Seven Day Fiance: A Love and Games Novel (Entangled Bliss) (18 page)

Angie rested her head on her cousin’s lap, grateful for the gentle teasing. No one had a clue why she and Cane were on the outs—no one other than maybe her parents, that is. Even with Lacey’s behind-the-scenes info, the truth was too embarrassing for Angelle to admit. So instead, she’d been vague all day, knowing how bad she was at lying. She’d said they’d had a disagreement, which was true—she disagreed with his choice to leave her naked and alone in a loft. And that they were taking time off to think, another truth. All Angelle had done today was think. Think about why Cane had shown up. She’d been so sure he’d taken off after getting what he wanted. She’d thought about the dozens of unanswered questions swirling in her mind. Questions she could’ve had answered that morning, had she not been too afraid to hear them.

If the choices were drive herself insane with thinking, have family members walk on eggshells around her, or let her cousin distract her with crazy antics, Angie definitely chose the latter.

Lacey combed her fingers through Angelle’s hair. “No one messes with my baby cousin.”

Taking a breath, Angelle sat back up. “Eighteen months and three days older, Lace. Any chance we can drop the baby?”

When a flash of guilt crossed her face, she nudged Lacey’s knee to show she was teasing. Because she was.
Mostly.
She knew that none of the pet names really meant anything. They were just habit. A pattern the town had fallen into over the years, and she’d allowed it. But those names only reinforced the idea that Angelle was weak. Hopeless. And she wasn’t. If nothing else, Cane had taught her that.

She had an inner hellcat.

“Consider it done. But girl, you know I didn’t mean nothing, right?” Lacey’s bright red lips pursed in a frown, one that lifted when Angelle nodded around another bite of cookie. “Good. Because believe me, with the way that beefcake looks at you? No one’s confused on that issue. It’s pretty obvious that since you left Bon Terre you’ve become
all
woman…if you know what I mean.”

The way Lacey’s head bobbed up and down, a knowing smirk on her face and crude noises emitting from her throat, Angie was sure even young Sadie would know what she meant.

Angelle shook her head, feeling her lips twitch despite the emotional storm raging inside her chest. Growing up, her cousin had been her closest confidante and the next best thing to her very own Dr. Ruth. Lacey was just as sex-crazed as Sherry. Angie’s continued “hymenally challenged” state after eight years with Brady had been a frequent topic, so it shouldn’t be a surprise now. But with the status change so recent, and Angelle’s complete lack of a poker face, there was no fighting back the smile.

She dropped her gaze to the countertop, but she wasn’t fast enough.

Cackling, Lacey thrust a finger in Angelle’s chest. “I
knew
it! Spill your guts, woman. I need details, stat!”

Angie actually laughed. A feat only Lacey could manage on a day as sucky as this one. “Lord, I’ve missed you,” she said, smiling at her cousin while skillfully avoiding the topic at hand. “You have to come visit me in Magnolia Springs. Just remind me to hide my roommate when you do, because I don’t think the town’s big enough for the two of you.”

Lacey handed her a second cookie from the plate and winked. “Deal, but only if you introduce me to a hunky firefighter or two while I’m there.”

“You got it.”

They tapped cookies in agreement, and Angie took another huge bite. One benefit of her birthday misery was the unlimited snackage. Cookies, cake, ice cream, comfort foods. If everyone could leave her alone with her riches, she’d be halfway to the ultimate breakup cure. Add in
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
and a box of tissues, and she’d be good to go.

“Now there’s the smile I remember.”

At the sound of her ex’s voice, Angelle and Lacey exchanged a glance. What began as sweet, friendly behavior this morning was bordering on annoying. Brady’s doting left no question—in anyone’s minds—that he wanted to get back together. Even more obvious was the division her family and friends had taken concerning the two men in her life.

Two
men
.

Ha! More like zero men. Brady was great, but he didn’t make her heart jump. As for Cane, he’d broken her heart, but she couldn’t deny he’d made the shards shake when she saw him. She’d been so sure he was out of her life—if he’d ever really been in it to begin with. But after his shocking appearance at the park that morning, he was one big question mark.

It seemed the only thing
not
under question was Lacey’s position. She was firmly on team Cane. So when a sly grin curved her lips and she glanced at Brady, Angelle knew she was up to something.

“Yep,” she said, “I knew I could make Angie smile. All I had to bring up was—”

“How much I love chocolate!”

Wide-eyed, Angelle shot Lacey a look. As crazy as the woman was, she didn’t
think
her cousin would actually disclose the details of her sex life to her ex…but with Lacey, you just never knew. The mischievous smile she bit off was proof of that.

Brady’s head slanted, his eyebrows furrowed, as telltale warmth flooded Angelle’s cheeks. Yep, she was as bad a liar as ever. Luckily, the
ding
of the doorbell kept her from making it worse. Jumping to her feet, she exclaimed, “I’ll get it!”

With a released breath, she scooted into the hall, the words
saved by the bell
running through her head. But as she got closer and closer to the front door, her eager footsteps slowed.

What if it was Cane at the door?

The thought both terrified and excited her.

Rubbing damp hands on the rough denim of her jeans, Angelle wondered what she’d say if it was. At the park, she’d let fear get the best of her. After she woke up alone, she’d tried convincing herself that she no longer loved him, that it’d been too soon, and his leaving destroyed any tender feelings she may’ve had. But the second she’d spotted him, dark circles sitting like half-moons under his eyes, dark hair mussed and jaw in need of a shave, she’d known just how bad of a liar she really was.

Lacey was right—he
had
looked miserable. Almost as miserable as her, which didn’t make any sense. He was the one who had left. When she went to return his ring, it had devastated her. It was like giving up on a dream that she hadn’t quite admitted to until that morning. But then Cane had refused to accept it.

Was it possible he did care for her, and this was one huge misunderstanding?

It appeared as though she was about to find out.

Angelle closed her eyes, shook out her hands, and whispered, “I’m a hellcat.” Then with her shoulders back, she strode forward and tugged open the solid door.

It wasn’t Cane. Unless he’d shrunk, de-aged about fifteen years, and developed a wicked case of acne. The teenager in front of her was a stranger, an oddity around Bon Terre, and in his arms was a huge bouquet of flowers, a rectangular box in which she spotted the word
chocolate
, and a tutu-wearing teddy bear. Not a total replica of the one she’d given Sadie, but darn close.

Tears that had been sitting under the surface, just waiting for an excuse to come out, sprang to her eyes. It might not have been Cane at the door, but she felt his presence as strongly as if it were.

“Angelle Prejean?” the young man asked, shifting the flowers so he could read the name on the bright white envelope inside.

Hand over her mouth to contain a sob, Angie nodded. Through the slats of her fingers she said, “That’s me.”

“Awesome.” He thrust the flowers forward as the sound of nearing footsteps echoed behind her. Lacey arrived in time to accept the teddy bear and box of chocolate-covered cherries. Removing a clipboard from his bag, he asked, “Can you sign this?”

Lacey made a move to take the flowers, but Angelle tightened her grip. Sunflowers were her favorite, and the fact that Cane knew that made her chest ache. Holding that bulging vase of sunflowers, roses, and lilies was the closest thing she had to him, and right now, she needed it. Angie shifted the weight to her left side and quickly scrawled her name on the paper.

With a two-fingered salute, the teenager said, “Later,” and hoofed it back to his truck.

“The beefcake has interesting taste in teddy bear ensembles, but he gets mad points for the chocolate.” Lacey lifted the plastic-wrapped box to her nose like she could smell the contents, then admired the bouquet. “And those flowers are freaking gorgeous. What’s the card say?”

Angelle shrugged, biting her lip as she swiped at the tears on her cheeks. “I don’t know. I’m kind of scared to read it,” she admitted.
Hellcats can be nervous sometimes, can’t they?

“Well, I’m not.” Lacey set the bear and the chocolates on the entryway table. “Let me at it.”

Reaching into the middle of the large bouquet, her cousin snatched the envelope. It was thicker, bulkier than normal. Lacey lifted an eyebrow and cracked the seal, turning the card over to release a bottle cap in her palm. Handing it to Angie she said, “This guy is either completely nuts, or you’re perfect for each other.”

Angelle didn’t reply. She was too busy being flabbergasted. It was the second bottle cap from the night they babysat. She’d kept hers, but had misplaced the other one before they left. Or at least that’s what she’d thought. Now she knew he’d taken it. Closing her hand around the surprising memento, Angelle’s broken heart pulsed.

Lacey cleared her throat. “Angel,” she read, “I know I promised to give you space. Sorry if this is breaking the rules. In case you’re wondering, these items aren’t random. They’re just a small sample of things that make me think of you. Sunflowers, cherries, even pansy teddy bears. You can keep this one, but the bottle cap is mine. It’s on loan, a memory from a very special night, and I’ll need it back.”

Her cousin looked up and said, “Yep, perfect for each other.”

“Keep reading!” Angelle wiped at the continued tears, needing to hear more.

With a smile, Lacey read, “Happy Birthday, angel. I’m counting the hours until we talk. Yours, Cane.” So his sister had spilled the beans after all. As Angelle pondered how long he’d known, her cousin slid the card back into the envelope and said, “If you don’t want him, let me know. I’ll gladly mend his broken heart.”

Angelle knew she was teasing, but it really wasn’t a question of wanting. She knew, despite everything, she still wanted Cane more than she’d wanted anything in her life. What she had to figure out, however, was if that was enough. And if she could ever trust him again.

Chapter Seventeen

It would figure that on the day Cane volunteered to wear a borrowed polyester Santa suit and a scratchy as hell fake beard the weather would be unseasonably warm. Like over eighty degrees warm. As if mentally sweating his conversation with Angelle weren’t enough, now he was physically sweating, too. It was a good thing he was a sucker for kids. And hot redheads.

Chucking a handful of candy canes at the two boys perched on their fathers’ shoulders, Cane hummed along to “Walking in a Winter Wonderland
.
” It was the second time he’d heard the tune that morning. The truck pulling his pirogue sleigh (along with the eight stuffed alligators, obviously) was blaring a playlist of Christmas songs on repeat. He was at the very end of the procession with only a fire truck behind him, its sole purpose being to signal with a loud, occasional
beep beep
that they’d reached the end of the parade. Well, its purpose was that, and to feed his mounting tension headache.

As he tossed another handful into the crowd, this time plastic beads with Christmas trees, he shouted, “Ho-ho-ho.” The irony that this whole journey began with him saying the same words in a similar get-up at the Bachelor Auction was not lost on him. He still felt ridiculous, but this time he didn’t mind so much. He was doing it for the woman he loved.

The procession stalled, and Cane sat back in his Christmas tree throne. He’d only seen Angelle once, a brief glimpse when they were all lining up. But it had been enough to stop his heart. She was so damn beautiful it made his chest hurt. Since she’d given up her Cracklin Queen title, she didn’t join the other women in the back of a convertible, smiling and waving like Miss America. This year she’d traded the smooth ride for water bottle duty with one of the dance teams. He’d watched from his last place position as she took her spot with the young girls, willing her to look at him. It wasn’t as if he’d been hard to miss. But she hadn’t. And that had made his anxiety about their talk skyrocket.

With a slight jerk, his float crept forward.

Smiling at the families gathered on Main Street, Cane wondered what Angelle had thought about his gifts. Other than his sisters and Emma, he’d never bought a woman gifts—and even for them, he tended to go with gift cards. But if he’d learned anything from the multitude of women in his life, it was that you can never go wrong with flowers and chocolate. At least that’s what he’d thought, but even that had taken forever. He’d argued with three different florists. Ran to that damn bear shop in the packed mall before searching shelves at Target for chocolates. And he’d debated forever about the bottle cap.

Did she get the significance? Should he have written
Love, Cane
on the card?

Chick thoughts. That’s what his mental process had been reduced to. But he figured as long as the result involved Angelle being in his arms, he could deal with being whipped.

Another cycle or two through the eclectic Christmas mix, his role as Papa Noel was over. Back at the civic center, away from impressionable children’s eyes, Cane yanked off the scratchy beard. After shucking the pillows used for jelly-belly stuffing, and removing the Santa hat and hair, he raked a hand through his own. Reaching back, he stripped off his soaked T-shirt and used it as a towel before throwing the coat back on.

Marching bands continued to play for fun as he made his way through a maze of horses, buggies, and floats made to look like old homes on the bayou, combing the area for Angelle. As hurt and angry as she was, he knew she’d stick around. More than likely with a Brady-sized shadow. That man was campaigning hard for a second chance. Too damn bad. Cane would wear that damn Santa suit for the rest of his life before he’d let that happen.

When the toy train float drove off, he finally found her. She was standing near the gazebo, and as expected, Brady was by her side.

“There you are.” He couldn’t help the smug grin that formed, seeing her step away from her ex as she turned to face Cane. That grin grew as her gaze slid appreciatively over his opened coat and bare chest. Good to see she wasn’t immune. “Enjoy the parade?”

Angelle nodded, shoving a thick section of auburn hair behind her ear. “And you?”

“I did.” He darted an annoyed glance at Brady, then stepped forward and took her hand. She visibly tensed but she didn’t yank it back, and Cane counted that a victory. “Ready to talk?”

“Yeah.” Rocking back on her heels, she turned to Brady and said, “See you at the Fais Do Do?”

A muscle in the man’s jaw ticked, but he nodded. “I’ll be there. But if you want me to, I can stick around until you’re done. In case you need me.”

Hell if that didn’t set off a firestorm in Cane’s blood. The only man Angelle needed was
him.
Cane was proving that today—to her, to her family, to the whole damn town. And if he had to go through the good doctor to do that, so be it. But before he could go off on the man, Angelle’s thumb snaked out of Cane’s grasp to squeeze his. The pulse brought his attention back to her. Back where it belonged.

“Go home, Brady,” she said, deep green eyes staring into his. “I’m good here.”

Those three words were like a balm. Cane hoped they were also a clue to how the conversation would go, what she was thinking. He held tight to her hand, waiting as Brady finally strolled away. Then tugging her toward the bench seat, he asked, “Did you get my gifts?”

Angelle sat beside him, a small smile curving her mouth. “Yes, I did. And I loved them.” Relief washed over him, but it was unfortunately short-lived. “But I don’t understand them.”

Cane watched as Angelle’s shoulders dropped and her face pinched. Her chin trembled as she reached inside her pocket with her free hand and pulled out two bottle caps—the one he’d given her, plus her own. He’d assumed she had kept hers, as she said she would. But seeing them side by side in her perfect, shaking palm stole his breath.

He wasn’t letting her leave the gazebo without putting it all on the line. Everything. He was in, 100 percent.

“Help me understand,” she said, her voice wobbly and full of the hurt he’d caused. “Why do all of this, the presents, the sticking around, the wanting to talk, if you don’t care? And if you
do
, then why did you leave? Because that
crushed—
” Her whiskey voice broke, sending a fresh batch of self-loathing to his gut. She sucked in her lips, swallowed, and tried again. “It crushed me to wake up alone and realize I was just another conquest. Another notch on your belt. And seeing you yesterday, seeing you now, getting your gifts…it crushes me all over again. I’m never gonna get over it—over
you—
if you keep coming around. Is that what you want?”

“Yes.” Her mouth tumbled open, eyes shocked at his admission, and he explained. “I don’t want to cause you any additional pain. That’s the last thing I want. But I don’t want you getting over me. I want you
under
me,” he said, unable to help himself, “and I want you next to me. I want you holding my hand in a gazebo and sitting next to me on the couch. I want you.”

Angelle looked away, her eyebrows furrowed as she shook her head. “I’m so confused.”

She was adorable, even in the middle of a heartbreak. If she hadn’t completely owned his heart before this moment, she did now. Gently steering her chin back so she faced him, Cane dared to press a kiss against her forehead before saying, “Then let me try to explain.”

He took a deep breath and waited for her nod to continue. “I push people away. It’s what I do. I keep them at a safe distance because that way I know I can’t hurt them. I don’t let people in or let them see what a nerd I am. Angel, I love crossword puzzles. And Sudoku. I watch far too much Discovery channel and I wear glasses when I read, which I also do a lot.”

The squiggle on Angelle’s forehead vanished as her lips tipped up in a smile. The tears had stopped, too, and Cane counted that his second victory.

“I know I hurt you by leaving,” he told her. “You have to know I’ve regretted it every second since. Angelle, you make me feel things I never have before. I didn’t know how to handle it, so I fell back on my normal response.” Cane looked away, unable to meet her eyes when he admitted, “I pushed you away.”

Angelle had the biggest heart of anyone he’d ever known. Where he pushed, she pulled. Could a person as good and loving as she was understand his actions?

“And how
do
I make you feel?”

At her soft question, he looked back. Angelle blushed, her cheeks turning a beautiful shade of pink as she fidgeted with the bottle caps in her hand. Cane closed his hand around hers, waiting until she lifted her eyes to say, “You broke through every wall I put up. I can’t push you away because you’re already in. Not just in my heart, angel. You’re in my soul.”

And then, he waited.

He didn’t breathe, didn’t think, didn’t look away. Cane watched Angelle as she processed his words, internalized them. And when her eyes glimmered, he watched as she began to believe them. Or at least he hoped that was what the fresh tears meant.

“This week has been the best of my life, but it was built around a lie. Our relationship, while real in so many ways, was a hoax. I want more. I want a
real
chance. A real relationship with you.” He brushed away a tear that fell down her cheek, pausing to gather his nerve to ask the question burning a hole in his chest. “Have I completely blown my shot?”

She closed her eyes, effectively shutting him out from what she was thinking. That was his first warning sign. But it wasn’t until she slowly drew her hands away from his and brought them both to her head that the real panic set in. “Angel?”

“I’m sorry.” The two words he did
not
want to hear. Opening her eyes, she shifted on the bench, turning her body to face him. “My head is all over the place right now. I want to say yes. I want to jump in and say, let’s do this. But another part of me says run for the hills. You hurt me badly,” she told him, not sugarcoating it. “I heard everything you said. It was beautiful, and I want to trust that you believe it, that you meant it. But this is just coming at me so fast.”

Cane swallowed hard, rooted to his spot. Nothing existed in that moment but him and Angelle. Her conflicted eyes riveted him, even as they tore at his heart.

Licking her lips, she ran a frazzled hand through her hair. “The old me would jump. That’s what you want, and I want to make you happy. I want to believe that you can make
me
happy. But I’ve always put other people’s needs before my own. Now, I’m finally standing on my own two feet, and Cane, you helped that happen. I don’t want to backpedal.” Angelle’s lips pursed when his body stiffened, and she took his hands in hers. “I’m not explaining myself well. I’m not saying no.”

Cane’s heart began beating again.

“I’m saying…can I have some time? To just think this through? When I give you my answer, I want us both to know that I’m not acting blindly or doing what I think you want me to do, but doing what
I
want to do. Can I have that?”

How could he say no? He couldn’t. But damn, did he want to.

Cane glanced at his watch. “The Fais Do Do begins at six. That’s four hours. Is that enough time?”

Angelle’s lips pressed together in a half-grimace, half-smile and she said, “Yeah. That should be good.”

Nodding, he pushed to his feet. “Then I guess I’ll leave you to it.” Cane tugged his keys from the pocket of his Santa pants, trying to hold on to some semblance of optimism. The battle wasn’t over. He hadn’t lost. He had to trust the glimmer of love he still saw in her eyes, which had grown bigger the more they spoke.

And if he did that, then it meant Cane had a stop to make before he returned to the hotel.

“You need a ride home?” he asked, for more than just the obvious reason.

She shook her head, releasing a heavy breath. “No, I drove Mama’s car here. Besides, I think I’m gonna cut a block.” When he raised his eyebrows, her conflicted smile widened. “Drive around for a while. It helps me think.”

Cane nodded again, turning to make the trek back to his truck. At the entrance to the gazebo, he knocked his fist against the wood and looked over his shoulder. “Angel?” She lifted her head and he said, “You should know that I don’t plan to give up easily.”

…

Where is he?

Angelle glanced at her watch for the bazillionth time since arriving at the civic center. Two minutes had passed since she’d last looked. Two minutes in which Cane still hadn’t shown up. It was now six thirty. Thirty minutes
after
the Fais Do Do started, and twenty-nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds after she’d begun her relentless obsession of staring at the entrance. Seriously, where was he?

The jostling table snapped her focus away from the door, and her gaze collided with Brady’s.

“A smart man knows when he’s been beaten,” he announced, his lips pressed together in a defeated frown. Angelle winced, and he nudged her elbow, his mouth morphing into a self-deprecating grin. “It’s for the best. I knew it was a long shot, but I had to try. You’re an amazing woman, Angie, and I’m sorry if I didn’t let you know that enough.”

“We just had bad timing. Maybe if we’d met now, after you’d finished school and were living here full time…” Angelle’s voice trailed off. He crooked an eyebrow, waiting for her to finish, and she propped her chin on her hand. “You know what? I don’t know if that’s true. See, Brady, I think the girl you loved, the type of girl you need, is the one I tried to be. That’s not anything you did,” she quickly added, watching as a shadow fell over his face. “I did it to myself. You never got to know the real me, because I never let her out. Heck, I didn’t even know her.”

As Brady’s eyes grew more confused, Angelle’s widened in realization. Huh. She and Cane were a lot more alike than she’d ever realized. He hid his true self away, not wanting anyone to get close because he was afraid of hurting people. She hid
her
true self away, not wanting anyone to get close because she was afraid of disappointing people. Of doing or saying the wrong thing, of making a mistake. But all she’d done was hurt herself. Just like Cane, who kept himself from experiencing true love and real relationships.