Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Fisher
Noah’s expression drops when a man says her name and stands beside her. My jaw tenses as soon as he rests his hand on her shoulder. Her eyes flick to where he’s touching her, and I flex my fingers to prevent me from doing something stupid.
Like ripping off his arm.
“Dylan, hi.” Noah’s high-pitched, nervous tone is unsettling. Whoever this guy is, she doesn’t like him.
“How’ve ya been? It’s been about a year or so. We should catch up sometime.”
Noah’s tight-lipped smile is met with hesitant eyes. “Yeah, it’s been a while. I’ve been really busy with trainin’ and stuff on the ranch.”
“You never gave me that tour. Maybe we could do that soon?” He winks.
As I drink my water, my eyes stay glued on him over the rim. Noah’s dropping obvious hints that she’s not interested, but he’s clueless to them.
“Not sure that’s a good idea. I’m not interested in datin’ right now.” Noah’s blunt response has me wanting to give her a high five, but that’d be awkward, so instead, I lower my gaze to my plate and hide my smirk.
“Oh, I just meant as friends, Noah. I better get back to my table, but if ya change your mind, you’ve got my number.” He squeezes her shoulder again, and as soon as he walks away, Noah releases an audible breath.
When I glance at Jase, he’s watching me with pinched brows as if he’s confused about my reaction.
“Is that one of the guys you tried to date after me?”
“Jase,” I say in a strict tone I’d use on him when he was a child. He’s either lost his mind or his goddamn manners.
“She knows I’m kiddin’.” He lifts one shoulder, but his smug expression and tone tell me otherwise.
“If y’all must know, yes, we went on a couple dates. But the sparks just weren’t there, so I broke it off,” Noah says.
“Sparks?” Jase chuckles. “You’re gonna be single forever if that’s what you’re waitin’ for, babe.”
The server has impeccable timing and interrupts to bring our food. Her cheerful tone is a contrast to the uncomfortable conversation we’re having.
“May I get y’all anythin’ else right away?” she asks once she’s placed our plates in front of us.
A stun gun with a side of Novocaine.
“This is perfect, thank you,” Noah tells her.
It’s hard keeping my eyes off her. She’s handling this awkward dinner better than I would’ve. The temptation to put Jase in his place has been hard to resist at times, but Noah’s quick responses have kept me from doing so.
“Thank you.” I smile at the server before she leaves.
“Wait, excuse me.” Jase holds up his finger to grab her attention.
“I asked for extra mushrooms, and there’s only like seven here.
That’s hardly extra.” His loud, harsh tone almost has me speaking up to remind him of how to treat people, but Noah’s red cheeks halt me.
She’s already embarrassed by his behavior, so I don’t want to add fuel to the fire.
Noah pops a piece of shrimp in her mouth, most likely to keep herself from screaming, and I do the same with a hush puppy. We share a secret look that has us both grinning.
The server apologizes and offers to bring him more right away. Things stay quiet while we eat, and the only noise comes from me cracking the crab legs.
“So how long after we broke up did you date Dylan?” Jase asks, and I shift my eyes to glance at Noah, who’s focusing on her food like it’s the most interesting thing ever.
Meanwhile, I could stare at her all night because she’s by far the most beautiful woman I’ve laid my eyes on. The only problem is that I think Jase is starting to notice how I’m looking at her.
“Noah?” Jase prompts.
“I dunno...like a year, I guess? What’s it matter?”
“Just curious how long it took to get over our relationship.”
Her head jerks toward him with a piece of shrimp in her hand, and I’m low-key worried she’ll chuck it at his head.
“Do we have to do this now? In front of your dad?”
“Since when did you get shy?”
“I’m not, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to discuss my datin’ life with you.”
I clear my throat to grab his attention away from Noah. “Speakin’ of, are you datin’ anyone, Jase?”
“I’ve gone on dates. Most haven’t been my type or ready to settle down.”
“You’re still young,” I remind him. “You have plenty of time.”
“You were married and had two kids when you were my age,” he says.
I nod as I continue eating. “Yeah, I did. But that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.”
“Not sure it was for you either.”
I glance up to him staring at me as if he’s daring me to argue, but he knows I won’t.
“If I’m being honest, I wasn’t ready to be a husband and a dad at twenty years old, but we got pregnant anyway.
I don’t regret marrying your mom because we got two beautiful children out of it.
When my career took off after Lyla was born, I had to keep travelin’ and doing my job in order to make ends meet.
It’s not a lifestyle that works for everyone,” I admit.
Jase’s cold stare as he cuts into his steak has me wondering if he’ll say what he’s really thinking. How I neglected him, how it’s my fault his sister died, or how I don’t deserve a second chance to be in his life.
But he says none of those things.
Instead, he shoves a forkful of food into his mouth and gives me a hesitant nod. Either he doesn’t have a comeback or he doesn’t want to say it in front of Noah.
The server arrives with Jase’s mushrooms, and thankfully, after that, the conversation shifts to Jase’s success in his new real estate career.
I’m happy he found a career he loves since I knew he wouldn’t follow in my footsteps or do anything ranch work-related.
Noah talks about the fundraiser and trick riding she’ll be doing with Donut soon.
By the time we finish eating, most of the discomfort has dissolved.
After I pay the bill, I pull Jase into a side hug and linger for a moment. “I’m proud of you for focusin’ on your future. Let me know what time you’re goin’ on Sunday, and I’ll be there.”
He nods. “Thanks, Dad. Will do.”
Jase hugs Noah next and kisses her head. “Thanks for comin’,” he mutters softly as if he hadn’t wanted me to hear.
Noah playfully sucker punches his shoulder. “Anytime, asshole.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, I deserved that.”
I stare at my son and hate that I see a hurt little boy who saw his father walk away when life got too hard for him.
All his lashing out and poor attitude was caused by my abandoning him.
We're two broken men, which means we both have to put in the effort to fix our relationship. I’m willing to take the steps to help him heal from what I did to him, but he has to put in the work, too.
He’s an adult now and can’t use my mistakes as an excuse.
We say our final goodbyes, and when Noah and I walk out into the parking lot, I tell her I’ll follow her since she knows the way.
“You could just ride with me,” she says. “Jase knows we’re both goin’, so it won’t be like we’re hidin’ it.”
“Think that’s a good idea?” I squeeze the back of my neck, not wanting to cross any more lines even though yesterday in the tack room was a weak moment. Kissing her would’ve been a bad idea, but one I can’t stop thinking about.
“Why not? That way, if I do drink too much, you can drive me home. Then we can figure out a way to get your truck back tomorrow.”
“I thought you weren’t gonna drink that much?”
The corner of her lips curves up in a devious grin. “I reckon I lied.”
Goddammit.
“Let’s go, then.”
The Twisted Bull is everything the name implies. Bright stage lights flicker across the dance floor as people wait in line for the mechanical bull or for alcohol at the bar. The music is loud enough to cause a migraine and has people screaming to speak over it.
I’m in hell.
Noah leads us deeper inside through the sea of people. She changed into cowboy boots before we walked in and dropped a few inches in height, so keeping tabs on her won’t be easy.
“Isn’t it cool?” Noah shouts over her shoulder.
Granted, if I were in my early twenties, I’d love it. I can see the appeal and why they flock here. But if one more person bumps into my shoulder and spills their beer on me, I’m hauling Noah over my shoulder and getting us the fuck out.
When we make it to the bar, her four brothers and Magnolia are sitting with a bartop full of drinks.
“Hey! Y’all finally made it!” Magnolia squeals when Noah stands next to her. “How was dinner?”
Noah shakes her head as if she doesn’t want to talk about it.
Can’t say I blame her.
“Fisher!” the boys shout, raising their beers.
“Ready to get in on the bet?” Tripp asks.
“What bet?” I lean against the bar, facing Noah so drunk strangers don’t get any ideas.
“Who’ll last the longest on the bull,” he explains.
“Me, obviously.”
They laugh. “If ya win, you gotta pay our tabs!”
I snort, grabbing my wallet to get Noah and me our own drinks. “Shouldn’t y’all be payin’ my tab if I win?”
“Don’t try to speak logic to them.” Noah shakes her head and waves to get the bartender’s attention.
A man who looks a few years older than Noah approaches, and I already don’t like the way he stares at her—like he wants to do much more than serve her drinks.
“Howdy, pretty lady. What can I getcha?”
“A strawberry margarita, a Budweiser, and a Blow Job!”
“What is that?” I murmur in her ear when the bartender busies himself.
“A blow job or a shot?”
“Yeah, Fisher. Which one’s got ya confused?” Magnolia chimes in, laughing.
Shit, I forgot she knows.
I lean in closer so the boys can’t eavesdrop. “Noah told me about your little crush, by the way. Which one is it again? Tripp?” I arch a brow, and she scowls at Noah. “Hope I don’t accidentally let that slip.”
“I’m gonna murder you in your sleep,” she tells her. “A slow and painful death.”
Laughing, I hand the bartender my card. I’m playing stupid games, but the last thing we need besides Jase knowing is her brothers finding out. If they already don’t like my son, no way they’re going to like me sleeping with their little sister.