10. Shiloh
Shiloh
Pressing my ear to the door, I wait for him to leave.
It’s five in the morning and I’m dressed for work, but I still need to brush my teeth, and I’m doing everything I can to avoid my husband because I don’t want to see him.
He knows too much now, and I can’t face him.
I’m still shocked with myself. I married Ledger Hayes, and no one knows.
I wonder what my mom would say, not that she’d care.
With every day that goes by, this feels like it’s getting harder and harder. I have no business feeling anything for my husband when I just got out of a relationship with a man who is capable of beating a woman with no remorse.
I need to focus on my own plan, save money, and work on healing mentally and physically for the next six months to a year. My heart needs to stay in my chest, where it belongs.
The garage door slams at 5:03 on the dot, like it does every day, and I wait a second, making sure he doesn’t come back.
When he doesn’t, I finish getting ready and get to the dinner by 5:30.
I should be used to the morning shift by now because I’ve been doing it for years, but it still sucks getting up at 4:40 in the morning.
It’s not normal. No human should be up that early.
Yet, I swear I hear Ledger in his room already awake before me.
The man is like clockwork. He’s rigid and unforgiving in his schedule, and if everything isn’t the way he likes it, then it’s wrong.
I haven’t said a word because it’s not my house, and I’m living here for free. He saved my ass. By no means am I about to rock that boat.
I’ve tried to keep my things together, but I know myself, and I’m failing miserably. It’s the thought that counts, right?
Parking on the side of the diner, I go through the back door and hang my purse on the hook.
“Hey Shy, how ya doin’?” Bear asks me.
“Hey Bear, I’m fine. Where’s Jenkins? I thought his shift was this morning.”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “What? You don’t want some chocolate milk in the morning?” he asks, gesturing to himself.
I give him a look. “Bear, you know chocolate is my favorite.”
“You know that’s right,” he grins and flips some hash browns. “Do you want some eggs too, Shy?” he yells from the window while I set up our breakfast menus. The closing shift is supposed to do this, but they never do.
“Sure. You know I’m not picky!”
“Hey Shy,” Mollie-Mae says, setting a cup full of coffee on the counter for me.
“Hey girl.”
“How are you feeling?” Mollie asks with worry in her eyes. She’s so sweet, and I don’t know why I feel a little guilty for telling Ledger about her, but the last thing I wanted was to dive deeper into my relationship with Grey. Mollie was a nice change of subject.
“I’m alright, thank you for asking. I think the ribs are healing up nicely. I go to the doctor today.”
She nods and glances at my ring, taking a sip of her coffee, before sliding her order pad into one of the little pocket on our aprons.
I know she wants to know who I married because she knows it’s not Grey. But I don’t think Ledger and I are prepared for the whole town to know. I’m amazed we’ve kept it quiet for a few weeks. It probably helps that Ledger isn’t wearing his ring. It doesn’t bother me though because this isn’t real.
The morning rush goes by quickly, and it hasn’t been a bad day. Until Grey walks through the door, all bandaged up and murder in his eyes.
I spin so my back is to him. I know it’s a terrible idea. My back should not be to him, but he won’t do anything in public. Right? I don’t trust him, obviously, but I don’t want to be anywhere near him either.
I start to slide my phone out of my pocket and call Ledger, but then I stop myself. I don’t have his number, and I probably should. And I can stand up for myself. I’ve been doing it all my life, why stop now?
I spin on my heel and Bear is already standing behind the counter giving Grey, try me eyes.
I pat him on the shoulder and nod. “It’s okay, I’ve got this.”
“Nah, honey, you don’t need to be anywhere near that asshole. I’ll take his order and let you spit in it first.”
I snort and let Bear take the lead. He walks up to Grey, sitting at one of the booths, and completely ignores him, staring at me instead. I let him, and I don’t back down. He doesn’t get to win.
“Hey, I’m talkin’ to you. Don’t look at her, look at me. What do you want?” Bear asks.
The bell rings again. I glance at the door, and my knees nearly give out in relief.
Ledger walks in and stops, staring at me.
A shaky breath brushes my lips, and if it wasn’t completely weird or out of the blue for me to do it, I’d throw myself into his arms. But we haven’t discussed that part of our relationship. We probably should.
I glance at Bear and Grey again, and he frowns, looking over his shoulder. Ledger tenses and walks up to the booth.
This cannot be good.
“Should we do something?” Mollie-Mae asks from the corner of her mouth.
“No, Ledger’s got it,” I whisper.
She nods and goes to a couple on the other side of the diner to refill their coffee.
“Grey,” Ledger says.
“Sheriff,” Grey grumbles.
“I hope you’re not giving my friend here a hard time?” Ledger says, patting Bear’s shoulder.
“Sheriff,” Bear says, but keeps his eyes on Grey.
“No, just here to get something to eat.”
“Good,” Ledger says, and turns around.
While keeping his focus on me, he crosses the diner and slides onto the barstool right in front of me.
“What can I get you?” I rasp.
“A cup of coffee, please,” he says.
“Hi there, sheriff,” Mollie-Mae says in her sickly sweet voice. “Mollie,” Ledger says, tipping his hat to her.
She giggles.
My stomach burns, and I grab a cup and the carafe to get Ledger his coffee.
I can’t look at them. It doesn’t matter that Ledger isn’t interested in her, and he’s married to me, and she doesn’t know it.
But I don’t have to see her flirt with him and watch him inevitably shut her down.
I kind of feel bad, but I kind of don’t either.
As I slide his coffee across the counter, he glances over his shoulder at Grey, who’s messing around on his phone.
“Has he come in here before, since everything happened?” Ledger asks me seriously.
I keep my chin high even though I want to burst into tears. “This is the first time,” I whisper.
He nods and takes a sip.
“Can I get you anything?” Mollie-Mae asks Ledger.
I have to give her credit for trying to flirt with him, even though I’m standing right here.
Ledger, the gentleman he is, looks her in the eye and says, “No, ma’am, I’m alright, thank you.”
She gives him a fake smile, and he startles me, taking my hand in his. Sparks roll through my body and my skin tingles with the contact, and I look around to see if anyone is watching.
“Is he looking over here?” Ledger asks.
I shake my head no, but all I can feel is the warmth of his rough hand. No one is paying attention.
“I don’t want to make this harder on you, but I sure as hell don’t want him getting any more ideas. I’ll stay here for a bit.”
“You don’t have to do that. I can handle myself.”
“Consider it doing my job,” he says gruffly.
I sigh and slip my hand from his, clicking my pen. “Fine, I’ll get you some breakfast.”
“I already ate,” he says.
“Looks like you’re a Hobbit now and it’s time for second breakfast.”
The corner of Ledger’s mouth tips up, and he hides it with his coffee cup. “Okay.”
I give Bear his order and make myself look busy, wrapping silverware and wiping the counter that’s already been wiped down three times.
Ledger stays in his seat, subtly checking on Grey before returning his watchful gaze to me. I don’t know why he’s staring, and I don’t hate it, but it feels like he’s drawing attention. Or maybe I’m self-conscious about the fact his ring is on my finger.
“Bonne appétit, asshole,” Mollie mutters, dropping Grey’s plate in front of him, and some eggs fall off the edge.
I snort, screwing the top of the salt shaker.
“Please, give me a reason to arrest you, Grey,” Ledger says, his tone full of warning.
I look up and Mollie’s eyes are wide on me and she’s holding her wrist against her chest.
She rushes over to me, and I take her to the back because she looks like she’s about to cry.
“Are you hurt? Did he say something to you?”
She nods and swallows thickly before she bursts into tears. “He grabbed my wrist, but I’m okay. He just surprised me.”
“What did he say?” I ask her, anger boiling in my veins.
“He, uh, he said some nasty things. I don’t want to repeat it.” She presses her lips together, and my imagination runs wild.
Leaving Mollie-Mae in the back, I push through the door and stomp straight for Grey. “Get out.”
“I’m not finished,” he says haughtily and lifts his damaged shoulder.
“I don’t care, get out, and don’t come back,” I say sternly.
He chuckles and relaxes into the booth. “This is a restaurant. You have to serve me,” he says. His eyes gleam, and I want to slap the pathetic smile off his face.
“Get out,” I grit.
“You can’t make me,” he says.
“No, but I can,” Ledger says behind me.
Grey’s smile drops, and he looks at Ledger, who I can feel looming behind me, and I feel safe because of it. Which only gives me more fuel.
“Everyone knows you beat me Grey, everyone knows what a piece of shit you are. So get out, don’t come back, in fact, don’t bother coming to town anymore, no one wants you here.”
Grey stands suddenly, and I don’t back down.
He looks me up and down again, with disgust all over his face. “Fine. I’ll consider this on the house. I’m sure you can afford it now since the Sheriff is probably paying you for your slut services every day, can’t you Shiloh?” Grey says.
“At least I don’t have to go looking for it, Grey,” I say, giving him the fakest smile I can muster.
His eyes widen in fury, and I swear he wanted to lunge for me, but instead he pushes past me and shoves the door so hard it slaps against the building.
“Good one, Shiloh, add another rumor to the list,” Ledger mutters.