A Long Goodbye (21 page)

Winslow only had eyes for me and I knew right then he knew. He had fire coming out of his ears and eyes as he barreled up to me wordlessly. I took a step back. “I take it you know.” I wasn’t sugarcoating it anymore. If he knew, so be it. It put me one step closer to Ashton.

“I trusted you with my little girl.”

I cocked my head and grinned. “That would’ve been your mistake, not mine.”

He turned to Jason. “You made a promise to me, Son.”

Jason kept his mouth closed and Winslow fixed his gaze back at me. “You are not to go near my daughter ever again. Do you understand me?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “I don’t know if I want to do that,” I admitted. I knew I was on thin ice and he could take everything away without blinking an eye, and I was pushing it.

He stood tall and walked over to where my mama was sitting. “Catherine, we had a deal. I paid off your husband’s debt, because an old friend needed help. If you don’t have your son back off my baby, then the deal is off and your house will be taken away. I’d really hate to do that to you, but I will.”

Jason stepped in between them. “Not so fast, Winslow. We’ll get your money back to you as soon as we can. We just need some time.”

He clapped his back. “No need for that, boy,” he paused and spared me a glance. “Only one thing needs to be done and I’ll hand the deed back over, and it’ll be back in your family’s name.”

All eyes were on me now. We all sat there without muttering one word, anxious to hear what he had to say. Only, I knew before it came out of his mouth. “You’re going to tell Ashton that you have no feelings for her and that she needs to move on to someone more like Trevor Owens. If you do that, we’ll call it even. You can keep that bonus, too. I won’t have my only child run off with a man like you.”

I shook my head. “What kind of man am I?”

“There’s a certain pedigree I want my baby to marry into. She’d be slumming it out in the woods with you, and I won’t stand for that.”

My mama stood up and ushered him toward the door. “As far as slumming it in the woods, you had no problem dating me a long time ago, so I suggest you rethink what you just said about my baby. Now, you said what you came here for, now you need to leave, Bill.”

He smiled down at her. “You’re still lovely as ever, Catherine. I wish I came out here for other reasons, but it was nice to see you anyhow.” Without one look back, he walked out the door and took off.

I paced for what felt like an hour listening to Jason, and mama go on and on about what to do next. I had every intention of finding Ashton and coming clean this weekend. I was sure I had Trevor to thank for Winslow’s visit, which meant I’d be paying him one, too.

A loud bang erupted from outside making us all jump. Jason scrambled off the couch to the window, peeling mama’s homemade lace curtains. “Fuck! Get up. We got trouble.”

He dropped the curtain. “You ain’t gonna like what I just saw.”

I stumbled toward him, rushing. “What is it?”

“Ashton’s outside with Lu and she just kicked in your headlight and she’s about to kick in another.”

I stormed outside. The last thing I needed was something else to pay for. “Grace,” I screamed.

She stopped immediately, her back to me. “Don’t you call me that, Dane Woods.” She spun around, letting my real name drip off her tongue with venom. And I could tell she was going to be hell on wheels for this conversation.

“Now what did my truck ever do to you?” I decided to try and bait with a smile and my charm, but she wasn’t having any of it.

She hurried over until she was dead in front of me and the only thing I could think of was kissing her, and I almost did. But, before I could haul her to me, Ashton slapped me so hard on my cheek I thought she broke my jaw. Her hand went back and came at me again, but I grabbed a hold of it before she could do anymore damage. “Grace, baby, stop!”

Tears were flowing down her cheeks, as I pulled her into my chest and held on for dear life. She struggled and cursed me out from under her breath, but I refused to let go. “How could you lie to me? I trusted you,” she mumbled. 

I gently let her slip from my hold, but held onto her hands. “I didn’t mean to, it just happened. I didn’t want you to find out about your father. I thought I was doing what was right. I was helping you be Grace and not Ashton, and I loved every minute of watching you.”

Lu grumbled in the background and I had almost forgotten she was here helping beat the hell of my truck. “You couldn’t keep it to yourself, could you?” I snapped.

Ashton sniffled and looked into my eyes and then looked back at Lu. I could see the hamster wheel spinning as it clicked in place. “You knew?” She screamed. “You knew I was crying every night and day over him leaving and not calling, and you knew he was in the same town? You knew his real name before me?”

“Ashton, I don’t know what to say. He asked me to keep his secret and I did because your Daddy is all you have.”

“I thought I had you too, Lu? I guess I was wrong about that.”

Lu stepped in Ashton’s space. Both girls were crying while my mama was standing there with a hand over her mouth witnessing everything. Jason stood in the background without saying one word. Which right now was smart.

“You do have me, honey. I just didn’t want you to lose faith in him. I should’ve come to you and told you about your father and Woody. I’m so sorry,” she pleaded, but it was falling on deaf ears.

Ashton had a look of pure evil on the face of an angel, and I was having hard time seeing her like that. “How much?”

I swallowed hard. “It wasn’t about the money, Grace.”

“How much did he think I was worth? Or, maybe the better question would be how much money did you make for lying down in my bed with me? I hope I was worth every penny.”

My mama gasped causing Ashton to whip her head around to see her on the porch. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Woods. I didn’t see you standing there.” Ashton raised like the good woman she was, apologized to my mama.

“Bless your heart, child.” Mama turned, grabbed onto Jason and said, “we’ll be inside if you need us.”

My eyes didn’t leave Grace standing there with tears and makeup dripping down her face waiting on me. I was too stunned and mortified to speak. I wanted to tell her that I loved her and I was done waiting around for her, but I couldn’t do it. Not if I wanted my mama to have her house.

“I trusted you with my heart, Dane. I’ve never given it over completely before and you took advantage of how I felt about you and me. You took advantage of that love I gave you without questioning it.”

“We had a few days and we made a whole bunch of memories together, and I’ll treasure them, but Darling’ it’s gotta be over now. I’m sorry.”

She threw her hands on her hips, shock registered on her face. “You don’t get to decide that. I do.”

I rolled my eyes. “All right, what did you decide on?”

She blew her bangs out her face. “I decided I don’t even want to look at you. I thought you were someone different. I thought you loved me, but it turns out I was just a job and you got paid real well I’m sure. I hope you had a good time, because you will never, ever touch me again.”

She spun on her heels, but I pulled her back into me. I covered her mouth with mine before she could protest. She didn’t kiss me back, but I knew deep down she wanted to. Grace’s boot came down on my toes, and she stomped hard. It hurt like hell too. I let her slip away and toward Lu. “I just wanted that last kiss,” I said. I knew I shouldn’t have done it, but I couldn’t resist that mouth of hers any more than I could resist my mama’s cooking.

She stopped when she got in front of Lu. “Don’t come near me. You were my best friend, the one I counted on and you failed me, Lu.”

Oh, man! I felt horrible for Lu being caught up in all this, but I needed to stay strong for my family.

“I need some space.” She hopped in Trevor’s car. “I’m sure you could get a ride from Dane,” she said, slamming the door shut. Ashton was gone, pealing out, and kicking up dust as she headed down the driveway.

“Wait!” I yelled, chasing after her. Ashton slowed to a crawl. “Marry someone other than Trevor. Anyone other than him,” I begged. I couldn’t stand the thought of that man touching her and if he ever did, I didn’t know what I was capable of.

She didn’t respond, I was graced with a smug look and she kept on going.

I sat on the porch step, hating everything about what I just did. Hating myself especially for letting her walk away, without knowing how I really felt about her.

It wasn’t until Lu’s boots were in my point of view that I looked up to her. “I didn’t tell her, Trevor did. Well, Josh too. We were at a bar and Trevor made sure she recognized your brother. I came with her for support and now I don’t have a friend, I don’t have anybody.”

“I’m sorry, Lu. I really am. I just assumed and shouldn’t have thrown you down like I did.”

“She’s never going to forgive us. He won.”

“Who?”

She took a minute to take a few deep breaths. “Her precious daddy, that’s who. He always hated me and now he’ll trap her in that house, have her married to Trevor and we’ll lose her forever. I know her better than you, Dane. It’s going to take something big for her to forgive us.”

I placed my arm around her. “She loves you, Lu. It’ll take some time, but she’ll come around.” I pulled her in and kissed the side of her head. “Now c’mon, let me drive you home.”

CHAPTER 39

ASHTON

I drove like mad through town until I pulled up in front of my house. I couldn’t go in and face Daddy. Not now. Instead, I found myself lying under one of my favorite trees and staring into the bright sky.

I had never felt so demolished in my life. I felt like the elevator floor had given in and I plunged to a quick death.

I hated looking into Woody’s eyes as he told me it was over. I could see the pain and hear the hesitation in his voice as he turned me away. It was all for the better, or at least that’s what I told myself.

Besides, there was no way I could ever look at him again in the same light. The knowledge that he’d been fifteen minutes away from me this whole time, while I lay in bed and cried over him was just too much to wrap my head around. Not to mention the two weeks of lying to my face, watching me become Grace, and sleeping next to me in his arms. None of it was real. I was a job, pure and simple.

“I thought you’d be out here,” Trevor said as he sat down beside me.

“I left your keys in the car.”

He fell back and turned on his side. “What happened tonight?”

“I found out the person I was in love with was Dane Woods. Everything I believed him to be was a false. He’s not a good guy; he’s a liar and a coward.”

Trevor lifted his hand, and played with the end of my hair. “No one is good enough for you, Ashton. And I know you’re upset, but if you could, just give me one chance to make you happy, I swear I can.”

“I know you want my daddy’s money more,” I alleged.

His hand dropped until it was resting on my belly. “I got my own family money and I do well on my own. It’s not about the money.”

“You barely even know the real me. Hell, I barely found her.”

“I knew you’d be lying under this tree, far enough so your old man couldn’t see you. I do know you.”

I harrumphed.

“I pay attention more than you think, Ashton. I know who you are and how you pretend to be the perfect daughter to him. I see it. If anything, let me be your vengeance on Woods. I take it you’d like that too. Because, I would love nothing more than to pay him back for breaking your heart.”

That had me thinking. I never played dirty my entire life. I followed the right path to a fault. It was time to make it known to the fine people of my town that I was not the good girl that everyone knew me to be. I was done.

“You’d do that for me?”

“Of course I would. I’m also offering because I can’t stand those Wood boys. Never liked them.”

I turned with a smile to look at him. He was cute, and he liked me, and he had never lied to me, which I admired. “Will you go out with me Friday night?”

He took my hand in his, pressed his lips and grazed my knuckles. “I’d love to.”

~~~

I’d hadn’t seen, nor heard from Dane in over four days. Not that I was counting. LuLu on the other hand stopped in every day. Nash was lying on my bed, panting in the summer heat as I finished up getting ready for my night out with Trevor. This was going to be a night for the books.

Trevor had gotten word where Dane would be tonight from one of Josh’s friends. It was Friday night and they were all going to be at Monroe’s, shooting pool and playing darts. Since it was a special occasion, I’d gone shopping for the sluttiest, but most seductive dress I could find. Sadly, it wasn’t that hard to do. It was all black with a vee in the front and back so no matter which way I was facing everyone got the idea of what I had going on underneath. It barely passed my thighs, and it was tighter than skin on a grape.

I pulled my hair up, leaving some pieces down to frame my face, and wore more make-up than Lu. I looked like a high priced call girl, but since that was the look I was going for, I grinned.

The word overdressed came to my mind as we entered the local bar most of the people in town came to take a load off. It was Friday night and Trevor knew when I came down the stairs that he was in for a very entertaining evening. Although, in his filthy mind he was hoping my plan would go south and he would be there to pick up the pieces.

Since we shot over here quickly after dinner, not many people were here yet. Trevor ordered me a martini, which had me lashing out at him. “Why do always order me a drink I don’t like? You say you know me, well, I hate martinis,” I shouted.

I pushed the drink on the bar and Jackson Folley, the bartender who once had some fun with Lu a couple months back, placed a beer and a shot of Tequila in front of me. I gestured to Jackson. “See, even he knows what I like.” Without hesitating, I picked up my shot and slammed it back. I flicked my chin, letting Jackson know to pour me one more. He filled it up, and that one went down smoothly too.