After Colton left, Shane never came into the bar. Maybe Shane will leave me alone for good, but my suspicions about Colton are correct now. He’s a wise guy, a gangster, a regular thug who intimidates people. I can’t have this guy in my bar. I want to get rid of people like him.
I’m going to really put my focus into the bar. Figure out a way to save it. And I won’t get involved with any more men. I keep getting myself into these situations, and I can’t seem to learn from them. This stops now. The next time Colton calls me, I’ll tell him I don’t want to see him again. The next time he comes into the Fork, I’ll kick him out. If he can have Shane beat up, what else is he capable of doing?
Nineteen
Abby
A week later, after not seeing him or hearing from him, Colton comes into the bar and heads right for me. He’s holding a large manila envelope. I wish I could say that I’m angry he’s here. I wish I could say that I never want to see him again. But those would be lies. I keep a poker face, but I can’t do anything about the fizzle of excitement I felt when I spotted him, or the way my heart’s pounding right now.
When he’s close to me, he gives me a kiss on the cheek. He smells divine, as always. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”
“Colton, there’s nothing to talk about. I thought we did all the talking we needed to do. It was more listening to me you shoulda done, but you didn’t.”
“I get that. I can see that you’re still upset with me, but give me a few minutes just this once, and then, after that, if you want me to leave you alone, I’ll ditch this town and be out of your life for good.”
The formality of his words leaves me with a sense of dread that wouldn’t exist if I didn’t still want him around. I suspected it, but now I know for sure I don’t want this to be totally over, no matter how mad I am. If this is my one and only chance, I guess I have to take it, even if I’m not really ready.
“Yes, alright, we can talk. Let’s go to my office where it’s quiet. Monica, you okay out here?”
Monica smiles. “Yep, I’m fine.”
Colton follows me to the office, and I close the door. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?” He hands me the envelope.
I look at him, and then I take it out of his hands. When I open it, it’s stuffed with money.
“What is this?”
For once, he doesn’t look smug, or self-satisfied and cocky. His face is serious. “It’s the money you’ll need to get this bar out of hock and to make some changes.”
I laugh. “Are you crazy? I can’t accept this.”
“Do you want this bar or not?”
That was a dumb question. After all, I’ve been struggling to hang onto it for ages, and I was willing to try and stand up to Shane to keep it, but I know that’s not how he meant it. “Yes, I want the bar, but I want to save it on my own terms with my own money. I don’t need you bailing me out.”
“What are you afraid of?”
“What?”
He steps closer to me, takes one of my hands in his and holds it. “I asked you what you’re afraid of, Abby.”
I tilt my chin. “I’m not afraid of anything.”
“That’s not true. I know what you’re afraid of.”
I snatch my hand away. “Oh, really? Well, why don’t you tell me then, since you’re so smart and know me so well.”
“I get your independence, but I also know that you’re too smart not to know when you’re in over your head and might need a little help, even though you’d never want to admit it and certainly won’t ask for it. The offer is there, and you’re afraid to take it from me, but not just because it’s help you think you shouldn’t need. It’s because you’re afraid to acknowledge that you want me in your life.”
My head feels dizzy, and I turn my back, staring at a brick wall. “Please leave, Colton.”
“No, I won’t leave. Not until you tell me I’m wrong.”
I turn quickly to look at him, to scream at him and tell him he’s wrong, he’s dead wrong, but I can’t. The words won’t come.
My hesitation and maybe the flicker of doubt that crossed my face is enough for him. He takes it as all the answer he needs. “We’re going to take this money....”
I cut him off, not willing to let him railroad me here. “We’re?”
“We’re going to take this money,” Colton continues as if I hadn’t spoken at all. “And we’re going to get you out of your debts and make this bar the kind of place you’ve always wanted.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing, and I can’t figure out how I feel about it. “Why do you keep using the word ‘we’re’”?
“Because that’s how I want it to be from now on. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since the first day I saw you. I don’t know where this is going to go; I only know that the last week without you didn’t feel good at all and I spent most of it doing a lot of thinking. You were right, I haven’t lived the best life and have been involved in some shady things, some worse than others. Seeing guys like Shane around you made me realize that I don’t want those kinds of guys around you and if I wanted to be around you, I had to stop being that type of guy. I’ve realized that the life I was living isn’t the life I should be living. I want to be in your life, Abby, on the level, because that’s the only way I know that you’ll want me there, the only way I deserve to be in it. I can’t say that I’ll ever be perfect, but I’m willing to give it my best shot. I’ll work with you here.”
I take a few steps away from him, needing the distance. “Oh, what do you want me to do, put a little apron on you and send you around to the tables?”
Colton isn’t smiling. “That wasn’t the way I meant it but if you like, sure, why not. If that’s the way you want me to pay for past mistakes, then I can handle that, but it’s not where I can help you best. Listen, Abby, I know we can turn this bar around together and make it the kind of place you’ve always wanted. With the right promotion, we can get this place back on track. I want to help you.”
I just stare at him. He’s serious, and now it’s time for me to get serious too. Suddenly I’m overwhelmed. All the tension, the worry, the long hours of struggle, the fear, it all comes flooding over me along with a touch of hope. It’s too much. I start to cry.
Colton rushes up to me and wraps his arms around me. I’ve never felt so safe. I’ve always felt safe with Colton, whether I want to admit it or not. That’s been part of the problem all along. When you’ve spent your life standing on your own two feet, it takes a lot to allow someone to let you feel that way. It’s hard to trust it, to trust them. Yet, here he is, willing to put in the effort to banish everything that made me afraid. How could I not at least take that shot and see where it goes? I don’t think I can though, as much as I want to.
“So there’s a lot of money in here, huh?” I whisper.
“Yeah.”
I look up at him and back away. “And what if we fail. You’ll just go back to your criminal ways, and I’ll be left with nothing.”
“I can’t make you trust me, Abby. You’ll have to decide.” He grabs the envelope. “I’ll give you a couple of days to think it over. I’ll be around. If you want me here, I’m here. If you want me gone, I’ll leave this town, and you never have to see me again. Fair enough?”
I nod my head, unable to speak. And then I watch him walk out of my office. I’ve never seen him so serious.
I run out of my office and into the bar area. I look over at Megan to make sure she’s okay and then run out the front door. Colton is in his car, about to drive away. I can’t let him. Yeah, I might get burned or hurt again, but I can’t live my life scared to take the chance just in case that happens. Besides, as much as I’d fought it, there’s something about Colton that makes me want to throw all my caution to the wind and throw myself at that chance.
He sees me and opens his car door. Then he stands in front of me, the strong, handsome guy who melts my heart.
“Yes,” I say with a smile bigge
r than I’ve had in years.
“All right,” he smiles back and hugs me. Then he kisses me longer and harder than ever before. “Let’s go back in there and make this happen.”
Book 2
Jackson and Cameron
Twenty
Jackson
I’m sitting across from Colton at a table in a coffee shop. It’s a fancy place with art on the walls and people around the same age as me. They’re all stylishly dressed, and the way they talk, they seem educated. Their conversations aren’t loud. They speak in low voices while music I’ve never heard of comes out of the speakers.
What the fuck am I doing here?
When Colton and me would meet up, we’d go to bars or strips joints. Now he’s gone all yuppie on me. His old lady has really turned him around. He’s wearing dress pants and a long-sleeve black shirt, looking like he belongs in a magazine. I’ve never seen Colton in anything but jeans and a t- shirt. Now he’s like a fucking model. Hell, he’s even covered up his tats. I look him in the eyes while I take another sip of my overpriced coffee. “You look different, man.”
“Different how?”
“You and your old lady been shopping? Nice clothes.”
Colton looks down at his clothes, and then he laughs when he looks back at me. “If I seem different, it’s because I’m happy, dude. I got a new girl, a new direction. Life is good.”
“Didn’t you tell me you’re bartending now or some shit? What the hell, man? You gave up real money for some square job?”
Colton laughs again. “I’m not just bartending, Jackson; I’m running the bar with Abby. She bought it years ago, but it was tanking on her. I told her if we teamed up I could get it to turn around, and it has. That place used to be a fucking ghost town.”
“What bar is it?”
“It used to be called Fork’s Pub, but now it’s called Liquid Lounge.”
“Liquid? Hey, I heard about that place. The paper did an article on it. I didn’t read it, but I saw the headline, all about a new bar opening up in town. You run that?”
“Yeah, I’m half owner now. Gave it a new name, new everything. The losers she had coming in are pretty much gone too. The place has got some class, and we’re raking in the dough.”
“So you’re on the level, huh? No more gigs?”
Colton takes a sip of his coffee and nods his head. “Nah man, that life is over for me. I thought I was happy ripping people off and banging a new chick every other week, but that was all bullshit. Me and Abby, we’re a couple, but we’re also a team.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re breaking my heart.”
“Sorry man. But the life just isn’t for me anymore.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” I drink the rest of my coffee and set it down. They charge four bucks for the smallest cup. Total yuppie rip-off. Hell, I make better coffee at home in my apartment. “I tell you, we really had something going with that foreign car job. Made a shit load of money.”
“Yeah, I know,” says Colton. “But that life had to come to an end before we all landed in the pen.”
I nod my head. “I know. It couldn’t last forever. But ever since we all scattered, I can’t turn the button off in my head. I don’t need the money, Colton; you know that. We made more money with those jobs than ever. But I keep scouting gigs, even when I don’t intend to. “
“I wouldn’t know. Like I said, I’m not out there anymore, man. Got any nibbles?”
“No. I mean, nothing worth pursuing. Nothing like what we had. I’m thinking of going back home to Milwaukee. Starting fresh, you know?”
Colton leans back against his chair. He’s a handsome guy. I gotta admit. But I’m not too bad looking, myself. “Jackson,” says Colton. “That may not be a bad idea. The square life isn’t bad once you get used to it. No need to run. No need to look over your shoulder. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to that life. Hell, Abby wouldn’t have it, anyway.”
“You and Abby gonna get married or something?”
Colton waves his hands. “Hey, not so fast. Just because I no longer bang a new broad every night doesn’t mean I’m ready for the ball and chain.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever get married,” I say. “The right girl just never comes along.”
“You’re only 25, Jackson. You’ll meet her when you meet her.”
“Yeah.” I nod my head. “You’re right. Who knows? Maybe someone is waiting for me back home.”
“You make fun of Abs and me, but you were always the romantic type. Never really into banging a new chick every night.”
“No, you’re right about that. I’ve always been a one-woman man. The problem is, I can’t find the right woman not the kind I want anyway.”
“They don’t want to get hooked up with a criminal, huh?” Colton laughs.
I laugh back. “Good girls don’t like men with rap sheets.”
Twenty-One
Cameron
If there’s one thing I can’t wait to do when I get home it’s sleeping. Despite the fact that this is first class, I haven’t slept a wink in this airplane bed. I hate plane rides. I would travel a lot more if planes weren’t involved.
Milan was nice. I bought a lot of stuff that looks excellent on me, and I went to the Prada store and bought myself a cool purse. But despite all the shopping, traveling alone is whack. I wish I had a man to do it with me.
So many guys were coming up to me when I was walking around Milan. I’m a pretty girl - a natural blonde. Italian men seem to like blondes. I think I could stand to lose some weight, but lots of men like curves. So even though I don’t like my body sometimes, the men appear to like it. I’ve never had a problem with guys wanting to get to know me.
All the Italian guys I came across knew how to speak English. So there were no language barriers, unfortunately. It wasn’t as easy as it could have been for me just to say, “non parlo Italiano,” and be on my way. Some of them were hot, but I live in Milwaukee, and they’re in Italy. There’s no point in my starting anything long distance. I could hop on a plane over and over, but I just don’t want to. I hate planes.
I guess I should tell you who I am. I’m Cameron Fisher, the daughter of Brandon Fisher. My dad owns a ton of buildings. So that makes me a spoiled rich girl. Although, I don’t think I’m that spoiled. Well, maybe I am.
But believe me, money isn’t everything. Sure I can fly first class to Milan, and I can buy purses at Prada and Gucci, but without a guy to live my life with, what’s the point? Some girls like being single. I don’t.
Of course, there’s a certain kind of guy I want. Some people say I’m too picky in the looks department. I don’t know; I can’t help it. I want to be in a relationship with a hot guy, and he needs to be around my age too.
But here’s the problem, my parents expect me to be with a particular type. Mostly it’s my dad who gives me a hard time. The last guy I dated was in med school. My dad was thrilled I was dating a guy who wanted to be a doctor. I wasn’t.
He was smart and in residency. Everyone said he would make an excellent doctor. But do you know how many times in two years we went out on a date? Only ten times! Yeah, that’s all. No way am I going to become some lonely doctor’s wife. That’s the last type of marriage I want to end up in.
The guy before that? Well, his father owns a football team. Oh, crap! I don’t remember the team. I’m not much of a football girl. Anyway, if I’m spoiled, you should have seen this guy. He was a total jerk. One time he was driving his red Porsche, and I was in the passenger’s seat. Suddenly, he sped up and practically ran the car off a cliff. Then when it was all done, he sat there laughing hysterically. He did it on purpose. We could have been killed. He’s just an adrenaline junkie and a jerk.
So now I’m single, and I vow only to get into a relationship with someone who I really want to be with. Daddy thinks he can choose the men for me. But he’s wrong.
Twenty-Two
Jackson
I took less than a week to head back home
after Colton and me talked in that fruity coffee shop. And there’s something else; I got a job, a real job. I’m working construction, working to build some shopping mall they’re putting up. See, I wasn’t always a criminal. At one time, I built a few things. But one thing led to another, and I decided that slaving every day with nothing to show for it but a bad back wasn’t good enough for me. I made decent money, but it was peanuts compared to what I made on the gigs.
But, after talking to Colton, seeing how well he’s doing out of the life, I figured I’d give it another try. Got me a nice apartment. There’s nothing much in it right now, but I’ll get around to furnishing it sometime.
My friends were happy to see me. A square buddy of mine hooked me up with the construction job. You should have seen how happy he was when he knew I was done with the life. He used to spend hours and hours, whenever I’d come back to town to visit, telling me he’s sick of me going to jail and that he wants me to settle down.
I’ve only been to jail twice. But, two times is too much, at least that’s what my mom says. Jail is where I met Colton. We were two pretty boys trying to keep ourselves from getting fucked. When you’re good-looking in prison, that’s not a great thing.
But we made it out okay, and then we did jobs together. I made a lot of money with that guy. I gotta admit I miss it. But I’m determined to try the straight and narrow for a while.
I start my new job tomorrow. I don’t need the money, but at least it will keep me occupied. We’ll see how long I last. If I hear about any new gigs, though, don’t be surprised if I bail.
Even though I’ve been out of the workforce for a while, now that I’m back, it’s like I never left. This construction job isn’t bad, I guess. The mall is more than halfway done. They hired more people, including me, to make sure everything is on schedule. The pay is decent, and the guys on the job seem okay.
Stand By Your Man: (Three Bad Boy Romance Novellas) Page 6