CHAPTER 34
Chase
Sitting in a booth with Bear, I was supposed to be working on running numbers for one of my other businesses. Instead, I was watching Joanie run orders back and forth. The uniform showed off all her curves and made my breath catch every time she leaned over. I kept waiting to see a glimpse of her ass cheeks but I never did. I wasn’t sure if I was disappointed or glad.
“How did you not try with her earlier, Chase? You were alone with her for almost a year.” Bear looked down at his watch and sighed. “I need to go get the girls soon. They can only extend their sleepover for so long.”
Joanie looked over at us and her cheeks darkened before she looked away. I wondered if she was thinking about how we’d filled her the night before. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“I was an idiot.” I tore my gaze from her to look back at Bear. “And I was healing. The divorce would’ve been fine, even through the public embarrassment, if I hadn’t lost Mikey. He was only a couple of weeks old, but he felt like mine. Losing him knocked me on my ass for a while.”
Bear nodded with a dark frown shifting his face into something dangerous. “It was hard not to step in and do something to help. I wanted to punish her.”
“I know. It wouldn’t have helped anything. After everything hit, I just wanted to be out of there. I didn’t give a shit how much I lost or ended up with. I just wanted to be free to lick my wounds.” I found Joanie again and felt my brows draw together. “I’m lucky I didn’t lose everything. That’s why I’m still going to push Joanie to expand this place. She doesn’t have anything to fall back on.”
“I don’t know, man.” He glanced back at Joanie and rolled his neck from side to side. “I get it. I wish she’d let us take this place all the way, too, but how much can you push her before she snaps?”
The same sinking feeling I always got when I thought about the day I pushed Joanie too far, hit me deep in my gut. “I won’t let her snap.”
The bell over the door went off and I looked up to see Smith rushing towards us. He never rushed to do anything, even when he was running, so seeing the look on his face made me cringe. He was supposed to be out walking Mack but I didn’t see Mack anywhere when I looked out the window. What I did see sent a chill down my back and the sinking feeling in my gut tripled.
Smith planted his hands on the table and bent low so his harsh whisper only reached us. “There’s a fucking group of socialites headed this way. Tell me you didn’t do this, Chase.”
I shook my head. “No. Those are definitely the type of people Joanie used to run with, though.”
“Why are they here? They were loud as shit, talking about coming here to see the diner.” Chase glanced up as the door swung open. “This isn’t going to go well.”
My brain ran through all the feelers I’d sent out over the past few months but I knew I’d never sent anything to anyone Joanie had hung around with in the city. I wasn’t that stupid. “I didn’t do this. I was careful.”
“Isn’t this just so quaint? Wow! Imagine doing photos here!” The painfully loud voice of Hillary Faulton, daughter of Henry Faulton, owner and CEO of Faulton Industries, filled the entire diner. She had a tiny dog in her purse and enough diamonds on to blind a man. “Seriously, Jenny. Isn’t that new Finelli line vintage inspired? I bet I’d get a million likes.”
Everyone in the diner turned to look at the show and I watched as Joanie saw the group standing in the doorway of her diner. She paled and dropped the tub of dishes she’d been carrying to the kitchen.
Charlie came out of the kitchen to help her and there were squeals that went up from the group of outsiders as they spotted him.
“Charles Daniels! What are you doing here?! I was sure we wouldn’t see a handsome man with money until we got back to the city!” Hillary hurried over to throw her arms around Charlie’s neck. “Don’t tell me you’re broke now. I thought you had your own money. Did Chase’s little problem hurt you, too?”
Charlie tried to pry her arms from around his neck but he wasn’t making much progress. The sound of crashing from the kitchen motivated him, though. “I have to go. Nice seeing you.”
I was on my feet and heading towards Joanie, but I wasn’t fast enough. Hillary’s eyes landed on Joanie and she let out a piercing scream. Joanie flinched, as did most people in the diner.
“Joanie! What in the world is going on here? I haven’t seen you in years! I almost didn’t recognize you in this…getup. Are you…working here?” Hillary patted her friend, Jenny Walters, on the arm. “You remember Joanie, right? She had that big blow up with your boy toy back in the day. Remember?”
Jenny raised her eyebrows and laughed. “Oh, my god. Wow. I just assumed you went to rehab and got fat or something. This is so much worse, Joanie. You’re a waitress?”
The group all laughed in unison until Hillary raised her hand and they immediately stopped. “Oh, play nice, Jenny. It’s not like you have any reason to be threatened. Anyway, Joanie. What’s up? What’s going on with you? Tell me everything. Like, are you here with Charles? That’s weird, right? It’s weird. Why are you both here?”
I pushed past them and gripped Joanie’s arm. “Hey, I need your help in the back.”
Another shrill scream from Hillary punched my eardrums. “Oh, this is just too perfect! Chase Daniels and Joanie Cartwright. Two disgraced city dwellers hiding together in the boonies. When Daddy told me to come check this place out to see if it’s got something he’d be interested in, I thought this would be just another wasted trip. I can’t wait to tell Daddy what we found here.”
I felt Joanie’s body stiffen as she turned towards me. I wanted to tell her I hadn’t brought the assholes to our diner, but it wasn’t the time. I just needed to get rid of them. “Tell your daddy that there’s nothing here for him.”
“I’m not so sure. The restaurant is whatever, but this story? Joanie Cartwright as a waitress? Every tabloid that ever ran a picture of Joanie’s bare tits will die for this. From club girl to poor waitress, it’s the riches to rags story everyone loves. Can I take a picture of you, Joanie? I mean, it’s just too good not to.”
I grabbed the phone Hillary started to raise. “Get the fuck out.”
Jenny gasped. “You can’t talk to us like that!”
One of the meathead guys backing up their group stepped forward. “Watch how you talk to Hillary, asshole.”
I took a step towards him and he must’ve seen the danger in my eyes because he stepped back. “All of you. Get the fuck out now. You’re not welcome here and you never will be.”
Bear spoke up from behind them. “If you’re still here by the time I get to three, I’m throwing you out.”
Smith shoved the door open. “Three.”
The rest of the group fled but Hillary adjusted her purse and crossed her arms. “You don’t get to treat us like that. You know who we are. And we know who you are.”
I walked to the door and threw her phone out into the street. “I don’t give a shit. Get out.”
She stomped out and then the diner was left in a painful silence. Joanie had managed to stay under the radar and not let any locals know about her past for five years and that had all just gone up in smoke. Everyone in the diner was probably already texting their friends about what happened.
Joanie had disappeared into the back but she came out with her purse and a wild look in her eyes. When I tried to stop her, she shoved past me and rushed in the opposite direction the group of assholes had gone. I swore and chased after her.