Sweet Texas Kiss (Sweet Texas Secrets) (6 page)

The dog’s bouncing, carefree steps and the brilliant sunshine clashed with the somber mood that settled over the graveyard. He walked his dog through the cemetery regularly, as did many Sweet Ridge residents, and Merle knew he wasn’t allowed to romp through like they were at the dog park. “Slow down, boy. Show some respect.”

Merle tilted his head, watching Gavin carefully to pick up his cues, and walked beside him at the perfect pace. Gavin followed the path toward his father’s final resting place, not allowing Merle to stop and sniff the flowers and headstones that lined the walkway.

The blonde standing by his father’s gravestone, head down, hands in her pockets and murmuring softly, stopped him in his tracks. Merle heeled at his feet and Gavin threw up his hands when he realized it was Macy. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

She’d been so unfazed by seeing him last night at the bar, the shock that twisted her usually lovely features now gratified him. He hated feeling like the only one thrown off by their unscheduled reunion. She must have been deep in thought and his words cracked her solitude.

“Oh, hi. I thought I was alone.”

The stubborn confidence she’d shown the night before was gone, but Gavin wasn’t quite ready to back down. “And I thought I could visit my father in peace. Looks like we were both wrong.”

Her shoulders slumped and she glanced away for a moment before fixing him with a determined look. “You know, I don’t know why you still have such a problem with me, but I’m over it. I’ve never done anything to you, and I wish you’d just grow up already.”

“You’ve never done anything to me? That’s rich.” Merle’s ears perked up at Gavin’s tone. He lowered his voice, remembering where he was. “I don’t see you often, but it seems that whenever I do, you’re taking something that was supposed to be mine.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that my dad promised me the house, and now it belongs to you. It means that, just like in high school, you somehow managed to figure out a way to game the system and get something you wanted. Then I lost my best friend, and you got off scot-free.”

“Look, I’ve never taken anything from you. If you’re still bitter about being salutatorian instead of valedictorian, which most people would think is still pretty good, by the way, then you are a moron. I won that honor fair and square, and high school was a long time ago. If it’s Tori, then I don’t even know what to say to you, and acting like you’re the only one who lost anything is unspeakably cruel. I miss her more than anyone, and I’m done feeling guilty. Nobody can replace her, and I’ll never forget her.” She took a deep, shuddering breath and seemed to calm herself. “I’ve turned things over in my mind a thousand times since she died, and if there was any way I could change things, I most certainly would. But I can’t. No one can.”

Gavin wasn’t a bully, and he hated himself a little for the pain that was in her eyes. He knew she loved Tori, that she needed her, and that everything had changed the night she died. But that didn’t mean he could stop blaming Macy. She was the reason his best friend was gone, and he couldn’t ignore that. He’d always hold her responsible, but berating her next to his father’s grave wasn’t going to bring his friend back.

Her blue eyes became steely. “If it’s the house, then I’m sorry. Like I’ve said, I have no idea why your dad left it to me. Whatever his reasons, though, they’re his alone, and I didn’t take it from you. It’s not like I called him up and asked if he had any real estate he wanted to give me. I was just as surprised as you.”

Damn it, she was right, about the house at least. She had weaseled her way to valedictorian, though. When they’d been vying for the top spot in their graduating class, she had figured out how to slip through the cracks and edge around him, not only overtaking him in the rankings, but also making him look like an idiot in the process. Her stunt had branded him as someone who couldn’t quite close the deal, so close yet too far away, and it was a long time before he got his confidence back. Veterinary school was competitive, from getting in to staying at the top of his class, and he needed that edge to succeed. The edge she’d dulled with her dirty trick.

But owning a house in a town she never even visited wasn’t something she’d likely even want, much less work out an elaborate plan to get. There was no reason to think she’d somehow schemed to steal his father’s house out from under him. So accusing her of treachery wouldn’t do him any good; even if he managed to get her to concede, the satisfaction would be short-lived. It wouldn’t change a thing. Best to concentrate on figuring out how to get the house back, rather than dwell on how it came to be. If he could ferret out the reasoning behind his dad’s change of heart, he’d be closer to figuring out how to work around it.

“If you didn’t somehow convince him to do it, that means my dad gave it to you freely. And that makes no sense to me. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out why he would do such a thing. I mean, as far as I knew, you two didn’t have a close relationship or anything after you moved away.”

“I don’t know why he picked me, but just because we didn’t keep in touch after graduation doesn’t mean we were complete strangers.” She gave Merle a tiny smile. “My mom still worked for him for several years after I left, so we were kind of connected even though I was gone.”

“It still doesn’t make sense. A lot of moms worked for my dad, and he didn’t will any of their children my birthright.”

“You know, I spent a lot of school nights studying in an empty conference room or office while my mom worked at Guac Olé, and more often than not, your dad stopped in to do a little extra work while you and your brothers were at work or extracurricular activities, and he always took the time to talk to me. Sometimes he was even still at work when my mom and I got there, sitting at his desk. We talked about school, whatever was going on around town, and believe it or not, you. A lot.”

“Why would you talk about me with my dad?” His father had never mentioned seeing Macy at his office, nor had he ever really talked about her any more than he did about any of their other friends. Dad knew about his little crush on her but he never interfered, at least not that he knew of. Surely he wasn’t trying to get them together during those evening chats.

She smiled, like she relished being able to deliver her answer. “He was thrilled that we were so closely matched when it came to academics. He thought it pushed you to succeed, and he loved that it humbled you.”

“What? He never said one word to me about talking with you. He was always so supportive.” Until the end of senior year, when Macy changed the rules from friendly to ferocious, his dad had been right; the competition kept Gavin sharp and ensured that he never became complacent.

“Oh, he was proud of you, and he wanted you to succeed. He just knew it wasn’t healthy for a good-looking kid from a wealthy family to have things any easier than you already did. He knew you needed a challenge. He came in the night after Mr. Procter told me about the competition that gave me the chance to become valedictorian, and we talked about it then. Jack encouraged me to go for it.”

“He let me go on thinking that it was within reach, that you were able to snap it up at the last minute. Why would he let that happen? If I had known, maybe I could’ve figured something out.”

“He probably knew that although it would be disappointing to you, coming in second for once in your life wouldn’t be the end of the world. Trust me, he was always thinking of what was best for you and your brothers. He never would’ve let it happen like that otherwise. You weren’t the one who needed the scholarships and opportunities. Your life is one big opportunity.”

“And you didn’t even go to college. How ironic.” Okay, he could understand why his dad had kept quiet about Macy’s plan to pull ahead in the rankings. Jack Cooper was a big believer in hard work and perseverance, convinced that anyone willing to put in the effort should have a fair shot at success. He also knew that college didn’t pay for itself, though, so it made sense that he’d be happy to see Macy get the opportunities she deserved. He was well-known for helping promising young people achieve their goals through scholarships or internships, and letting his own son fall short of a goal was a bit extreme but not completely out of character. Unlike most of the good ol’ boys living in Sweet Ridge at the time, Dad understood how privilege worked and he didn’t want his boys to get ahead if it wasn’t earned. “If you were going to go to so much trouble to make sure you graduated first in our class, you could’ve at least gone to college.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re right, Gavin. I knew I’d get the recording contract the whole time and decided to keep it a secret. I never planned on going to college, I just loved ruining your life so much.” The sarcasm was thick enough to choke on. “Come on, you’ve made it crystal clear you don’t think I’m anything special, but maybe your dad saw something in me.” She looked off across the empty cemetery, her eyes briefly welling with tears before she quickly got herself back under control with a tiny shake of her head. “He might be the only one these days.”

“I might actually feel sorry for you if you weren’t the star of a huge TV show and hadn’t toured the country playing to sold-out crowds. I know you’ve had some serious stuff happen in your life, but you seem to have landed on your feet.”

Sure, losing her best friend and musical partner was more than most people had to endure, but Macy had become her own worst enemy. Opportunities were always there for her, but she never did anything to further her career anymore. She’d ruined her own reputation, and he wasn’t going to pity her, even if her full pout made him want to, a little.

“Well, you don’t know anything about me. Not anymore.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at her feet. Her tough exterior was a thin veneer, perhaps thin enough for him to chip away at with a little effort.

“That’s true. But I want to.” Surprise flashed in her sapphire eyes, much bluer than he remembered. But he couldn’t let his old attraction to her flare up and make him do something he’d regret. “I want to know what you’re even doing here. Surely you don’t want a house in Sweet Ridge when your life and career is in Nashville.”

“My life? You mean the part where I work until I can finally go back to my empty house and collapse into bed? Or the part where everyone either looks at me like my best friend died, which she did, or like they simply can’t bring themselves to actually look me in the eye?” She stopped herself and released a soft breath while rolling her shoulders back. After a moment she seemed to set her train of thought back on track. “Listen, I don’t know what I’m going to do with the house, but I thought I’d at least show your dad the respect of coming to see the place before I make my decision.”

“That’s decent of you,” he admitted grudgingly. Typical Macy, opening up and letting her guard down, making him the asshole if he did anything but apologize. And that wasn’t going to happen. “He deserves that much.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m really sorry about your dad. He was an amazing man.” Macy touched his hand, and he hated the frisson of heat that shot up his arm.

He stepped back before the spark ignited, and swallowed hard.

“Thank you. We all miss him.”

“All right, I’ll let you visit your dad in peace. I’m sure I’ll see you around before I go home.” She gave Merle a quick pet as she brushed past, and her fresh perfume made him step back without even thinking. As long as she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with the house, he still had a chance to get it back. Letting her get into his head with her sexy perfume and shiny hair would dull his edge. The sooner she left, the better.

Visiting Jack’s grave hadn’t provided the clarity she’d hoped for, but Macy felt more peaceful about walking into the empty house. She might never feel like she belonged here, but at least she felt less like an intruder. Gavin obviously thought she was a conniving manipulator who’d schemed her way to valedictorian, a heartless loser who got her best friend killed, and a scheming scoundrel who’d somehow managed to steal his childhood home to boot. Apparently nothing was going to change his mind, and it didn’t matter. She wasn’t in town to change minds, only to figure out her next step. The only person she could control was herself.

The mental molasses that had weighed her down and slowed her ascent earlier was gone, propelling her to the front door on the lightness of a clear conscience. Fresh, lavender and lemon-scented air greeted her when she stepped into the foyer instead of the stale, stagnant air she’d anticipated. No blanket of dust covered the furniture, and mail was piled neatly on a side table. The family must have a service coming in regularly to keep the house looking lived-in.

The house was much the same as she remembered: elaborate artistry evident in the home’s small design details and updated furnishings mixing beautifully with original features. Ornate oriental rugs graced the spotless hand-scraped hardwood floors, perfectly clear picture windows offered glimpses of the lush gardens outside, and the original wood banister begged her to walk upstairs. Jack Cooper had taken pride in his home, had obviously taken pains to preserve the original beauty of the house, yet the place was warm and luxurious but still inviting, the kind of house she’d always wanted to live in. One that her mother would have never been able to afford, and one that Macy would never be able to maintain with her schedule.

And one way too big for one person.

The place was meant for a family, not a washed-up singer barely hanging on to her career. Not someone who didn’t have so much as a goldfish, much less a husband and a passel of kids. She dropped her bags on the floor by the couch and took in the space that felt both alien and so much like home already. It wasn’t quite her home, but it was her house, so she’d stay. Spending her visit here might help her make a decision, and it was a hundred times nicer than her room at the Sweet Ridge Inn.

The front door opened, and Macy jumped. A big black Lab barreled into the living room, demanding attention before she had time to be alarmed that someone was walking into her house. Gavin followed, calling Merle and hanging his leash on a hook by the front door like he owned her place.