“Hello? Earth to Baker . ” Luke waved a hand in front of my face and I realized I was poised to shoot but I hadn’t moved in several seconds.
“Whoops,” I said, lining up my next shot again and then whipping the cue into the white ball.
It careened off the table and onto the green felt top of the pool table two rows over. It bounced once and then rolled into the side pocket of that table. Lucky for me, it didn’t hit anyone and there wasn’t anyone playing at that table. Wolfe and Luke erupted into riotous laughter as I made my way across the place and grabbed the ball before anyone else noticed my mishap. The glaring bartender let me know that she had seen. I grinned like a fool at her and made my way back to our table.
“Shut up,” I demanded of my friends. They could hardly contain themselves. I ignored them and set the ball down on the table. “One of you just take a damn shot.” I walked over to the small pub table against the wall and sipped from my beer.
Luke stepped up to the pool table and lined up a shot. Wolfe finally quieted down and came to stand next to the pub table. He rested both his hands on the top of his cue and looked at me pointedly.
“How’s things with Rainey?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Luke told me about her keeping a secret,” he explained.
“Real subtle, Wolfe. Play the damn game,” Luke said, walking away from the pool table after his missed shot and pushing Wolfe away from the pub table.
“I’m going . ” H e shrugged Luke off and lined up his shot.
“So you told Wolfe before you told me?” I glared at Luke.
“I didn’t tell him anything. He asked about you and Rainey and I just told him that you thought Rainey was hiding something. That’s all I told him,” he said with a glare at Wolfe.
“So what’s she hiding?”
“Unfortunately, I can’t tell you,” he started. At my look of surprise, he continued. “I will tell you, if she doesn’t. But I’ve given her a week to work up the courage to tell you. And when she does, man, you’ve got to try to be understanding, because it’s not something that’s easy to discuss with someone. Trust me, I know,” he said.
I sighed. “I guess I don’t have a choice then. I’m not going to give up on her, so that means waiting for her to trust me enough to tell me the truth.” I sipped my beer and Wolfe approached. “Does everyone but me know?”
“Not really. Wolfe doesn’t know,” Luke said with a grin.
“Hey, not for lack of trying, though. Gabby’s not talking to me right now, so I am currently shit out of luck for knowing gossip,” he said.
“What’s with the on-again, off-again thin g you and Gabby have going?” Luke asked him.
“Oh, that. She runs hot and cold. She loves me one minute and hates me the next. It’s frustrating and it really makes me want to walk away, but I love her, so I’m stuck. For the time being, I’m just happy for any time she wants to spend with me,” Wolfe explained.
Wolfe and Gabby were going through a divorce, but the judge had demanded they go to counseling and try to work on their marriage for an entire year before they would be granted a divorce. It was something to do with them being so young when they married and the fact that the judge was anti-divorce.
Theirs was an odd situation and I definitely wouldn’t want to be in it, but I did feel for Wolfe. He was in love with his wife and she couldn’t make up her mind how she felt about him. It was sad, really. But it was their problem to deal with, and Wolfe wasn’t a huge fan of discussing the intimate details of his marriage, so I only knew bits and pieces from what Rainey had heard from Gabby.
“I totally get that hot and cold thing,” I told Wolfe. “Rainey claims she doesn’t want anything more than a fling, but she sleeps over almost every night, regardless of whether I have to work the next day or not. It’s like having a live-in girlfriend who doesn’t want to actually be my girlfriend,” I sighed.
Another round of laughter started and I ignored them. They called me a girl and then drank their beers, talking amongst themselves while I took another shot. When I walked back over to them, they stopped talking and Luke went to take his next shot.
“If you guys are going to talk about me, the least you could do is include me,” I muttered under my breath.
Beer flew out of Wolfe’s mouth as he tried to hold back a laugh while he drank from his beer. The floor was soaked and I shook my head in disgust, but didn’t say anything more. I wished someone would put me out of my misery.
“Listen, Baker,” Luke said as he approached the table and grabbed his beer. “We are never going to understand women. Never ever. If you accept that, you’ll live a much happier life, I promise.”
I rolled my eyes , but he made sense. Rainey was someone whose behaviors and attitudes I was never going to be able to predict. She was a hellcat and every minute with her was time spent on my toes. She had a great sense of humor and she got weepy late at night when she thought I was asleep, but I didn’t get why. Luke was right; I wasn’t going to understand her.
“So, I should just enjoy the ride?” I asked.
“Oh, she likes to ride? Good to know,” Wolfe joked.
“Some women are domineering,” Luke laughed.
I couldn’t help but laugh along. “Shut up. My sex life is none of your business,” I informed them. “But if it was, you’d know that I’ve never been with anyone like Rainey,” I boasted.
“Oh, now you have to tell us,” Wolfe begged. “You can’t leave us with a juicy piece of info like that and then just cut us off.”
“She’s just a little wild, you know? She takes what she wants and she’s not afraid to tell me exactly what it is she wants me to do,” I said.
“Nice,” Luke chuckled.
“Damn. Gabby’s more reserved in the bedroom. Of course, it’s been a long time since she and I were even in a bedroom together,” Wolfe said wistfully.
“Can we stop with all the girl talk and get to this stupid pool game?” I asked, making my way back to the pool table.
“It’s my turn . ” Wolfe pushed me back against the pub table and our beer bottles would have fallen if Luke hadn’t been fast enough to catch them.
Wolfe laughed and took his spot at the pool table while I hung back and took my beer from Luke.
“You think you and Mallory will ever get married?” I asked, suddenly curious about it.
Luke choked on his beer. “I’m not sure. I mean, watching Wolfe and Gabby go through what they’re going through makes me nervous, you know? They used to be happy, and now they can hardly stand each other most days. It’s heartbreaking and I’m not sure I want to experience that,” he answered.
“But what about love and all that?” I asked, watching Wolfe sink a ball in the corner pocket and then line up another shot.
“I know. It’s a confusing thing. I love Mal, but we haven’t talked about marriage and I’m not sure we will for a while. She’s still mourning Joe’s death – hell, we all are. He wasn’t someone you forget easily,” Luke said.
I couldn’t help but agree. My mind drifted back to one conversation Joe and I had before his death.
Rainey was back in town and completely ignoring me. As much as I wanted to ask her out, I was a little afraid of rejection. She was the one person who shook the foundation of my very soul when she walked back into town. Seeing her for the first time after all those years was like someone put a vice around my heart and tightened it so that my heart just exploded inside my chest. She was beautiful in every possible way, inside and out. And I was a fool to think she would ever have anything to do with me.
Joe Wells was on his deathbed at home and I needed some guidance. He was the smartest guy I knew.
“Chris, good to see you, son,” Joe greeted me. He refused to call me by my last name like everyone else I knew.
“Mr. Wells, I’m glad you’re awake,” I said, shaking his frail hand.
“Sit down, sit down. Let’s chat,” he suggested.
Once I was seated, he smiled at me. “What’s new, boy?”
It usually bothered me when people called me boy, but with Joe, it was appropriate. “I’m just trying to figure out what the hell to do about Rainey,” I blurted.
“Ah… Mallory told me Rainey was back in town and I wondered when you would see her,” he said.
“Yeah, I ran into her at The Landing last night and made a complete fool of myself,” I admitted. “She probably thinks I’m a dumbass.”
Joe chuckled. “Probably. But ever there were two people who belonged together, it’s you and Rainey. The way you two click ed when she was in high school wasn’t a fluke. The two of you are meant to be, Chris. I suggest you do whatever is necessary to make it right and don’t give up on her. Never, you hear me? No matter what obstacles you face, stand by her side,” he commanded.
I had nodded my agreement and then the conversation turned to something more menial. I blew out a breath and decided right there in the bar that I would heed Joe’s words. I would stand by Rainey no matter what her secret was, no matter if I was hurt by her or not. Joe was right; Rainey and I were meant to be and I wasn’t about to let her slip through my fingers.
Chapter Seven
Rainey
Our girls ’ night started out like any other night and although it was just the three of us, we had a great time. We discussed the men in our lives, although, really, Mallory was the only one truly happy with the man in her life.
“So, I have to tell you guys something,” I started as they poured wine. I declined the offer and stuck to water, which was guaranteed not to make me sick.
“Oh, gossip! Do tell . ” Gabby scooted closer to me on the couch.
“It’s not gossip, per se, but I’ve been bruising pretty easily lately, and my doctor had me have some blood drawn today to check things out,” I confessed.
“What! Oh no,” Mallory said, moving over to the floor in front of the couch and putting her arm on my knee.
Gabby grabbed my hand and squeezed. “We’re here for you,” she said.
I smiled at them. “I know. Believe it or not, I’m okay with however the results turn out,” I assured them. It was the truth. Life or death wasn’t really a big deal to me anymore. I accepted the fact that I would probably die much younger than anyone else I knew and whatever happened was meant to be. “The problem is, I think Baker knows,” I explained.
“Oh. Well, why don’t you tell him?” Gabby suggested.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Mallory said as she patted my leg. “He deserves to know.”
“I know I should. The problem is, now I’m under a time restraint to tell him, because of Luke.”
“What does Luke have to do with anything?” Mallory asked.
“Well, Baker must have seen the bruises on my back and he mentioned something to Luke. So Luke confronted me and demanded that I tell Baker. He said he was giving me a week to tell him or he was going to,” I said.
“That doesn’t sound like something Luke would say,” Gabby protested.
“He’s bluffing,” Mallory announced.
“I don’t think he is, Mal. He looked angry with me for keeping this away from Baker,” I said.
“Well, I imagine he’s thinking about how hard I took the news of Dad’s cancer – Dad kept it from me for years and I didn’t have any idea. It was rough to face it at the very last minute and I didn’t have a whole lot of time to grieve,” Mallory said.
Gabby nodded. “Something that neither of you saw was the effect of Joe’s cancer on Luke. He watched the man he looked up to most – I mean, Joe was like a father to Luke… And Luke watched his body deteriorate and his health fail for a long time. It was hard on him. He held resentment toward you, Mal, and even though you guys have worked everything out, the stress of dealing with Joe all by himself wore him out, both mentally and physically. So when he gets mad at you, Rainey, he’s probably thinking about all the time he wished he could share his burdens with someone. He also probably knows that Joe would have been better off if Mallory had known sooner. He would have been able to spend more time with his daughter before he died.”
“So even though he’s angry with you, what he’s saying is true. He doesn’t want Baker to resent you the way he resented Mallory for a long time. Of course, Mallory never knew, and so they were able to work it out, but Baker knows something is going on… How is he going to feel when he finds out it’s leukemia? That you’re dying,” Gabby stressed.
“Gabby! Not cool,” Mallory chastised her.
“Nope, you don’t get to judge me, Mallory. You, of all people, should know the importance of being able to say your goodbyes. Especially considering that if your dad had died any sooner, you never would have been able to forgive yourself for not being there. And no matter what those test results show, the end result is your death, Rainey. Whether it’s tomorrow or five years from now, or fifteen years from now. And Baker truly cares about you. He’s not going to be okay with being left in the dark this long. You two have been dating for weeks. He has a right to know, and I am one hundred percent with Luke on this. You need to tell Baker, the sooner the better.”
Gabby crossed her arms over her chest, a dare for either me or Mallory to challenge her. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t argue with her logic. She was absolutely right. And that meant I needed to tell Baker about the leukemia.
I nodded to Gabby. “I’ll tell him tomorrow, after I get the test results. And,” I added when it looked like she was going to protest, “I’ll tell him whether I get good news or bad . ”
Mallory kept quiet but squeezed my kne e again. I suggested we watch a movie and Gabby moved to put a disc in the Blu-Ray player.
We spent the next hour and a half watching Tom Cruise as Maverick. When Luke walked in the front door, we all looked at him expectantly.
“I don’t mean to interrupt,” he said, throwing his hands up in defense. “I’m just going to go to bed. Goodnight, babe . ” H e walked over and placed a kiss on Mallory’s forehead and then walked back to the room they shared.
“I guess that’s our cue to get out of here,” Gabby said.
“You guys don’t have to,” Mallory protested, but I could see her looking down the hall with anticipation.
I smiled. “We’ll go, Mal. And we’ll talk to you tomorrow,” I promised.
Gabby and I got up off the couch and made our way outside. Before I got into the mini-van, Gabby put a hand on my shoulder.
“I’m sorry I was so harsh, Rain,” she apologized.
“Don’t apologize, Gabby. One of the reasons we are such good friends is that we’re always honest with each other. I wouldn’t trade that for anything,” I replied. I pulled her close and hugged her. “Love you, Gabby,” I said in her ear.
“I love you, too, babe. No matter what you decide about Baker,” she said as she pulled away from the hug. “Remember that he only has your best interests at heart. He cares about you.”
I smiled at her words, more certain than ever that she was right. This thing with Baker might have started out as a fling, but it was quickly turning into more than that, whether I wanted it to or not. Baker was important to me, and if had a secret like mine, I would probably brow-beat him until he told me the whole story. So the fact that he was being patient and understanding only proved that he was the kind of guy I should be with. Not to mention he was incredible in bed.
I grinned like an idiot as I thought about his lovemaking skills and got into the driver’s seat of my mother’s mini-van. Maybe I would go over to his place tonight and surprise him with a good romp. And then promise him that I would tell him. I just needed a bit more time to work up the courage.
When I pulled into the driveway, I was surprised to see all the lights off in his apartment. But the outside light was on, a beacon of invitation to me; no matter how unsure he was about us, he always made sure I felt like I mattered. I sat there in the driveway for several minutes, thinking about how lucky I was to have a guy
like Baker. He was pleasant and good-natured with an amazing sense of humor. He could always make me laugh.
I got out and walked up the steps, opening the front door like I belonged there and walking straight into his bedroom. He was laying on his bed, propped up with an extra pillow and doing something with his phone. He looked up when he saw me and his face lit up, even more than it already was from the glow of the screen. I smiled in reaction and paused at the threshold, taking the time to just stare at him. He was naked , but partially covered by the sheet pulled across his legs. His arms were thick with muscle, his chest broad and tan. His waist was trim and narrow, his hips almost non-existent beneath the cover of the sheet.
He tilted his head at me. “See something you like?” He pulled the sheet down just a bit more and I could feel my body tingle at the idea of getting my hands on him.
“Not yet, I don’t,” I said as I walked over to the bed. “But I will . ” I yanked the sheet off the end of the bed, revealing his beautiful naked body , and had to step back from the impact. I had seen him naked plenty of times, but each time was like the first, taking my breath away.
Unfortunately for me, I stepped on the edge of the sheet that was hanging from my hand. My body jerked unnaturally and my foot twisted in the thin fabric. Even as my brain told my hand to let go of the sheet, I clutched it tighter. The force of my grip on the sheet caused both my feet to come out from under me. I fell backwards, my ass slamming into the hardwood floor and then my head making a resounding crack against the wood. I closed my eyes in utter humiliation.
When I opened them, Baker was standing near me, leaned over so his head was close to mine. There was an unmistakably glitter in his eyes as he tried to hide his smile.
Broken Dreams (Broken Series) Page 5