The Best of Forevers

by Hargrove, A. M.

  Her arm sweeps out in front of her. “But all this would be gone. I’d never be able to see these stars again.”

  “Not true. You could get a blanket and take Cody to the park. And you’d have Cody every day instead. Isn’t that worth the price?”

  “Worth every star up there.” Her hand reaches toward the heavens.

  “I can talk to Mimi if you want. Maybe I could influence her,” I say.

  “Maybe Jeb can talk to her too.”

  The silence of the night envelopes us, and I think about how content I am sitting here with her next to me.

  “Hey, thanks for listening tonight.” Her hand gives my thigh a gentle squeeze through the quilt. Glancing at her, our eyes meet and lock. Her face is upturned and I know I should stop, but I can’t. My lips start to descend. All the while we stare at each other, the moonlight reflected in her irises. When my mouth touches hers, I hear the soft intake of breath. With great restraint, I pull back, only to return again with gentle brushes over every part of her lips. It’s only when those lips part that I allow myself to kiss, really kiss her. My brain screams at me to stop, but I ignore it. Special is the balm for my wounds, to my soul that’s been scraped raw. She’s the air for my oxygen deprived lungs, the water for my parched body. But she’s also my friend, and if I don’t end this, I will destroy what we’ve built.

  “I’m sorry,” I say, releasing her.

  She places a hand on her lips, but doesn’t speak.

  “I didn’t mean—”

  I don’t have a chance to say another word before she jumps to her feet and climbs down the ladder. I watch as her shadowy figure sprints across the field.

  The magic of the moment is gone. What remains is a hollow pit at the bottom of my stomach.

  Chapter 26

  Special

  My brain tells me to keep running, so my feet carry me across the pasture straight to the woods that border Mimi’s property. I don’t stop until I hit the creek. It’s still dark, but the sound of water rippling over rocks lets me know where I am. As my eyes adjust to the surroundings, I stop where the gray ribbon of water winds its way through the dense growth of trees. It reminds me of Sasha.

  I see us as young girls, splashing around in the heat of the summer, cooling down in the creek. We loved to come here. Mimi would scold us when we’d get home, dripping wet and laughing. Then as we grew older, we would spend hours here, our feet on the sandy bank, toes immersed in the cool water, as we talked about the boys we liked. Finally, it was here where Sasha would come when she had nowhere else to go. I’d find her strung out and would drag her home. Mimi and I tried to coax her to go to rehab. Our last-ditch effort had failed, and that’s when she went to L.A. instead.

  All I can think of is how she’s missing out on the beauty of seeing her son grow up. It breaks my heart because she would’ve found such joy in the little guy. A fresh wave of tears nails me. I raise my hands to wipe my eyes before touching my lips. I can still feel Weston there. Why did I run? And what is this friend thing? Are we just fooling ourselves into thinking we can do this? What happens when we can’t?

  There’s no use in lying to myself—I’d love to have more with him. Only he scares the shit out of me. Can I trust him with my heart? Am I capable of being in a relationship? What if his expectations are too much for me?

  After I ran, he probably thinks I’m crazy.

  My thoughts are jumbled and I’m nowhere close to solving my dilemma. I retrace my steps, but this time I walk. As I get close to the barn, I see he’s still there, leaning against the doors, hands deep in his pockets. He’s been waiting for my return. Why I haven’t run the man off by now is beyond me.

  “Are you okay?” he asks.

  “I guess so. Although, I’m sure you think I’m nuts.”

  “Not at all. I don’t want things to be awkward between us.”

  The statement strikes me as funny so I laugh. “Weston, things couldn’t be any more awkward. I fully expected you to be halfway back to Atlanta by now.”

  He grabs my arm and pulls me against the solid wall of his chest. “You don’t know how much I want us to be friends. No, more than friends. I feel this connection … When I’m with you, things are better than ever. I haven’t found that with anyone in a very long time. You and I—we’re alike.”

  “Maybe you’re right. But I have trust issues, and you know how I am. There are obstacles.”

  “We’ll work it out. I’m an optimistic man.” His hand rubs a circle on my back. I’m not sure how to respond to this.

  “Everything scares me,” I say.

  “Don’t let it.”

  “Your family…I can’t be around them.”

  He leans back and grins a little. “Do you think I want to be around them?”

  Reaching up, I place my hand on his cheek. He covers mine with his own. “Can we keep trying as friends for a little while longer?” I ask.

  “Anything you want,” he says.

  I hug him, then say, “Good. I need to go inside now because I’m cold.” We walk together, holding hands.

  In the morning, the aroma of breakfast cooking awakens me. After I brush my teeth and wash my face, I hobble into the kitchen. Three sets of eyes land on me as Cody asks, “What’s wrong with your foot, Honey B?”

  “It’s my hip, not my foot. And I think a certain someone has been training to be a place kicker in his sleep.”

  My little joke is lost on Cody, so Weston has to explain what a place kicker is.

  “Did he get you in your hip?” Mimi asks.

  “Oh, yeah. About a dozen times. It was the one I bruised in the bar wreck.” Cody likes to kick his legs in his sleep. Maybe he thinks he’s running. Who knows?

  Cody makes a face and says, “Sorry.”

  Weston adds, “I should’ve slept with him.”

  Waving a hand, I say, “No, it’s not too bad. I’m only a little stiff. What are you cooking, Mimi?”

  Cody doesn’t give her a chance to answer before he tells me, “Bacon, French toast, eggs, and grits.”

  “Sounds yummy.” I rub my stomach and Cody does the same. Then I say to him, “You must be extra hungry with all that exercise you got while you slept.”

  “Yep. That’s probably why I wake up hungry every day.”

  “What’s on everyone’s agenda today?” I ask.

  Weston says, “Unfortunately, I have to work. After breakfast, I’m heading in. That is, if you don’t mind me using your shower.”

  Mimi jumps in and says, “Why, not at all. Towels are in the closet. Help yourself. Breakfast won’t be ready for another twenty minutes if you want to go now.”

  “That sounds like a good idea.” He disappears down the hall.

  “I didn’t know Mr. Western was having a spend the night party with you, Honey B.”

  Oh, shit! “Uh, well, Cody. It was late, so it was safer if he didn’t drive home last night. And Mimi thought it was better too.”

  That seems to satisfy him. Then he says, “Maybe I could have a spend the night party sometime.”

  “I think when you get older that can be arranged. Since you don’t have school today, what do you want to do, big guy?”

  “Can we go to the movies?”

  “Sure thing.” I’m not so sure Cody loves the movies as much as he loves the popcorn and candy.

  Weston emerges after his shower, dressed again in his shirt and tie from last night.

  “Do you always dress so formally for work?”

  “Yes. It’s one of my father’s requirements.”

  “What’s formally mean?” Cody asks.

  I explain how Weston is dressed and what the word means. Cody pronounces that it’s not a very good rule.

  “I couldn’t agree with you more,” Weston says.

  Mimi lets us know breakfast is ready and we fill our plates and eat. Cody is like a vacuum cleaner, polishing his plate. When he’s finished, he asks if he can go out and play. I remind him about staying in the yard,
and he’s out the door after putting on his jacket.

  Weston thanks Mimi for her hospitality, but says he has to head into work. He gathers his things and I walk him out to his truck.

  “How about a date tonight?” he asks.

  “Can we make it tomorrow? I want to spend some time with Cody.”

  “That’ll work. I’ll call you. And, Special?”

  “Yes.”

  “I had a great time.” He kisses me on the cheek and gets into his truck. I walk to the porch and watch him drive away.

  Back in the house, Mimi is all about Weston. Weston this and Weston that. You’d think he’d hung the moon. I have to admit, he is pretty damn sweet. And very easy on the eyes. That ass of his and those lips and mouth. I could go on kissing him for hours.

  “So, a date tomorrow then?” Mimi asks, rubbing her hands together.

  “Yes. I know you’re thrilled, but I don’t know.”

  “What don’t you know?”

  “His family is awful. You can’t begin to understand how terrible they are.”

  “You can’t take it out on him, and you’re not marrying his family,” she says, standing there with her arms crossed.

  “Okay, one, we’re not getting married. And two, you are wrong about that. When you marry someone, you do marry their family. How can you even say you don’t?”

  “Ordinarily, I would agree with you. However, in Weston’s case, I don’t believe it’s true. He clearly doesn’t care for them and hates to spend time with them. Unless they completely change, I don’t think they’ll be an issue.”

  “Mimi, stop trying to convince me. That’s sheer foolishness.” I hold up my hand, preventing her from saying anything else. “You know it is. Families are blood. They don’t ever go away.”

  “I’ll stop this conversation, but one day you’ll see I’m right.”

  We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one.

  “I need to check on Cody.” Outside, he’s running around without a care in the world.

  “Hey, big guy, I’m going to shower and then we can decide on the movie. Don’t leave this yard. Where’s Mokey?”

  “Over there.” He points over by the barn. She’s lying in the sun where it’s warm.

  “Okie dokie. You hang out here with her then.”

  When I finish my shower and I’m dressed, I find Cody and Mimi working on a puzzle. I join in with them until Cody reminds me about the movie. We coax Mimi into joining us and end up seeing a film about an ancient Polynesian Chieftain’s daughter who has to seek out a demigod to break a terrible curse. Mimi and I love it as much as Cody does.

  On the way home, my phone rings. Mimi is driving her old car, so I answer it. I’m surprised to hear my landlord’s voice.

  “Special, I’ve got great news for you.”

  “What’s that?” I ask.

  “We have a buyer for the building.”

  I’m stunned. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say you’re happy. This individual wants to keep things running as they were and will renew the lease you and I were negotiating. He emphasized he wants your place opened and running ASAP. He’s not even waiting for the insurance payout. Those were his words.”

  “Wow. I … thank you. This is the greatest early Christmas gift ever.”

  “I thought you’d want to know. For the time being, he’s keeping me on as property manager. I get the feeling he may be more of a hands-on kind of person.”

  “Oh? Is that good or bad?”

  He chuckles. “It’ll be fine. I’ve got my hands full, so I can afford to drop this property if I have to. I think you’ll be pleased with the new owner.”

  “You have no idea how much this means to me and my employees. Thank you so much!”

  “You’re welcome. I’ll be in touch when I have a date of completion for you.”

  I tap the End button and sigh. But this time it’s a happy one.

  “Well?” Mimi asks.

  “Some wonderful person bought the building. A Special Place is saved, Mimi! I don’t have to worry now.”

  “Isn’t this wonderful?”

  “Yes, it is.” I go on to tell her the rest of the great news. Then I tap myself on the forehead. “I need to let Jeb know. And isn’t this great timing for him? It gives his arm a chance to heal. Knowing him, he’d be there trying to nail down things.”

  “You’re right, Honey B. The man never stops.”

  When I tell him, he pretty much says, I told you so.

  “Spesh, your bar is going to be better than ever. We can even have a grand reopening.”

  “Oh my God! That’s a great idea, Jeb.”

  “Let’s do it. Why don’t you and Mimi come up with some menu additions, and I’ll think of a new drink we can add, and do you have enough money to pull out of savings for some new tables and chairs?”

  “Yes! I can get on it right now. Modernize the place. Make it brighter and more contemporary.”

  When I tell Mimi, she gets excited. Then Cody shouts from the back seat, “Maybe you should hang some footballs and stuff.”

  At first I laugh, but when I think about it, sports bring in a ton of revenue. Maybe I need some huge flat screens to put on all the walls, really go all out and reel in the sports crowd. My food caters to them as it is. Why not commit all the way?

  Swiveling around, I say, “Dude, that’s a super cool idea! We could do football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, you name it. We’ll make it a sports bar!”

  “Yay,” he yells from the back, bouncing in the seat.

  My excitement is so great, I can’t wait to get home to hop on the internet to begin my search for sports items.

  When we get home, I call Jeb again and tell him Cody’s idea. He loves it. “That’s something I thought of a while ago, but I didn’t think you’d go for it.”

  I’m sitting at the kitchen table and I open up my laptop. “I probably wouldn’t have at the time, but with everything that happened, the timing couldn’t be better. I am so excited about this, Jeb. I’m getting ready to check things out online. What size TVs do we need?”

  He gives me a checklist of everything, from flat screens to new bar stools, and when I hang up from the call, I’m armed and dangerous. In the span of a few hours, it appears my bank account will be taking a hit.

  Groaning, I lay my head on my closed laptop.

  “What’s wrong?” Mimi asks.

  “This is going to cost a whole lot more than I thought.”

  “You have to spend it to make it. Investments are always a risk. Look at the businesses around you. Are there any sports bars in the near vicinity you would be competing with?”

  “Hmm. That’s a very good question.”

  Back online, I run a search of all restaurants and bars within a three-mile radius of A Special Place and am shocked to find no sports bars exist. I take this tidbit of information to Jeb, along with the amount of money it will cost to turn the place into something that will draw the kind of crowd we want.

  Jeb is more excited than ever. “You need to jump on this. It’s not like you’re changing much. People came for the food and drink. You’ll still offer that, plus something more. You’ll have good food plus the benefit of the big screens. The crowd will mill around, eat, drink, and be merry. It’s a win-win, Special. You can’t go wrong with this kind of investment.”

  My palm slaps the table. “I’m going to do it.”

  “Great decision. I’ll call the landlord and let him know so he can convey this to the new owner. Then they can coordinate with the contractor to hang wall mounts for the new TVs.”

  I hadn’t even thought about that. “What would I do without you?” I ask Jeb.

  He chuckles. “You’d figure it out. You’re a smart cookie.”

  We discuss how many TVs and where they need to go. “And, Spesh, get the ones I mentioned to you. I hate going into sports bars and seeing those little TVs. They annoy the hell out of me.”

  “Okay, boss
. I’ll take the plunge into financial crisis.”

  “Shut up,” he says before hanging up.

  Eight gigantic flat screens and sound systems to go with them, plus new furniture complete the look. Holy fucking footballs. If this doesn’t go well, I have Cody to blame. Then I laugh as I tear out of the kitchen in search of the little guy. It’s tickle torture time for him.

  Chapter 27

  Weston

  Not telling Special that I’m the new owner of the building may be the wrong thing to do, but my gut instinct tells me not to. After discussing it with Jeb, he agreed so I’m hoping she won’t be pissed when she finds out.

  I’m in the office on Saturday morning working on building plans when my phone rings. It’s the landlord. He wants to talk about A Special Place. We’re finishing up our conversation, when Jeb beeps in.

  “Jeb, what can I do for you?”

  “I have some news about A Special Place.”

  “And?”

  “Special wants to change it into a sports bar. It was actually Cody’s idea.”

  That makes me laugh. “Tell me about it.”

  When he finishes, I’m more than impressed. “No other sports bars within the area?”

  “She researched and so did I and I was surprised. I guess the area isn’t geared toward that kind of place. It’s more trendy.”

  “Do you think that could hurt it?” I ask.

  “Not really. Every neighborhood needs a sports bar. This area doesn’t have one. Name someone you know, anyone, who doesn’t like sports—especially men. Something else I found out. The biggest growing group of fans in professional sports is women.”

  “Interesting. I was going to say most women don’t care for sports.”

  “I would’ve agreed with you at one time, but I’ll challenge you to go into a sports bar and check out the crowd.”

  He has me there. I should probably do that.

  “Special has some great plans, Weston. She’s excited, although she’s also nervous about dumping that much money into it, but I think it’ll do well.”

  Thrumming my fingers on the desk, I wonder how many weeks out we are on construction. “Let me check with the guys on how long until we’re finished. I was talking with the landlord when you called.”