Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
NASH
Life went on.
And on.
And on.
It’d been too damn long since I’d walked away from Rory, and I had to fight myself every day not to slide right back into our old habits. Not to run my finger down her arm at a client’s house, brush the hair out of her face, back her into the wall and kiss her senseless. And I’d forced myself to turn around more than once as I’d headed to town hall just to see her smile.
But I couldn’t allow myself any of it. I’d decided at an early age I wasn’t chasing anyone who didn’t want me. I’d learned that lesson when my momma’d walked straight out of my life and hadn’t looked back. And I’d learned it again in the years living with my old man. Things like that had a way of sticking to a person.
I ran the sander along the posts of the headboard I’d made, smoothing out the rough wood. I’d secretly been crafting it since I’d seen the picture Ava had circled in Rory’s magazine. I had no idea why I was still working on it. Had no idea if I’d give it to them when I was done, and if I did, if she’d even let me into her house to do so.
None of it mattered much, though, because working on this made me feel closer to her, so I was going to keep right on doing it. Which was sad and a little pathetic, but it was what it was. When I couldn’t sleep or quiet my mind—which had been all too frequent of late—this was where I went.
The front door to the warehouse opened, and I glanced up to see my old man strolling toward me. I clenched my jaw, my thoughts immediately snapping back to what Rory had told me. How my dad had hit on her. And, in doing so, had started the domino effect that caused Rory to push me away.
I hadn’t spoken to my dad since. Hadn’t wanted to. I’d been too worried I’d say something I’d later come to regret.
“Hey, kid. Workin’ on something new?” My dad smoothed his hand over the footboard propped against the wall. “Figured you for something a little more masculine, but whatever floats your boat.”
The whir of the sander and the cadence of the music coming from my phone were the only things filling the space between us.
When I didn’t respond, my dad said, “Wanted to let you know Bozeman’s been puttin’ on the pressure. A deal’s on the horizon.”
Perfect. Just the news I wanted to hear. I’d figured it’d been a lost cause to continue busting my ass in the hopes of buying out my dad since learning the vague details from Bozeman. But I’d still tried. Now, it seemed I didn’t need to.
“Not in a talkative mood?” my dad asked.
I shut off the sander and set it on the workbench before pulling off my safety glasses and tossing them aside. “What do you want me to say?”
“Dunno, just thought?—”
“You want me to tell you what a bad fucking idea this is? How it’s selfish and short-sighted and not what Granddad had intended? Or maybe we should shove all that aside and just talk about you.” I crossed my arms, my anger too volatile to continue repressing. I’d been doing it for twenty years, and I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Me?”
“Yeah, you. Let’s talk about how you can’t go a single day in this goddamn town without tryin’ to get your dick wet.”
My dad laughed, like we were buddies sharing a joke. Just two pals talking about how much pussy we were going to score for the weekend instead of a father and son.
“Oh, yeah, it’s real fucking funny, isn’t it? You have any idea what that’s like for someone who shares your name? Your looks? Your everything ? Who’s comin’ in behind you, tryin’ to atone for your sins? You have any idea how hard I had to bust my ass to gain a solid reputation for this business after you nearly ran it into the ground? Bet you never thought about any of it, did you?”
The smile dropped off his face, and he ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. “Look, kid…so I like to have a good time, so what? I always wrap it up, and the women know the score goin’ in.” He shrugged. “It’s never been an issue for you before.”
“How the hell would you know? You’ve never asked.”
“And you’ve never spoken up, so what changed?”
I fisted my hands at my sides so I wouldn’t be tempted to start throwing the thousands of dollars’ worth of tools surrounding me. “What changed was you tried to sleep with my girlfriend.”
My dad’s eyebrows shot up, and he rocked back on his heels. “Your girlfriend? I didn’t even know you were seein’ someone. Who?”
I didn’t know whether to be incredulous or downright pissed. Apparently, my dad had hit on so many women in the past two weeks that he couldn’t even remember whom he’d done it to. “Rory. Just had to snag that fresh meat, right?”
“Rory Haven? Shit, I had no idea you were together.”
“Yeah, well, we’re not anymore, no thanks to you.”
My dad held up his hands and shook his head. “All I did was tell her I’d be happy to help with anything around the house.”
“Nice cover, Pops, but you and I both know that was a bullshit excuse to get in her bed. She knows it too.”
He shrugged, not bothering to deny it. “She’s… Well, she’s…”
“You better watch whatever you say right now.”
My dad closed his mouth and studied me for a few tense, silent moments. Finally, he asked, “Aren’t you a little young for her?”
“Aren’t I a little young for her?” I blew out an incredulous laugh. “Aren’t you ? I’ve done more livin’, more growin’ in twenty-five years than you’ve done in double that because I had to. Because I had a mom who left me and a dad who checked out after that. I had no choice but to grow the fuck up. So, no, I don’t think I’m a little young for her.”
“Okay, all right. I’m?—”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but Rory and I were good together. Really fucking good. And now you’ve fucked up everything between us.”
“I’m—I?—”
“And in doing so, you’ve screwed me over with the only chance I had of buyin’ King Construction and keepin’ it in the family before the fucking Bozemans get their hands on it. But when the hell have you ever given a damn about family, right? When have you ever given a damn about anything but yourself and your next piece of ass?”
I shook my head, not allowing myself to read anything into the stricken look in my dad’s eyes. Every single word had needed to be said, and I wouldn’t feel bad for finally doing so. Regret wasn’t anywhere to be found.
“Just tell me when everything’s settled, and I’ll clean out my shit. But just so there’s no mistake, you and I?” I gestured between us. “We’re done. I’ve tried my whole life to get you to see me, to get your attention, and I’m over it. I should’ve walked away a long time ago. This little stunt just proved I’d have been better off without you.”
I didn’t wait for my dad to leave. This time, I was the one to walk away.