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Her expression softens in understanding. “She texted me earlier.” She takes my elbow and pulls me off to the side out of the walkway. Taking a step back, she leans against a column and says, “I’m sorry, Harbor. Everything escalated so quickly.”
“You didn’t cause it, just like she didn’t. There’s history between Dane and me. He knew my cousin.”
“Yeah, Lucas. I remember.” Her gaze slides through the blinds and into the parking lot. “He used to talk about you. He’d actually brag about you, how good you were, always better than him. I wasn’t around him much, but I heard him call you his ride or die.”
“I was his ride. That’s all.”
The comment seems to catch her off guard by how she shifts and begins fidgeting with the pen in her hands. “So,” she starts, rocking back on her heels. “What brings you by? I have a feeling it’s not the god-awful three-day-old apple pie.”
“So you don’t recommend the pie?” I joke. “What do you recommend?”
“Eating somewhere else if you can, and I know you can.”
“Noted.” I chuckle. “Hey,so . . .I’m looking for Dane.”
She cringes just a little, but it’s noticeable. “Think that’s wise?” Her gaze darts over my shoulder but then returns just as quickly.
She has customers waiting, so I pick up the pace, and say, “No, but if it helps me get the brooch back, I’ll do it.”
Leaning in, she whispers, “He’s here, working in the back. He came in last week looking for more work because Larry’s lost a few jobs since Lark walked out. So he came in and asked for a job.” Looking around to make sure no one hears her, she adds, “I guess we know why now. Mia being pregnant.”
“Oh, right. What are the chances I can get back there and speak with him?”
Checking the time on her phone, she says, “His break’s coming shortly. If you hang out back, he’ll be out there for a smoke.” She grabs the pad out of her apron, and her smile tightens. “I need to get back to work.”
“Thanks, Amanda. I appreciate it.”
She gives me a nod and starts making rounds while I walk back out to my car. As she’s advised, I pull my car around back and wait with my window down. As if she sent him herself, he pushes through the door and lights a smoke. Looking up, he comes stalking toward the car. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
I get out, not trusting him to treat my Maserati with the care she deserves. I raise my hands. “I come in peace, man.”
He’s got a busted-up black eye and looks like a split lip. The bruising on my ribs isn’t as bad as it felt last night. My jaw still hurts, and he left his mark, so he should feel satisfied.
He says, “There is no peace to be found between us. We just need to stick to our sides of town.” His shirt is covered in grime, jeans looking like they need a good wash. Dane could use a shave and a haircut probably, but I’ve seen him cleaned up and looking better at the catering gigs. Seems more is going on with him these days than his girlfriend getting pregnant.
“I love her, Dane. I love Lark more than anything. I can’t stick to The Pointe when she was raised near downtown. Her dad still lives there. She does as well, at least for another month. We can’t make this a territorial fight. Anyway, you’re in The Pointe working sometimes.”
He’s sucking on the cigarette like it’s a joint, not giving me an ounce of his attention as he stares at the highway. He coughs, then shoots me a look. “She’s like a sister to me.”
“Look, I can appreciate what you’ve done for her. You protected her from falling in with the wrong crowd.”
“You, Westcott. You’re a part of that crowd. You and Lucas were.” He stabs his cigarette in the air toward me. “Why do you get to walk away like you’re innocent, go to your fancy college, clean up or whatever the shit you did, and the little guy keeps getting stomped on?”
We both know why.
Money brings opportunity.
I scratch the back of my neck and look down, unsure what to say. I might not be able to bridge this gap with him, but maybe our common interest can. When I look up again, I say, “I don’t know how hard you have it, so I won’t pretend I understand. But this isn’t about me. It’s about Lark.” I come a little closer, keeping him more than arm’s length away. “You guys are from the same neighborhood, and from what she’s told me, you grew up together from high school on. But that’s all I know about your background because everything she’s said was how good you’ve been to her and how you looked out for her and Amanda.”
“She was sort of nerdy when we first met, always carrying books around with her. She went through an awkward stage that I thought would stick. It would have been easier if it had. Once she turned seventeen, I had to throw down some ground rules with my friends. For her, I told her she wasn’t allowed to date any of my crew. Most aren’t doing any better than I am now. Lark was meant for bigger things than Beacon. Amanda, too, if she could stay focused.”
“Lark’s at the library right now.”
He cracks up. “Good for her.” There’s something so genuine about the look in his eyes when Lark’s or Amanda’s names are brought up—a sincerity that I bet he doesn’t reveal to many people.
Tossing the cigarette before he finishes it, he puffs his breath, then holds his hands behind his head. “I was keeping her away from guys like you and Lucas.”
“You remember me like I was there with him those past few years. I wasn’t. He sold his life for a quick fix. You never saw me doing any of that.”
