Page 9 of Pugs & Kisses

Unbidden, Bryson’s face popped into her mind, but she quickly pushed the image away. He may not have been a random stranger, but he held the second to last spot on her list of potential candidates for a one-night stand, right above Cameron.

“I think it’s best I take a break from dating for a bit,” Evie said. “Jumping into another relationship so soon doesn’t seem like a smart move.”

“Who said anything about a relationship?” Ridley asked. “I said you should find someone to fuck, not marry.”

Evie massaged her right temple. “It’s late for you, Rid. We should let you go.”

“Late? Girl, please. I’ll be here until midnight,” she answered. “Keep me up-to-date on that fool’s shenanigans. Make him get on his knees and beg you to take him back, then kick him in the teeth.”

“It’s a wonder you’ve never been arrested,” Evie said.

“She was that one time, remember?” Ashanti said.

“It was Mardi Gras!” Ridley defended. “Who hasn’t been arrested during Mardi Gras?”

Ashanti and Evie both raised their hands and burst out laughing. This was why she loved these two. Even when her life was a shit show, she could always count on them to lift her spirits.

“I’ll call tomorrow with an update,” Evie said.

“I will be expecting one,” Ridley told her.

“You’re still coming back to the States next week, aren’t you?” Ashanti asked. “I want to make sure you’re back for the grand opening of The PX now that it’s finally happening. Dom has been great with building buzz for it. Thad and Von are gearing up for a full house.”

Ridley’s entire demeanor changed, and Evie had no doubt it was because Ashanti had brought up Von Montgomery.

Von and Ashanti’s new boyfriend, Thaddeus Sims, had served in the military together.

Last year they retired and moved to New Orleans to open a sports bar geared toward active-duty military and veterans.

They’d had a soft opening for their bar, The PX, late last year, but a bunch of setbacks had delayed the grand opening of the entire complex.

It was after that soft opening that Ridley had gotten weird whenever Von’s name was mentioned. Ashanti was convinced the two had hooked up, even though neither Von nor Ridley had owned up to it. Soon after, out of the blue, Ridley took this assignment at her company’s London office.

Evie never thought she’d see the day when a man sent Ridley King running clear across the ocean, but it was obvious that’s what had happened.

“My flight is next Friday, but plans may change,” Ridley said. She followed with a quick “I’ll talk to y’all later” before disconnecting the call.

Ashanti and Evie looked at each other. “Something is up with her,” they said at the same time.

Evie checked her Apple Watch, then began gathering her things.

Waffles had spent his final night at The Sanctuary so that he could get his full set of vaccinations and microchipping, but Odessa said he would be ready by the end of today.

Evie wanted to get all the supplies she needed before she brought him home.

Her heart did a little backflip. Her joy at becoming a pet owner again was one of the only things sustaining her at the moment.

“Hey, Ev, this isn’t my business, but I’m making it my business,” Ashanti said. “You really should think about getting tested.”

“Already done,” Evie answered. “That’s why I was late getting here today. I explained to my doctor that it was an emergency. So far, I’m clean, but there are a few results that won’t be in for a couple of days.” She shook her head. “I swear, if Cameron gave me something, I will castrate him.”

“Ouch.” Ashanti grimaced. “Let’s not go around castrating anyone. Although he kinda deserves it.” She enveloped Evie in a hug. “I’m sorry this is happening.”

“I guess I am too.”

Ashanti jerked her head back. “You guess?”

“No, I am,” Evie said. “I definitely am. I’m angry and I’m hurt, but I just…

I’m not devastated, you know? I’ve cried on and off for the past two days, but I can’t decide if I’m crying because I’m mad or because I’m heartbroken.

” She looked over at Ashanti. “What does it say about the state of my relationship with Cameron if I can’t tell if I’m heartbroken now that it’s over? ”

“The same thing that a four-year engagement says about it,” Ashanti said.

“How many times have you told me that you just couldn’t figure out why you weren’t ready to take that next step?

You may not have figured it out up here”—she tapped Evie’s temple, then placed her palm on her stomach—“but there’s something in here that must have known all along. ”

Was Ashanti right? Had there been something in her gut all this time telling her that marrying Cam was a mistake?

“And here I thought my cold feet were due to my parents’ sham of a marriage,” Evie said with a humorless laugh.

Ashanti’s sad smile nearly did her in.

“You’re going to be okay, Evie. You know that, don’t you?”

“Will I?” Evie asked. “Are you going to pay my bills?”

“Besides the fact that you have Mama and Daddy Warbucks waiting in the wings, you don’t have a mortgage and your car is paid off,” Ashanti said. “But I do have a couple mil in the bank if you need a loan.” She threw both hands up in the air and did a praise dance. “God, it feels good to say that!”

“Amen, amen,” Evie said, pretending to wave a church fan.

“Seriously, though,” Ashanti said. “If you need anything, it’s yours. I know you don’t like going to your parents if you can help it.”

“And this is why I love you the best,” Evie said. She scrunched up her nose. “Saying that doesn’t have the same satisfaction when Ridley isn’t around to hear it.”

Ashanti shrugged. “Just call yourself a bunch of cuss words and it’ll be like she’s right here.”

“True.” Evie laughed.

She lifted her backpack over her shoulder and, after kissing Ashanti on the cheek, left Barkingham Palace. She got behind the wheel of her SUV but didn’t start it. Instead, she just sat there, staring at her phone.

Cameron had texted again. It wasn’t like him to be so… needy. So desperate. They’d had their share of fights over the years, and he usually went with the silent treatment. It was his way of teaching her a lesson.

Evie rolled her eyes.

It had taken her much longer than it should have to learn her lesson, though it wasn’t the one he thought he’d been teaching her.

Ashanti was right, Cam really was a rat bastard.

She started the SUV and pulled away from the curb. There was a pet boutique in the French Quarter she’d been meaning to check out. Now she had a reason to go.