Page 13 of Timid (Lark Cove 2)

Another bad decision made while drunk.

Our kiss had lasted all of two seconds before she’d pushed me away. I’d done it to see what Logan would do if he thought maybe he had some competition with Thea. No more pre-partying for children’s birthday parties.

“Why don’t you sit down?” She nodded to a stool. “I’m going to go check on that table and then we can talk.”

As she left to check on the customers, I took my Coke and a tray of peanuts around the other side of the bar. When Thea was done refilling drinks, she pulled up a seat next to me and stole a couple of my peanuts, cracking the shells and then dropping them on the floor.

I loved that about this place. We weren’t some fancy bar in the city where people were required to use coasters. We were all about the neon signs on the walls, peanut shells on the floor and classic country music on the jukebox. I didn’t even care that I had to spend twenty minutes sweeping up shells after every shift.

“Do you want to tell me what’s been bothering you?” Thea asked.

I grinned as I crunched a peanut. For as long as I’d known her, she never let me stew.

“Nothing.” I scratched the scruff on my cheek. “I don’t know. These last few years have been the best, you know? No drama like we had as kids. We’ve got a good gig here at the bar. Finally don’t feel like I’m scraping pennies together. I guess I’m just pissed that things are changing. This guy . . . he’s a game changer.”

“Is that really so awful? Logan’s not a bad guy, and Charlie adores him. She deserves a father, Jackson.”

“I know.” I sighed. “It’s just . . .”

I trailed off, not wanting to admit that I was jealous. How did you tell your best friend that you didn’t want her kid to have a dad because for the longest time, you’d been the guy playing that role?

I’d always suspected that Thea might meet a guy one day. Hell, she deserved to be happy. I could compete with a stepdad. But I didn’t stand a chance with a real dad, especially when he had millions of dollars and could give Charlie her every desire.

“I’m sorry.” Thea shook her head, understanding settling on her face. I didn’t have to tell her I was jealous. She’d already figured it out. “I didn’t think of how you’d be feeling about all this. But you’ll always be her uncle Jackson. She loves you so much.”

I hung my head. “But I can’t spoil her like he can. I don’t have that kind of money.”

“It’s not a competition, and it’s not about the things you buy her. She needs love from you both.”

Did she? If Charlie had her dad, would she really need Uncle Jackson? She’d have her dad to play with her and he’d be the one to build her forts. He’d be the guy helping to sneak animals into their house when Thea wasn’t looking. Logan would be the one to take her fishing or hiking around the lake.

That was, if they

even stayed in Montana. I had a bad feeling that this “vacation” they were taking to New York would become permanent.

“She’ll forget me if you don’t come back.”

“What?” Thea’s eyes went wide. “We’re coming back. This is just a vacation.”

“You might decide to stay.”

She shook her head. “No, I won’t. I’ve already told Logan I won’t be moving back to New York. This is just a vacation.”

“Hope so.” I stood from my stool and went behind the bar for a refill. “While you’re there, go get a Giovanni’s meatball sub for me. Damn, I miss those things.”

Giovanni’s had been our spot. Thea and I had each lived close to the restaurant as kids, and whenever we had the money, the two of us would share one of their famous foot-long sandwiches. Even after both of us moved out of Brooklyn for jobs in Manhattan, we’d still go back for a meatball sub.

Usually we ate there when one of us was in a bad spot.

She’d taken me to Giovanni’s after her boyfriend had cheated on her with her best friend. I’d bought our sub before breaking the news that I’d be moving to Montana.

For years, Giovanni’s had been our safe place.

A sad, faraway look crossed her face. “I doubt we’ll be spending much time in Brooklyn.”

“Probably not.” Logan was no doubt an Upper East Sider. “I wouldn’t go back either.”

Not to New York. I wouldn’t go back to a place where there were more bad memories than good.