Chapter 24
twenty-four
MADDOX
There’s a banging echoing around the room and there’s also one in my head too. Tequila is never a good idea, and it definitely isn’t a good idea to do shots with the woman you are secretly crushing on … again. “Ugh,” I grunt as I push myself up.
Shuffling over to Ruby’s front door, I open it and see Joel standing there. “Morning, Joel,” I offer in greeting.
“Where are your clothes?” he asks.
Looking down, I see I’m only in my boxer briefs. I remember going to sleep with clothes on, and I vaguely remember removing them in the middle of the night. Sleeping in denim is uncomfortable, and so is Reindeer’s sofa. I was planning on being re-dressed before Reindeer woke up. I guess I achieved that, but now I’m face-to-face with her fiancée … without my pants on. Before I can answer, from behind me, Reindeer screeches, “Joel!”
The sound of her voice vibrates through my head and I wince. The man in question leans around me and his eyes widen. His reaction piques my interest so I glance over my shoulder, and I see Reindeer in nothing but a fluffy bath towel .
“Where are your clothes?” he repeats the same question to her.
“I’m about to have a shower but I wanted to let Maddox know there was a towel in the main bathroom for him.”
“But why’s he here? In his underwear?”
“We had a few drinks last night and he was in no state to drive, so he slept on the sofa.”
“Why not in the spare room?”
“If you’d have been here at all this week, you’d know the spare room and the dining room have been overtaken with wedding prep.”
He ignores Reindeer and focuses on me. “But why are you practically naked?”
“Sleeping in jeans is uncomfortable, and when I heard you relentlessly banging, I thought it was urgent and forgot about my pants.”
“Can you at least put them on now?”
“Whatever, man.”
Leaving him in the doorway, I head back to the sofa and pick up my jeans and shirt and put them on. Once I’m re-dressed, I walk back to the entry where Joel and Reindeer are still standing. The atmosphere is thick with animosity, and it strikes me he never kissed her hello. “I’m gonna head home, Reindeer. Thanks for last night, it was great catching up.”
“I had fun too, even if I have a tequila headache this morning.”
A chuckle escapes me. “The consequences of a good night. We should do it again when Sab and Eamon get into town for the wedding and Christmas.”
“If time prevails, Joel and I would love to.”
At the mention of Joel being there too, my smile fades but I quickly school it. I need to get used to Reindeer and Joel being together. I mean, they are getting married. All I will ever be is a chapter of her life.
Stepping over to her, I place a kiss on her cheek and breathe her in. A gasp escapes her when my lips touch her cheek. Looking down at her, I smile. Pulling away, I look to Joel. “Joel,” I say with a nod, and without another word I go out to my truck and head home. It’s so good having her back and, with all the snow, she handles better than the soccer mom car.
Entering my apartment, I head straight for my bed. I need a few more hours of sleep before work.
Today’s shift is dragging.
It’s like everyone in town has disappeared, there has not been one call since I got here. I refuse to use the “Q” word—quiet—because uttering that does some voodoo magic and all the crazies come out to play. Not even our illusive doorstep pooper is out and about.
The temperature did drop drastically overnight so people are probably tucked in at home—lucky assholes—drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows while staring into a raging fire and listening to Christmas music. At least I have the Christmas music here.
The clearing of a throat garners my attention and when I look up, I see Joel standing on the other side of the counter. He has a sour look on his face. Standing up, I walk over to where he stands and cross my arms. “Joel, what can I do for you?”
“What’s your deal with Ruby?”
“What do you mean, what’s my deal?”
“You’re always there. ”
“Huh?” I grunt with confusion. I’m always where? ’Cause it feels like at the moment, I’m always at work. What with Ina about to give birth, Stan is splitting his time between home and here. Drew is, well, Drew. But at the moment, he’s always out following up leads in relation to our flaming doorstep pooper. He’s on the hunt and is determined to find them before Christmas. And Dennis, not sure what’s going on with him. Rumors are he and Syd are getting it on, but I don’t listen to the gossip. I must say though, seeing him dressed up as Santa on Friday night was the highlight of my year.
“You’re always there,” he spits at me. “Every time I turn around, you’re with Ruby.”
“And most of the time you’re not,” I throw back at him. I know it’s a shitty thing to say, but I’m not wrong. I’ve been back for near on two weeks now, and I think I’ve seen the guy all of three times.
“I’m busy,” he huffs.
“I never said you weren’t,” I defend myself, and Reindeer. “But from an outsider looking in, you’re not doing anything for this wedding and you’re not being there for Reindeer. She’s doing it all.”
“It’s her day,” he shouts at me.
“Joel, it’s your day too. A wedding is the joining of two people. Two.” He stares blankly at me. “Look, you seem like a nice guy and you must be, otherwise Reindeer wouldn’t be marrying you, but you need to think hard about if this is right for you. Don’t get married just for her, that’s a recipe for disaster. Get married because she’s your first and last thought every day. Because the thought of not having her in your life is unbearable to think about. Joel, if you truly love Reindeer, man the fuck up and be there for her.”
He just stands there. No emotion on his face. It’s as if my words fell on deaf ears but then, in the blink of an eye, he grows some balls. “You have no idea about my relationship with Ruby. It’s between us and us only. It’s our wedding, Sheriff. I will do what I need when I’m needed, but it’s her day. Always has been, always will be. You need to butt out of our life and let us be. Things between us were fine till you arrived.” He takes a deep breath and I’m kind of impressed he’s finally manning up, but then he spoils it with his next statement. “You know, I’m starting to think that the two of you are having an affair.”
“How dare you speak about her like that?” How dare he accuse her of that, who does he think he is? “If you know her as well as you claim to, you know she’s not a cheater, and for the record, if she was mine, I wouldn’t even have to think about that because she would be my everything and she’d know that.”
Luckily for him, the station phone rings because I was about to jump over the counter and belt that thought out of his little head. Reindeer is not a cheater and neither am I.
Answering the call, I take down the details and tell them I’ll be there in five. There’s been a car accident on the road into town; seems Murray the fucking Mule Deer has caused another incident. A tourist was out for a Sunday drive, they swerved to miss Murray and, in the process, ran into another car coming the other way.
Hanging up, I look up and see Joel is gone. He’s a weird one, and I do not see what Reindeer sees in him but it’s none of my business, even if he is accusing me of having an affair with his fiancée. Shaking off thoughts of Joel and Reindeer, I grab my hat and head out to the accident to see what damage Murray the Mule Deer has caused.