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Cole patted me on the shoulder before walking to his Jeep. “Enjoy the show. It was good seeing you.” He climbed in and peeled onto the road before I could pepper him with more questions about Blake. I wasn’t prepared for what I was going to say to him. How did I tell him he was about to become a father?
Damn it. I better get this over with.. I sent the car into drive and made my way to Oakton, to Blake.
37
Sierra
Tuesday nights in October were a far cry from the crowded summer nights I was used to. I pulled into an empty parking space close to the Dock House sidewalk. Blake’s truck wasn’t here, but Cole had told me this was where he was for the night.
This was the last place I should be. The absolute last place. I’d woken up this morning in hot and dusty Dallas, and now I was standing outside of the Dock House while boats rocked in their slips.
My heel made a hollow sound as it hit the parking lot pavement. I slammed the car door behind me and inhaled, taking in this place and all the memories we had made.
The wind whipped through my hair. I hesitated. This was all wrong. I shouldn’t be here. But I had to know. I had to see him again.
I pushed open the door, my heart in my throat, my palms dewy with perspiration, my breath fevered.
Was any of it real, or had it all just been a flash of summer heat?
I didn’t know whether to run into the bar screaming his name or sneak in like a spy. Right now, nothing made any sense.
I took a deep breath and walked through the door, opting for the less dramatic entrance choice. The lights were low and candles dotted the tables. From behind the bar, I saw the bartender leaning on her elbows, eyes fixed on the stage. I scanned the room, skipping over the locals who were listening to the performance. There he was, sitting on the stage, holding his guitar. I walked in as the song he was playing ended.
The handful of drinkers started clapping. I’d never seen the place so empty.
“One more before I take a break, y’all.” Blake spoke into the mic. “This is something new I just wrote. So just indulge me for a minute. I’m bearing a little of my soul tonight.”
My throat tightened. I stepped one foot in front of the other and slid into an open seat at the back of the bar. I thought maybe the shadows would protect me. He couldn’t see me in the dark corner.
“Whoooo, baby. You sing whatever you want!” one of the fan girls shouted from a nearby bar stool.
I shot her a death stare.
Blake’s laugh filled the bar. “Calm down, Cece. I’ll play your song in the next set.”
I thought he winked at the girl. Maybe this was a mistake. A huge mistake. What was I thinking coming here? That he would be different? That he would change? That he had held a flame for me as deep and heated as the one I held for him.
No matter how I tried, this man was etched in my soul. He was everything to me. I knew that before I found out about the baby. I’d known it since our first kiss. I knew it at our last kiss. My ribs pinched together at the thought that there was someone else in the picture. He had moved on so quickly. And I had mourned him. I had cried for us.
One note launched into the air, followed by another, then Blake started to sing.
Summer winds in your hair
Feeling more than the salty air
I should have known when you smiled
That you were taking my heart
When you left this sleepy town
So why did you have to kiss me like that?
Girl, why did you have to kiss me like that?
With our feet in the sand
And your body in my hands
