Chapter 20
Dropping down onto my bed later that night, I groaned.
After I left Phoebe’s—something I didn’t want to do with the way Mom was looking at her—Dad had called, needing my help at the bar.
It had been a total shitshow with two bachelor parties showing up at the same time along with the Thursday usuals and baseball fans who’d come to watch the big game.
Needless to say, it was a disaster and I was done.
Once the place had closed down, I’d wanted to crawl home only to have Dad pull me into his office for a little chat because of my mother, who’d made the rounds today, it seemed.
“Your mom stopped by today.” Dad leaned back in his office chair after handing me a beer.
“I saw her at Phoebe’s.” I put the beer down untouched.
“You’ve heard the rumors then?” He picked up his own beer, taking a long drink.
“About the makeout session that didn’t happen? I’ve heard.” Everyone in town had heard, and I knew just who had started them. Rowdy. I knew when I’d caught him skulking around the church during the babysitting night that he’d be trouble.
“Your mom seems to think there is some truth to it.” Dad gave me the look he gave me when I was a kid, and he was trying to ferret out if I was lying.
“It’s bullshit.” I didn’t say that I wished it wasn’t. In fact, the idea of making out with Phoebe, at church or anywhere else, was more than a little appealing.
“That’s what I told her.”
“You did?” I was surprised. Usually, my parents made a sport out of tag-teaming me. Dad defending me without having the facts was…unusual.
“Yep. I taught you better than to fuck around with your woman where anyone in this town could see.”
My woman?
Holding up a hand, he said, “Don’t even bother, son.
We can do this dance where you pretend like you don’t want her, while I know you do…
blah blah blah. Just remember I’ve seen you two together.
You’re not exactly subtle.” Damn. And I’d thought I had been.
Dad sat up, resting his arms on his desk.
“All I’m going to tell you is this. Be sure.
Be damned sure she means something to you before you touch her.
She’s not one of your little playmates you think you’ve cleverly hidden over the years.
She’s putting down roots in this town, making friends—including your mom—and her kid is finding his place here.
If you play with her and then decide you don’t want her for real, it will be Phoebe and Lock who pay the price. Not you.”
“And if I did want her?” That was why I hadn’t made a move until today. Not really. I knew the stakes. I could be an asshole, but I wasn’t about to screw someone over to get laid.
“Then you make her yours and be ready to fight for her, even if it means fighting with her.” Dad got up. Rounding his desk, he placed a hand on my shoulder.
“You wouldn’t care if I was with her?” After today, I’d remembered all the little quips and digs Mom had made over the last several weeks about Phoebe. Her age. Her divorce. Her baggage. I needed to know if my dad, the person I wanted to be most like in the world, would be against it.
“If she makes you happy? No. I’ve met her.
Gotten to know her. She’s a good woman. Wounded and afraid, so you’ll have to deal with that, and this town has given many people a reason to be afraid.
There will be a few people in our family who won’t be so accepting at first, either. You need to be ready for that, too.”
Others in our family. Meaning Mom. I doubted my siblings would care.
Well, Jesse would only insofar as he’d want to put it on his socials that his brother was with the A.J.
Lane, his idol. I knew he’d ignored me and talked to Phoebe when I’d forbidden him.
When I’d found out, I’d nearly lost my shit.
Phoebe had stopped me, assuring me it was okay.
Jesse thought I’d kick his ass when he’d confessed, and part of me wanted to.
Phoebe’s sincerity was the reason I gave him a stern warning about keeping her secret again.
Jesse was over the moon talking to her, extolling her awesomeness and intelligence.
He sounded a little smitten, and given I knew it wasn’t romantic, I didn’t feel the need to punch my kid brother.
Then there was Mom…
Grabbing my phone, I saw it was past midnight. I’d hated leaving Phoebe with Mom in that mood. I texted her, not expecting her to answer. I just needed to know if she was okay.
Me: Everything okay with my mom?
Putting my phone down, I figured I wouldn’t get an answer until morning. If only I could have found a reason to work at her house this weekend…
A buzz had me turning my head on my pillow. Picking my phone back up, I tried not to feel like a giddy teenager when I saw she’d responded.
Phoebe: Did you know there was a rumor about us making out at the church going around?
Me: I heard. I’m pretty sure Rowdy’s behind it. Ignore it. Was that what Mom wanted to talk about?
I didn’t love how she seemed blind to Rowdy. He may not have fucked up her roof when he’d fixed the leak, and he may have appeared nice. Phoebe needed to see sooner rather than later that it was all calculation.
Phoebe: Rowdy wouldn’t do that. I figured it was Amber-Rae.
I tried not to grind my teeth at the way she defended Rowdy. When would the woman listen?
Me: Rowdy was there and this is right up his alley. You didn’t answer me.
Phoebe: Yeah, she wanted to talk about the rumor. I told her it wasn’t true, obviously.
Fuck. I was going to need to talk to my mom. She didn’t need to be cornering Phoebe about what she should have known was a crap story.
Me: I’m sorry. I’ll talk to her.
Phoebe: It’s okay. She and I sorted some things out. Everything is good.
I didn’t like the sound of that.
Me: ?
Phoebe: She asked if there was something going on between us…
Shit.
Phoebe: Don’t worry. I told her it was ridiculous and that you’re my contractor and friend. Well, at least I hope you’re my friend?
I was dumbfounded. Ridiculous? Friendship? Was that all she saw between us? Friendship?
“Even if you have to fight her.” Dad’s warning replayed in my mind. “She’ll pay the price. You won’t.”
If there was a time I could put a stop to all of this, now was it.
Phoebe: Or maybe I’m assuming too much. I’m sorry if I am.
Damn. I’d taken too long to respond.
Me: You’re my friend. That isn’t even a question.
The real question was if that was all she was ever going to be.
Ridiculous?
She thought it was ridiculous, did she?