Page 65 of The Biggest Secret
“Does your mood have anything to do with who I saw the other day?”
I raise a brow, take a pull from the beer, the shot already long gone. I nod to the shot glass, and he reaches for the tequila again to fill it.
“Depends on who you saw.”
“Chelsea Jo.” He pauses, “And she had a little boy on her hip. Reminded me of someone.”
We lock eyes and he gives me a knowing look. I’m sure the town is talking up a storm since seeing us at Jackson’s championship game, but they’re at least giving me the decency of not harassing me with questions. My family, as well. I do know Mom has been bragging about Dominic. She’s brought him down to the rec center a few times when she meets with her friends while planning for the Almost Christmas Festival.
“It’s been an adjustment, to say the least.” I let out a breath, adjusting my hat.
He shuffles on his feet, leaning back against the counter. “I’m sure.”
I sigh, knock back the shot and slide the empty glass towards him for another refill. He raises a brow but fills it. “I thought we had it under control, but,” I shake my head, “I guess things aren’t quite that simple.”
“They never are, when children are involved. What are you going to do?”
“What would you do?”
He bends down, taking a fresh beer out of the cooler and replaces my empty one. “Well, I obviously don’t know the details behind the situation, but she’s here. She came back. And if it was my girl and my son? I’d grab hold and not let them go again. And definitely not give them any reason to go.”
“She’s not my girl.”
“You don’t believethat.”
I hear the bell chime above the door signaling someone has entered. I look up to see Grace walking in, and I inwardly groan. Or maybe it was outwardly because Al chortles and knocks again on the bar by me. “When it rains it pours, kid.”
“Adam, I thought that was your truck out front,” she sing-songs and struts over to me. I roll my eyes. She knows my truck. Odds are she’s been driving around town until she found me. After the last time I was here with the guys, and I told her whatever we had been doing was over, she was none too happy. At least the calls and texts finally stopped. I figured she got it through her head that we were done.
But she always has some weird sense of timing, always showing up when it’s the last thing I want.
She sits on the chair next to me, dragging it even closer. I edge to the side of mine, away from her. I nod to Al again, and he refills me once more.
“I’ll have what he’s having.”
I try to ignore her. I watch the game. I check my phone. But she won’t take a hint. And the more she flirts with me, the more I drink. And the more I drink the madder I get that Chelsea won’t talk to me. That she wouldn’t even hear me out earlier. She’s so stubborn and refused to listen, refused to see a different perspective than whatever she imagined in her mind today.
“Adam, do you want to get out of here? You look like you could use a... release.” She’s watching me and I’m seeing double of her. She’s beautiful, but my body only craves Chelsea. It took me a year to sleep with another woman after she left town, and all the while, I was pretending with Grace, imagining she was the one I really wanted. It wasn’t fair to my heart, and certainly not fair to hers.
“What did you say to her?” I ask dismally.
“Say to who, Adam?” She pets me once again and I slide my chair back an inch, shrugging off her touch.
“You know who. What did you say to her all those years ago? You were the one who made her leave, weren’t you?”
She takes a long breath and lets it out, shaking her head, with a smug smile on her lips. This Grace is someone I’ve never seen before. I thinkI’m seeing what they’ve all warned me about, and my anger is rising over what she’s cost me.
“I only reminded her of what you need. And if she couldn’t give it to you, she should just go.” She runs her hand down my arm, squeezing my bicep and leans in. “I’ll be right back, then we can get out of here.” I’m trying to focus on her, on her words, and she must mistake my blank stare for a yes because she leans in and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek before exiting her stool.
“Don’t make a permanent mistake, Adam. That girl is looking to get her claws in you.” Al leans in front of me, taking my beer bottle away from me as I try to reach for it and almost knock it over.
“There’s only one girl who does it for me, Al.” I’m slurring, I can hear myself. I try hard to focus on my surroundings.
“I’m glad to hear that, son.”
I hear the bell chime again as the door opens and I see my brother walk through, in uniform.
“Tom! Oh, Tom, my favorite brother, come over here. Al, get my brother a drink. Come on, man, have a seat.”
