She flushed. “Get on with it,” she said.
“Does not to happen again.”
Peyton grinned this time. “You do realize I have been the one trying to get away from you all day, right?”
“Again making me feel like one of your scraps.”
Peyton gently squeezed his shoulder. “Stop it.”
“You’ve also been mad at me all day.” All month, he suspected. “And I want to be on ‘friends’ terms with you for our parent’s sake. For my mom,” he admitted. “I haven’t seen her this happy in years and I don’t want them to be uncomfortable because we are angry with each other all the time.”
“After supper I think we’ve plowed right over that bridge.”
“That wasn’t my finest moment.”
“That was mortifying.”
He agreed. “Also I don’t want them to feel they have to takes sides with us and end up ripping them apart.” He was amazed at how well that all came out. “I like your dad. He’s not a bad guy.” Besides the years he’d been drinking. If that stage in Kent’s life rolled around again then Colt was going to personally rip them apart.
“I like your mom. She’s a sweet, kind lady.”
He felt a little relief that she was seeing it his way. “So, what do you think of the game plan?”
He felt her fingers tap on his shoulder while she considered his offer. It was best for them really. He wasn’t in a good part of his life to offer her anything more. And apparently she didn’t want anything more from him. This was a win/win for both of them.
“I agree with you that I don’t want to cause conflict between our parents. And since you did actually take Maggie for a spin on the dance floor...or she took you.” She apparently found that amusing. “I can put the past behind us and will agree to be on friend’s terms.”
He smiled so relieved he could kiss her. His smile faltered a bit. He had to get those thoughts under control. ASAP.
Chapter Ten
Peyton stood at the table with Sydney and Colt as Jake walked over with another round of shots.
Jake was a handsome man: tall, well built, a little on the rough side, but after he’d had a few drinks in him, he went from the dangerous biker guy to the nice guy next door. Plus, he had always been there for Sydney and Haylee, watching over them, so he was automatically in Peyton’s good books. She wasn’t sure why the two of them hadn’t gotten together already but maybe Sydney held the same reservations as Peyton. The hunger between them was unmistakable.
Jake set two brimming shot glasses on the table.
“Two?” Sydney asked. “But there are four of us.” Her confused blue eyes darted around the table questioning everyone.
Laughter gushed from Peyton. Her sister could not hold her alcohol. “Sydney!” she cried. They had only explained this every round. “Colt and I aren’t drinking remember? Quit trying to get him to drink!”
Sydney covered her mouth. “Oh yeah,” she said through her hands. “I forgot.” Giggles escaped the openings between her fingers. “Sorry,” she sent Colt an apologetic look.
Colt winked at her.
“But I brought these,” Jake said, setting two more shots down on the table. “Two more virgin cola’s for the sober-buddies.” Colt and Peyton had been downing these virgin shots every round.
Sydney gasped. “They’re not drinking!”
Peyton laughed even though she’d been expecting those exact words from her sister. “I think you’ve had enough.”
Sydney was acting like a first time drinker at a high school party. “I think you’ve had enough,” she spat back at her, so very unlike her. Sydney, the calm and collected one since the birth of Haylee, was letting her buried wildness out tonight to play.
Peyton hadn’t had one shot. She told everyone she was taking her sober-buddy position very seriously but she knew deep down that wasn’t the truth behind her decision.
“Okay, okay, so you’re both drunk,” Colt said, sending Peyton a knowing wink. “Last round, let’s go.”
Last round? Was it time to leave already? What time was it?
Peyton was surprised she was having such a good time with Colt. Now that they both agreed that being friends was the solution to their status predicament, she was finding it easier to relax with him. It released some of her anger knowing he hadn’t slept with the blonde right after he’d been with her. Although she was not entirely convinced of Colt’s confession that he didn’t sleep with every girl he met, he did so in a way that almost claimed Peyton as special, and that also seemed to release her pent up anger. Don’t get all trustworthy, he did cheat on his pregnant wife.
Colt picked his virgin shot glass up like he was all powerful and almighty. It was a virgin, what a fool.
They all slugged back their shots.
Sydney slammed her empty glass on the table and cheered before sending Colt and Peyton a googly love-eyed look. “You and Colt are so cute together.” She carried the last word out in a long humming tune. “Jake aren’t they adorable?”
Peyton’s mouth opened to argue the rank of her and Colt’s relationship, but felt it would fall on deaf...or drunken...ears and she would get nowhere.
“I love it that my big scaredy-cat of love sister finally has someone that likes her.”
Colt choked on the shot that had already passed.
Peyton’s eyes closed in embarrassment.
“Did you know they had sex,” Sydney whispered, none too quietly to Jake. Now everyone around them was aware.
“Peyton’s never had a real boyfriend.”
At the same time Colt said, “I’m not her boyfriend.” and Peyton said, “He’s not my boyfriend.” It didn’t matter Sydney didn’t listen.
“Her heart is afraid of love.”
Peyton shook her head trying to shake off her sister’s words as nonsense. “I’m not afraid of love.”
“Yes, you are.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yeah just like you’re afraid of becoming an alcoholic like Dad that’s why you’re not drinking.”
“That’s Abby and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want you announcing it to the town.” Plus, it wasn’t true, it had just been one of Abby’s moments.
Sydney shrugged. “You’re still the sister with a rock heart.” A rock heart? Oh, my gosh! This was the sister with a longing heart. If she wanted, Peyton could open up that whole can of worms and that would shut her up. But, she was drunk and Jake was right there doing nothing wrong so she didn’t want to involve him.
“You have had enough to drink. I’m cutting you off,” Peyton said. “And Jake you’re making sure to take a cab home right?”
“It’s because you stress me out,” Sydney accused, pointing her finger at Peyton. “I wouldn’t even be here but Jake said I needed a break from my head.” She grabbed her head of blonde hair, squeezed with a long groan, shutting her eyes, and then popping them open and looking directly at Peyton. “Because of you.”
“Me?” Peyton laughed. “What did I do?”
“We...” Sydney touched the white chiffon blouse against her chest. Her sister’s loveable, gentle soul always shone through her soft, attractive clothes. The white chiffon blouse with tiny rosettes and vintage lace hung over a knee length white denim skirt and she finished the cowboy look with white cowboy boots. The effect was quite calming. But now she pointed at Peyton. “...are opening the store in two weeks!” Her tone had a whine about it and she held two fingers directly in front of her face. A dramatic, whiny drunk.
Peyton grinned.
“The all-natural, no chemical soap shop?” Colt asked.
Peyton nodded and turned to Colt, surprised he had listened to her. She couldn’t wait to open the shop doors and watch the people flow in! “I’m so excited. We are opening the first of March which runs on a Friday. That’s perfect! A soft opening in March will have us beginning to get established for the long May weekend.”
“That’s a crazy busy weekend,” Colt pointed out.
“Exactly. If we open in March we get the Easter and Mother’s Day sales plus everything should be going smooth by May.”
“Sounds well thought out.”
“I have it all covered,” Peyton confirmed.
“I’m stressed out!” Sydney shouted at her sister for her attention.
Sydney was stressed out? Was she kidding? She was still working part-time at the Cliff House while Peyton had been putting in the long hours at the shop. Sydney had planned the entire layout of the shop, ordered the product, ordered the ingredients, and designed the decor. The rest of her sisters had tagged along when it was convenient to them. Peyton wasn’t complaining, she certainly didn’t mind. But how could this stress Sydney?
As if reading her thoughts, Sydney said, “You jumped in so quickly. We didn’t really have a chance to think it through and now we owe Marc hundreds of thousands of dollars and what if we fail?”
Fail? Sydney was being ridiculous, most likely from the alcohol consumption. They hadn’t even opened the shop yet and she was already considering the possibility they might fail? This is why Sydney should be more involved. Peyton had already researched into the type of business they were opening, the mark-up, and the amount they needed to bring in over the next five years to maintain a good business. Plus they were looking into wholesaling their product out to other stores with Marc’s help. It was going to be a high source of income for all of them. Considering Sydney’s current state and their location she wasn’t about to re-inform her sister of all the details.
“We’re not going to fail,” she simply said.
“You don’t know that.” Sydney pointed her finger at her. “You act like you know everything!” She exaggerated the last word throwing her hands in the air. “But you can’t possibly know that. It would take us our whole lives to pay Marc back. We could go bankrupt. We could lose everything. I have to pay for Haylee’s college. She’s smart. Have you met her?”
Of course she had met her. Haylee was a grade-A, bookworm who dreamed of becoming a professor.
“She will likely want to go to university for years and I will have to pay for it. Plus my house. I actually own a house that has monthly payments, a mortgage I must pay on time.” She was talking in high speed and Peyton was having a hard time following her.
“Syd, slow down.”
“That’s what I’m saying you should have done!” Sydney practically screamed at her.
Peyton took a startled step back. Sydney’s voice turned the heads of the people around them but they were easily distracted back to the music.
That was a lot for Peyton to take in. Why hadn’t Sydney voiced these worries earlier, before they took the money and sunk it all into the shop! Peyton also would have appreciated having this conversation in private, not with Colt’s sober ears hanging onto every word. Peyton couldn’t even look at him she was so embarrassed.
“I didn’t know you felt this way.” Peyton knew Sydney had reservations but she’d had no idea there were so many plausible reasons behind them. Peyton had dismissed her sister’s uncertainty as she orchestrated the set-up with confidence that they would succeed. And they would succeed so that was enough of this nonsense.
Peyton was about to put an end to her sister’s ramblings but she continued down an entirely different road and side tracked in a new pathway of worry. “You don’t have children so how can you possibly understand? They are expensive, Peyton right from when they are born. Diapers, food, clothes and then they don’t stop growing and every year it’s more and more.” She designed large circles in the air with her hands.
Fears Peyton hadn’t considered began to take over her body as her sister named off all the expenses in her life.
“Then they take all your time and you never get to go out and just have fun because you have this little person who depends on you and you have to be there, every day, every minute, every second.”
Even though Peyton hadn’t one drop to drink her stomach was beginning to turn.
“They ruin your love life too. You can’t even think about a love life because you are so consumed with everything they need and everything they want and then one day you realize you never just took the first step and let him know your true feelings.”
Jake intervened at that point. “I think we are going to call it a night.”
If Peyton hadn’t been so enthralled in the fears Sydney was imposing she would have noticed Sydney was talking about Jake and he knew it.
Sydney’s head snapped up. “I love this song.” She grabbed Jake’s arm and just like that her attention and feet were entranced with the music leaving Peyton with the burden of stress like a fishing weight slowly sinking into the bottom of her stomach.
“You’re going to make sure she gets home Jake, right?” She managed to yell and accepted his nod.
This dance was a terrible idea and she certainly hadn’t come for a lesson in parenting.
Suddenly the room was too loud and there were too many people. Peyton needed to get out of there.
***
Colt watched Peyton’s glowing porcelain face pale as her sister collapsed the exhilaration of discussing her new business adventure. Peyton looked like she was either going to pass out or throw up as Sydney skipped away not even realizing how Peyton was swallowing her words.
Colt could relate to the feeling. He’d had a lot of people tell him he would never be a pro hockey player. The difference was he’d been a foolish young teenager that didn’t take never as an option. Peyton was a mature adult and her sister’s anxieties looked like they were concerning her.
He touched her arm to find her trembling beneath his fingers. He had the sudden feeling to soothe her worry away. “Are you alright?”
Peyton yanked her arm away and looked up at him like he was the culprit. Her eyes struggled with something as she stared at him. Was that fear in her eyes? Fear from the possibility of failing? She fluttered her lashes and the battle she was encountering gusted away. “Will you take me home?”
“Of course. Come on.” Just as he’d led her inside earlier he placed his hand on the small of her back and led her from the loud music. Her body wasn’t as tense at his touch, but her feet moved more hurriedly to escape. Once they’d shrugged their coats on he reached for the outside door.
Peyton paused. “How did you know you would succeed playing hockey?”
Colt let the door fall shut. “I didn’t know I would succeed.” He’d been young in high school pumping his dream. “I just didn’t think I wouldn’t.”
She frowned. “Is there a difference?”
Colt stepped toward her. “Peyton, she’s had a lot to drink tonight.”
“And the truth comes out.”
Colt could see she wasn’t ready to go home and the over-crowded dance wasn’t an option, he didn’t blame her, so he encircled her tiny hand and guided them into the cold ice rink where he used to sit when life was troubling him.
When his dad walked out of his life, this exact arena had been his favorite place to think. He would spend hours wondering why he left. Why he didn’t love him and his mom anymore? And when was he coming home? Still to this day, he couldn`t understand why his dad cheated on his mom. Elaine was the most amazing, kind-hearted and loyal person Colt knew and still it wasn’t enough for his father to love and stick around. But Colt did know without a doubt his father was never coming home.
Colt settled them on the bleachers about half way up, his favorite spot.
“Don’t take never as an option. Barrel into your business with that attitude I saw as you were talking about it and don’t stop until you succeed.”
“That’s what I’ve been doing. Didn’t you catch that?” She stared across the ice like he had so many times.
“Don’t stop because your sister has fears.”
“I don’t share the fears my sisters have about the shop. I’ve done the research and I know we will succeed.” She said the words as true as the sun rose every morning with the b
rightness gleaming from her eyes. He believed her. But the ghostly look across her face as her sister poured out fears had certainly activated concern over something.
He gave her a few more minutes of silence in case she wanted to discuss whatever was truly bothering her. Discuss it with him? It was funny he thought she would want to discuss anything with him since they’d agreed to be friends only hours ago. They hardly knew one another.
“I was like that when I first got into the game. I barreled into everything,” he said when he sensed she wasn’t sharing anymore.
“I can envision that.”
“I can envision you barreling into your business and not letting one person tell you otherwise.”
Peyton smiled at him for his support. “Thanks.”
There was a comforting silence between them and Colt stared onto the ice with her. He hadn’t stepped foot in an arena since his farewell to the game fearing the familiar smell, feel, and sight would keep him longing for a life he could no longer have. It scared the hell out of him. Yet, he’d taken Peyton inside without it even crossing his mind. Maybe time would help heal the wounds like his mother had said. It had been two years...it was about time.
“What are you planning on doing now that you are retired?” she asked.
Retired. He hated that word. It’s for old people, not for a young man like himself. He shrugged. “I haven’t thought about it.”
Before he’d been forced into retirement he’d always envisioned opening his own sports store in town and retiring home with his family and mother then she could enjoy her little grandbabies. But then he’d lost his family, retired too early and he hadn’t thought about the sports store since.
“You haven’t thought about it? You’ve been retired since the end of the last season. It’s soon going to be a year. What have you been doing?”
“Nothing.”
“That sounds boring.’
It was truly very boring doing nothing after a life of doing so much. Maybe he should look back into the sports store.
Mr. Chet Owens had a small sports store at the end of the strip. Colt first met the man when he needed a place to get his skates sharpened. It had been years later that he hung around during his limited free time and eventually worked behind the counter whenever he could schedule time. The old man was getting up there in age and would soon be retiring if he hadn’t already. Colt knew he didn’t have kids to take over his business, so maybe Colt would stop by and see what Chet’s future plans were. Maybe they could work out an arrangement.
Lakeshore Legend: The McAdams Series (By The Lake Series Book 2) Page 9