Page 67 of No One But You

“You’ve looked better,” she acknowledged as she pulled me in for a hug.

“Gee, thanks.” I pushed away and climbed in her car.

“I guess you haven’t talked to Kai?”

“Or seen him,” I added and bit on the inside of my cheek to hold my feelings in check.

Darlene sat behind the wheel, and I could feel her gaze on me.

“We can talk as you drive.” I gestured for her to start the car, then I shut down any other questions by turning away, snapping on my seatbelt, and staring out the window. God, I was frustrated with myself and how much I wanted to see him, and it wasn’t hard to tell my frustration level had ticked up to that of being plain old pissed. I didn’t think he’d go all weekend and not talk to me. That’s why I shouldn’t have been thinking. It was summer after all.

He said he needed space. Fine. He’ll get his space. “It’s in his court now. I’m giving him what he asked for.”

I didn’t look at Darlene but heard her frustration. “I’m sorry.” She sighed and put the car in drive. “Hopefully everything works out.”

“I don’t know. He’s having issues with his father, and I know things weren’t easy when he was growing up. I can’t act like I understand because I don’t.” I waved my hand in the air like I was erasing the discussion. “It doesn’t matter. Where are we going to eat?”

Darlene pulled out of my driveway and onto the road. “Don’t get mad, but I promised Bryson I’d meet him at the pub. I have to drop his wallet off. He left it at home when he left this morning.”

“What? It’s girls’ day.” What was Darlene thinking? “We can’t hang with guys on girls’ day.”

“I know. He’s helping with something at the pub. I’m not really sure what, but I have to give it to him. Then we can leave. Promise.”

I shook my head and sighed heavily. “Whatever.” We sat in silence for the rest of the drive. I kept my thoughts busy by counting the cows we passed. Busywork to keep from thinking about someone I was over thinking about.

“There were fifty-two cows between my house and here,” I announced to Darlene when we got out of her car and walked into the pub.

She scrunched her face at me. “What?”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not important.” I followed behind her as she walked toward Bryson. He and Trevor were behind the bar in deep conversation about something by the beer taps.

“Hey, handsome. I got something you need.” Darlene slapped Bryson’s wallet on the bar.

He leaned across it toward her. “You ain’t kidding, baby. You got a lot that I need.” He smiled wickedly and kissed her.

“It’s too early in the day to watch you two go at each other,” Trevor said.

“No kidding. And we have places to go. We can’t have a girls’ day here,” I added.

Darlene sat on a bar stool.

Great. Looks like we’re staying a while. I plopped heavily on the stool next to her and listened as Trevor and Bryson told us about how they were planning on adding more taps so they could include some local craft beers.

I was only half listening, as I didn’t drink beer and didn’t really care, when a man exited the kitchen. He looked vaguely familiar, though I couldn’t place him and scrunched my brow in thought. He had gray hair and deep wrinkles under his eyes like someone did when they had a hard life. “Trevor, who’s that?” I tipped my head in the man’s direction.

“That’s Terry. He’s working off some time with Nico.”

“Kai’s father, Terry?” I asked. I watched him hard as he wiped down tables. The first time I saw him was brief and it was dark. Now that I had a clear view of him, the only possible resemblance I could make out between him and Kai could be their height. Nothing else was remotely the same.

“Yeah. He’s been working here to pay back the damage he caused during his drunken rage. Honestly, he and Nico get along great, and he’s been working hard.”

I pursed my lips and watched Terry as Trevor tapped in a table’s order. Trevor said something to him, and Terry glanced up.

Our gazes locked. Recognition flashed in his eyes before he tore his gaze from mine and said something to Trevor. “Darlene, I’ll be right back.” I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I felt compelled to acknowledge him and see what he was like.

“Terry?” I caught him right before he entered the kitchen.

He stopped and turned. “Yes? What can I do for you?” His eyes raked up and down my body quickly and then the same recognition I noticed earlier dawned in his eyes. “Aren’t you Kora?”

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