Page 41 of Seein’ Red

I shake my head. “No, I was twenty, which is the younger side of average. I was two years younger than Miss Belle was, though, when she was crowned.”

Smiling, I think back to that day—all the craziness of backstage and nerves rushing through me. A lot more goes into events like that than people realize, and at the time, earning that crown was all I cared about. I wanted to be just like my mama and represent the best state in the country up in New York. I also wanted to beat my rival—and Hickory Hills head cheerleader—Kitty Cattaway so bad I could taste it. Kitty was—is—a lot of things, and she needed to be put in her place.

Which I did.

I can also still hear Nash whispering those tantalizing words in my ear as he pulled me into a dressing cubby. You don’t quite have the right glow yet, Princess. Can’t have you walking out on stage without it…

Buzzzz, buzzzzzzzzzzzz….

My phone goes off again, this time with an actual call. For fuck’s sake!

“Someone seriously wants to get ahold of you,” Sylvie comments.

“It’s no one,” I say.

“For as much as that thing has gone off this morning, it’s not no one,” Bronwyn adds.

“It hasn’t been that much.”

Kenzie furrows her brow at me, taking the dress bag and thanking Irina. “You got a bunch of texts while we were with the photographer, then it’s gone off at least three times since we’ve been here. That’s a lot.”

I ignore her, waving goodbye to my longtime seamstress and walking outside. The beautiful spring air greets me in a hurry, helping to cool down the flush of heat I’m feeling. I don’t want to answer questions. For a lot of reasons. Not the least of which is that I don’t have answers myself.

We get to the car, and I take the dress bag from Kenzie, carefully hanging it up in the backseat so nothing happens. Smoothing out the bottom, I feel a tug on my shoulder, my purse pulling slightly.

My phone.

I whip around, but not in enough time. Bronwyn is stepping backward, my phone in hand, waving it around, showing off like a monkey with a banana.

“Hey!”

“Tell us who he is, and you can have this back,” Bronwyn says.

“Bronwyn…”

“Willa, I love you like the sister I never had, and I owe you more than you will ever know for everything you’ve done for me since I moved to Hickory Hills. Including introducing me to the love of my life. But⁠—”

“Enough secrets!” Sylvie cuts her off, giggling. “We know you’re hiding something. And the time has come to fess up.”

“You three aren’t funny!”

“I don’t understand why you won’t just tell us!” Kenzie says.

The three of them stare at me anxiously. They correctly guessed a long time ago that I’m keeping something—someone—a secret. When they find out who, I have no doubt they’ll lose it. Now isn’t the moment.

“And you think stealing my phone in a random parking lot outside a seamstress and a coffee shop is the best place to corner me.”

“Seems as good as any.” She crosses her arms and gives me a look that says, “I’m the bride, try me.”

“Willa.” Bronwyn’s voice is serious, full of concern. I turn to look at her, my phone in her hand, eyes glued to the screen. “You have three missed calls and eight texts.”

“Damn,” Sylvie mutters.

“All from Nash.”

Busted.

My stomach sinks, my heart lurching as all three of my friends stare back at me, bewildered.