Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
Duke
I couldn’t tell if I was drunk on whiskey or drunk on her, but either way, my world was soaked in a slap-happy haze, and I was fucking loving it.
When I’d dropped Valentina off at the guest house after our day at the swimming hole, my lips almost swollen from making out, I’d texted to see if she wanted to meet for a drink later, and she was quick to accept. Watching a huge smile erupt across her face as we played and splashed in the water meant more to me than I’d realized, and even though we’d spent the entire day together, I couldn’t wait another day to see her again.
We met up at the Drunk Skunk, her hair still a little damp from the shower. I got the first round as a thank you for not jumping out of the car when I’d turned down that first dirt road. Valentina got the second as a thank you for not murdering her and throwing her body in the spring water.
“I’ve watched enough true crime shows to know how that story would have ended,” she said, her lip curling into a smile.
“With me in my pick-up, halfway to Canada?”
She shook her head. “You’d have a whole band of angry Mexicans waiting for you at the border to take their revenge.”
We both laughed, whiskey burning my sinuses as I almost snorted it through my nose. For as much time as we’d spent together in the past week, Valentina’s wit was still sharp enough to catch me off guard.
But I also couldn’t believe it had only been a week. Sitting across from her, my whiskey on her lips, an easy, relaxed smile on her face, it all felt so natural. Like she’d lived in Shady Grove her whole life. Like she belonged there. With me.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were starting to warm up to this little town,” I said, dipping my chin and swirling the liquid in my tumbler.
“I don’t know. If I don’t drive through a Starbucks soon, I might lose my license as a city girl,” she replied, arching a perfectly sculpted brow my way.
I smiled and shook my head. Valentina tossed back the rest of her drink, her glossy black hair shimmering over her shoulders. Even in the dim lighting of the bar, she was radiant. Her low-cut top cupped her perky breasts just right, and her jeans hugged her hips in all the right places. The whiskey made her brown eyes glitter, her full lips boasting just a hint of gloss. Sure, she could sometimes be a pain in the ass, but I couldn’t deny how much I enjoyed having her next to me.
“Could you ever see yourself leaving the city for some place quieter? Some place like this?”
I regretted it the second I said it. Cringed at how needy it sounded. I wasn’t the kind of man who kept women around for longer than a few lays, and I especially wasn’t the kind of man to ask a woman to move across state lines to be with him. Every muscle in my body tensed as I waited for whatever biting remark Valentina was about to throw my way.
Only she didn’t.
“Honestly? I never thought I’d want anything besides the city hustle, but after these past few days…I think I’m starting to see the appeal of a place like this.”
I nodded and finished the last of my drink, shrugging like she’d said something as casual as “I like the color blue.” But in reality, my entire world just got rocked. Because what just came out of her mouth opened a whole new door of possibilities. A door I hadn’t considered, hadn’t even thought existed.
“I’ll drink to that,” I replied, flagging the bartender down for another round.
Just then some movement over Valentina’s shoulder caught my eye. A woman had just walked into the bar, her chin-length, curly brown hair bouncing with every step. Our eyes met, and she smiled like she knew me. I gave her a half smile back, which quickly faded when I realized who she was. Amber, my ex from college who’d moved away shortly after we graduated. Her hair was different, but her face was pretty much the same. The same round cheeks, full lips, pale blue eyes. Eyes that bore into mine as she turned the corner, making her way to our table.
It was then that I noticed she wasn’t alone. She had a boy with her, and when his gaze met mine, my stomach dropped.
That kid could have been my clone.
Brown hair, green eyes, same nose, same chin. He even had my same damn dimples. My heart was beating so hard, I thought it might jump right out from my throat. What the hell?
“Earth to Duke, are you paying for this round, or am I?” Valentina’s voice broke me from my panic just in time for Amber and the little boy to reach our table.
“Hey there, Duke. I was hoping I’d find you here.” Amber’s voice was just as sweet and syrupy as ever, but in that moment, it sounded to me like nails on a chalkboard. She smiled broadly at me, her hands on the boy’s shoulders, while the boy stared blankly up at me.
“Hey, Amber,” I said when I finally found my voice. “What’s it been, ten years?”
“Almost eleven.”
I nodded, my mind still spinning, and that’s when I noticed Valentina. She was sitting up perfectly straight, her lips pulled into a thin, taut line across her face. Her eyes were wide and trained on the boy’s face, her expression unreadable.
“This is Valentina,” I said, gesturing to her, but the moment the words left my mouth, Valentina stood and grabbed her purse.
“I was just leaving,” she said, quickly tucking her chair in behind her and forcing a smile at Amber and the boy.
“Valentina—”
I stood to stop her, but she was already gone. Every eye in the Drunk Skunk was on me and my new mini-me. Guessing it wasn’t just me noticing the uncanny resemblance. Chasing my new flame out the door would have been a surefire way of making front-page gossip news. So sadly, I let Valentina go with a promise to myself to call her later.
Amber cleared her throat, and I smiled weakly at her. “What brings you into town?”
“Well, me and Payton here are on a little road trip. I thought it might be nice to finally show him where I grew up.”
I looked down at Payton, smiling and trying to treat him like I would treat any new kid I met. “Hey there, Payton. How do you like Shady Grove so far?”
“It’s alright. Not a whole lot to do here.”
“Yeah, I bet it’s pretty different from where you’re from. Still living in San Antonio?” I asked Amber.
She shook her head. “I moved to Houston ten years ago. Right after Payton was born.”
Ten years. The math added up. Payton could definitely be my kid.
Fuck .
“Good for you guys. Do you like Houston, buddy?”
Payton nodded, but it was clear he was getting restless. He shrugged his mother’s hands off of him, and Amber smiled knowingly at me.
“I better get him back to the hotel. We’re staying at the Willow Inn, and Opal said something about bringing cookies for Payton before bed.”
“Well, I’m glad we ran into each other. Maybe I’ll see you guys around.”
Amber smiled, and the two of them walked away, greeting a few other old friends before leaving. I felt my entire body relax the moment they left, like I’d been holding myself together the entire time I was in their presence.
I downed my whiskey in one gulp, racking my brain to remember those last few months of my relationship with Amber. But there was just one thought that kept circling my mind.
Was I really that much of an idiot at nineteen?