Page 48 of Hope's Heartlands

I throw my hands up in the air. “What? Me doing my job? Because that’s what you saw. I was removing her from the bar.”

She crosses her arms over her chest and the look she’s giving me tells me exactly how mad and hurt she is. “Oh, I didn’t realize kissing women was part of your job. Good to know.”

I start to explain, but Cat comes out the entrance of the bar, dragging the same woman I had in my arms only seconds ago. Cat pulls her by the hair until she’s standing up and then punches her. The woman falls to the ground, and Cat stands over top of her. “You don’t mess with other women’s men, you piece of trash.”

She’s huffing and puffing, and I know if I don’t intervene, Cat’s going to do worse and then Saint’s going to be all pissed off that I let his woman do my job for me. “I got it, Cat. Just leave her there.”

Cat walks over to me, holding her hand with the other. She hit her pretty good and she’s probably hurt her hand. She stops in front of Kate. “You must be Kate. Bull’s told me all about you. Sorry we had to meet this way, but I think she understands now to keep her hands off men that are taken,” Cat says to Kate as she gestures over to the woman that is still lying on the ground.

Kate says hi, and they talk a few minutes and I wonder if everything is okay, but as soon as Cat walks away, Kate’s face is closing up again. “Do you see, I wasn’t with that woman. She’s drunk, nothing was happening.”

But Kate isn’t looking very forgiving right now. “No. Look, this isn’t my thing, Bull. It’s good I saw this. I’m too old for this kind of thing.”

I stand there stunned. I thought we were done with the age thing. “Age doesn’t have anything to do with it. And you know what, neither does what you just saw. You’re scared, Kate. Because you know how I feel about you and I know you feel the same for me. But you’re scared. You want to keep playing it safe. Hiding me away from your friends, your family. It’s like you were waiting on me to screw up. But I didn’t. I was doing my job. If you honestly think I could ever want someone else in my arms that isn’t you, then we don’t have a lot to say to each other.”

I know I’ve gone too far. There’s fire flashing in her eyes, and she stubbornly turns away from me and opens her car door. I want to go to her. I want to do whatever I have to do to make this right, but I don’t. I can’t. I stand here and watch her, hoping she’s going to make the right choice.

When she takes a deep breath, my nerves start to settle because I think she may be coming to her senses. But instead, she pummels me. “In the end, me walking away right now is the right thing to do. We aren’t meant to be together. The age thing, and everything else. We’re just too different. You’ll be glad it’s over, that I ended it now instead of later.”

I want to fight. I want to scream and punch something, but instead I say as calmly as I can muster, “No, I won’t be glad that you walked away from me, from us, Kate. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved, and it sucks that you’re giving up on us because of this.”

I walk away then, back toward the bar and punch the brick wall. It hurts, but nothing like the pain I’m feeling in my chest.

She stands at her car and watches me for the longest time. I lean against the wall, breathing heavily and watching her get into her car and drive away.

Chapter13

Kate

“What’s wrong, Mom?” Emma asks me.

I smile at her, the best that I can. I’ve tried my best to not let her see how upset I’ve been, but of course she notices. She notices everything.

“Nothing. I’m fine. I’m excited about your graduation tonight. What do you want to do to celebrate afterwards?” I ask her, trying to get her off the subject of me.

She rolls her eyes at me and I’m beginning to figure out that this is definitely a teenage phase that I don’t like. “Mom! We’re going for pizza afterwards, remember? Me, you and Bull. Where is he anyway?”

I reach out and rub her arm. “He’s not coming.”

She stares back at me like I’ve grown a second nose before finally shaking her head. “He’ll be there, Mom.”

I press my lips together, hating to disappoint her, especially on her big day. But it’s better for her to realize it now, instead of later. “No, he won’t, honey.”

But she just laughs and pats me on the back. “Yes, he will, Mom.”

She twirls around in her new dress, all excited that she got a new outfit and even has makeup on today for the occasion.

“You look beautiful, Emma,” I tell her honestly, all the while being eaten up with guilt. I’m the reason she’s going to be let down tonight. I’m usually smarter than this, but I let my feelings get the best of me and didn’t even consider how this was going to affect Emma.

We no sooner get to the school than Emma heads to the backstage of the auditorium and I go to the seat that my parents are saving for me. I see Charlie across the way and his girlfriend Chloe is sitting with him.

“You should have stayed with him,” my mother whispers to me when she sees me looking at Charlie.

I turn, stunned. “He cheated on me, Mother. With that woman.”

A flicker of irritation shines in her eyes. “So?”

“So? So I’m not staying with someone that cheats on me. That’s crazy that you even think I should. I mean, what would I be teaching my daughter by being with someone like that?” I ask, getting louder with each word.

---