“You’ve always been a better person than me, Bails. Fine. Let her try working there. But that inn is the love of your life, and that inn is the reason I can take my wife on nice vacations every year, so if Vanessa so much as puts a foot wrong, I want you to boot her ass onto the first plane out of there. Or I will fly up there and do it myself. Vanessa has always been trouble. And last I checked in with her, nothing had changed. She’s not there for the reasons she said. My bet is that her string of sugar daddies has dried up. She’s my sister, and deep down I will always love her, but she’s a mercenary now, Bailey, and she’ll do whatever it takes to make herself happy. Even if it means making you miserable.”

My brother’s warning rang in my ears. An uncomfortable weight sank down on my shoulders. The truth was I didn’t like my sister much, and I only missed her when she was gone before she turned up again. Now that I was faced with her and our complicated relationship, I wanted nothing more than to find a corner to hide in.

First Tom.

Next Vaughn.

Then Rex.

Now Vanessa.

My beautiful life in Hartwell had gotten really messy lately.

SIXTEEN

Vaughn

Emery didn’t blush at all as she made the coffee he’d ordered for himself and Cooper, although she was her usual taciturn self.

However, Vaughn sensed that her taciturnity wasn’t due to shyness but to annoyance. She was annoyed with him. He could tell in the way her pretty lips were pressed thin, and how she avoided his eyes not because she was too shy to meet them but because she didn’t want to look at him.

The few words she did use were terse.

Like, “Here,” when she handed the coffees over.

Vaughn was bemused. “How much?”

“Usual,” she replied.

He handed over the money, smirking to himself. In all honesty he found her anger a refreshing change to her shyness. Perhaps Bailey was rubbing off on her after all.

Ah.

Bailey.

Of course.

“She told you,” he commented as he took the coffees off the counter.

Emery stared at the cash register. “Pardon?”

“Bailey told you we slept together.”

Her eyes flew to his.

Ah, there it was.

The blush stained her cheeks. “Yes.”

“And you’re annoyed at me.”

“She asked me not to be,” she said. “But yes.” She bit her lip as if she couldn’t believe she’d uttered the words.

All Vaughn heard was, “She asked me not to be.” Bloody Bailey Hartwell. She’d gone from wanting to destroy his reputation when he didn’t deserve it, to trying to protect it when he didn’t deserve it.

“I was in the wrong. I apologized.”

She gave him a tight nod. He was not forgiven then.

Sighing, Vaughn walked away. He’d just opened the door to leave when her gentle voice called out to him, “You made her cry.”

The words pierced through him, painful in a way that still surprised him. Unable to say anything, knowing if he did, he’d give away his emotions to the woman, he kept walking.

Bailey was always so feisty and brave around him, sometimes he forgot there was a soft, emotional woman underneath all her barbs. He’d wrapped himself up in that side of her, but he’d let himself forget it existed because it meant returning to memories that tormented him.

Emery’s reminder was a knife in his gut.

“You look like hell.” Cooper opened the door to his bar and accepted his coffee. He stepped aside to let Vaughn pass.

“I feel it.”

“So what brings you here? Not that I’m complaining.”

Vaughn’s gaze swept over the empty bar. “Are we alone?”

“Yeah, but Jessica gets kind of weird about me making out with other people.”

“Funny.”

Cooper grinned. “What can I do for you?”

“I want you to watch out for Bailey. I know you do anyway, but I’m specifically talking about this Rex person.” He narrowed his eyes. “I don’t like the sound of him, Lawson.”

His friend took a slow, casual sip of his coffee and studied Vaughn until he was almost squirming.

“Well?” Vaughn snapped.

“I was just wondering.”

“What?”

“If it’s uncomfortable.”

“If what’s uncomfortable?”

“Having your head that far up your ass.”

“You’re a real comedian today, Lawson.”

“You’re making it easy for me.” He leaned against his bar, his gaze direct, serious. “You want to tell me why the hell you’re making it this hard for yourself? You want Bailey. We all know you want Bailey, and if you weren’t such an ass about it, you could have Bailey. I don’t see the problem.”

Vaughn was tired of explaining the situation. “I don’t do relationships.”

“Why?”

“None of your fucking business.”

“Well you’re making it my business by coming to me and asking me to watch out for your woman. Not exactly saying much about you as a man.”

His blood burned at the insinuation. “I’m doing what is best for Bailey by staying away from her.”

“But you’re not. Staying away from her I mean. You’re sticking your nose into her life, and this is a small fucking town, Tremaine. Do you think she won’t know if you’re putting yourself into her business, even if it’s indirectly? And that’s just messing with her head. You’re either in or you’re out. Make a choice and stick to it.”