Evan’s lip curled. One annoyed eye glared up at the farmer. He was listening.
“Think of tonight as your awakening,” Ryan said. “Your days of harassing the women in this town are over. Understand?”
Evan grunted.
“I don’t want to hear any more stories about you hassling the girls at the coffee shop or hitting on the blonde working at the doctor’s clinic. That shit ain’t right.” Ryan sighed. “But my mama always believed everyone deserves a second chance. She thought even the worst man could be redeemed. You don’t want to make a liar out of my mama, do you?”
“Your mama’s been cold in the ground for more than twenty years.”
“And your old lady’s been gone for five. If you’re still dealing with some raw feelings, get some counselling, you weak bastard.”
Ryan dropped Evan’s phone onto his chest and was thanked with a pained howl. I followed the farmer into the pitch-black fog of the street outside. His boots ground to a stop on the gravel in the parking lot.
He braced one hand on the top of his truck. “Hopefully that’s the end of it. Something should’ve been done about Evan a long time ago.”
“It wasn’t our job to sort him out.”
“Maybe not, but it shouldn’t have come to this. Evan threatening Lola on the street? Bloody bastard.” Shaking his head, Ryan clenched the hand on his truck into a fist. If it was to calm his anger, it didn’t work. His voice was still etched with disgust when he said, “That never should’ve happened.”
“You’re right.” Shame haunted me. I doubted I would ever forget the memory of Lola cowering in the alley. “That shouldn’t have happened.”
“I hope this sends a message to everyone else in town, too,” Ryan continued. “I don’t like the way people talk to Lola. She’s not worth less just because she didn’t grow up here. There should be no difference if she comes from the city or a five-generation farming family like mine. She’s a good person.”
A smile tugged at my lips. “Yeah, she is. Never met anyone better.”
“She’s nice.”
“Too damn nice.”
“Kind, even.”
“Sweeter than honey.”
“Pretty.”
“Beautiful,” I corrected him.
Ryan cocked his head. He was the one smiling now. “Yeah, I thought you might say something like that.” His smile faded, all business again. “At least you decided to get your head out of your arse and help this time. The way you treated Lola at the bar—”
“Ancient history.”
Ryan’s eyebrow rose. “That’s what you’re telling yourself? I haven’t forgotten. You’re lucky I didn’t plant you flat on your arse when I was taking care of Evan.”
“Reckon you could?”
He scanned me from head to toe, sizing me up. “I reckon I’d have a good crack at it. I’m prepared to fight dirty to get you down.” His gaze narrowed. “You ever treat Lola like that again, and Iwilltake a crack at you. Understand?”
I jerked a nod. Understood. But he didn’t need to worry. “What I did…” I trailed off with a shake of my head. “I wish I could go back in time and smack myself in the face.”
“Life doesn’t give us those chances. You can’t look back. Accept where you stand on the road and keep walking. But you sure dug yourself into one hell of a pothole by acting like you did. And why?” He waited for an answer, but I didn’t give him one. He sighed. “She liked you, you know?”
Past tense. That hurt. A lot. “Yeah, I know.”
I didn’t have much to say after that. Looking up at the night sky didn’t give me any answers, either.
Ryan clapped a friendly hand on my back. “We did good tonight. Teamwork. You look like you need some sleep, and I sure as hell know I do. I’m meant to be up in six hours to start the morning run.”
The corners of his eyes crinkled in a quick smile to say goodbye. He pulled open the door of his truck.
