He’d lost a tooth in a fight that’d broken out in the bar a few weeks ago. Sexy Sadie’s didn’t have bouncers, so he’d gotten involved to break it up and taken an elbow to the mouth. But he was sort of cute. Too bad he was married and, more to the point, loyal to his wife. He often said things to Noelle that would’ve made her fighting mad had they come from anyone else. He had a way of softening everything with that crooked smile of his. He didn’t mean any harm. She’d come to view him like a brother.
“Hand it over before you lose another tooth,” she snapped. She liked to joke around with him. But at the moment, she wasn’t feeling too playful. As soon as she’d walked into the bar, Genevieve had taken great pleasure in saying something that had upset her. She was desperately hoping it wasn’t true, that Genevieve was just trying to get back at her because they’d had that little spat on Sunday.
Pope made a disbelieving sound. “Talking tough tonight, are we?”
“I mean it. I’m not in the mood.”
“I guess you’ve already heard that your ex has a new woman.”
“She’s not his new woman. She’s a country music star. She won’t stay here. And he’ll never leave. No one knows that better than I do.”
Pope slapped the paper he kept behind the bar down in front of her. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that, if I were you. She’s the one who gave the interview, not him.”
Noelle sank onto a bar stool as she read the title. Lourdes Bennett Finds Love in Whiskey Creek... “This is bullshit,” she said, scowling at Pope, who’d stopped washing the counter to observe her reaction.
“Don’t freak out too soon. That’s plain old sensationalism. The article doesn’t go nearly as far as the headline does. She only got here last week, so she can’t be too in love, and she doesn’t actually say she is. She’s just staying with him while she writes her next album.”
“What? I thought she was moving back to the farmhouse once the furnace was fixed. And what happened to her boyfriend? Weren’t they supposed to get married?”
“They’ve broken up. She does say that.” He pointed at a paragraph farther down the page.
Noelle hadn’t gotten there yet. And now she didn’t want to continue reading. She’d never dreamed someone famous would swoop in and take the man she’d always assumed she could fall back on. Kyle was hers, the person who could give her the most in Whiskey Creek.
This wouldn’t be happening if they were married, she told herself. And they’d still be married if she hadn’t made that one fateful error. It didn’t seem fair that one bad decision could destroy her entire future.
Why did she keep screwing up? And how was it that her perfect sister never made any mistakes? Olivia had seemed so hurt when Kyle defected—and yet she’d rallied almost immediately and married his stepbrother, only to end up happier than ever!
Olivia always got what she wanted. It was hard not to hate her for that. Although their parents tried to hide it, even they were partial to Olivia...
“I need a drink,” she muttered as the words I wouldn’t limit it to friendship jumped out at her.
Pope tilted his head. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m totally serious. Pour me one.”
“You’ll get fired if I let you drink.”
“One sip won’t do anything.”
“You’ll have alcohol on your breath. Do you really want to risk your job? How will that help?”
It wouldn’t, but she didn’t care. Her last best option in life was Kyle, and now he was sleeping with Lourdes Bennett. Lourdes Freaking Bennett! How could Noelle ever compete with a country music star if she couldn’t even compete with her own sister?
“What’s wrong with me, Pope?” she asked as the old bitterness welled up. “Why can’t I find a guy who’ll love me?”
“There are men out there who’d be happy to be with you.” He tapped the bar for emphasis. “But you only want the ones you can’t have.”
She reared back. “Why should I settle? I should be able to get someone as good as my sister has.”
“Your values aren’t exactly what they should be,” he said and walked away.
Because she was spoiling for a fight, she almost called after him. But her manager appeared from the back office, so she closed her mouth and tossed the paper at Pope instead. When it fluttered harmlessly to the floor, he barely cast her a sideways glance before stacking the glasses that’d been washed last night.