Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
Duke
My phone buzzed in the back pocket of my jeans as a crack of thunder rumbled through the house. My place was totally dark and I didn’t bother turning on a light—the darkness matched my mood perfectly right now.
I closed the door to the refrigerator, the glass bottles of the six pack I’d just bought clinking against each other. I pulled my phone out and leaned against the counter, brows furrowed in confusion. The text was from my sister. My sister who was supposed to be halfway down the highway right about now. My sister who never texted while driving.
Storm is too bad—had to pull over .
A second text rolled in. A text that changed everything.
Valentina’s flight is cancelled.
I quickly texted her back, moving my thumbs as fast as they would go.
Where are you?
She replied that they were fine, but pulled over in a wide shoulder, waiting for the storm to pass, or at least let up enough for them to drive again. I shot Molly another text, my stomach sinking.
I’m sure Valentina’s pretty upset about her flight .
When she’d stormed out of the bar the other night, I knew she was walking out of my life forever. Somehow, I just knew. I always knew a girl like her, classy, smart, and beautiful didn’t belong with a redneck like me. Sure I could fix her car with my own two hands, start a campfire, or catch her a fish for dinner, but I didn’t know shit about fine wines or art. And as much as it stung to watch her leave, I couldn’t blame her. Who would want to be with a man who had a ten-year-old son he’d never met?
Why don’t you come down here and give her a reason to stay?
Molly’s text took me aback. It wasn’t like her to encourage me to date anyone, let alone someone she barely knew.
I’m not sure that’s a good idea .
Duke, she told me about the swimming hole. Don’t pretend you don’t have feelings for her.
She was right. I’d played it cool when I took her there, but Valentina was the first person outside my family who’d seen our spot. I didn’t know why at the time, but some instinctual part of me wanted to take her there. But now that she was leaving, I understood. Being around her changed me. She tapped into a side of me I didn’t think was there, opened something in me I didn’t think I’d ever have. Fuck, she split my chest wide open somehow in those few short days, and I already felt the pangs of her departure.
That’s when I knew for sure.
There was no way in hell I was letting her go. I still had no clue what would happen with Amber and Payton, but I knew I couldn’t lose Valentina.
The second Molly sent me their exact location, I grabbed my keys and got in my truck. The rain beat down on the windshield as I drove to the highway, lightning striking on the horizon. A storm like that hadn’t come through Shady Grove in years. Molly wasn’t a bad driver, but I was glad she’d pulled over. Because even with my windshield wipers on full tilt, I was having a hard time seeing the road ahead of me.
Lucky for me, Molly and Valentina hadn’t gotten far, and just ten minutes later, I pulled up behind them on the shoulder, my headlights flooding the backseat. The rain was pouring harder than ever, but at that point, I didn’t care. I had to see her, had to talk to her, had to let her know how I felt.
I climbed out of my truck and jogged the few short yards between our cars, yanking the backseat door open and tumbling in. Valentina cursed loudly in Spanish, turning and looking like she was ready to smack me all the way to next Tuesday.
Somehow, I even loved that. She was feisty as hell, and it only made me smile.
“Relax, baby. It’s Duke,” I said, raising my hands in surrender.
“ Puta madre, pendejo , what is your problem?!” Valentina shouted, chest heaving, eyes wild.
“I think that’s my bad,” Molly said, pulling her lips into a tight, apologetic smile. “I should have told you he was coming.”
“You think?!”
“Warning or not, I’m here now. And darlin’, you and I have to talk.”
Valentina rolled her eyes, muttering more Spanish curse words under her breath. Molly whistled through her teeth, shifting her eyes out the window.
“I, uh…I’ll give you two some space,” she said, reaching for her door.
“No, I’ll go,” Valentina said, grabbing my keys and climbing out into the rain, slamming the door closed behind her.
I immediately followed right behind her, exiting the car and closing the distance between us in two strides. It was pouring so hard that we were both soaked in seconds, my gray T-shirt sticking to my skin.
“What could you possibly want?” Valentina asked, crossing her arms and squaring her shoulders at me.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Lightning flashed, and for a brief moment, I could see her expression clearly. Surprise. Pain. Frustration. A hint of anger. And somewhere deep inside there, something softer, more tender.
“No, Duke, in this situation, what you want from me is the one thing that isn’t obvious.”
“I probably deserve that. But goddammit, woman, do you have to make this so hard?”
Her eyes grew wide, and she threw her hands up in the air. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You, Valentina. I’m talking about you.”
She paused, her hands slowly lowering to her sides. “What do you?—”
“I want you, you crazy, sassy woman. More than anything else. I didn’t realize it until you were about to leave my life forever, but I’ve fallen for you, and the last thing I want you to do is leave.”
I paused to take a breath, shoving the wet hair plastered to my forehead out of my face.
“Even if it turns out I’m a father.”
“Duke, I don’t know…”
“You don’t have to make a decision now. Just please, don’t leave yet. I’m meeting with Amber tonight to talk about what’s going on. Don’t throw this away over something that might not even be true.”
She sighed, bringing her hands to her forehead and rubbing her temples. The rain was finally starting to let up, a few small patches of sunlight appearing around us. Further down the highway, the storm raged on, continuing its course through the sky.
“Fine. We can talk in the morning. But that doesn’t mean I’m not getting on the first flight out of here once your pinche pequeno airport opens back up.”
“Fair enough, darlin’.”
A smile erupted on my face, but Valentina only half-smiled back. She had every right to be cautious, and I totally understood why she felt that way. But as for me? I had a little bit of hope. Hope that she might stick around, that we might get a chance to let this crazy, awesome, infuriating-as-hell thing between us grow.
And in that moment, that hope was all I needed.
That night, I walked into the Drunk Skunk to find Amber waiting for me at a high-top table by the windows. Originally, she wanted to meet for dinner, but drinks made it a little more casual. Plus, I had no idea what kind of news I was about to receive, and it was probably best to have a whole lot of whiskey nearby.
Every eye in the room was on me as I walked over to her, and I smiled when she looked up and noticed me. She smiled back, and the warmth in her pale blue eyes took me right back to all those years ago when this place used to be our spot. We’d plant ourselves in the middle of the bar and get rip-roaring drunk, ending the night by hopping in the bed of my rusty old pickup and knocking boots ’til the cops came to kick us out.
It’s safe to say that I’ve matured since then. Or I’ve just learned how not to get caught having public sex. Take your pick. Good thing the local sheriff is a buddy of mine from high school.
“Hey there, Duke. I ordered us a couple glasses of your whiskey. I hope that’s okay.” Amber pulled me in for a hug, her perfume more floral than it was when I knew her.
“If I wouldn’t drink it, I wouldn’t sell it.”
I sat down across from her, taking a good look at her face for the first time since she surprised me last night. She had a faint shadow under her eyes and a small, shallow line between her brows that deepened when she smiled. When she tucked her hair behind her ear, I noticed a few gray hairs coming in around her temples. She didn’t look bad—she was still as good-looking as ever—but it was clear those last ten years had done a number on her.
Makes sense if she’s been raising a child all on her own .
We clinked glasses and took a sip, an impressed smile forming on Amber’s face as the whiskey hit her tongue.
“I’ve got to be honest, I was expecting this to taste like shit.”
We laughed and some of the awkward tension between us lessened. I leaned my elbows on the table, shrugging and rubbing my neck.
“It hasn’t been easy. But me and Luke worked our asses off to turn that distillery into something we could be proud of.”
“Well, it paid off. I knew you had it in you. It was always just a matter of everything else lining up right.”
“That means a lot coming from you. I appreciate it.”
She nodded, and when we smiled at each other, for a moment, it felt like everything was normal. Like we were just a couple of old friends catching up. Like she didn’t have a son who might or might not be biologically mine. I decided to proceed with caution.
“Where’s Payton hanging out tonight?”
“With Opal. I think they’re having a movie marathon or something like that. She’s really taken to him.”
“Yep, that sounds like Opal. She was always doing nice things for my brother and me when we were kids.”
“Yeah, she mentioned that. She also told me about all the rumors spreading around since Payton and I saw you last night. About you being his father.”
A pit formed in my stomach, and I folded my hands on the table in front of me. I guess we were doing this now.
“I’ve been wondering about that too. The math adds up. I just can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
Amber paused, her lip curling at the edge. “You’re joking, right?”
I froze and slowly shook my head.
She laughed—harder and louder than seemed appropriate for the situation, causing the whole room to turn and look at us. I forced a nervous, weak smile, nodding at the people closest to us like everything was normal. Meanwhile, Amber continued laughing, fits of giggles rolling through her as she placed a hand on her chest and dabbed tears out of the corners of her eyes.
What the hell is going on?
When she saw the look on my face, she clapped a hand over her mouth, her brows knit together in apology.
“I’m so sorry, I’m not trying to make fun of you. It’s just, you were the most careful guy when we were together. Always made sure I took my birth control. Always used a rubber, no matter how plastered we were in your truck. You didn’t want anything getting in the way of you turning your dad’s piss-tillery around, especially not a baby and a shotgun wedding. Do you really not remember any of that?”
I stared at her dumbfounded, mouth hanging open. Guess I wasn’t as much of an idiot ten years ago as I thought. Thank God, but this still didn’t add up.
“I’m not sure what to say. He looks so much like me.”
She raised her eyebrows and shook her head, smiling like she wasn’t surprised in the least.
“Well, breathe easy, Duke Wilder. You’re not a father. You can go back to laser-focusing on achieving your goals, back-logged child-support free.”
I chuckled, downing my whiskey and ordering another. “Wait a second. If I’m not the father, then who…?”
She took a quick breath in, pulling her lips back over her teeth. “Some guy I barely knew. Out-of-towner just passing through.”
She shook her head and stared down at her lap. “Were you ever able to get ahold of him?”
“We didn’t exchange numbers. I didn’t even know his last name. I won’t sugarcoat it, it hasn’t been easy. But Payton changed my life, and I can’t imagine it without him.”
“It’s amazing what you’ve done. Payton seems like a good kid.”
“Thanks. I think so.”
We both smiled, but my heart sank at the thought of Amber struggling all those years, then bristled at the thought of the asshole who knocked her up. But if anyone in this town understood the appeal of out-of-towners, it was me.
“Can I give you one piece of advice, though? As someone who used to know you pretty well,” Amber said, cocking her head to the side.
I shrugged. “Fire away.”
“Don’t get so laser-focused that you can’t see all the other good things around you. I’d hate to see anything else important slip away.”
I nodded, my mind already on the next morning. “Oh, don’t worry. I won’t.”
“Thanks for meeting me. It was good to see you again.” Amber grinned.
“Likewise. And if you plan on sticking around, let me know. I’d be happy to show Payton how to throw a spiral, or take him fishing or something.”
She nodded. “I know he’d like that. Thanks.”