be stepped on and killed immediately. “Well, welcome, Courtney. My Justin and Aunt Mimi are in the study. Come on in, and follow me.”

Olivia turned, and we both followed her into the house. Courtney spun around and gave me a look that caused me to choke from holding back a laugh.

Olivia glared at me. “Do you need some water?”

The way she was staring at me made my skin crawl. “Um…no, thank you. I just had a tickle in my throat.”

She gave me a slight smile, turned, and kept walking. She stepped up to two huge double doors and opened them. I smiled when I saw Mrs. Pierceson sitting there with Justin. I glanced over toward Justin, who was practically eye-fucking Courtney.

Men—they are all the same.

Olivia cleared her throat, and that seemed to bring her fiancé back to his senses. “Mimi, Justin, this is Courtney Will, Whitley’s best friend and business partner.”

Justin stood and walked over to shake Court’s hand while Mrs. Pierceson followed.

“How wonderful! Miss Will, how long have you been in the party-planning business? And please, girls, I would like for you both to call me Mimi,” she said with such a sincere smile.

Courtney looked at me like she didn’t know what to say. I just grinned and nodded.

“Well, honestly, Mimi, this is all very new to me. My real full-time job is working as a freelance editor.”

“Really? How exciting. What types of books do you edit?”

Ah hell, here we go.

Courtney smiled big. “Most of it is contemporary romance, but I also edit paranormal and thrillers, and I have some nonfiction thrown in there every now and then,” she said with a wink.

“You read books for a living?” Olivia asked with sarcasm oozing out of her mouth.

Court’s smile faded for one brief second. “I do a little bit more than just read them. I love my job. Plus, I can work anywhere I want, and it allows me to do other things that interest me, like helping Whitley.”

Mimi clapped her hands and laughed. “Oh, Courtney, you and I are going to have to talk later. I love to read, and I need some new smut.”

Olivia turned to her aunt with a shocked look on her face.

Courtney laughed and nodded. “I’d love to.”

Olivia sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Shall we get to planning the parties now?”

For the next hour, we talked about both parties. I made notes and wrote down ideas. I got the feeling that poor Justin was just going along with this to please Olivia. She seemed to have a hidden agenda behind this party, but I just couldn’t put my finger on what it was.

I needed to make a trip into Austin—that was for sure. I’d been dying to go to Austin ever since Court and I had moved here. When I mentioned heading into Austin later to look for some items for Olivia’s engagement party, I saw Court’s eyes light up.

Olivia stood and smiled. “So, now that business is out of the way, I see you girls are dressed perfectly for pleasure.”

Courtney and I glanced at each other.

I looked back at Olivia and gave her a weak smile. “What did you have in mind?”