Chapter 63
63
William
I rub a hand over my jaw. I didn’t sleep last night, so instead of tossing and turning needlessly in bed for hours, I got up and ran until I was bone weary.
I didn’t stop to rest on the bench as I typically do because I didn’t want to chance having to face my brother. Scout and Bauer know me too well, and judging by the man I saw in the mirror after I got home last night, they would have had a lot of hard questions for me.
I’m not ready to admit to them that I loved and lost.
I’m not ready to lose, so I’m here to fight.
It’s mid-morning, and I’m on the sidewalk outside Turquoise Crown. I was here an hour and a half ago with my heart in my hand, but when I knocked on the door, no one answered.
I set off on foot after that, walking from one street to another, stopping in a park to sit and think.
I considered sending Opal a text message or calling, but that came with the risk of the bitter sting of an unanswered text or an ignored call. Besides, what I need to say has to be done when I’m looking into her eyes.
I straighten my tie. I’m wearing the same suit I wore the day Opal spilled Dicey Dip on me. From that day forward, I considered it my lucky suit, and what I need more than anything is luck today.
I have truth on my side, and if Opal sees fit to grant me the last fourteen minutes of the time she promised me yesterday, I’ll use it to convince her that despite my failings, I’m a good man. I’m a solid man with a heart that belongs to her if she wants it.
It’s hers for eternity because there will never be another woman for me. I know that.
Just as I’m about to swing open the door, Hildy steps out.
Her hand darts to her mouth to signal that I need to keep mine shut. She scoots me back with a brush of her hand in the air as she closes the bar’s door behind her.
“Good. You’re here,” she says as though she was expecting me.
Maybe she was. Perhaps she can sense how deeply I love her great niece.
“I know all about your part in this.” She tilts her head. “You’ve chosen a noble cause, William. Helping men to be better so women will see their potential. Good for you, but bad for Percy.”
I wince at the mention of his name.
“That boy stood no chance next to a man like you.” She smiles. “As soon as you appeared in Opal’s life, the stars aligned.”
I’d like to think so, too, so I nod. “True, but…”
“But you fucked it up,” she says, surprising me.
“I did.”
“So fix it.” She drives her pointer finger into the middle of my chest. “Opal sat down with Percy this morning for a coffee and a chat.”
Panic grips me. “What?”
I don’t trust that bastard to tell Opal the truth about anything. For all I know, he made himself out to be an upstanding guy and branded me the villain.
In some ways, I know I am, but I’m hopeful I can redeem myself.
Hildy chases away my concerns with a wave of her hand. “I’m the one who suggested she talk to him to get to the facts. I called Percy’s grandfather. He gave me his grandson’s number before he blew me a kiss through the phone.”
The last part of that confession puts a small smile on my face. I tug on the lapels of my jacket. “Give it to me straight. Do I stand a chance with her?”
“My sweet girl’s heart was crushed two years ago.” She looks into my eyes. “You’re the man who can put it back together and keep it that way forever. I know that. You know that. Go tell Opal that.”
* * *
Hildy told me to walk right into Turquoise Crown before she left, but I can’t do that. I won’t surprise Opal because I shocked the hell out of her last night, and I’m trying to gain some ground with her. Walking into her bar unannounced won’t help me.
I knock softly on the glass in the center of the door. I see her approaching with her face buried in her phone.
She looks like a vision.
As soon as her head pops up, she spots me.
For some reason, I give her a small wave. I regret it almost immediately. It feels too trite, given what’s happening between us.
I’m surprised when her hand jumps into the air, and she waves back. There’s no smile to back it up, but she’s not frowning, either. She’s focused on me, and the last few steps until she reaches the door.
She swings it open. “William.”
I didn’t realize how badly I was craving that sound. Hearing her say my name almost brings me to my knees in gratitude. I didn’t know if I’d ever hear it again.
“Come in.” She motions for me to enter. “Please come in.”
I step over the threshold and enter the bar. I only take a few steps before she scoots around me to lock the door.
“I was planning on sending you a text,” she tells me as she moves around me again, this time headed toward the bar. “Do you want something to drink?”
A glass of scotch would hit the spot and curb my nerves, but I opt for a safer choice. “Water would be great.”
“I can do that.”
She doesn’t glance in my direction as she fills a tall glass with water. Her focus is solely on it with each step she takes before she hands it to me. Our fingers brush, sending a pulse of awareness through me. That’s only ever happened to me with her touch. I want to feel it again and again, so I need to clear my thoughts so I can say what I have to in order to convince this beautiful woman that trusting me with her heart is the right move.
As I swallow from the glass, she taps the face of my watch. “You have thirteen and a half minutes left, so start talking.”