Page 62 of Needing Your Love
“A glass of pinot noir, please.”
“Anything to eat?”
“Nothing for now, thanks.” I wanted the wine to hit my empty stomach and give me a decent buzz before I fed my body the fuel I needed.
“I heard from a little birdie that you did a great job fixing up the house,” Babs said once Iris walked off to retrieve my drink.
A slow exhale of relief over her chosen topic allowed my shoulders to unhitch even further. “It looks a lot better than it did when I left town, that’s for damned sure. Just found out two offers came in during the open house this morning.”
“Congratulations, and I’m not surprised. Property out here has been going for a mint,” she said, stirring the thin straw in what appeared to be a Cape Cod.
“Interest rates are low—it’s a seller’s market,” Coach Bernard said, lifting his beer as though toasting what was a sure thing. “You’ll get top dollar.”
I couldn’t care less about the money, since I had more than enough already in my bank account to see me through the nextten years if I chose a frugal lifestyle. Which, considering my childhood, I knew how to do like a pro. My days of acting like a hole for hire were over, which meant no more gifts to myself like my BMW.
But I was okay with that, was all done with cold transactions that didn’t fulfill what felt like a massive crater inside my soul. I’d hoped for Sutton to offer the connection I craved, to help heal the hurt I’d been lugging around with me from childhood, but I was too much—or not enough, more like it.
Nothing but a worm.
Setting aside depressing thoughts was easier than usual thanks to joining the town gossip for a drink. While I sipped my wine, Babs caught me up on the Pippen Creek going-ons then we returned to property values, how Pippen Creek Pond lots had been a hot item the previous two to three years. Out-of-owners had been flocking in, trying to escape the bustle of the city to live a simpler lifestyle.
The Coles had been one such family, bringing along their adult son, Christian, who’d been hired at the fire station.
Mention of him opened another can of stories about Dexter, Sutton’s best friend, and how whenever he shared a room with Cole, sparks flew. A hint of violence simmered between them, Babs swore with a twinkle in her eyes, but a whole lot of lust too.
She looked forward to the day those two firemen got their hands on each other and extinguished the sparks between them. I hoped they burned themselves to the ground then found a way to rebuild in order to do it all over again.
Melancholy crept back in as Iris handed me a third glass of wine.
We’d been sitting at the table for a few hours, during which time I’d had a plateful of wings and a basket of fries. Not exactly a good pairing for my favorite wine, but the food hit the spot and silenced my growling stomach.
A dozen or so people had also flocked in since I’d arrived, another group packing in for after-dinner drinks. I’d become downright comfortable while sitting with Babs, chatting on occasion with others as they paused to say hello.
“So what are your plans after you sell?” Babs asked.
“Welcome to Frenchie’s!” Iris hollered yet again as the door behind me opened, letting in a blast of air smelling of fallen leaves and woodsmoke.
In my mind, my future remained as dark as the inch of wine left in my glass. “There’s nothing left for me here, so…” I shrugged.
She glanced over my shoulder. “You sure about that?”
Babs’s tone hinted at devilry, but I didn’t look over to see who had walked into the bar behind me. I could feel his presence as though Sutton had laid a hand on me. An immediate craving tore through my body, causing the hairs on my arms to raise and my pulse to kick into high gear.
I didn’t want the reminder of him turning away from me the other morning but couldn’t help myself. Longing for him, the merest hint of his attention, shifted me in my seat.
My gaze clashed with Dex’s dark eyes rather than the concerned hazel ones that scanned the bar’s far side. Dex stood between me and his best friend, and with a grin, he slung his arm over Sutton’s shoulders.
A burning sensation in my chest caused my face to heat, and I muttered a few curses under my breath, eyes narrowing at the asshole teasing me.
“That’s what I thought.”
I tore my focus off the two men heading to the bar to find Babs smirking at me with a knowing grin.
“What.” I muttered, not exactly asking a question while slumping in my chair and grabbing up my glass to suck down the last of my wine.
“He’s running scared, Jimmy.” Babs leaned into my space, her tone low and eyes intent. “Don’t stop your pursuit—he needs you as much as you’ve always needed him.”
Shit.
