“What did you do?”
Shame sweeps through my veins. I hate that I reacted at all, let alone how I did. “Brenna went over to the jukebox and started playing that Gretchen Wilson song ‘Homewrecker’ and, well, when she came back up to the bar to order her drink, I threw it in her face.”
I wait for Ford to be upset, to be disgusted at my childish behavior, but it doesn’t happen. Instead, he starts laughing, a rich, deep sound that catches me completely by surprise. “Good.”
“Good?”
“Yeah, good, sweetheart. She deserved a drink in the face for being such an evil bitch.”
“Well, I agree, but Jet didn’t. He, uh, gave me some time off.”
He’s silent on the other end of the line, and I pull my phone back to see if we were disconnected. “Time off?”
I sigh with embarrassment. “Yeah. He called the other bartender and sent me home to get away for a bit. She’s taking my hours this weekend.”
“This weekend?”
“Yes. She’s working for me Friday and Saturday night.”
“What about tomorrow and Sunday?” he asks.
“I was already off those nights.”
“Come here.”
His words give me pause. “What?”
“Come to Ohio. He gave you time off because he knew you needed a break. So get out of town for a few days. You can drive here tomorrow; hell, I’ll even rent you a car. Stay until I have to return to base Monday morning.”
“I can’t,” I argue, almost as a reflex, even though the idea is intriguing.
“Why not? Chad’s here. You can visit with us and see my hometown. It’s not too long of a drive. Just a few hours, Shayne.” There’s hope in his words and excitement in his voice that has my heartbeat kicking up with anticipation.
“I don’t know,” I reply, but in my mind, I’m already packing my bags. Why can’t I go? My usual excuse is work, but that’s not a problem right now. I have the four days off and don’t have to return to Jet’s until Monday at four. That gives me plenty of time to go there, visit, and come back.
Except going there means… what? We’re in a relationship? In a way, we are, even though we haven’t put a name to it. We decided to stay in touch as much as possible, to get to know each other, and see where it goes. Going to Ohio would definitely be doing that, right?
But is meeting his family too much? I barely know him, and suddenly, I’d be meeting his parents and twin sister. She sounded super nice earlier on the phone, but that was before I just showed up at their house uninvited to see her brother.
Only… I have been invited.
“Come. Don’t say no. Come see where I’m from and spend a little more time with me. I’ve been missing you like crazy, and it’s only been a handful of hours. Give us a few more days before I have to report,” he pleads, an urgency very evident in his deep voice.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“I don’t need you to rent me a car though. Mine should be fine. My uncle taught me to change my own oil when I was a teenager, and I just put new tires on her last winter.” Relief rushes through me. I’m going to Ohio. To see Ford.
“I’m so fucking happy you’re coming here, Shayne. So damn happy you don’t even know.”
“Me too,” I reply with a smile, realizing I am. I can’t wait to see him again. Watching him drive away earlier this afternoon about killed me. Sure, this next time he leaves will probably be ten times worse, but I don’t care.
It’s a risk I’m willing to take.
I have to.
It’s as if it’s out of my control, like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. It just… is.
“How about I text you my address in the morning and you can let me know when you get on the road? It’ll take you about three and a half hours to get here, give or take. If you leave in the morning, traffic shouldn’t be too bad,” he rambles, making me smile.
I gaze back out the window and sigh.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I answer honestly. “I was just looking up and saw the Big Dipper.”
“Me too. It’s bright tonight.”
“It is.” Deep breath. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yeah, sweetheart, you will. And about all that other shit that happened tonight? Let it go. I know it’s easier said than done, but I have faith in you. You’re an amazing person with a heart of gold, and I’m lucky as hell to have caught your eye.”
“Pfff, I don’t know about all of that.”
“I do,” he insists. “I knew it from the first moment I laid eyes on you.”
I’m grinning again, something I seem to be doing a lot of where Ford is concerned.
“I’m sorry you’ve been hurt in the past, Shayne, but know I’ll never do that to you. I’ll never lie to you or use you the way he did. In fact, I’ve made it my life’s mission to never see anything but a smile on your face for the rest of my life. It hurts me to hear the pain in your voice or see it in your eyes. I’ll never be like them. I promise.”