Free Blame it on Texas by Amie Louellen Page A

sat up straight, planting his booted feet on the hard planks of the floor. “No. Seriously, Mom. She’ll be gone before you get here.”
    “You need us, and we’re coming home.”
    Ritt shook his head at her resolve. He did need his family right now, but he could always drive to Lubbock and spend the week with Kyle. “I’m fine,” he said.
    “We’ll be home in a couple of days,” she said despite his protests. “Maybe by Sunday afternoon.”
    “Sunday night.” He heard his father yell.
    Ritt smiled. “You don’t have to, you know.”
    “Yeah, sweetie, we do.”
    He knew his mom would answer that way. “Be careful.”
    “We will. And Ritt…we love you very much.”
    “I know. I love you too.” He hung up the phone and turned to Shelby who stood in the doorway from the hall. How long she’d been there he wasn’t sure.
    “I take it that wasn’t my mom.”
    Ritt grabbed his beer and sat back. He adopted his I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude and flashed her a cocky smile. “Nope. It was my mom.”
    Shelby shook her head. “Why do you do that?”
    He took a drink of his beer to soothe his suddenly dry throat. “Do what?”
    “Get all…” she waved a hand in front of her, clearly at a loss for words. “Get all cocky and arrogant.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    She slammed her hands onto her hips. “You do.”
    “Not.” He hated how juvenile he sounded, but he couldn’t let her know his secret. That it was the only defense he had against her.
    “Whatever.” At least she sounded as childish as he did. “I’m going to bed.”
    It was barely nine o’clock, but he didn’t point that out.
    He stood and stretched. “Fine by me,” he said, starting for the door.
    “Where are you going?”
    He stopped two steps shy of his goal. “Wow, Shelby. You sound suspiciously like a wife.” Then he slammed through the door and out into the night.
     
     
    It was after three when she heard him, his careful footsteps shuffling through the kitchen. Something rattled, as if he’d bumped into the curio cabinet where his mom displayed her collection of blown-glass figurines.
    Clyde barked.
    Ritt hushed him.
    She heard another small crash and rose from the bed.
    He was drunk, and she’d better go help him before he destroyed his mother’s house.
    “Shelby.” He opened his arms wide as he caught sight of her. His grin stretched from ear to ear and if she hadn’t known better, she’d have thought he was actually glad she was there.
    But she had heard the solemn tone when he had talked to his mother. Her presence was taking its toll on him. Did he think he was the only one hurting? A myriad of emotions swamped her. Being back in Randall brought up more memories than she cared to relive. Some good, some not so good. And others…well, they were heartbreaking.
    “Come here and give me a kiss.”
    Shelby crossed her arms in front of her and planted her feet. She hoped the stance looked secure and firm when in reality it was to keep her from taking him up on his offer. “You and I both know that’s a bad idea.”
    His baseball hat was pulled down low, the bill shadowing his eyes. “There was a time when we thought it was a good idea.”
    Memories of those times were the ones that haunted her the most. “That time is over.” Hopefully he was too far gone to hear the crack in her voice.
    Being here, being so close to him was getting to her. If she hadn’t promised Craig and Delilah that she’d make their wedding cake, she would leave right now. Throw a shirt over her nightgown and head straight for the airport and out of his life.
    Ritt braced an arm against the wall, balancing himself as he tried to pull off his boots. He wobbled, and Shelby was there in an instant, supporting him in his efforts.
    “We weren’t so bad together. Right, Shel?”
    “I don’t think now is the time to talk about that, Ritt.”
    “Can I tell you something?” He continued without waiting for her answer.