Page 43 of Forever and Other Lies

Tommy blinked. He had not been expecting the truth from Derek. “Why? You could have any girl you wanted in high school.”

Derek sat on the pile of lumber, taking a long swallow from his water bottle. “Those girls didn’t really want me. They just wanted the bad boy. I was a challenge for them. Or maybe the guy to piss off Daddy. I was a good time, not their forever guy.”

He held out the water bottle to Tommy, and he took it, taking a drink.

“I was not boyfriend material like you were. I was never the guy they dreamed of spending forever with, just their right now. You were the forever guy, though. And I was so jealous of the way Leighton looked at you. You could do no wrong in her eyes.”

Tommy stared at him, his brow furrowing as he digested what were probably the first honest words Derek had spoken in a very long time.

“Maybe you should punch me, and then we can move past it. Add in a second punch for the bike.”

“I should,” Tommy agreed. “But you need help to build this workshop. I won’t be much help with an injured hand. You have a really hard head.”

“Just as hard as yours.” Derek stood. “This workshop isn’t going to build itself.”

He grabbed a hammer out of the toolbox and tossed it in the air. Tommy caught it.

“You know that I have carpentry skills. They may be rusty, but I can still out-build you any day.”

“Really?” Derek narrowed his eyes. “Care to place a wager on it?”

“A wager?”

“Each of us builds a side wall. Let’s see who finishes first. The loser has to give Heidi a foot rub. Walk up to her and pull off her shoe. Just start rubbing her foot.”

“Deal!” Tommy nodded. Apparently, they hadn’t outgrown their competitive nature.

Derek spread out the cut lumber on the ground. Tommy was cranking his head, spying. He’d allow that, because he truly did have the edge. He was the one who had designed the blueprints and did this for a living.

He hammered the first nail, then the second. He could hear Tommy hammering away too. Now he was stealing glances over his shoulder. What the hell! Tommy was really moving. Damn, he was not going to lose. The doctor absolutely terrified him.

“Done!” He heard Tommy yell.

What the bloody hell!

“Hurry up, looks like the doctor is packing up shop,” Tommy taunted. “Bet she’ll really appreciate that foot rub you’re about to give her.”

Derek groaned and hammered in the last nail into his frame. “Seriously? You’re going to hold me to it?”

“A bet’s a bet!” Tommy said, a little too smugly. “Hey Benji, get your butt over here. You don’t want to miss this.”

“You’re such an ass,” Derek grumbled and started to walk toward the medical van. He strolled to the back of the van, where Heidi sat on the tailgate, writing in a notebook. He shook his head. Damn, Tommy. Stupid bet. He stooped down on one knee in front of her and pulled off her shoe.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she yelled.

Derek took hold of her bare foot and started rubbing. She swatted him across the head repeatedly with her notebook. He let go of her foot, falling backward. She stood and continued to hit him. Damn, she had good aim. He crab-crawled away.

“Get him, Heidi,” Ben yelled.

Both his brothers were jackasses. He really hoped they were enjoying themselves. Tommy’s face was lit up with laughter like it once had before Kandahar and before Derek had betrayed him. His brother was transforming, as was this village.

He stared at the workshop. Ben was helping Tommy erect the wall he’d just built. It was going to mean so much to the community. There was going to be a new business in town, and it was going to be life changing.

Chapter 21

There was a new business in town, and it was spectacular. Jovanny Grotta, along with his movie star friend, Nash Logan, and billionaire cameraman, Sam Marek, had opened this store that was filled with treasures from West Africa. Tourists were flocking to the town, hoping to spot a celebrity, but stayed for the enchanting store. Jayna welcomed the competition. The more foot traffic on the sidewalk, the better. Plus, all proceeds from TL Village Mercantile went to charities established by the actors in Sierra Leone.

This unique approach supported the people of the impoverished country by purchasing their handmade items to be sold through larger, more far-reaching stores. People who struggled to sell their goods locally now were selling globally. The online store was apparently thriving, as was the second physical store in Los Angeles.

---