by J. L. Leslie
“Sing with me, my sweet Jade.”
I can still hear her voice and see her dancing. I know I look like her, with my blue eyes and blonde hair. At one time, she was beautiful, but as I grew older, I watched her deteriorate into a shell of the woman she once was.
Of course, she eventually traded that radio for drugs and the days of music filling our trailer were over. Still, I try to think of those days when I think of her. Not how badly she fucked things up. How she lost everything for us. Those days are behind me.
Chapter Six
Madden
I’m a smart man. I may have been blind to the fact that my brother was fucking who I thought was the love of my life, but that doesn’t make me an idiot. I recognize the fact that I don’t fit in the place I’m calling my temporary home. My usual attire of dress slacks, button-up shirts, khakis and polos aren’t suited for Hollis.
So, when I did my shopping in Redbud, I purchased jeans and t-shirts. Hell, I even grabbed a pair of flip-flops. Never in my life have I owned a pair of flip-flops. My mother would have a heart attack.
Elizabeth Steele is the epitome of a trophy wife. She looks beautiful on my father’s arm, not a hair on her head out of place. The best plastic surgery money can buy. She knows exactly when to speak, what to say, and when to keep her damn mouth shut. She blessed my father with three male heirs to run Steele Industries when he retires because, according to him, women are only good for one thing.
She dresses impeccably, never eats, and all of my father’s friends adore her. There isn’t a motherly bone in her body. Only the drive to make my father happy and to do whatever it takes to keep the Steele name spotless. She doesn’t seem to understand, nothing is ever good enough for Stanton Steele.
Shaking my head, I turn up my radio to drown out my thoughts when I spot a car pulled over beside the road, flashers on. Typically, I wouldn’t bother stopping to help a stranger, but there’s a familiarity about the blonde perched on the hood of the car, cell phone in hand.
I slow down and turn around, pulling to a stop in front of her. Jade looks over to me as I get out, hopping down from her car when I approach.
“You all right?” I ask.
“My check engine light came on and the car made a weird sound. Won’t crank now. Casey’s going to send Caleb to check it out when he gets off work.”
I furrow my brow. “When will that be?”
She shrugs. “A few hours. He’s on a construction job.”
I walk over to her door and open it. “Tell him not to worry about it.”
She hesitates as I pop the hood, but I don’t bother waiting on her to figure out if I can fix the problem. My father may be an asshole, but he made sure all of his sons are self-reliant.
“When was the last time you had the oil changed?” Her cheeks go red at my question. “Jade?”
“Brady was going to do it, but then he never did, so, I don’t know.”
I brace my hands on the car. “When did the check engine light come on?”
She ignores me and starts texting, no doubt telling Casey she has the issue handled. “A while back.”
“A while back? Does that mean a month ago or a year ago? Jesus!”
“Look, I don’t need a damn lecture from you or anybody else! My piece of shit ex-boyfriend was supposed to change the oil! He even bought me a kit and everything and then he just up and left town, okay? I’m sorry I don’t know how to change the oil in my car!”
I sigh, frustrated, and run a hand through my hair. “Just give me the damn kit.”
She laughs a little. “You’re going to change my oil?”
I narrow my eyes at her. “If you would’ve ridden with me in the first place, you wouldn’t be stranded. So, unless you want to walk your sassy ass back to Hollis, I suggest you give me the damn kit.”
She blushes again, and crosses her arms, but walks back to her trunk and gets me the oil changing kit. I strip out of my polo shirt, leaving only my white tee on. Oil changes are always messy.
By the time I’m finished, I’m sweaty and dirty. Not exactly the way I imagined my shopping trip to Redbud to turn out. But Jade’s oil is changed and her check engine light is off. I even showed her a few things so she would know what to do the next time this happened.
I thought I would get to lay low in this town. Hide out in my room and maybe drown in my sorrow and self-pity. Looks like Hollis has other plans for me.
Chapter Seven
Jade
I have to admit, I’m completely shocked Madden knew what he was doing. He doesn’t strike me as the type to be mechanically inclined. But he stripped out of his polo and went to work.
Now, his hands all greasy, his hair is sweaty, and that white tee he had on isn’t quite so white. He looks like he’s from Hollis now and that suits him just as much as his khakis and polo shirt.
“Who taught you how to work on cars?”
He grabs the hem of his shirt and wipes his hand, exposing his toned abs. I tear my eyes away, reminding myself that I’m steering clear of guys I know are straight up trouble.
“My father made my brothers and me take a class.”
“He didn’t teach you himself?”
“No.”
I shrug. “Guess it worked. What do I owe you?”
He looks at me like I’m crazy. “You think I would charge you for that?”
“Nothing in life is free, Madden.”
There was a time I was charged for asking directions. I don’t assume anything or expect kindness from anyone, especially when I don’t know them. It’s a cruel world.
“What’s your story?” he questions, slamming my hood.
“Ahh, that is worth way more than an oil change.”
I walk over and lean inside my car, grabbing the soda I have left from lunch. I take the lid off and hand it to him. He hesitates a moment but then accepts it, finishing it off before handing me back the empty cup.
“Thanks.”
“What’s your story?” I ask.
“That’s worth more than half a cup of soda,” he replies with a charming grin.
“How about tacos?” I counter.
“Hmm. I do love tacos.”
“Well, Marlene makes the best tacos and it’s Taco Tuesday at Jack’s tonight. You should really come down and join in on the fun. I could ply you with tacos and you can tell me your story.”
He stands up. “Yes, to the tacos, but no to my story. I’m not that easy.”
I laugh. “Fine. Tacos it is. As a thank you for changing my oil.”
“That ex of yours should’ve taken care of you better,” he calls out as he heads to his truck. “I’ll follow you back to Hollis.”
His jab at Brady makes me smile. Madden is right. Brady should’ve treated me better. Now, him wanting to be friends, acting like he did nothing wrong, is so frustrating. I deserve better friends than that.
As for Madden, I’ll let him slide on not telling me his story. I know he came to Hollis to get away from something. Maybe he has issues with his parents the way I do. Maybe he wants to be as far away from home, too.
Either way, he doesn’t want to share his reasons for coming to Hollis and I can’t blame him. I don’t exactly go around telling people about my past either. What would they think of me if they knew the things I did to survive?
Chapter Eight
Madden
I slide my feet into the flip-flops and wiggle my toes a minute, getting used to the feel of them. They’re surprisingly comfortable. With a shrug, I open my door and head downstairs. Jack’s is noisy and rowdy, making me almost regret my decision to join in on Taco Tuesday. Of course, the noise would’ve only annoyed me upstairs. Disadvantage of renting a room above a bar.
“Wow. You weren’t joking about Taco Tuesday night,” I say, taking a seat at the bar in front of Jade. “Guess I need to see if they live up to the hype.”
She smiles over at me as a redheaded waitress approaches with a tray of empty bar bottles.
“Casey!” Jade scolds and nudges her side. “I’m so sorry about my friend. She has no filter.”
“It’s all right. Nice to meet you, Casey.”
“Jade! Casey! Either of you working tonight? We need pitchers!”
I glance over my shoulder at the guy holding his hands up at the pool tables. A woman is standing beside him, her arms wrapped around his waist.
“Ugh. See what I mean?” Casey asks.
“He must be the ex.”
Jade furrows her brow. “What makes you think that?”
“Loud. Obnoxious. Desperately trying to use that girl to make you jealous. Has to be him.”
Casey gives Jade a pointed look and she sighs. “Yes, it’s him, but I highly doubt he’s trying to make me jealous. Now, Casey will get you a drink and I’ll get you some tacos. Brady can wait.”
“Whiskey on the rocks,” I say as Jade disappears into the kitchen.
Casey nods and grabs a glass from beneath the bar. She slides my drink over to me. “You hurt my friend and I’ll serve you your nuts on a platter.”
With the flash of a smile, she fixes two pitchers and carries them over to the pool tables. I hear Brady mumble about her taking long enough and then Jade emerges with a plate full of tacos.
I take a bite and the flavor bursts onto my tongue, making my mouth water. “These are delicious.”
“I’ll be sure to tell Marlene we have another taco lover.”
I take another bite, finishing off the taco in two more bites and quickly ready to start on another one. I see Jade looking over at the pool tables where her ex is.
“Don’t be that girl, Jade.”
“What girl is that?”
“He’s here with someone else. Don’t watch them.”
She grabs the whiskey and refills my glass. “And what am I supposed to do? Pretend I don’t see them? He’s rubbing her in my face.”
“Ignore them. She’s got nothing on you.”
“It’s just frustrating.”
“Come eat a taco with me, then,” I suggest. “I’m willing to share one.”
“Only one?”
I smirk. “Yes, only one.”
Chapter Nine
Jade
I settle on the stool beside Madden, knowing the bar is fine for a few minutes. Besides, I need a break. Seeing Brady with someone else has affected me more than I realized it would.
I haven’t dated too many guys, and really only Brady since coming to Hollis. It took me long enough to give into his charms. I somewhat blame my lack of dating on trust issues, but that’s only partly the case. My mom’s reputation scared off any redeemable guy. No one wanted to date the junkies’ daughter.
They only wanted one thing from me, and I thought if I gave them that, they would stay. But I quickly learned it didn’t matter what I did for them, they still didn’t stay.
My real issue with relationship is me. I expected more from Brady than I knew he was willing to give. I set myself up for heartbreak and I know better. People like me don’t get a happy ending.
“So, how long has Taco Tuesday been a thing in Hollis?” Madden asks, breaking me from my thoughts.
“I honestly don’t know. I’ve only been here a couple of years. It was a big thing already.”
“Okay, where were you before Hollis?”
“That would be getting into my story,” I reply, accepting the taco he offers. “I’ll tell you this. It’s a place way bigger than Hollis.”
He chuckles. “That narrows it down.”
“And you?”
“Oh yeah, a place way bigger than Hollis as well.”
“Are you going back?” I ask, taking a bite.
He nods slowly. “Probably. When I’m ready. You?”
I shake my head. “Nope. Hollis is home for me now.”
I’m ready for another bite when Brady approaches. “Jade, we need another tray of tacos and a couple more pitchers.” He eyes Madden and the plate of tacos we’re sharing. “You on break or something?”
“Yeah, I was. Casey’s covering your table.”
“Casey is busy. Do your job, Jade. You are a waitress, right?” Brady snaps.
“Hey, man, she’s on a break. She’ll get to your table when she’s back,” Madden says.
“Stay out of it, city boy.”
I put my half-eaten taco back on Madden’s plate and get up before their argument can escalate. “I’ll be right there, Brady. Wouldn’t want you and your girlfriend to get hungry.”
“Jade...” he starts, his voice trailing, but I don’t give him the opportunity to say anything else.
“Thanks for the taco, Madden. I’ll be back to finish it.”
I brush past Brady and go into the kitchen to get them some more tacos. Marlene is finishing up for the night and lets me know she’s cooking her last batch. I fix another tray for the group and then fill two pitchers of beer before carrying it over to them.
“Jade, I’m sorry,” Brady apologizes, obviously feeling guilty. “Can we talk later?”
“Marlene is closing up the kitchen. Be sure your settle your tab before you leave.”
“Jade, come on,” Brady pleads, but I ignore him and go back over to Madden who has finished off his tacos. Mine is still on his plate.
Chapter Ten
Madden
“I want another taco, Jade.” I laugh as she shakes her head at me. “Please.”
“You’ve already had seven!”
I finish off my whiskey shot and grin at her. “I shared two of those with you,” I remind her. “Besides, they’re only fifty cents because it’s Taco Tuesday!” I yell this and the other patrons still in the bar let out a cheer. “I’m not going to go broke buying tacos tonight. And they’re so good!”
Jade laughs at my exaggeration. I reach across the bar and grab her hand, stopping her from clearing off the empty beer bottles.
“I’m serious, Jade. They’re possibly the best fucking tacos I’ve ever had,” I say with a straight face.
“How many whiskeys have I served you?” she questions and I laugh. “I’ll get you another one and then I’m cutting you off — on both the whiskey and the tacos!”
I watch her disappear behind the swinging door to the kitchen. I turn around on the barstool and look at the crowd. An upbeat country song plays loudly and several couples are up dancing.
“Come on, pretty boy! I’m done cooking tacos.” Marlene catches me by surprise and pulls me off the stool.
“No, wait!” I protest, but she isn’t listening.
“I work one night a week, handsome, and that’s Taco Tuesday. Now, you and me are hitting this dance floor!” Marlene puts her hands on my shoulders and starts shaking her hips. “Don’t be afraid of these hips, sweetie! They ain’t going to hurt you!”
I laugh and start dancing with her, noticing the raised eyebrows I’m getting from the crowd. Jade’s ex is propped against the pool table with a smartass smirk on his face. He seems like a complete prick.
Holy shit. Marlene has turned around and is bending over in front of me. I look to the bar for any sign of Jade. I catch her attention and give her pleading look.
She has a huge grin on her face, and I can tell she’s laughing hysterically. I’m relieved when she starts my way, though. I definitely need rescuing.
“Mind if I cut in?” Jade asks and Marlene straightens up.
“Well, I guess so, honey.”
The moment she’s out of earshot I say, “Thank you. I swear she was going to find a way to fit me in that giant handbag of hers and take me home with her tonight.”
“Did you just make a joke, Madden?”
“I am a man of many talents, Jade,” I assure her. I urge her to get a little closer to me. It feels good to have her
right here. I realize I’ve completely forgotten about my tacos. It’s nice to let my guard down for a moment.
“If that’s so, let’s play a game of pool,” she challenges, breaking away from our dance too quickly.
I follow her over to a pool table where a game just ended. She calls dibs and hands me a pool cue. I let her break and smile at the look of concentration on her face.
When it’s my turn, I lean over and take a difficult shot, sinking a solid. Jade’s eyes narrow as she realizes she has some competition and that maybe I’m not quite as drunk as she assumed.
Halfway through the game Casey approaches with a couple of beers. “You two look like you could use these.”
“Thanks.”
“So, you into cougars?”
I nearly choke on the sip of beer. “No!” I cough and clear my throat. “Not into cougars.”
“You had me worried there. I thought blondes were more your style.”
I hear Jade mumble, but can’t make out what she said. She’s blushing though and it’s cute as hell. She steps past me to line up her shot and avoids looking in my direction.
“Maybe,” I answer, and smirk when she misses.
I start to tease her about missing her shot when a group of people come up to the table, one of them being her prick ex and the brunette he’s been showing off all night. She’s clinging to him so closely there might as well be a magnet up his ass. Another darker haired man leans in close to Casey and whispers something in her ear. Her cheeks flame red, but a big smile spreads across her face.
“Eight ball. Corner pocket.”
I glance up to Jade, who seems to be a little too distracted by her ex and his girl. I told her not to let them bother her, but I imagine if Keegan and Amelia were here I would be acting a lot differently. When I call my shot, her attention snaps back to me and she shakes her head.
“No way.”
I line it up and take the shot. I know before hearing the ball go in that it will. Jade nearly gasps in surprise.