AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He walked back across the room, and I looked at Drake.
“He asked her to marry him?”
“Now is not the time, Anson,” my father said. “It’s not the place.”
My eyes bounced between the two of them, and I shook my head. A million different feelings were moving through me. Guilt. Anger. Regret. The urge to push my fist down Josh’s throat.
When my father put his hand on my shoulder, I felt a bit of calm move over me.
“Son, take a deep breath and realize where you are.”
I nodded. My father’s voice was so calm. He looked me in the eyes, and I saw something I hadn’t seen in a long time.
Concern.
“Nick has it wrong, so let it go,” Drake stated.
“Let’s all sit down and play some poker,” Granddad called out.
My father nodded and then walked over to a table and sat down. Drake and I made our way over to the same table, and I was relieved to see that Nick and Josh were sitting at the other one.
As we sat down, Drake handed me another beer.
“Are you pulling these out of your ass?” I asked as I took it.
He laughed. “I’m good for something.”
My father started to deal the cards, and I forced myself not to look over at the next table.
I wasn’t sure how much time had gone by, but I was halfway to drunk when I won the last hand and bumped Drake off.
“Looks like it’s Josh and Anson in the final showdown. It’s the best out of three hands, gentlemen,” Granddad said as he handed Drake the deck.
Drake started to deal and gave me a knowing smile. He knew as well as I did that I could take Josh down, drunk or not.
“How long are you in town for, Anson?” Josh asked as other conversations started all around us.
I stared at my cards and tossed two onto the table. “Not sure.”
“It’s good seeing you,” he stated, keeping his eyes on his cards.
Drake cleared his throat, and I picked up my new cards. Without changing my expression, I stared at the three of a kind in my hand.
“Call,” I said as I looked at Josh. He smiled then threw his cards down and folded.
Drake dealt another hand, which Josh won. The last hand I knew I had his ass beat.
“What made you come back?” he asked.
I lifted my gaze and stared at him.
“Seems to me like you made it pretty clear you weren’t coming back,” he added.
“Well, I am—do you have a problem with it?”
His gaze met mine. Then he smirked. “Nah, not at all, dude.”
“Good.”
“This is as much your town as it is anyone’s in this room. It’s home,” he said with a smile. There was something off about it, though. I looked down at my cards and arranged them in my hand, not answering him.
“We’ll have to catch up, grab a beer.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Can’t imagine what we have to catch up on.”
The smug expression on his face agitated me.
“Oh, come on now. I’m sure we could find something to talk about. Maybe compare notes over Bristol.”
I flew up, knocking the table over. When I reached for Josh, someone grabbed me from behind.
“Don’t you ever fucking talk about her!” I shouted as I pointed to him.
Josh reached for my cards and looked at them. “Damn. Looks like I lost to you again. She was worth the try, though. Kept my bed warm plenty of nights.”
“That’s enough, Josh,” Drake warned.
“Dude, your body is shaking, just let him walk away.”
That was Nick’s voice. He was the one holding me back.
“Maybe you should go ahead and leave now, Josh,” Granddad said.
Josh walked up to me, smiled, then leaned in so only I could hear him. But I knew Nick could too.
“Amazing fuck, your ex.”
My body raged as Josh turned and walked out the door.
“Oh, hell no, he didn’t just say that to you,” Nick said. “I’m going to let you go when I know he’s outside and not in your grandparents’ house. Then I expect you to go kick the fuck out of his ass.”
For a moment I was stunned by what Nick had said. Drake stared at me and nodded.
Nick let me go, and I followed Drake out.
“Anson, Drake. Do not do this. Not here!” Granddad called out.
Josh walked out the back door. He lifted his hand to everyone on the porch in the Bunco group and waved as he said, “Ladies.”
“Josh!” Drake called out. “Josh, a moment, please!”
Josh must not have expected me to be next to Drake. When he turned, his smile vanished. He didn’t even see the punch coming. Drake grabbed him by the arms, and I punched Josh again in the stomach.
“Anson! Stop!” I heard Bristol cry out.
I wanted to hit the motherfucker again, but Bristol’s voice stopped me.
She appeared suddenly as she stood between the two of us.
