BROOKS
Dirt and gravel flew in the wind beneath my truck as I hauled ass out of my driveway. I had to get out of my house. I just dropped Harlow off after a quick trip into town to grab a few essentials, because all she had was a bag of borrowed clothes.
What the hell was I thinking, offering her a place to stay? I should have told her no from the jump. Let her figure it out on her own. My reaction to seeing her standing there, looking lost and defeated, scratched at something inside me. I reacted on instinct, and now I was questioning every single decision I’d made over the last twenty-four hours.
Harlow Bennett would be living in my house. Sleeping right down the hall, sharing my space like some twisted version of a future that could have been.
I pulled up to the Lakehouse Pub and followed a couple of guys in suits into the bar. It was right in the center of town, serving both townies and tourists. The place was known for cheap drinks and good food.
I sat at the bar and rested my hands on the wood countertop. My buddy, Ryan, who I went to high school with, slid a bottle of Labatt’s Blue Light my way. There was a ghost of a smile on his lips as he watched me closely.
I adjusted myself on the worn stool. “Whatever it is you want to say, go ahead and spit it out.”
“I didn’t expect to see you in here tonight.”
I ignored his smirk. “Why is that?”
He cocked his hip against the bar and ran a hand through his dark, blond, curly hair. “Heard you were shacking up with your ex.”
Tuck had a big mouth.
I took a swig of my beer as the jukebox in the corner played some sad country song that kind of fit my mood. “Rumors, in this small town, sure do travel fast.”
“People in this town are already talking.”
Of course they were. Nothing stayed quiet.
“What was I supposed to do, Ry? Slam the door in her face?”
She had nowhere else to go. And no matter how many times I told myself I didn’t care anymore, I couldn’t leave her stranded.
Even if it felt like I just threw a lit match at a can of gasoline that held the rest of my sanity.
He exhaled sharply. “I don’t know, dude, but you better make damn sure you know what you’re doing.”
I didn’t reply because we both knew that there wasn’t a single part of me that had ever truly moved on from her.
I’ve dated over the years, but nothing ever stuck.I compared every smile, every laugh, to hers. The truth was, when you had that type of connection, you could spend your entire life trying to find it again with someone else, but you never would.
“She’s only staying with me until the renovations are done.”
He leaned both hands on the bar and stared at me like I was dense. “Do you really believe you can keep your distance?”
I scrubbed a hand down my face. “Yes, because it’s only temporary.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Someone really flooded her house?”
“If I were a gambling man, I’d say it was the ex.”
He whistled. “Damn.”
Yeah. Damn was right.
It was hard to wrap my head around that she almost married a guy who would do something so extreme.
It was clear this was personal the second I stepped inside the laundry room.
Whoever did this wanted to make sure she had no place to go.