Page 45 of Wild Eyes
“It’s hard.” Her voice is a whisper now. “It’s like I know it’s going to be made up and mean-spirited, but I check anyway, just so I know what’s being said.”
“Newsflash—people are going to say it whether or not you read it.”
Teeth clamp down onto her pillowy bottom lip as she gives one terse nod.
“And you looking doesn’t make it any truer. So what’s the point?”
Skylar glances away again, but this time it’s not to take in her surroundings. She’s avoiding making eye contact with me. And I don’t want to make her feel that way, so I drop it.
“Plus, your nose isn’t broken. I can tell. No nose job necessary.”
“Oh, are you a doctor now?” she snipes back.
I just laugh. I like her with her claws out. Seems more like the real Skylar to me.
“No, but I’ve had mine broken once and broke two others. Plus, I offered to take you to the ER and you said you didn’t want to be recognized, so I’m as close as you’re gonna get to an expert.”
Her jaw drops open, and she flattens her palms on the metal table. “You’ve brokentwopeople’s noses?”
I cross my arms, grinning back at her. “That I know of. A couple of people ran away before I could find out for sure.”
“Why?”
Now I scrub at my chin and turn to gaze out over the water. “Guess I had a bit of a rowdy streak growing up. Got a kick out of teaching lessons with my fists. I’ve outgrown it…mostly.”
The brim of her hat shadows her face and I can tell she’s about to say something, but our server walks up and interrupts.
“West, honey. How you doing tonight?” Doris props her tray against her hip and grins down at me with tobacco-stained teeth and permed hair that went out of style decades ago. The look she gives me is the same one she’s been giving me since I’d sneak in here underage.
“Real good, Doris. How about you?”
“Knees are sore. Otherwise, can’t complain. Got a roof over my head, food in my belly, and a husband with a big dick.”
Skylar makes a shocked choking noise from across the table right as I bark out a laugh. Good ol’ Doris. She never misses.
“On that note, what can I get ya?”
I wipe at my nose as I attempt to pull myself together. Usually, Doris’s shit wouldn’t land quite like that, but seeing the expression on Skylar’s face made it that much funnier.
“Boy, you’ve got the giggles. Who is this?” She points at Skylar.
That’s enough to make me straighten because gossip spreads like wildfire where locals are concerned, and I don’t want a parade of people approaching Skylar tonight.
Not when I’ve finally got her to myself.
“This is a friend. I’ll take a pint of Rose Hill Red and two cans of Buddyz Best. No glasses.”
Doris scribbles on her notepad. She didn’t use that when I was younger, but her memory isn’t what it once was. “Right, another one of your friends. So help me, Weston, if I catch you shotgunning these cans out here…”
“Doris, my shotgunning days are over.”
The woman hits me with a droll look and my head tips from side to side.
“Mostly.”
She rolls her eyes and turns to Skylar. “Okay,friend. What can I get you?”
Skylar looks like a kid at the zoo for the first time—a little intimidated and a little excited. “Chardonnay?”
