Chapter 27
Dax
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I don’t appreciate King’s tone, and I won’t abide by it.
“Don’t question me. You work for me, not the other way around.”
“Then, I’ll ask. What the fuck are you doing?” This comes from Preacher, who never offers an opinion about my personal life.
“You can come to the wedding or not.” Hazel gives me the stink eye while she hands me a T-shirt with the diner’s logo on it. I toss my Henley in the trash and put on the cheap alternative. “You two need to remember who the fuck runs shit around here, and it’s not you.”
Hazel snorts. “You don’t run shit up in here, Daxton. This is Hazel Haven, and I’m the head bitch in charge. Remember that. And your sorry ass got exactly what you deserve.” She gives me one more disgusted look before walking out.
“The fuck do you think you’re doing, going after my wife’s best friend out of all the women in—”
“Says the man who went after the sheriff’s daughter after he blackmailed him. I supported you.” I point at King’s face.
“She chose to be with me. It’s not the same.”
I snort at that. He’s tight-lipped about how they got together.
“How did you get her, though?” I challenge. “I guarantee it wasn’t because you asked her to dinner and a movie. What did you do to get Eden Rose, King? Everyone in this town is scared to death of you. You don’t think she heard the rumors about you?”
“I didn’t bribe her.”
“Only because it didn’t come to that. You’re not above it, and you know it. Neither am I. I want Cori Lamb, and I figured out a way to get her. Everyone, including my soon-to-be wife, will have to get the fuck over it and capitulate.”
“I don’t think women are that easy.” Preacher shakes his head in disbelief. “You just got your ass kicked by two of them.” He looks me up and down. “You got fucked up. And you have a scratch on your face. Listen, I’m a nice guy, so I would never—"
“Who the fuck told you that you’re nice?” Preacher spouts that bullshit so much, I think he believes it.
“I am nice.” He looks at me almost as if he’s offended by my question.
“Why?” King asks me.
“Because I can.”
He looks at me for so long before his eyes narrow. “This is why you wanted to hire her brother, isn’t it?” The man is a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one. Right now, I resent him for that. “You set him up to steal and got her snake of her father to force her hand.”
I don’t answer.
“The fuck? How the hell am I still single when you do all this diabolical shit? Nice guys really do finish last.” Preacher shakes his head in disbelief.
“There you go with that nice shit again.” I wave Preacher off. “Delusional motherfucker.”
“You know she hates that brother, right? What do you think is going to happen when she finds out?” King points at me.
“How do you know she hates her brother?”
King sighs almost as if he’s disappointed in me.
He lowers his head and rubs the bridge of his nose.
“I know more than I want to know about my wife’s friends.
They’re always at the house, talking nonstop about everything.
I hear it all because for some fucking reason, they think I’m their friend too.
” He points at me. “You fucked up using the brother. According to Cori, he’s a loser, piece of shit. ”
“I did what I had to do.” And I don’t regret it. I would do it all over again if I had to.
“Well, good luck with that,” King snorts.
King hasn’t asked any more questions, but he’s been tense since our last exchange. Even from across the room, I can sense his eyes on me, and I’m positive that whatever he’s thinking is colored by his wife’s opinion of me. Which I’m sure is low.
“Preach, you want to be my best man?” Preacher’s head snaps up. He jumps from the couch that’s in the middle of the old convenience store that we use to conduct business.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, since King is being such a bitch.” King eyes me.
Preacher rubs his hands. “There’s this trend on social media where the groom has his back to the bride, and when he turns around to see her for the first time, it’s the best man in a wedding dress. You want me to do that?”
My head rolls back, and I do everything I can to not picture it.
“Please, don’t,” I say with a chuckle.
“All god damn week I’ve had to hear about all the shit you’ve done. I can’t get a moment’s peace in my own house because of you.” King gives me a look of disgust.
“What are they saying about me?”
“A lot of shit, but the most noteworthy is that she’s going to leave your sorry, pathetic, wife-buying ass as soon as her mother gets the surgery.”
I scoff at that. There’s no way I’ll let that happen, but I’ll have to work that much harder to get her to stop being angry at me.
“What else?” I probe, eager to know as much of her thoughts as possible, but King looks away and doesn’t answer.
“Are we in high school? What kind of tux do you want me to wear?” Preacher pulls out his phone, but I’m distracted by a loud knock.
“What the fuck does your father-in-law want, King?” King makes no moves to let him in.
He wouldn’t. He can’t stand his wife’s parents, so I get up and yank the door open.
Sheriff Rose saunters in without an invitation, so I slam the door behind him to let him know his presence is neither wanted nor welcome.
“Gentlemen.” Rose gestures at us. “And I use that term very loosely amongst you three.” He’s in full uniform, and his radio buzzes. He walks around the empty space. There’s nothing for him to look at. There’s a monitor, a desk, and a couch. “Hunt, I’m here to see you.”
“I don’t answer to you, Rose.”
He ignores my dig. The room is quiet except for the sound of his heavy footsteps. “Cori Lamb is like a daughter to me. She’s spent half her life in my house. She’s a part of my family.” He points at my face, and I knock his hand down.
“Well, she’s about to be my wife. What time do you want us over for Sunday dinner?”
“Cori never needs an invitation to come to my home, but you’re not welcome. You’re not good enough for her.”
“I’m hurt.” I put both hands to my heart.
“What did you and that snake of a father of hers get into? What did you dangle in front of him to make him offer you his daughter on a platter?” I ignore him and take my seat behind the desk. He plants both hands on the table and glares down at me.
Sheriff Rose never would have done what Lamb did. He would have shot me before he would have given in to my demands. Rose might have his vices, but he has more principle than Lamb on his best day.
“Maybe the lady just fell in love with me like your daughter fell for King.” At that, King scoffs.
“Remember that?” I taunt. “He saw your daughter, took her, and there wasn’t a God damn thing you could do about it.
What makes you think you can do anything about Cori and me when you couldn’t keep your own daughter in check? ”
“Leave my wife out of this. This has nothing to do with her.” King eyes me up and down.
“Yes, and as much as I hate him.” Rose points at King without bothering to look in his direction.
“Feeling’s mutual, Sheriff.” King sounds more annoyed than bothered by his father-in-law’s words.
“My daughter is too good for that scumbag, but there’s one very important fact. Eden chose that bum. Last I checked, ain’t nobody chose you, Hunt.”
“Oh, Sheriff, it’s nice to see you, too,” King tosses out. “How’s your gambling addiction going?"
“Low blow,” Preacher says. “He’s been to rehab.”
“So, my question remains.” Rose slams his hand on my desk.
“Do you want to lose that fucking hand?” I snap.
“What scheme have you and that father of hers cooked up?”
“I assume this little visit means you got my invitation, Rose? I’ll see you in a few days. Wear something nice. Until then, mind your own damn business and stay the fuck away from me.” I gesture toward the door, but the asshole doesn’t leave.
“I’m watching you, but in the meantime, I know Cori well enough to know she’s going to make you pay for this.
I’ll take solace in knowing she will make your life miserable.
” He straightens up as if that threat makes him feel better.
“Now, Ripley.” Those loud boots bang on the linoleum floor until he reaches his son-in-law.
“I expect to see you on Friday for dinner. You didn’t come last month, and—”
“Did you miss me, Sheriff?” King has a rare hint of amusement in his voice.
“The kids were disappointed.” Rose ignores King’s question. “If you can pull yourself away from whatever.” Rose gestures around the room. “I might not be able to stand you, but this isn’t about me.”
Ripley sighs and puts his phone down.
“Now, Sheriff, I know you’re getting old, and you’re probably only a few years away from shitting in your pants, but I’m not the reason why we didn’t come last month.
Your daughter canceled because she wasn’t feeling well.
Have this little pointless conversation with her.
I’ve seen the kids several times since then. ”
He’s never admitted it, but that mean motherfucker likes the niece and nephews he inherited when he got married.
“Bullshit,” Rose says. “My daughter would never. I know it was you.”
Ripley shrugs. “I was at home with my wife, being a dutiful husband. Making her tea and putting the heating pad on her back. I can’t stop Mother Nature, Sheriff.”
“You can put a baby in her. That will stop it for a while.”
“Preacher, don’t make me vomit,” Rose says. “And we’re having gumbo.”
“I don’t eat that,” King says.
“Unlike King, I enjoy gumbo,” I chime in.
“Well, maybe you can choke on some real soon, Hunt.”
“What time should we come over?” I ask Rose. “Yes. We. My soon-to-be wife and I.” I get close to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “You say Cori is like a daughter to you? Well, I guess I’m about to be your son.”
“That will be a cold day in hell.” Rose shrugs out of my touch. “And Ripley, my wife is making something else for you, but I told her she should just make you a frozen pizza instead.”
“Well, your grandkids will eat whatever I eat, so tell your wife to make something good and to make lots of it. Anything else? This conversation is boring.”
King’s phone rings, and from the way his eyes light up, I know who it is.
He puts the phone to his ear and turns his back to us.
The call soon ends, and Rip stands to his full height.
“Got to go,” he says. “My wife needs her afternoon caffeine and kiss. Both from her husband. See you later, Sheriff.”
“And Ripley, those three sets of drums you had sent to my grandkids the other day?” King remains stoic while he waits. “Fuck you.”
His lips form a small smile.
“No, Sheriff. Fuck you.” He storms out without another word.
“Nice family values.” Preacher puts both hands on his hips and shakes his head.
“I’ll be watching you. Maybe I’ll do Cori a favor and put a bullet between your eyes. Do this entire town a favor.”
“You’ve been saying that shit for almost a decade now. It’s boring. You aren’t going to do shit. You want to know what happened under your watch? Your daughter fell in love and married the man who blackmailed you. No one is scared of you.”
“Well, as you said, Hunt, my daughter chose that idiot, and as much as I hate it, she loves him. Cori doesn’t love you.” His words strike, but I don’t react. “Good day. May you have the marriage you deserve.”