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She furrows her brow as she pops the tops
on two beers behind the bar. “Why would he care?”
“Aren’t the two of you a thing?” I’m not sure if I really want to know the answer to that, but I need to know what kind of situation I’ve just walked into.
If my best friend has been dating the girl who’s held my heart for the past three years and keeping it secret, I might just lose my shit on him.
She laughs. “God, no. We’re just friends. Blake helped me get this place going and is really my only friend in town. What made you think that we were together?”
I shrug. “You’re beautiful and Blake—let’s just say I know him. I figured he would try to get with you once I was out of the picture.”
She walks over and sets my beer in front of me. “Well, you’re right about that. He did try, but I made it clear very early on that I didn’t think about him like that. He bucked the whole idea of being just friends but he eventually came around. He’s a really good guy and I’m not sure what I would’ve done without him for the past three years.”
I nod, but guilt and jealousy washes over me again. It should’ve been me being there for her, but I’m happy that she had someone. “I’m glad he was there for you.”
Avery traces the condensation on her bottle with her index finger and for a long moment she doesn’t say a word. It’s like she’s lost in deep thought and her mind is elsewhere. Then she totally catches me off guard. “Would you like to come over for Sunday dinner tomorrow? Granny’s making fried chicken and I think she’d love to see you.”
Her offer wasn’t one I expected but I’m grateful for the invitation “I’d love to. What time should I come over?”
“Dinner’s at six, and don’t be late or you’ll have to deal with the wrath of Granny.”
I smile, and for the first time since I left this town, I feel a little bit at peace over what happened when I left Avery at that motel.
After I help Avery clean up the rest of the bar, I drive through town and make it to Blake’s house. He’s still driving the same old Mustang, and it’s parked in front of the house. I kill the engine of the Kia rental car I’m driving and head up the sidewalk toward the front door. The knob twists open and it’s unlocked just like he said. All the lights are off, so I just set my bag down by the front door and then lie down on the couch. How exhausted I am doesn’t actually hit me until that moment. Within minutes I fall into a deep sleep and I don’t move a muscle.
It’s not until beams of light come through the window and shine right in my face that I wake from my death-like sleep. I yawn as I stretch my arms over my head. It’s been a long time since I roughed it on a couch, and I’d forgotten how hard it is for my six-foot frame to fit on one all night.
I push myself up and balance my elbows on my knees as I scrub my hand down my face. I pick up my cell phone off the floor and notice the battery is about dead as I check the time. It’s after twelve, so I’ve already slept most of the day away. I’ve got to haul some ass if I want to make it over to Mom’s house before I go to Avery’s for dinner.
I rummage through my bag, find my charger to plug my phone into, and grab a quick shower. I towel off and then dress in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt before exploring the house, looking for Blake, who has been uncharacteristically quiet this morning. He’s probably still trying to get in some beauty sleep to calm down that mess of a face from the fight last night.
The biker took a few good shots before I made it in there to help Blake out.
I push open the door to his bedroom, and there’s no sign of him. His bed is unmade, but that’s not unusual. I’ve never known Blake to be the bed-making type. The next place I check is the kitchen, but there’s no sign of him there either, so I figure he probably already left for the day. I mean, just because I’m here as his guest doesn’t mean that he needs to report to me where he’ll be all the time.
After that thought, I head to the living room and collect my duffel bag, along with my cell, and head out the front door, locking it behind me. It’s then I notice that Blake’s Mustang is still parked out front of his house. Now this puzzles me. He isn’t one for riding with others because he insists on driving his baby everywhere.
I pull my cell out of my pocket and dial Blake’s number, but it goes straight to voice mail. “Yo, Blake, it’s Tyler. Give me a call when you get this. I wanted to see what your plans for the evening were. Later.”
I end the call and then stuff the phone back into my pocket before jumping into my rental.
The drive to Mom’s doesn’t take me long, and the moment I pull in the driveway, I immediately feel comfortable. This little yellow ranch house, no matter how old I get or how far away I live, will always feel like home to me.
I step out of the car and gravel crunches under my boots as I walk the path to Mom’s front door. I twist the knob on the front door, but it’s locked. I furrow my brow. That’s odd. She never locks her doors, especially if she’s expecting someone.
I knock on the door. “Ma, it’s me. You in there?”
The rustling on the other side of the door, and then her undoing the locks, tells me she knows I’m out here.
The door swings open and my petite, blond mother has a grin on her face from ear to ear. “There’s my boy! It’s so good to see you.” She wraps her arms around my torso and squeezes me in a tight hug. “It’s about time you came home to see your mama!”
I chuckle. “It’s good to see you too, Ma.” I step back and inspect her. “You cut your hair?”
She flips her short blond locks around with her fingers. “You like it? I thought it was time to change things up a bit.”
“It suits you,” I tell her and then glance around the house to find that nothing else has changed. I frown when I notice the same furniture that’s been in her living room since I was a kid is still present. “Where’s your new furniture?”
She waves me off dismissively and heads toward the kitchen. “I told you to stop sending me money. I refuse to spend a dime of it.”
