Indy stood behind the bar, wearing an O’Leary’s T-shirt, with a microphone in her hand, belting out “I Got You Babe.” Customers were two deep at the bar. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, imitating Cher. Her radiant smile shot through him, warming him in a way the sun had failed to all winter.
An off-key male voice joined hers. Griffin angled his body to see the other half of the duet. Colin.
He should’ve guessed. They sang into a shared microphone, looking like they shared a private joke. Old jealousies clawed up his back.
I’ll kill him. Ryan’s brother or not, he’s gone too far.
Griffin swallowed hard. He had no business having those thoughts about Indy. They’d been apart for months. The song ended and the crowd thinned. Indy and Colin poured drinks. When space allowed, Griffin moved forward.
She must’ve felt him staring because she turned and searched the crowd. Her eyes widened in shock when she caught sight of him. Griffin tried to ease the murderous look he’d directed at Colin.
When he got to the bar, her shock melted into a gorgeous, warm smile. Her voice remained light, like she’d address any regular customer. “Hey, stranger. Long time, no see.”
“Too long, I think.” His gaze was drawn to hers, searching for anything, but she wouldn’t maintain eye contact.
“Beer?”
He cleared his throat. “Yeah.”
She turned to grab a bottle, and her profile shocked him. She was still pregnant. It looked like she had a mini-basketball pushing against her shirt. He’d thought she would’ve been bigger. Ryan had sent him a picture of Quinn, and they were due only a few weeks apart.
Indy put the beer in front of him. “Ryan’s in his office. I’m sure he’d want you to go back. He’s missed you.”
She busied herself wiping down the bar.
What about you? He wanted to ask. Words froze in his throat. Other than the friendly smile, she didn’t acknowledge him.
“I’ll be back,” he said, and went to see his friend.
Fuck. Of all nights for him to show up here, why tonight? Indy rubbed the bulge under her shirt, hoping the movement would have a calming effect.
Colin met her halfway down the bar. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I’m fine. Griffin’s here.”
“Hmm-mmm.” He crossed his arms. “Need a break?”
“I said I’m fine.” She gripped the rag in her hand.
“Were you expecting him?”
“Why would I? We haven’t spoken in months.” She pushed past him to continue wiping the counter.
“You guys were pretty hot and heavy.”
She paused midswipe and wondered what Griffin had said to Colin. “What would you know? We had a casual fling and we went our separate ways.”
A new crowd came up to the bar and a waitress needed an order filled, relieving Indy of any more of Colin’s questions. She wasn’t sure how she felt about Griffin.
She shouldn’t feel anything. Casual didn’t cross over the line to emotional. Seeing him, though, stirred something in her she hadn’t thought about in months. Or at least she’d tried not to. The kiss they’d shared at Quinn’s wedding hadn’t been casual. She remembered the look on Griffin’s face when she’d accused him of changing the parameters of their agreement. Casual wasn’t on his mind. The kiss had been possessive.
But that had happened before they knew about the pregnancy. Before she decided to keep the baby.
She lied to herself with the thought that it had been only the one kiss at the wedding. After the pregnancy tests, the whole next week, they were together as a couple. He drove across the state to give her comfort when she had to deal with her father.
Still not casual.
Griffin came back. She could handle this. Even with his being Ryan’s best friend, their paths wouldn’t cross too often.
She had too much on her plate right now to even consider a relationship, casual or not. Classes started in a week, she needed to find a new place to live, and she needed a new job.
Indy served customers on autopilot, engaging in friendly banter, hoping to make the night move along. When her shift ended and Griffin hadn’t returned, she assumed he’d slipped out the back. So much for being right back. She didn’t know if she should feel relieved or irritated.
She drove to Quinn’s house with the radio blaring to block out her thoughts. Inside, she found Quinn sitting on the couch. “Why are you up?”
Quinn’s face brightened. “I’m bored. It’s about time you got home.” She clicked off the TV. “Tell me something interesting.”
“How interesting do you think the bar is on an average night?”
“Anything is good when you’ve been stuck in bed for over a month.”
It had been five weeks since Ryan called Indy in a panic. Something had been wrong with Quinn and the baby. For the second time in a few short months, Indy had driven through Illinois in the middle of the night.
Everything’s fine now. Quinn rubbed her belly. Indy stopped herself from mimicking the gesture. The unfairness struck her again. Quinn shouldn’t be saddled with complications. Being a mother was her dream.
“Griffin came in tonight,” Indy said with her body half in the closet hanging up her coat.
“What?”
Indy turned and sat beside her little sister, who wasn’t looking so little. “Griffin came in.”
“He’s back? He didn’t bother to call or anything.”
Indy shrugged. “I figured Ryan knew.”
“Not that he mentioned.”
He wouldn’t have said anything to Quinn if he thought it had the slightest chance of upsetting her. Indy knew Ryan tiptoed around the topic of Griffin. No one ever even mentioned his name.
“Well?” Quinn asked.
“Well, what? That was the highlight of the evening. Unless you count Colin trying to sing like Sonny Bono.”
“What happened with Griffin?”
“Nothing. We said hi, I got him a beer, and he went to visit Ryan.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes. I was working.” I could hardly breathe at the sight of him.
Quinn stood. “I’m going to make some tea. How do you feel about Griffin being back?”
“What do you mean?”
Quinn shuffled toward the kitchen. “Well, you’ve avoided any mention of him and refused to let us talk to him about you.”
Not really. She often Googled him to get tidbits of information. She’d never admit it, though. It made her sound like a lunatic who couldn’t let go. She broke up with him. Kind of. “It’s fine. It’s not like we’ll see each other often. We rarely did before we slept together.”
“What are you going to do?”
Indy inhaled deeply. “The same thing I’ve been doing. Since you’re okay now, I’m going to find my own place to live and get a new job.”
“You don’t have to leave.” Quinn pulled cups from the cabinet.
“Yes, I do. You don’t need me anymore. The doctor said you can get back to your life.”
“I’ll always need you.”
Indy began to tear up. Quinn never needed her. Damn hormones made her cry over everything.
“I’m moving back to the city. This house isn’t big enough for all of us.” Indy patted her belly. “Besides, I think Ryan’s overwhelmed by the amount of estrogen surrounding him.”
The kettle whistled, and Quinn filled their cups. “He wanted you to move in here.”
“He asked out of desperation and fear. He wanted you and the baby to be okay.”
“At least keep the job at O’Leary’s. I feel better knowing family is keeping an eye on you.”
Indy sipped from her cup. She’d taken the job at O’Leary’s out of necessity, but she knew Ryan had offered the job out of guilt. “We’ll see.”
Quinn smiled. “You won’t find a more accommodating boss.”
Sure, but working there made avoiding Griffin more difficult.
The soft knock surprised both Quinn and Indy. Indy answered the front door to come face-to-face with Griffin.
“Hi.” Her body stiffened, but her smile came easily.
“Hi. You left the bar before I came back,” he said softly.
“My shift ended.”
“Who is it, Indy?” Quinn called from the kitchen.
Indy opened the door wider and swung her arm to invite him in. She stepped back for him to enter, and her body responded to his nearness. Her heart beat faster and a low sexual pull tugged at her.
“Griffin.” Quinn rushed forward and stood on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck. “It’s good to see you. We missed you at Christmas.”
“I missed being here.”
Indy closed the door and skirted around them.
“Sorry to drop by so late, but there are few women I know I’d better visit immediately when I get to town. Eileen would already be in bed.”
“No problem. We were just chatting.” Quinn hooked her arm through his and led him into the living room.
Indy settled herself at the breakfast counter in the kitchen. She had some online coursework to finish, and thanks to thrumming nerves and hormones keeping her awake, she might even get around to searching for a new apartment. The low rumble of Griffin’s voice provided a soothing background noise for her work. She listened as he shared details of his trip to Aruba, but he didn’t sound very enthusiastic.
After about a half hour, Quinn announced, “Whew. I’m tired. I think I’ll head to bed. Sorry to rush out on you. Feel free to stay as long as you want. Ryan shouldn’t be too late tonight.”
Real subtle, Quinn. Indy counted her heartbeats. Ten. Then she felt Griffin enter the room. Her back was to him, but she knew the second he approached.
“Hey.”
She spun in her chair. “Hey yourself. How did Night Beasts do?”
The question bought her time to think. She already knew the answer because she’d followed it closely.
“Very well. It’s a huge hit. Still selling well. Thanks to your free Internet idea, the parent group is mostly off my ass. I owe you a huge thank-you.” He walked around the counter and stood beside her.
“You don’t owe me anything. Your team of übergeeks would’ve come up with the idea.”
“Maybe.” He reached out and pushed a lock of her hair back over her shoulder. “You moved.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“Eddie seemed to think I should’ve known.”
Her fingers froze on the keyboard. “Where did you see Eddie?”
“I went to visit him when I realized you no longer lived in your apartment.”
“Oh.” Oh, shit. He’d gone to see me first? Before Ryan. Before Eileen. He stood close, but she kept her eyes trained on her screen.
“Why are you living with Quinn and Ryan? Surely you couldn’t have already burned through the commission I gave you.”
She slammed the computer shut. “How dare you question how I spend my money? You said I earned it. I’m entitled to spend it however I want.”
Her rant startled him and his eyes widened.
Her skin warmed, and she took a deep breath before continuing. “Not that I owe you an explanation, but Quinn had complications and I moved in to help her while she was on bed rest. Her doctor has given her the okay, so I’m moving out.”
He raised his arms. “I’m sorry. Take a breath.”
She did.
He continued. “That came out wrong. I didn’t expect so much to be different after three months.”
“Stuff happens. Life goes on even while you’re out of town on vacation.” The muscles of her abdomen constricted. She rubbed the bump of her belly and sat back down.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. He doesn’t like it when I get upset.”
Griffin’s eyes lit. “He? You know you’re having a boy?”
Indy shook her head. “No. I just think saying ‘it’ is creepy. I want to be surprised.”
She kicked the chair out next to her. “Have a seat.”
He scooted the stool close enough that the heat of his body reached out and touched her.
“Tell me what else I’ve missed. You’re working at O’Leary’s. With Colin. Living here. What else is new?”
She smiled broadly, but she tried to contain her excitement. “I’m going back to school.”
Chapter 13
“What?” Had he heard her right? She’s pregnant, still working at a bar, and now she’s adding school? Images of his overworked mother slammed into his brain.
“Well, right now I’m finishing an online certification program. But I’m taking a couple of classes when the semester starts next week.”
“For what?”
She blushed, emphasizing the importance if her revelation.
“I had a blast redecorating the house for Quinn. It was the most fun I’ve had while working in a long time. Singing at the bar is the only thing that has come close.”
His neck muscles tightened. Remembering her singing and dancing with drunks at End Zone caused his jaw to twitch.
“I figured there had to be a way to make money doing it. I mean, if I can make money singing along with the jukebox, anything is possible, right?” She spoke animatedly, arms waving for effect.
He nodded, not wanted to interrupt her flow. He’d missed the sound of her voice. It held the same excitement it had when she’d called him about his house.
“I looked into finishing my degree in Interior Design, but it’s not what I want. I might go back for a degree after I establish my business and the baby’s a little older.” She rubbed her belly again. “I don’t want to be away from him too much.”
He heard the love in her voice that matched the sweetness of her smile. “Business?”
“Yeah. I want to decorate, but not run-of-the-mill stuff. I plan to specialize for a specific market. The real estate market, to be exact.”
Griffin leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. This wasn’t some crazy whim. “Go on.”
“Remember the first house I showed you? The one with—”
“The gleaming white everywhere. How could I forget?” The place looked more like a hospital than a home.
Indy chuckled. “That house is the perfect example. You were immediately turned off because of the décor. If I redecorated it, you might’ve at least given it a chance.
“A lot of people watch the decorating shows on TV and think they can copy what they see. They have no sense of color or space. Small changes, big impact. That’s my tagline.” Her smile broadened like a child holding a report card full of As.
“Sounds like you have a plan. When are you going to start?”
She stood and refilled her teacup. Then she pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and handed it to him. “Like I said, I’m finishing my certification. I should be done by the end of the month. I’m taking two classes I think will benefit me, and they work toward a degree if I need them to.”
She tucked her hair back again and fidgeted. “I’d like to get a client or two this spring to build my portfolio. Then I’ll start advertising more this summer after I have the baby.”
“It’s a huge undertaking. Starting a business as a sole proprietor while being a new mom will be difficult.” He hoped to open her eyes to the reality, but he wanted to rescue her.
For a moment she deflated, and he began to reach out to her. Then a gleam rose in her eyes. “I don’t back down from a challenge, and I’m not afraid of hard work. This has the potential of being phenomenal for me and the baby. Thanks for the words of caution, but I know what I’m doing.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.” Why did his words keep twisting? He was more articulate than this. “Have you heard from Richard?”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “No. What does he have to do with the conversation?”
“If he paid child support like he should, you’d have some cushion.”
“I don’t want his m
oney. I don’t want him to have anything to do with my child.” Her hand rubbed her belly rhythmically.
His hand covered hers. “I don’t want to upset you. This is his responsibility too. He owes you that much.”
“He owes me nothing. I’ll take care of myself.” The strength in her voice matched the hardness in her eyes.
Griffin wished he had the words to express the difficulty of single parenting. His mother never got ahead. Their daily routine drained her. Fun had become a foreign concept. Any day he saw his mother’s smile qualified as a good day. He didn’t want the light in Indy’s face to disappear, extinguished by the monotony of solitude.
“Did I ever tell you about my mom?” Silly question. He never talked about her.
Indy shook her head, and he removed his hand from hers.
He stood and walked across the small kitchen. “She married a chronic cheater. I don’t know what she saw in him, but he didn’t know how to be faithful. He left before I turned three. When I got older, my mom told me he left to be with one of his girlfriends. He popped back into our lives, begging forgiveness for the next three or four years, giving my mom hope every time. Then he disappeared for good.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He shrugged. He didn’t talk about it. The past stayed in the past. “I’m not telling you this so you feel sorry for me. My mother struggled every day just to make ends meet. She spent more hours out of the house than in it, including sleep. She would never admit it, but she was never happy.”
“I think you’re wrong.” She stood and looked deep into his eyes. “If you had told me that story last summer, I might’ve believed it. But now, I get the whole ‘mom’ thing, and I can’t even hold my baby yet. You were your mother’s happiness. Your first steps, the first time you explained processing speed to her, when you started your own company . . . those gave her happiness.”
“You’re missing my point. If my father had ever gotten off his ass and given her any kind of financial support, her life would’ve been easier. She would’ve spent more time smiling instead of worrying.” The familiar churn of emotions ran through him. Anger. Sadness. Regret.
A Good Time Page 19