Seven Day Fiance: A Love and Games Novel (Entangled Bliss) (17 page)

With a cheer, the crowd dispersed, breaking into groups to chat. Cane strode forward.

Thoughts jumbled as he wove a path to where she stood. He’d trying calling from the road, but she never answered. Straight to voice mail. Now the long speech he’d prepared sounded pathetic in his ears. None of it mattered, other than he was sorry. So damn sorry.

A foot away from reaching Angelle, Troy stepped in front of him. “Maybe this isn’t the place to be doing this. I don’t know what’s going on—”

“You’re right.” Cane looked the other man in the eyes. He had sisters of his own, so he respected the gesture. But he wasn’t going anywhere. “You don’t.”

At the sound of his voice, Angelle had stiffened. The crowd around them quieted as her head snapped in his direction. Deep green pools of hurt slayed him. They reached into his soul and begged for answers he still didn’t have. The unmistakable proof of what he’d done was in those unguarded, honest eyes. Remorse lodged in Cane’s throat along with his apology.

I’m sorry
wasn’t good enough.

This was why he’d sworn off relationships. He’d spent his entire adult life keeping good women like Angelle at a distance, the fear that he was his father’s son fueling his lifestyle of no attachments. But in the end, it had all been for nothing. He’d hurt Angelle anyway.

Her eyes squeezed shut, cutting off his connection to her thoughts. Sadly, it didn’t take a mind reader to know what she thought of him. She hated his guts. That truth hurt almost as much as knowing he deserved it.

Releasing a sigh, Angelle held up her hand when he moved forward. Thick lashes guarded her eyes as she said, “Not now, Cane. This festival’s important to our community.” A slight waver portrayed her emotions, and moistening her lips, she finished in a lowered voice, “Let’s not do this now, okay?”

As much as it pained him to deny her, Cane shook his head. “No, that’s not okay.”

That got a reaction. Her brothers bristled as Angelle raised her eyes. Cane took a step closer, feeling like shit warmed over when she winced. She was afraid of him. They weren’t just back to square one, as he’d feared—they’d flown straight off the board. But then Brady cupped her elbow in a display of protection, and Cane felt his nostrils flare.

He’d planned to do this alone, but he was man enough to grovel in front of witnesses if that’s what she needed. Cane knew he’d earned every damn wall she threw up between them, and then some.

“I screwed up,” he admitted loudly, taking yet another step. The crowd within hearing distance went completely silent. “I know it. You know it. The good doctor knows it, and everyone listening in right now knows it. Nothing I can do or say will change that. But we need to talk, and it has to be now. I’m not letting you go another minute, hour, or however long it’ll take you to
think
you’re ready to hear it, believing that any of this is your fault. It’s not. This is my bullshit.”

Angelle’s slim shoulders shook as she brushed her hair behind her ear, gaze darting to the rapt, eavesdropping crowd. But then it returned to him, which meant
she
was listening, too. That’s all Cane cared about.

He took another step, and Brady spoke up. “Look, Cane, you said your piece, but it’s clear Angie doesn’t want to discuss this right now. Don’t you think on today of
all
days you should respect her wishes?”

Today of all days?
What the hell did that mean? Confused, Cane watched the tip of Angelle’s exposed ear flash red. The only possible explanation was that she
had
told her ex about last night, but if she had, that mild case of respect he’d developed for Brady vanished. If he knew what Cane had done and hadn’t thrown him to the ground, pummeling his ass, then Cane’s first opinion had been right. Brady wasn’t a man.

Hell, Cane wanted to kick his own ass for what he’d done.

Brady shook his head in disgust. “Yeah, today. Don’t you think bir—”

“Okay, we’ll talk!”

Both men turned at Angelle’s outburst, along with half the crowd. Eva, Lacey, and Angelle’s parents walked over to join the ring of spectators, and standing straight and tall, Mr. Prejean asked, “Is there a problem here?”

“No, Daddy. Everything’s fine.” Angelle sent him a pointed look, one that she then turned on Brady and the rest of her family. “I’m a big girl, y’all. This is between Cane and me. Couples fight. Troy, the scraps you and Eva have gotten into are legendary. Now, the two of us are going to go talk.
Alone.
Then I expect we’re all going to enjoy the festival. Okay?”

Cane couldn’t deny he was impressed. A quick glance at her family proved he wasn’t the only one. This wasn’t the woman who’d once startled at her own shadow. Or apologized after tripping over her own two feet. The Angelle with a fisted hand on her jutted out, jean-clad hip wasn’t
petite fille,
or Little Red, or Awkward Angie, the name Cane had heard whispered the last couple of days. She had a backbone and a voice and fire shooting out of her eyes. Fire she directed at him before nodding toward the edge of the field. “Come on.”

Cautious optimism grew as he fell in step beside her. Angelle could’ve sent him packing. She could’ve asked one of her bodyguards to toss him on his ass. But she hadn’t. She was going to hear him out.

Cane wasn’t an idiot. He knew this was bad. But if she was willing to listen, maybe he could fix it. Make it right. Salvage something. He had to believe that, because after almost four hours driving round trip, he’d come to one overwhelming conclusion.

He needed Angelle. Not in a relationship, but in his life. Plain and simple.

Cane wasn’t white picket fences and forever. If they were together the way she
thought
she wanted, he’d destroy her in the end. Look at what he’d already done, and that was while he was trying to protect her. But if Angelle could forgive him, if she could give him another chance, he’d be the best damn friend she’d ever had. He’d make sure no one else hurt her the way he had.

At the edge of the crowd, she turned to him. The hellcat was gone and her eyes were full of tears. His optimism went to hell. Raising her left hand, the one that held his mother’s ring, she glanced at it and said, “I’m gonna make this real easy. You got what you came for, and I all but begged you for it. So let’s not make a big deal out of this.”

Falling tears betrayed her confident words. They rooted Cane to the ground, rendering him speechless. Any woman crying made him feel helpless, but this was
Angelle
. And she was crying because of him. That knowledge cut deeper than anything he could’ve imagined.

With a watery laugh, Angelle shrugged. “I should probably be thanking you, right? I mean, I got what I wanted, too. I was curious about passion, and you taught me. I couldn’t have asked for a better tutor, so really, I’m lucky. I was just the idiot who forgot it was all a game.” With another fake laugh, she rolled her tear-filled eyes. “Guess that’s
another
thing to thank you for, then. You taught me exactly how naïve I am. So thank you, Cane. It’s been an education.”

Angelle’s mouth tightened, her lips trying for a brave smile. The result was so far from its normal radiance it was a mockery.

Self-hate burned the back of his throat. Swallowing past the rising bile, he shook his head. “Naïve? You have the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. You see the good in people, even when they don’t have any. You’re open and honest and care deeply. That’s not naïve.” Giving in to the fierce need to touch her, Cane stepped forward and cupped her cheek, wiping his thumb at the tears still falling. He searched her eyes, wanting to know she was listening. “Angel, that’s beautiful.”

Her face tightened in pain as she squeezed her eyes shut. For a brief moment, she leaned into his touch, and Cane considered pulling her into his arms like he so badly wanted to do. But then, her sad eyes opened. “Well, that beautiful heart is broken.”

The words were a knife straight to
his
heart. Emotions too many to name churned in his gut, but all of them scared him shitless. And when Angelle’s gaze dropped to her hand, and she began wiggling his mother’s ring from her finger, true fear joined the mix.

He closed his hand around hers. “No.”

She raised her eyes to his, clearly confused. “I’m letting you off the hook, Cane. Take it.”

If he took back that ring, Cane knew it was over. The hoax. The fake engagement. Even the tentative friendship they’d begun to build. That ring symbolized so much more than their ruse, and every bone in his body screamed not to let her walk away until he’d made this right. But causing a scene wasn’t Angelle’s style. She’d rather be flayed alive than have any more of her dirty laundry aired in public. He’d caused her enough pain already; the least he could do was give her space now.

She knew he was here. He’d make sure she knew he wasn’t going anywhere. He’d leave for now and regroup…

But he’d be damned if that ring left her pretty finger.

“I don’t want the ring back, angel.” Cane gently pushed the band over her knuckle, then grasped her fingers in his. “We don’t have to do this now. I’ll give you space if that’s what you need. But I honor my commitments, and I gave you my word. I’m your man this week, and we’re seeing this fake engagement through.” He paused to let her process then added, “I also gave my word about the parade tomorrow.”

Eyebrows furrowed, Angelle studied his face. “Brady already said he’d do it.”

“Like hell he will,” Cane spat. She flinched, and immediately he regretted his tone. It’d been automatic. Brady wasn’t fooling anyone. It was clear what he wanted, but he needed to stay the hell out of Cane’s business. For the next few days, that was Angelle. “
I’m
Papa Noel, and I’ll be there tomorrow. You can count on that.” Wanting to see her smile again, even if just for a moment, he added, “I’ll be the guy in the bright red suit.”

It took longer than he’d hoped, but the smallest of smiles twitched her lips. It felt like he’d won the lottery. It might not be much of a victory, but at this point, he’d take it. “You and I will talk then.”

“Maybe.” Angelle rocked back on the heel of her boots, her lower lip trapped between her teeth. Eyes that had once gazed at him with desire and humor now swirled with doubt and confusion. If he wanted her to trust him again, he’d have to earn it. That was fine by him. She was worth it. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

He nodded, and after a silent moment, Angelle walked back to her waiting family. They immediately enclosed her in a circle of protection, and he caught snippets of her whiskey voice assuring them she was okay. That
they
were okay, just taking a breather. Even while knowing she was covering for their ruse, Cane hoped it was the truth. After she accepted a hug from her brothers and an all-too-eager ex, Angelle left the field with her family. Lacey and Eva flanked her on either side. She never once glanced back.

Cane stood there watching, regret threatening to swallow him whole. A throbbing ache pulsed in his chest. Fisting a hand, he rubbed the spot Angelle kissed moments before his life went to hell. Finally, when he got tired of the pitying looks from the lingering crowd, he began the trek to get his costume.

It was going to be a long day.

Chapter Sixteen

The sliding glass door of Holiday Inn opened and warm air hit Cane in the face. Hands empty because his luggage was still at Angelle’s, he strode into the lobby. He’d driven aimlessly for twenty minutes—no real destination or goal in mind, other than giving Angelle space. Eventually he’d headed here, knowing he couldn’t go back to her parents’ house, and refusing to leave town again. He was staying, and he was going to fix this. How was still a mystery, but he had almost twenty-four hours to figure it out.

“Can I help you?”

Cane blinked, realizing he was standing like a mute jackass at the front desk. “Yeah,” he answered, taking out his wallet. “I need a room.”

Sliding his license and credit card onto the counter, Cane set his elbow on the edge and squeezed his temples. Lifeless green eyes and a broken smile stared from behind his eyelids. The signs of his handiwork. The taste of cherry lingered on his tongue. The scent of sunflowers laced with vanilla haunted him. And the sound of her voice rang in his ears:
Well, that beautiful heart is broken.

Stabbing pain, every time.

An ache emanated from deep within his chest, not unlike when one of the guys in class threw him to the ground or caught him with a sucker-punch. His lungs felt restricted, like he couldn’t draw a deep breath—but he’d be damned if he lost his shit in a Holiday Inn lobby. Scrubbing a hand over his face, Cane clamped his molars and stood up.

“Room 212, sir,” the man said, sliding Cane his credit card, license, and room key. “Here’s your key card, and your room’s right off the elevator.” He jutted his thumb behind him, and Cane mumbled his thanks.

The entire way up, he didn’t see the elevator, or the plush carpet, or the long hall of rooms. He thought about her face as she walked away. Ever since he’d arrived in Bon Terre, Cane’s life had been spinning out of control. He’d done the very things he’d sworn he would never do: he’d gotten attached, he’d let someone get too close, and then, he’d taken the heart of a good and loving woman, and crushed it.

Like father, like son.

His buzzing cell phone yanked Cane from memories of the past. Sliding his key card into the lock, he reached in his pocket with his free hand, hoping Angelle was calling. He didn’t know what he’d say, but he wanted to hear her voice all the same. Yanking out his phone, he glanced at the screen, let out a breath, and opened the door. “What’s up man?”

“Quick question about the wedding.”

Jason’s good-natured laugh rumbled over the other end, and despite his sour mood, Cane felt a smile tug at his lips. He tossed his keys and wallet onto the nightstand and fell onto the bed.

His sister was a wedding-obsessed nut. If it wasn’t invitations, she was stressing over flower arrangements. She’d even made him suffer through a conversation over whether or not the men should wear a tie or a bowtie during the ceremony. For the record, Cane didn’t care. As long as his sister’s smile lit up the chapel, that’s all that mattered.

Colby, however, saw things differently. And right now, Cane was grateful for the distraction. “What is it this time?” he asked.

“Colby’s changed her mind,
again.
” The sound of a
slap
, no doubt from Colby swatting her fiancé’s arm, snapped across the line, and Jason laughed. “Now it’s the restaurant after the rehearsal. They need a final head count by tonight. It’s just immediate family, but Colby thought you might want a plus one.”

His sister’s raised voice chimed in, “A certain redheaded fiancée, perhaps?”

And that distraction Cane had been so desperate for vanished.

Another matchmaking attempt. This was not what he needed right now. Jaw clenched, he counted to five then said, “The
restaurant
needed to know, huh?” Cane heard the undisguised frustration bleeding into his tone, but damn. “Maybe you can tell the restaurant to mind their damn business.”

Jason made a noise in his throat, then he said, “Hang on a minute.”

Cane heard him whisper to Colby followed by the sound of the television growing faint. A door clicked, and Jason’s sharp tone came across the line. “All right, dude, chill out. I know your sisters are pushing the Angelle thing, but this is legit. The Court of Two Sisters had a cancelation. They can squeeze us in, but they need a firm head count. This is important to Colby, and I’m not going to let you jump all over her because you’re in a pissy mood.”

Cane scrubbed a hand over his face. Now he felt like an even bigger ass.

Colby’s heart had been set on that restaurant from the beginning. It was where Jason had taken her on their first date. But after changing the wedding date to accommodate out of town guests and settling on the weekend before Christmas, they’d been booked solid by the time she’d made reservations.

“Shit. I’m sorry.” Cane released a heavy breath. With his right hand, he squeezed his temples where he felt a headache coming on. “It’s just been a bad morning.”

“Don’t sweat it.” Jason’s voice was back to easygoing, confirmation he was a better friend than Cane deserved. “It happens. But you know if you need to talk it out, I’m here. Hell, you’d be doing me a favor. Colby has us making gift baskets for out of town guests right now.”

Cane chuckled, scratching the side of his jaw as he considered Jason’s offer. As a rule, he dealt with his shit on his own. But at this point, what the hell did he have to lose?

“Ah, I screwed up with Angelle,” he said, scrunching the pillow behind his head. “Shit happened, and now she hates me.”

The phone went strangely silent. Then, “So did I catch you on the drive back home?”

Cane’s restless foot stilled. “No,” he admitted. “I checked into a Holiday Inn.”

His best friend of more than thirty years laughed. He quickly covered it by clearing his throat, but he laughed. “Let me make sure I have this straight. The girl you’ve been trying to get with for half a year hates you. You’re sticking around in a small town where no one knows you but her. And now you’re alone in a hotel room, snapping my head off. Girls getting pissed at you is nothing new, but it bothers you that Angelle is.” Jason’s voice was thoroughly amused as he asked, “Did I get that right?”

Right here,
this
was exactly why guys didn’t do the talking thing. Jase was lucky this conversation was happening over the damn phone. “Yeah, you got it. Now forget it. Just tell Colby I’ll be home late tomorrow night, and no to the plus one, all right?”

He was seconds away from hanging up when he heard Jason say, “Hang on, man.” Without really knowing why, Cane lifted the phone back to his ear. “You know I was just busting your chops. But damn, this girl’s done a number on you, hasn’t she?”

Cane huffed a breath. “Yeah, I guess she has.”

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for a woman to knock you on your ass?” When Cane didn’t answer, Jason did for him. “Years. More than a decade. But the day Angelle walked into that diner, I knew it was just a matter of time.”

Cane’s headache pulsed between his eyebrows. “Did you miss the part where I said she hates me? Because she does. And it’s probably better for her if it stays that way.”

It was the truth. He wasn’t throwing in the towel—he was in too deep to give up that easily. But even as he wanted Angelle to forgive him, he knew it’d be better for her if she didn’t. He was a Robicheaux, after all.

Jason grunted. “That’s a load of bullshit.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” he replied. “And I’ll say it again. That was a load of bullshit, and I’ll tell you why. It’s not true. You like Angelle. A lot. But you’re as stubborn as Colby. You think that if you let yourself care about this girl,
any
girl, you’ll hurt her. That you’ll cheat and break her down, just like your old man did to your mom. So you pushed her away. But you’re not your dad, Cane. You wouldn’t do what he did.”

Jason’s words released a flood of memories. They flashed and banged inside Cane’s brain. The helplessness of hearing his mother cry in her room. The anger of hearing his dad on the phone with
her.
He’d seen the cracks in his mother’s smile. Saw the pain she tried hiding from her family and friends. But Cane had known the truth. And after things got better, when his parents had reconciled and Cane had forgiven his father, he never forgot. His mother went to her grave believing she’d kept her husband’s infidelity and personal agony a secret. Cane would go to his remembering it.

Remembering was the only way he could make sure the cycle ended with him.

Cane closed his eyes. “I may be my own man, Jase, but you can’t know that I’m any different. Hell, I already hurt Angelle. That’s proof enough.”

“Proof that you’re human,” Jason replied. “Relationships are real, man. They’re messy. People screw up, they say asinine things, and then they suck it up, grovel, and move on. It comes with the territory. But the big stuff, like cheating? That doesn’t. And even if it did, you’re too stubborn to let it.”

He wanted to believe what his friend was saying. And it did make sense. He’d like to think his mother’s pain would be enough to keep him from ever doing the same thing. Even if it did, that didn’t mean he’d be any good in a relationship. “Angelle can do better.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Jason exhaled into the phone. “You’re an overprotective freak who puts the women you love on a pedestal. If you ever got your head out of your ass, you’d see you’ve had Angelle up there with Colby, Sherry, and Emma for months. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

Cane opened his eyes, followed by his mouth, prepared to tell Jason
his
head must be in his fiancée’s ass. Cane didn’t do love. Never been in it, and didn’t plan on changing that. But when he went to say it aloud, the words wouldn’t come.

One thing his friend had right? Cane was an overprotective freak. Angelle brought out that need unlike any woman he’d ever known. She also turned him on unlike any woman he’d ever met. Neither of those things had diminished after last night. They’d only grown stronger.

Angelle didn’t need protection. She was tougher than she gave herself credit for. But he still wanted to be the one to keep her safe, from the world and from men like his father…men he’d feared he could be like. But as Cane’s beliefs continued to realign, he realized Jason was right about another thing. He
wasn’t
his father. And the reason he finally knew that was because no other woman could possibly tempt him away from his green-eyed hellcat.

“Shit.”

Jason chuckled, but otherwise stayed quiet. Surprising, since he’d been full of hot air earlier. But damn if he hadn’t been right.

“I love her.” The words sounded strange rolling out of his mouth, but Cane knew it was the truth.
And she wants nothing to do with me.
“Why the hell didn’t I know this before?”

“Because you’re an idiot,” his friend suggested, clearly enjoying this.

Cane again found himself wishing this chat were in person so Jason could see the obscene gesture he’d flipped him. But he wasn’t mad at Jase—he was pissed at himself. Now that the foreign emotions clanging around in his chest made sense and he finally knew how he felt, panic was welling like a levee that had been breached.

“What if she doesn’t forgive me?” he asked, more aloud to himself than for an answer.

“You make it so that she has to,” Jason said, answering anyway. “And for added pressure, I’m putting you down for a plus one. Now you have no choice. Unless you want to owe me eighty bucks.”

Cane shook his head, but damn if his heart wasn’t pounding. He’d caught the Robicheaux love curse. Only with Angelle, it felt more like a boon.

“And hey, man, I’m sorry if I overstepped my bounds earlier,” Jason said. “It’s just you deserve what I found with Colby, and for you, I think that’s Angelle.”

Smiling for the first time since he’d left her arms, Cane nodded. She
was
it for him. “No, we’re good. I needed a kick in the ass.” Then remembering Jason’s earlier words he added, “Or my head taken out of it.”

He didn’t have a plan. Didn’t know how he’d convince her to give them a real shot after what he did. But he’d figure it out. He had to. Cane wasn’t
just
going to be Angelle’s first. He was going to be her only. Her forever. She simply didn’t know it yet.

When a knocking sound came from the other end, followed by Colby’s muffled voice asking for the phone, Cane was still smiling. A matchmaking assault would be much easier to handle now. Maybe he’d even let his sister in on his latest discovery.

“Hey, big brother.” As expected, Colby’s tone definitely implied she was up to something. “I just got off the phone with Sherry, and she mentioned Angie sounded a little down.”

He sat up, his smile beginning to fade. Could she have told Sherry what had happened? “She did?”

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Colby assured him, allowing Cane to breathe easier. “Just if you can, try to make a big deal out of her birthday today, okay? Girls really love that.”

The last of the smile on Cane’s face died, along with any chance he had for forgiveness.

…

The posse was in full force. Everywhere Angelle looked in her mama’s kitchen, a relative or friend was standing around, eager to offer a strained smile or wish her a happy birthday. The false cheer was like thousands of tiny little icepicks stabbing her brain. Bless their hearts, they all meant well. And she loved them for trying. But the last thing Angie wanted today was a freaking party.

“Never was one for birthdays, huh, Little Red?” Lacey pushed up onto the kitchen island, ignoring the empty seat in front of her, and handed Angie a cookie. Now
that
she could get behind. “Listen, I don’t know what went down this morning between you and that handsome piece of fake fiancé beefcake. It seemed major, and you both looked miserable. But you know if you need me to, I’m willing to scrap.”

Angelle bit into her much needed chocolate fix as her cousin lifted her arms, flexed her lean biceps, then ducked to press a kiss on each.

Eyes alight with humor, Lacey declared, “With these bad boys, I can totally take him. Even if he is bigger than Goliath.”