“Which is exactly why I can’t spend time with him. He was so oblivious to the way I felt back then. What are the chances he’ll see me as anything other than a friend now? And I’m supposed to spend time with him and his kid, the child he had with the woman I could never live up to?”
She leaned in and lowered her voice. “Okay, between you and me, I really liked Natalie. She was a great person. But she wasn’t the better person for Jack. She was just the first one that got to him. It was always the two of you.”
“Yeah, but he didn’t see that.”
“Maybe not, but there was such a difference when he was with you and when he was with Natalie. She was an infatuation. I’m not saying he didn’t love her, but he didn’t have the easy relationship he had with you. Yes, they were in love, but I think if he had opened his eyes and seen what was right in front of him, he would have been so much happier.”
Sighing, I finally looked at Jack. He was staring at me with a tense expression that I’d never seen before. Not wanting to give away that I was talking about him, I raised my hand and waved.
“Unfortunately, that time has passed. And after all the crap I’ve dealt with lately, I’m not interested in complicating my life any further.”
“I can definitely understand that.”
I was having a good time, wandering around the room, talking with people I hadn’t seen in years. It calmed me to be back in town. And thankfully, my parents hadn’t shown up tonight. I had to admit, I was intrigued when I heard there was a town poker night, and that it was themed. I didn’t have anything as fancy as everyone else was wearing, but it was still fun to dress up.
“Where did everyone get their costumes?” I asked Anna as we sipped on Martinis at the bar.
“There’s a costume company about a half hour from here. Everyone’s been renting from there.”
“Seriously? Every week?”
“No, these are only once a month. Not everyone does it, but it’s a lot of fun.”
I nodded, sipping my drink as someone at the door caught my eye. I internally groaned, wishing I could just walk over there and junk punch my ex.
“Okay, who are you looking at that’s making your face look so ugly?” Anna asked.
“My ex,” I said, staring him down.
“Whose ex?” Robert asked, walking up behind Anna and wrapping his arms around her.
“Christy’s ex. This should be interesting,” she grinned.
“And why would this be interesting?”
“Because when he comes over here, Jack is going to notice, and then he’s going to go ballistic.”
“Why would Jack go ballistic?” Robert asked, plucking an olive out of Anna’s glass.
“Because—”
“Because Jack is protective of everyone in this town,” I interrupted Anna before she could say something stupid.
“Well, sure, I guess. But he wouldn’t go ballistic,” Robert said, staring the guy down. “Do you want me to take care of him?”
“That’s okay,” I said, looking at his perfect hands. “I wouldn’t want you to mess up your manicure,” I teased.
Huffing, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Why does everyone assume I have a manicure?”
“Baby, no man has nails as nice as yours,” Anna patted him on the arm. “But I still love you.”
Robert sneered at her then settled his gaze on my ex. “He doesn’t really look like your type.”
“And what does my type look like?”
“Well, Jack,” he said bluntly.
I almost choked on my drink. Robert started patting me on the back to prevent me from choking on the olive I accidentally inhaled.
“Jack is not my type.”
“Sure,” he snorted. “I know I wasn’t around that much when you two were together—”
“We were never together,” I interrupted.
He nodded. “Okay, when you two were spending all that time together, not kissing, dating, or screwing…”
“Whatever.”
“Hey, I’m just saying, I have eyes. I’m not blind.”
“Jack is,” Anna muttered.
“No one is blind. Jack and I were never a couple or anything like that. We were just friends,” I said, urging Anna with my eyes to go along with it. If she could convince Robert, then this would be so much easier.
I slipped off the stool and moved behind Robert so his body was blocking mine.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to go kick his ass?”
I laughed in amusement. “Really, I wouldn’t want you to break a nail.”
“Jesus, so I take care of my nails. Is that really a sin? I’m a lawyer. I work with pencils and pens all day, and…you know, hangnails hurt!”
Anna nodded sagely. “Babe, it’s okay. You can admit you got a manicure.”
“I don’t get manicures,” he insisted. “And even if I did, it’s still manly.”
By now, almost everyone in the room was staring at us, including Thomas.
“Great,” I muttered as he strolled over.
“Babe,” he grinned.
“I’m not your babe. You need to leave.”
“Yeah,” Robert said, crossing his hands over his arms, only to look down where his manicured fingers rested on his arms. He quickly tucked his hands into his pockets, trying to appear more manly.
“And who are you to tell me to leave?” Thomas sneered.
“The name's Robert.”
“Well, Robert,” he said in a snide way. “Nice of you to look after my lady for me, but I think I can take it from here.”
“I’m not your lady,” I snapped.
“Everything all right here?” Carter asked as he walked up to us.
“Everything's fine. I just came to say hello to Christy.”
“And you are?” Carter asked with that classic grin on his face.
“I’m her boyfriend.”
“Ex-boyfriend,” I clarified.
“Then why do I still have the keys to your place?”
“I don’t know, but since I don’t live there, I’m sure whoever lives there is creeped out as hell.”
Thomas cleared his throat. “Yeah, that was a small misunderstanding, but nothing a few hundreds couldn't fix.”
“Thomas, whatever you came here for, it’s not going to happen. We’re not dating and I don’t want to see you anymore.”
He huffed out a laugh, looking to Carter and Robert, like they would help. “You know how women are. They always say one thing, but mean another. Am I right?”
“Not around here.”
I groaned at the sound of Jack’s voice right behind me. As if this couldn’t get any worse, he had to step up behind me and place his hand possessively on my hip—something Thomas didn’t miss.
“And who are you? Andy Griffith?”
Jack grinned. “No, but that would be awesome. However, I am the town sheriff, and if the lady says she doesn’t want you to bother her, then you need to walk away.”
“Well, the lady didn’t say she didn’t want me around.”
“Yes, I did,” I snapped.
Stepping forward, I needed to end this. “Thomas, you’re making a scene,” I said quietly. “I know you think I’m going to change my mind, but this is over. Nothing’s happening between us.”
He laughed slightly, glancing around the room. “Babe, you don’t mean that.”
“I really do. Thomas, we don’t work well together. Go back to Chicago and forget about me. I’ve already forgotten about you.”
His jaw clenched angrily, but he turned on his heel and walked out of the community center. I breathed a sigh of relief. At least he hadn’t been drinking. Then he would have really made a scene.
“Are you okay?” Jack asked, his hand resting on my back.
I stepped out of his touch, giving him a fake smile. “I’m fine, but I’m afraid he ruined the night.”
“No he didn’t,” a woman shouted, waving at me. I squinted to see who it was. Mary An
ne, the baker, ran across the room, smiling like she just won the lottery. “Oh, that was so good. I already posted it to the town page. Look at that, our Jack back together with Christy.”
“Uh, we’re not together,” I said quickly.
Her eyebrows slanted down in disbelief. “What do you mean? Of course you are. The inseparable duo is back! Oh, this is going to make for so much fodder on the town page.”
She rushed off, but all I could do was shake my head. I had no idea what she was talking about.
“I’m guessing your parents didn’t fill you in on the town Facebook page.”
“No, but I’m guessing I’m about to get a front row seat.”
13
Jack
“Christy!” I shouted as I ran to catch up to her. She was stomping out to her car, angry as hell over what just happened. I couldn't blame her. When I saw that fucker walk up to her, I almost lost my shit, but I couldn’t afford to lose my temper. I was supposed to be leading by example. Still, just one finger on her and I would have taken the fucker down.
“Christy!”
She spun around, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Do you want to press charges?”
She scoffed. “There's no point. He's just a jerk.”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “If you want, I can put him in jail for the night, make him think about what he’s done.”
“Based on what?”
I shrugged. “I’ve arrested people for less. Did you happen to see him jaywalk?” I asked, hoping to lighten the tension.
A slight crinkle formed at the edges of her eyes. She was trying her damndest not to smile, but I was determined to bring it out.
“Hell, I could grab him on public solicitation.”
Rolling her eyes, her shoulders sagged. “Honestly, he’s not worth it.”
“Still, that doesn’t give him the right to come here and harass you.”
“That was hardly harassing.”
I took another step toward her, wishing I could just wrap my arms around her like I used to, but I doubted she would like that.
“Let me at least drive you home.”
“I brought my own car, Jack.”
“Yeah, but you shouldn't be alone right now.”
“Jack—”
“I insist. I'll have Carter drive your car back to your house.”
I could see the hesitation in her eyes. She didn't want to catch a ride with me. I had to figure out a way to remind her of how things used to be between us, how simple they were.
“Christy. Just let me do this for you.”
“Fine,” she relented. “But it’s completely unnecessary.”
I placed my hand on the small of her back, thinking of a time when this was natural for us. Every touch between us used to be so easy, but now I had to think out every move I made.
“There was a time when it didn’t matter if it was necessary or not. You used to let me drive you anywhere, no questions asked.”
As I opened the passenger door, she placed her hand over mine. “That was a long time ago, Jack. I think we both need to remember that.”
She got in without another word and waited for me to close the door. Walking around to my side, I got in and drove her home. As I pulled in her driveway, I turned to her.
“Why didn't you tell me you had an ex-boyfriend that was a psycho?”
“Because he's not a psycho. He’s just an egotistical bastard.”
“So, what happened between the two of you?”
“Not much,” she shrugged. “We dated for a while—”
“How long is a while?”
“A year.”
“That's not a while. That’s…a year.”
“Are you gonna argue with me on everything I say?”
I held up my hands, relenting to her. “Fine.”
“Anyway, we dated, but he was always a jerk about everything. You know, he wanted things done his way and in his time frame. At first, I thought he was just busy and work was getting to him. But eventually, it all became too much. I didn’t even like him that much, so I’m not sure why I stuck around so long. I guess he had his good moments.”
“Christy, you know men like that are controlling. You need to break all communication with him.”
“Trust me. I was a social worker. I know the signs to look for. Thomas is harmless. He’s basically an over-educated dumbass who thinks everyone should listen to him because he has a piece of paper that says he’s really smart.”
One thing I loved about Christy was her rather unique way of putting things. She was never afraid to tell it like it was. “Okay, that’s one way to say it. But why is he following you here?”
“Well, technically, this isn’t the first time he’s done this.”
“Seriously?” I asked incredulously. “How many times?”
“Just the one time that I know of. And I thought I had ended it. Apparently, he’s a little more persistent than I thought. I don’t even know why. It’s not like we were so in love. I think he’s just one of those guys that doesn’t want to be dumped.”
“When was the last time he contacted you?” I asked, going into cop mode.
“About the time I left my last job.”
“And when was that?”
“What is this, twenty questions?”
“I’m just trying to understand the situation.”
“There is no situation,” she said irritatedly. “He showed up.”
“Christy, I just want to make sure you’re safe.”
Her face softened slightly and she glanced out the window. “Something happened at my last job, and I decided it was time for a change. He showed up that night, thinking I needed to be comforted,” she said in quotes. Then she snorted. “Like I would ever need comfort from him.”
I was itching to ask her what happened, but the mood she was in, I knew she wouldn’t talk to me.
“Anyway, he made a separate key for himself and came into my apartment in the middle of the night. It scared the crap out of me because it was dark.”
“Did you call the police?”
She turned to face me, her face pulled in a frown. “Why would I do that? Trust me, this guy couldn’t hurt a fly if he wanted. He might get dirty.”
“That doesn’t mean he isn’t dangerous.”
“Jack, I’m telling you, you’re overreacting. I wasn’t scared then, and I’m not scared now. Besides, I got my key back and showed him the door.”
“Yeah, and he admitted he went back to your apartment with a key. Where did he get that one?”
“He probably had ten copies made. He likes control, but that doesn’t mean he’s dangerous.”
I wanted to curse her for being so nonchalant about this, like him making a spare key wasn't a big deal. That fucker went into her apartment without her permission in the middle of the night and she acted like it wasn’t a problem.
“Okay,” I said, gritting my teeth. “Well, he followed you here, so obviously he hasn’t gotten the hint.”
“If you knew him, you would see he’s not a threat. He’s all talk and no action.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “I think today would prove that's not entirely true.”
“Well, what do you want me to say? Trust me, I've been through the system. I've worked in it and seen it all.”
I could tell I wasn’t going to win on this, so I decided to stop arguing with her about it. “Do you want me to come in with you for a little bit?”
“No,” she said firmly. “I’m fine.”
“I know you're fine, but I could check out the house.”
“I know how to check out my house.”
“Do you have a gun?”
“No, but—“
“Then you can't clear the house properly,” I said, flinging open the door. If she was going to be stubborn about this, I’d just have to make sure that she was protected.
“Jack!” she got out, racing after me as I walked up to her house. “This isn’t a drug
bust. There are no dangerous people lurking around. I’m not in danger. Thomas is on his way back to Chicago, and I’m going to bed.”
“Unless he didn't actually go home. What if he decided to come back? Maybe I should park outside your house tonight.”
“To do what?”
“To watch for him. To make sure he doesn't come back and try something.”
I could tell she was irritated with me based on her stance, but I couldn’t help myself. I hadn’t protected Natalie. There was no way I was going to brush off the incident as if it wasn’t dangerous in some way. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Thomas was a problem and would continue to be a problem until she at the very least got a restraining order against him.
“At least let me come in to check out your house. I just want to make sure it’s safe.”
She chewed her lip in thought. “And you’ll leave once you see everything is fine?”
“Yes, I promise to leave.” Of course, I’d have Carter come sit outside her house just to be on the safe side.
She went to open the door, but then turned back to me. “And you promise not to make Carter stay outside my house all night.”
I muttered a curse under my breath. “Fine, I promise not to call Carter.”
“Or anyone else.”
Sighing heavily, I relented. “Yes, fine. No one sits outside your house. Okay?”
“Alright.”
She pulled out her key, but I took it from her.
“What are you doing? I think I can open my own door.”
Frustrated, I turned to her. “Can you just let me do this? Do you have to fight me on every single fucking thing? I swear to God, it’s just like seven years ago.”
“If it was still like seven years ago, you wouldn’t be obsessing over this,” she muttered.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Can we just get on with this? I’d like to get to bed.”
“Fine, just wait here.”
She snorted in amusement. “Because if he’s coming back for me and he sees me outside, he’ll wait to grab me and decide it would be better to break into my house before he takes me.”
I slowly turned to her, wanting to do…something to that smartass mouth. “Fine. Just stay behind me.”
Four Horsemen: A Small Town Romance (A Good Run Of Bad Luck Book 5) Page 10