Damn. Hope. It was big. I could tell. If I messed everything up with her, she’d never trust another man. But when that thought went through my head, the one that followed was I didn’t want her to ever have to think about another man. I wanted her to be mine. For good.
I resisted the urge to devour her. It burned through me, but she was scared, so I had to take things slow. I had to be careful. If I wasn’t, I’d scare her off and never get another chance.
“Having hope is a good thing,” I finally said, the words barely making it out past the tightness in my throat.
She smiled faintly, the corners of her mouth lifting just enough to tell me she was happy but still terrified. “Is everything set for the event this weekend?”
Getting personal wasn’t something she did often, so I understood the subject change. I nodded and unlocked my tablet to pull up the full schedule.
“We’re good. We have the food trucks ready for Friday night in the park with DJ Jericho. That’ll wrap up at ten and we’ll turn over the park for the craft fair on Saturday. I confirmed with Marco that Unhinged is ready to play a two hour set Saturday night. They sound really excited for the exposure.”
“Good,” Goldie said. “Paul is really excited about that. I think it’s the only part of the weekend the teenagers are going to attend.”
I laughed. “Probably. But that’s to be expected. Once the show is done, we have a crew set for the fireworks show from MacKellar Cove Inn with support from the fire department on shore and on the water. Sunday we have day two of the craft fair and the Cove Performing Arts Center production that evening. Krystal said they’re ready for their taste of the summer show. She loves that guests will see a little piece of all the shows they’re doing this summer and will be able to buy tickets right then for the full performance. That was a great idea you had.”
Goldie’s cheeks darkened. “Thank you.”
I winked at her, then looked back at my notes. “And Monday we have Yoga in the Park and the Garden Walk with maps already printed and in Eve’s office.”
She nodded as I spoke and stayed silent when I was done. She was running through the list she kept in her head, making sure there wasn’t anything missing.
There wasn’t. I made sure of it. Even though it hurt when she didn’t say anything, I was not going to let it affect my job, or the town. I loved MacKellar Cove as much as anyone did, and making sure our Memorial Day Kick-off to Summer Event was flawless was important to me. It was the way we showed residents and visitors that MacKellar Cove was an amazing place to visit and live.
“Thank you. All of that sounds perfect. Have you set your schedule for the weekend?”
“I have. I’m working Friday night, then off Saturday and Sunday, but I’ll be available if needed. I’m back at it on Monday. Then I’ll take off next Wednesday and Thursday and work through that weekend.”
She nodded again, that far-off look still in her eyes. “That sounds good. I appreciate your help. More than you know.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. There was something in her tone that made me wonder what else was going on. “Are you okay?”
She forced a smile and nodded, fake cheer ringing out from all around her. “I’m good. Thank you. I am really impressed with all the work you’ve done. I know I haven’t always made things easy, but I’m very proud of this department.”
“Are you leaving?” I asked. Those sounded like the words of a woman who was about to walk away.
“I don’t have any plans to leave.”
That was cryptic. I knew Goldie well enough by now to understand it was also intentional. Something was going on, but she didn’t want to tell me about it, so I let it go.
“You should take some time off when you can get it through the summer. Things are going to be busy with events almost every weekend. You have everything on track now, so if you want to take the rest of the day, you’re welcome to.”
“I don’t need to do that,” I told her.
“How about a long lunch then? Something? I hate making all of you work the hours you put in through the summer. Eve’s off tomorrow and Friday, but working this weekend. Howard hired more people to get through the summer and is home today and tomorrow. Theo is working through the weekend but taking next week off. You need a break, too.”
“What about you?”
She shook her head and avoided my gaze. “I’ll be fine. I enjoy working.”
“But everyone needs downtime, Goldie. We all need to be able to take a break once in a while.”
“I will. You should go have lunch with Arthur. See how things are going there. And just take the rest of the day off.”
“Are you trying to get rid of me because you told me you want to go out?”
“I didn’t say that!”
I shrugged. “You kinda did. You said you have hope about a future. That means you want to date me.”
“I… Go to lunch, Patrick.”
I grinned and stood. “Want me to bring you something back?”
She shook her head. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’ll be back this afternoon.”
She rolled her eyes. “Enjoy your lunch.”
“I’d enjoy it more if it was with you, but I guess my brother will be a decent substitute.”
She laughed softly, her lips lifting in a smile that finally reached her hazel eyes. They were a little more green when she was happy, which made me smile even bigger.
“See you soon,” I said, waving as I opened her door and walked out.
I locked up my office and sent Arthur a text that I was coming to have lunch with him. He gave me a thumbs up as I was getting in my SUV.
O’Kelley’s was busy, but not so busy I couldn’t find a seat. A server came over with a water and told me Arthur already ordered for us and it would be out soon. And that my brother would be, too.
I played a game on my phone while I waited for Arthur to join me. When someone slid onto the seat across from me, I turned my phone off and looked up. But it wasn’t my brother. It was a woman I didn’t recognize.
“Hi,” she said, smiling widely while looking me up and down. “How are you?”
“Good. How are you?” I was giving her the benefit of the doubt while also keeping my guard up.
“I’m single.”
“Good for you.”
“Want to go hook up in the bathroom?”
I drew back. “Seriously?”
She nodded and twirled the straw in her glass with her tongue. “Yeah. I’m in town for the weekend and you’re hot. You can meet me later if you’d rather do that.”
“I’m not available,” I told her. It wasn’t a complete lie.
“I won’t tell if you won’t.”
I shook my head and tried to push down the revolting feeling. Was this how Goldie felt when her friend’s husband’s girlfriend showed up? Like it was all wrong and twisted and sickening.
“I’ll know. And that’s enough.”
“Ooh, I love men who are loyal,” she said, running her nails up and down my arm in a way I thought was supposed to be sexy but made me feel like I was being clawed to death by a kitten.
“If that’s true, why would you be willing to sleep with me knowing I’m not available?”
She pouted in a way that was supposed to be was tempting but wasn’t. She tilted her head to the side and stuck out her boobs. I didn’t look at them. I didn’t care what they looked like. I just wanted her to leave.
“You’re not being very nice.”
“I’m not the one who approached you. I was minding my own business and waiting for my brother to join me for lunch.”
“You have a brother? Ooh! Two for one.”
“Time to go,” Hudson said, catching the woman as she fell sideways out of her seat and almost hit the floor. “Your friends need to get you back to your hotel.”
“But I don’t wanna,” she pouted, running her hand down Hudson’s cheek and continuing to his throat, then lower.
He dropped her, throwing his hands up and backing away as two other women collected the drunk, single one and scowled at him.
“Your friend needs to learn to keep her hands to herself,” Hudson growled at the women.
One of them had the decency to look ashamed. The other still shot daggers at us.
Hudson nodded toward the bar. “It’s safer.”
I grabbed my water and followed him to the bar, taking a seat in the center where there was another stool open. “Thanks.”
He shook his head. “She’s been a pain in my ass all week. She comes in here when I open and drinks until she can’t stand, then tries to get someone to screw her in the bathroom and pouts when they say no.”
“Wow, you have her pegged. That’s exactly what she said to me.”
“I was her first attempt,” he admitted with a grimace.
I snorted.
“Anna was not as amused as you.”
I grimaced. “Yeah, I can understand that. I can’t see how any woman would find it appealing to have someone hanging all over her man.”
“I would feel the same if someone was all over Anna.”
The thought of a man doing that to Goldie nearly sent me out of my seat.
“You, too, huh?” Hudson chuckled.
I shrugged.
“Goldie giving you a shot yet?”
“Nope,” Arthur answered for me. “She’s barely speaking to him right now.”
“Damn. Sorry,” Hudson said.
“Actually, that’s not true. We talked earlier,” I countered smugly.
“Really?” my brother asked with a raised brow. “About something other than work?”
“Yes. About having hope,” I said.
“Hope?” Hudson asked.
I nodded.
Hudson whistled. “That’s not a small thing for her. I get it, though. Goldie’s been through shit with her ex. It took me a long time to be willing to try with someone. She’s the same.”
“You two talk?” I asked, feeling irrationally jealous of that new knowledge. Goldie had friends, and she was allowed to share things with other men. Not to mention, Hudson was marrying Anna in a few months. I had no reason to be jealous. Except I was.
Hudson met my gaze and nodded. “We do. Because we’re friends. And being a bartender, people tend to tell me shit they wouldn’t normally admit. Like Goldie is afraid of getting hurt again. And having hope is something she’s worried about for years. If she has hope, and if it’s because of you, don’t fuck it up.”
I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or nod, so I kind of did both.
“He’s in love with her,” my brother provided. “The only way he’s going to fuck it up is by telling her how he feels.”
“Yeah, definitely don’t do that,” Hudson said. “How long have you two been together? I didn’t realize you were dating.”
“They’re not,” Arthur said. “He just wishes they were. He’s been pining over her forever. He might be getting closer to her agreeing to a date, though.”
“She did agree,” I said. “Work is just busy right now, so I’m not sure when we’ll be able to make it happen.”
“Don’t wait. Not with a woman like Goldie. She’s incredible, but she’s going to be hard to pin down because she’s going to use any excuse she can to get out of putting herself at risk. If she’s agreed to a date, make a plan.”
“You think?” I asked.
Hudson nodded. “Yeah. Hey, you two should come to guys’ night tomorrow.”
“Me and Goldie?” I asked.
Hudson chuckled. “No. You and Arthur. Why haven’t you come before?”
Arthur and I exchanged a glance. “We weren’t invited,” Arthur said for us.
“Well, you are now. It started out as Ian and Ramsey, James when he could, coming here to hang out. It’s grown. Seems half the men in town show up now. Talk about their women and offer each other shitty advice.”
“Sounds like exactly where I need to be,” I grumbled.
Hudson laughed. “It’s only shitty because it’s usually exactly what you need to hear but don’t want to hear. And all those guys adore Goldie. They’ll help you figure her out.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to hang around with a bunch of men who knew and liked Goldie, but maybe it was worth a shot.
“We’ll be there,” Arthur answered for us, clapping me on the back.
Hudson tapped the counter and walked away to help someone else.
“We’ll be there?” I questioned my brother.
“You need help, and those guys know Goldie. It’ll be good.”
“Really?” I was more than a little skeptical.
“If nothing else, it’s new friends.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I never won an argument against my brother. I wasn’t going to start now.
My stomach hurt from laughing so hard. I swiped my glasses off and wiped the tears from my face. Damn, those guys were funny.
James, a local cop, was picking on his partner, Rowan, about something that happened at work, but Rowan turned it around on James. Then Ramsey, who grew up with James, and Xavier, whose wife was close to James’s wife, joined in on James, and James was just left the butt of every joke.
“You know you started it,” Rowan said to James.
James answered him with his middle finger. “Why don’t we talk about someone else? I think I’ve had enough fun for one night.”
“I feel bad for your wife,” Ian said. Ian also grew up with James and knew him better than the others.
James just shook his head and chuckled. “My wife is well taken care of. You don’t have to feel bad for her at all.”
“Hey, speaking of wives,” Rowan said. He turned to Brantley. “I heard a rumor about Valentina.”
Brantley was a high school physics teacher and coached varsity cross-country and baseball. I had seen him around town but never met him until tonight. But I thought he was single.
“What about Valentina?” Brantley asked. His jaw was tight, and his knuckles turned white.
“Dawson was cheating on her and moved the girlfriend to town. Any truth to that?”
Oh, shit. I knew that story. And I knew the name Valentina. She was friends with Goldie and worked at Cove Bakery. Which meant the story Goldie told me was about her. Maybe.
“Where did you hear that?” Brantley asked, giving nothing away. He relaxed his posture and his hand, but he was facing off against two cops and answering a question with a question was almost a sure sign he was hiding something.
“A stop we had today. One of their neighbors said she saw Valentina throwing Dawson out shortly after the girlfriend showed up at the house,” Rowan said.
“Fuck,” Brantley breathed, all his bravado sagging his shoulders.
“So, it’s true?”
Brantley shook his head. “Not entirely.”
“You want to enlighten us?” James asked.
“Why? So you can pile on?” Brantley snapped.
“I like Valentina,” Ian said. “She deserves better than a piece of shit like him. If he cheated on her, good riddance to him.”
Brantley’s shoulders sagged just a touch. “I agree.”
“I’m not interested in piling on,” James said. “I just feel for her.”
Brantley held his gaze for a long minute, then nodded. “They were having dinner. Goldie and Paul were there, too. Haley, the other woman, wanted to surprise Dawson by moving to be closer to him. Neither of them knew about the other woman, and Dawson did not invite her to move here. He was living his peaceful fucking life and ruining the lives of two women. Not to mention his daughters.”
“Damn,” Rowan said. “That’s fucked up. I’ve known a lot of people who were stepping out and it’s just ugly. It’s not worth it, and it’s not okay.”
“Agreed,” the other men all said.
“How’s Valentina?” Hudson asked Brantley.
Brantley shrugged. “As good as she can be. Once she hears that the story is out there, she’ll be upset again.”
“She’s lucky to have you for a friend,” Ian said.
Brantley nodded, but the look in his eyes said he wanted to be friends with Valentina as much as I wanted to be friends with Goldie.
“How old are her daughters?” I asked Brantley.
“Fourteen and fifteen. Both have birthdays coming up,” Brantley said.
“Where’s Dawson living? Did he move in with the girlfriend?” Rowan asked.
Brantley shook his head. “He stayed with me the first night. Asshole wouldn’t tell me why Val kicked him out. Once I dragged it out of him, I threw him out, too.”
“I thought you two were good friends. Didn’t you introduce them?” Ian asked.
Brantley nodded. “Yep. Worst mistake of my life.”
“You can’t blame yourself. You had no way of knowing this would happen decades later,” James said.
Brantley nodded, but it was jerky and uncomfortable.
“It’s more than that, isn’t it?” I asked Brantley.
He met my gaze with a knowing one. “Yep.” He was in love with Valentina.
I tipped my glass to his, somewhat relieved to know I wasn’t the only one sitting at a bar on a Thursday night and wishing I had the woman I loved waiting at home for me. Nope. I’d be going home alone. Just like Brantley. And it sucked. Big time.