Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“You got it.”
I hadn’t expected meeting Duke like that would end with us not hating each other, though I supposed it was me who’d always hated him. I still didn’t not hate the guy but knowing someone like that was around my son left me with a certain comfort that I couldn’t find before.
Duke continued on his run, and I walked back to my truck, watching the light break through the trees and the few passersby around inhale the freshest air they’d find in the middle of Dallas Metro.
All our talk about Darlene made me miss James. A lot.
I headed toward Darlene’s, but when I pulled up, Darlene’s car wasn’t there. In its place was a deep-red van I’d seen many times before. Sherry was in high school when she first babysat for us, but now she was in college.
Before I decided to get out of the truck, I wondered whether that would be weird. Sherry had probably grown used to seeing Duke around. The house wasn’t my home anymore, so walking in was probably less than appropriate. The poor girl wouldn’t know how to handle that, so with a defeated sigh, I headed back to the warehouse but decided to stop at the bar for lunch before going in.
When I entered, there were things I expected and those I didn’t. I expected to see people at the bar, shooting back shots or mulling over a couple of beers. Then there was what I didn’t expect, multiplied by two. I didn’t expect to see my ex-wife at the bar, and more than that, I definitely didn’t expect to see Christie laughing it up right alongside her.
Chapter 28
Christie
Darlene’s face fell before it softened again. I turned to see where she was looking, and my heart leaped at the sight of Ryan heading toward us. He’d seen us, which meant he was probably drawing his own conclusions. His—what was I, a lover? Friend with benefits? — sitting at the bar, drinking beer with his ex-wife. How would that look? How did that look? My heart hammered inside my chest, and I shoved our empty glasses away just in time for the bartender to take them from us.
Great timing, I thought sarcastically.
“Good evening, ladies.” Ryan’s voice was calm and warm. He carried a comfortable air about him that looked unfamiliar. I hadn’t known him long at all, but still, he seemed different.
“I’m not even surprised you found us here,” Darlene said, drawing my confusion, to which she just winked.
“This is where I live, so I’m starting to wonder if you were trying to find me.” Ryan shed the brown jacket he wore to reveal a soft-gray T-shirt underneath. A couple of pens peeked out of the chest pocket, and I stared at them while I wondered what I should feel about this and whether it meant I needed to leave.
“Where have you been?” Darlene patted the space beside her, and when he eagerly followed her cue, I understood exactly what needed to happen.
“I need to get some sleep,” I said, waving for the bartender to close me out. “You can take my chair, Ryan.” I started to offer him a weak smile, but Darlene jerked me back down in my seat, and I yelped in surprise.
“No, stay.”
“But—”
Ryan slid between us but shot me a hopeful look that made my chest tighten. “Stay, Christie. I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”
“To me? But I’ve—I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about.” My gaze fell to my feet.
“Nothing you don’t already know, girl!” Darlene laughed and swatted at me, but Ryan’s body kept her from reaching all the way. “Don’t go. I mean, if you have to, fine. But if you don’t, you’ll only make it awkward if you leave.”
“What?” Ryan’s fake look of hurt drew a smile to my face, and I cupped my hand over my mouth as Ryan held his chest. “I’m not here to make things awkward, but I am here for a beer.” He waved down the bartender, who seemed to know exactly what he wanted.
I folded over the counter, already dreading the next however long we’d be here. Ryan motioned toward a newly empty table with tall stools near the bar, so we moved there so we could all sit.
“So?”
Ryan splayed his hands, and his eyes bugged out in confusion. “So?”
Darlene leaned against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. “Where have you been?”
“Trying to get some stuff ironed out.”
“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”
Ryan jabbed his thumb into his chest. “Me?”
“And you didn’t think to call?” she pressed.
“Honestly, I’ve been ignoring my phone entirely.” He blinked. “I am trying to keep myself from running off to fix whatever happens in Waco every time it rings. It’s a work in progress.”
Darlene seemed satisfied with that answer, but her stare remained locked on Ryan for a few more moments before she relinquished her hold. When she returned to her beer and took a long drink, I glanced between the two, my mind going blank with things to talk about. With Ryan here, the comfort I felt around Darlene faded to a squirming tangle of worms tying knots around my gut and heart. I wanted to tell Ryan so many things and ask so much more, but I still hadn’t figured out how he felt about any of this—about us.