Page 10 of Two Wrongs

“Is there a problem here?” He jerks his chin in Liam’s direction.

“Just my soon-to-be ex-husband trying to tell me I can’t work here,” I tell him honestly.

“I’ll be the one to decide that,” he says. He turns his attention to Liam. “If you want to go back to your table and drink your beer, that’s fine. Wren has made it clear she doesn’t want to talk to you. Bess is your server, so there’s no need for her to. If you can’t leave her be, then you’re going to have to leave.”

“Get your hand off my wife,” Liam demands. He’s ignored everything Donovan said to him. I’ve seen him get like this before, and I know this night might be the shortest employment on my record.

Donovan waves at someone back at the table. I’d been so focused on Liam I hadn’t noticed who else was at his table. That is made clear when Donovan shouts, “Griff, come get your boy before I have him thrown out.”

The crowd parts as the towering mass of muscle that is Griffin Hale stalks toward the bar. He moves with determination and grace no mortal man should possess. I snap out of it once he turns to look at me. The scowl he reserves for me is firmly in place, and I see the muscle in his jaw clench when he too notices Donovan’s arm around my side.

He drops a large hand on Liam’s shoulder. “Now’s not the time to beg for her forgiveness, son.”

Liam tosses the hand off his shoulder. He grabs the cash off the bar and shoves it in his pocket. “Drinks are on you dad.” He leans in closer to him, but his whisper carries over to me. “Get her out of here.”

The door slams shut behind him, and I fidget realizing all eyes in the bar are focused on my drama. I have never liked being the center of attention, and find I like it even less now.

Griffin’s eyes narrow on Donovan’s hand. “I can’t make her leave, but you should probably get your hand off my daughter-in-law.”

“You’re not her father, Griff.”

Donovan looks at me with sympathy, and my stomach drops. I take a step and his hand falls. “You knew why I wanted a job here. I didn’t think anything of you not asking me any questions, but it was because you knew, didn’t you?”

He nods. “Liam isn’t always careful when he gets a few drinks in him. I’ve noticed he was paying attention to a woman that wasn’t you for a few months now.”

“Do you know who?” I ask him.

He opens his mouth, but Griffin slams his hand on the bar. “I think that is part of the discussion Liam needs to have with her, don’t you? Let him at least have the chance to salvage his marriage.”

I lean over the counter, feeling bolder than I have in years. I’m not sure where this strength is coming from, but it feels good. “Listen here. There’s not a damn thing he can do to make me stay married to him. There’s a part of me that is sad about that, but not a single part of me is sad that you and I won’t have to pretend to be family anymore. The moment I sign those divorce papers I’m putting you and your son in my rearview mirror and I’m going to throw a fucking party that I never have to look at your judgmental face again.”

His nostrils flare, and I think he’s going to grab me and pull me the rest of the way over the counter, but then he steps back. His expression becomes neutral, and he nods. “You should do that. Leave this town Wren, and never come back.”

I swallow. I knew he hated me. It wasn’t like he ever hid it, but I didn’t realize how much.

“What did I ever do to you?” My voice is small, and I hate how weak I sound now after feeling so strong moments ago. Horrible or not, he and Liam were the only family I had up until Friday.

He looks me up and down, and if he feels bad I can’t tell. “You exist.”

A tear slips down my face, and I don’t bother to try and hide it. I refuse to be ashamed of my emotions. They exist, and I’m determined to stop walking through my life numb. It’s all I’ve known in one way or another since my parents died.

With a shaking hand, I wipe the errant tear away. “Yeah, that’s about all I’ve been doing. Existing. But that’s going to end soon.”

I’m going to finally live. I don’t bother to tell him that though. What’s the point? He doesn’t care, and like Dolores said, the best revenge is to live well. Clearly, not something Griffin Hale will care about either way, but he’s no longer my problem.

5

Griffin

“That’s it,” Donovan rounds the bar and shoves me back toward the door. “I want you and your son out of here. Regular customers or not, if my waitstaff can’t work without being disturbed I won’t have anyone working here.”

I toss my hands up in surrender. “We’re going.”

Casting a look back over my shoulder I see Wren trying hard to compose herself. I can’t get her words out of my head.“Yeah, that’s about all I’ve been doing. Existing. But that’s going to end soon.”

I can’t leave, not until I talk to her. I’ll wait all night in the parking lot for her if I have to, but I have to make sure she isn’t a threat to herself. Better yet, I should go back in and talk to Donovan. Maybe I can convince him to give her the rest of the night off and make sure she’s okay.

Mind made up, I turn to go back inside. Charlie intercepts me before I make it to the door. “No you don’t.”

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