Page 60 of No One But You

“Leave now.” Summer didn’t even glance up.

“See ya at eight?” Kora winked.

“Can’t wait.”

“Hi, Kai honey,” Tonya said as I passed her. She was dressed in long, black flowing slacks and a white blouse.

“Hi, Tonya. You look nice today.” I was engulfed in her arms and hugged her back easily. For someone who didn’t get much affection growing up, I was surprised at how easily I returned hugs and other friendly affirmations with the people of Orlinda Valley. The only ones who showed me affection growing up after my mom left were the twins, and I always made sure they knew I cared.

“Aren’t you a sweetheart.” She held me at arm’s length. “If you weren’t interested in my niece and were twenty years older, I’d be fighting off the woman to be next in line.”

“T. Leave the poor guy alone,” Diane said.

“Oh, whatever,” Tonya said. “Anyway, Kai, we’re having a big dinner with our families Sunday. I hope you’ll come with Kora. We’d love to have you.”

“Kai, that would be wonderful,” Diane agreed. “You’ll meet my husband, Tom, our granddaughter Skylar, and our daughter and her husband. Well, my stepdaughter, but blood doesn’t make a family.”

“True, and Kai, we see you as family,” Kaye answered.

“We sure do, even if you weren’t with my niece, you’d still be family.” Tonya patted my cheek.

They see me and Kora as a couple already. I’m not complaining, but it’s a bit quick. But even if Kora and I weren’t a thing, I would still love to be there. “Thanks. I’d love to come. See you then.”

I left the salon and climbed into Matilda. As I drove through town, I waved to the old gentlemen who hung out in front of city hall. I honked at Trevor who was getting gas at the corner station. I didn’t think I’d ever seen him outside of the pub before. Bit strange to think he had a life. It had only been a month, but I already saw Orlinda Valley as a place that felt like home.

With the purchase of my land and the house I planned to build someday, and with Bryson and Trevor, whom I started to see as friends, things were going well. I had a great job, I was able to put money away, I’d finally started to put down roots, and it felt good.

Then there was Kora. A girl like her might have been out of reach during high school, but now, as adults, things were different. So much different and so damn good. Life was more perfect—if that was a thing—than I could ever remember. I was on cloud nine, and I felt that nothing could bring me down.

I thought too soon.

As soon as I pulled down my driveway, life smacked me hard across the face. In reality, it was more like a punch. A hard, direct sucker punch to the gut.

Terry had made a fire in the fire pit, and if the pile of beer cans scattered all around him were any indication, he had been drinking for a while. Shit. How did he get more beer out here? I thought I got rid of all the alcohol. Having a drunk Terry on my property was not good for my sanity.

I jammed my foot on the brake and slammed the truck door.

“Terry!” My heart pounded, and my blood boiled. I stomped with my hands clenched into fists until I was directly in front of him. He didn’t hear me when I yelled his name the first time, so I hollered with my voice deep to be heard above the obnoxiously loud music that was playing. “What. The. Hell. Are. You. Doing. Now?” I gestured to the mountain of beer cans.

Terry glanced up and turned down the radio. “Sorry. I couldn’t hear you. The music was too loud.”

Is he serious right now? God, I wanted to punch him—again. Instead, I took in a deep breath to calm my nerves. “Ya think?” I had nothing else to say. There wasn’t a point.

“You need to relax—have a beer.” He held a beer toward me.

The last thing I wanted right now was anything that would put me one step closer to being like him.

“I figured with that sweet piece of ass you were with, you’d be nice and relaxed. Sex usually does that to a man.” Terry glanced over his beer can. “Is she not giving it up?”

“Holy shit!” My insides were as hot as that fire. “You really need to watch what you’re saying, old man. Have some respect.”

Terry shook his head slowly. “You’ve got it bad.” He tipped up his beer, emptied it, and threw it on the fire. He leaned his elbows on his knees. “You work construction. You’re from a small town even less interesting than this hole in the wall. You barely finished high school and have never amounted to anything. Do you really think a small-town hottie and favorite elementary teacher could ever be interested in someone the likes of you?” Terry popped the tab on another can of beer. “You’re in over your head, kid. Just like usual. You need to come back down to earth before you do something stupid.” He offered me the beer he just opened. “Take the beer, sit down with your old man, and let’s drink together like father and son.”

Damn. Don’t hit him, don’t hit him, don’t hit him. Maybe if I said it enough, it would evaporate from my mind. I flexed my hand. The fingers were still sore and tight from our last bout, and anyway, I was a bigger man than him. Even though I was itching to beat the shit out of him—again—I wouldn’t stoop to his level. It didn’t solve anything, but damn it felt good. Instead, I ignored him.

He waved the beer in the air. “Just take it. One beer won’t make you an alcoholic. You’ve always been so scared of turning out like me. If you would just stop fighting the inevitable, you could finally settle down and stop running from the truth.”

I snatched the beer from his hand. “What truth is that?”

---