Meant to Be Mine (A Porter Family Novel Book #2) by Becky Wade Page A

Bo and Jake had been the good ones, and he’d been the hell-raiser. Even so, Ty had always viewed himself as mostly honorable. Not the same gold and shiny level of honor that his grandfathers and father had earned, but mostly honorable.
    When he’d stood at the window that morning in Vegas, he’d known that he’d betrayed the trust of two women and turned whatever honor he’d had to darkest black.
    He pushed his plate of food to the side, no longer hungry. Slowly, so he wouldn’t frighten her, he reached across the table for Celia’s sunglasses. She moved to stop him, then stilled, apparently deciding it wasn’t worth a wrestling match. He slipped them off and set them aside. She met his gaze, her expression troubled.
    Those eyes. Pretty and almond shaped, green, surrounded by thick brown lashes.
    “I’m sorry about what happened in Vegas, Celia.”
    “Is that why you came all this way?”
    He nodded. “Before our divorce is final, I needed to say that to you in person.”
    “Okay. I’ve heard you.” Celia made a show of checking the time. “Now I’d really better go. I have an appointment.”
    Fresh regret sank into him like a sharp-tipped dart.
    She rose to her feet.
    He rose to his. “Good-bye.”
    She dipped her chin, then turned and walked away from him, her slim legs moving quickly.
    He lowered to his chair and watched her climb into an old woodie car, the kind surfers drove in California. She reversed and took off.
    “Excuse me.” A female voice.
    He looked toward the three friends sitting at the next table. College girls? None could have been older than twenty.
    “If that woman wants to divorce you, then she’s crazy,” the tallest one said, her eyes round.
    “Nuts,” the shortest one agreed.
    “You can come out with us tonight,” the third offered. “Have some fun.”
    “I’d like that,” Ty answered, “but I’m just visiting. I’m leaving soon.”
    Their faces fell.
    He smiled at them. “Thank you, though.”
    “You’re welcome,” they replied simultaneously.
    “Oh, shoot.” Their waitress walked up to the table. “Has she left already?”
    “Yeah.”
    “I wanted to invite her to the Memorial Day barbecue we’re having at River Run.” She placed a hand on her chest. “I’m the social coordinator for the apartment complex where we both live.”
    “I see.”
    She looked him up and down. “You’re welcome to come to the barbecue if you’d like.”
    He’d been asked out twice in twenty seconds. “Thanks, but I won’t be in town that long.”
    “Oh, okay. Sure.”
    He asked for the check. She pulled it from her apron and moved away.
    Ty stared without seeing at the place where Celia’s car had disappeared, remembering how furious he’d been with Tawny when he’d made that doomed trip to Vegas. Later, he’d realized that some part of him must have wanted to ruin his relationship withTawny. And that’s why he had. As soon as he’d ruined it, though, he’d been sorry. Sorry, too, that he’d used Celia to do it.
    He’d never intended to marry or sleep with Celia or for her to find out about Tawny. He’d just intended for them to have fun together in Vegas for a few days, then go their separate ways. End of story. But that’s the thing about bad decisions—they had the power to take you farther than you’d planned to go. The chemistry between him and Celia had been way more powerful than he’d banked on, he’d acted like an idiot, and Celia had ended up married to a no-good man in love with someone else.
    Pieces of conversations from the tables around him and the sound of plates being stacked filled the air.
    He’d told Celia earlier that he hadn’t filed for divorce because he hadn’t had a reason. The truth? He’d had a reason not to file. He’d rather be shot, though, than admit his reason out loud—
    Something on the ground caught his eye. He squinted and leaned over. A gold bracelet. Celia’s bracelet with the magnetic clasp. In all that toying