I tightened my grip on the bottle. “He was a good man.”
Audrey climbed up on the small stage where bands usually performed. The crowd grew quiet, expectant. She looked so poised and elegant—somehow completely out of place in her designer dress and heels. And yet, she also seemed to fit in perfectly. The crowd leaned in, as if waiting for her to speak.
“Thank you all for coming.” She raised her glass to toast. “To Scott.”
Scott?Not my dad?
“That’s it?” I muttered, disappointment and disgust swirling through my veins. How could you possibly reduce a man’s life, especially a man like Scott, to that?
I didn’t realize Chase had returned—or that I’d said any of that aloud—until he said, “Fuck, man. Cut her some slack. She just lost her dad.”
“Like she gives a shit. She hasn’t shed a single tear.”
“And you have?”
“Whatever,” I huffed, knowing he was right. Grief came in many forms, but fuck if hers wasn’t shitty. “Scott deserves better.”
“Then get up there.” Chase gestured toward the stage with his beer. “Give him the send-off he deserves.”
I hesitated a moment, not typically one for public speaking or attention. But then I thought better of it. This was Scott we were talking about. “You know what? You’re right.”
I handed Chase my empty bottle and grabbed a glass of whiskey as I waded through the crowd, intent on the stage. There was no way I could let her leave it at that. Not when Scott deserved so much more. I climbed the stairs, amused by Audrey’s surprised expression.
“Always showing up where you’re not wanted,” she said under her breath.
“Better than showing up only when it benefits you,” I said, even knowing it was a low blow. But this woman did something to me.
She bared her teeth at me, though to the crowd, I was sure it looked like a smile. And I smiled back, taking the microphone from her hand. I held the mic aside and said, “Take a seat, sweetheart,” in a low voice.
She narrowed her eyes at me, leaning closer, close enough I could smell the alcohol on her breath and the scent of her lavender shampoo. A frisson of energy sparked between us, electrifying the air. She held my gaze a moment, but eventually, she relented.
“Good evening,” I said, addressing the room. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, but the lights made it difficult to see past the edge of the stage. I shifted uncomfortably, clearing my throat. I owed the man a proper send-off. A goodbye.
“Scott was a good man, one of the best I’ve ever known. He always looked for the good in people. And he was always doing something for someone else. I can remember—” I chuckled at the sudden memory. “I can remember one Christmas, when he decided to play Santa Claus.” The audience started laughing, everyone easily recalling the year when he decided to throw the gifts.
Audrey’s arms were crossed over her chest. I ignored her bored expression and continued with my story. By the time I’d finished retelling it, everyone was in tears—whether from happiness or grief or both, I didn’t know. I quickly wiped away one of my own.
“He will be sorely missed.” I raised my glass to toast. “To Scott. One of the best men I’ve had the privilege of knowing.”
“To Scott,” everyone echoed.
The mood in the bar as I descended the stairs was decidedly more somber, despite the upbeat music and the chatter. People patted me on the back as I passed, offering their condolences or comfort.
I found Audrey leaning against the wall near the back exit. She started slow clapping as I approached, and her condescending arrogance grated on me. “Nice speech.”
“I might not be eloquent or well educated,” I said, feeling as if she were judging me. Or maybe that was my own fear of being inadequate. “But those things didn’t matter to your dad.”
She pushed off the wall, swaying slightly in her heels. I reached out as if to steady her, then thought better of it.
“Everyone thinks he wassoperfect,” she sneered. “But he wasn’t. He was a liar.”
I blinked a few times, positive I’d misheard her. “What did you just say?”
“He was a liar. A cheater. He—”
I grabbed her wrist and yanked her through the door. Scott was one of the most upstanding, honest, hardworking men I’d ever known. And I wasn’t going to stand there and allow her to attack his character, even if she was his daughter.
Once we were outside, I cornered her against the wall. Her breath hitched, and my dick jolted at the sound.Down, boy.
