Wasn’t that the truth? Isidra had called a few days ago to say she was on the mend, but still couldn’t stand to be in an upright position for more than an hour. She expected to come back at the beginning of the week, which would mark almost a full three weeks she’d been gone.
Though, I guess I had to admit that I was glad she wasn’t there, because she’d definitely have been suspicious of my and Tate’s relationship. Isidra was a life resident of Hostel, Texas. She’d been there for thirty-seven of her thirty-eight years of life, and likely wouldn’t ever leave.
Though, her husband was also the head football coach for Hostel High School.
She was very intuitive, and she loved to gossip with the best of them, which was why I was wary of doing anything in front of her that would likely get straight back to my father thanks to the Hostel gossip mill.
“I’ll send over the time that works best over a text message. I haven’t tried to touch the emails, and I’d like to avoid doing that. Me and electronics don’t get along all that well.”
I chuckled, remembering a time during one of her lectures that she’d had Power Point with her lecture up on the screen, and all of a sudden, her computer just shut off, never to wake up again. She’d never thought to back up all of her lectures, so years of her education materials had disappeared in a puff of smoke.
That year had been a turning point for her, as well as a reminder not to do what she did.
I’d felt sorry for her ever since. I was sure, even a year later, that she was still trying to recoup materials that she’d lost.
“That’ll work,” I smiled sadly. “I’ll drop his file by your office myself since your assistant is out. I’ll be there likely tomorrow some time. I have about three hours in between patients.”
When Joan had lost all of her materials, she’d decided that she wouldn’t be teaching at UT any longer. I don’t know if that was just the last straw or what, because she moved while I was still attending the last of my classes for my final semester of school.
When I’d contacted her for a professional reference a few months ago, it was to find her not just close to me, but two towns over. Though, technically we weren’t in the same state.
The town of Hostel bordered the Texas/Louisiana border. Though we were only thirty miles away from each other at most, getting to each other required that we cross state lines.
“All right, Hennessy. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
With that we hung up, and I got out of the car.
I was glad that I’d taken the rest of the afternoon off, though I would’ve rather spend it with Krisney, shopping for the lingerie that I’d planned to seduce Tate with.
I winced.
I really needed to get my mood swings in regards to Tate in order. This was beginning to get ridiculous, and way out of hand.
Getting out of my car with new determination in my step, I walked inside, took a look around, and came to a fast realization.
I needed a new place.
I wasn’t going to get over Tate Casey when I had to see him across the street from me every day.
An idea came to mind, and I grinned.
The only problem, for this idea to come to fruition, I had to go visit Tate’s grandma.
Chapter 17
I don’t always give a woman an orgasm, but when I do, she usually spits it out.
-Text from Baylor to Tate
Tate
Two hours earlier
I didn’t want to see her.
Not even a little bit.
But, this wouldn’t get resolved if I didn’t, so there I stood outside Bord’s, knowing that she was inside today thanks to Rosemary’s text that she was ‘in house.’
I stared at the doors of the bar with my gut in a tight ball.
The other problem with being here at this time was that everyone and their brother was there to eat breakfast.
Bord’s did breakfast one day a week, and that was on a Wednesday. It was a good breakfast with a shit ton of buffet style breakfast food, paired with alcoholic morning drinks such as mimosas.
I wish I didn’t have to do it right then, but each time I’d tried to call Ariya, she’d dodged my calls. I’d had to resort to more sneaky measures, which was where Rosemary had come in.
Now I was about to walk into the bar owned by my ex-girlfriend in the middle of God and everybody in the whole goddamn town, and tell Ariya how much I resented her for keeping my kid from me.
Not that I could blame her.
I’d been in prison, for God’s sake. I wouldn’t want my kids involved with a felon, either.
Steeling myself, I got out of the truck, trying to ignore the fact that I passed what had to be Hennessy’s car, and marched inside.
The moment I crossed the threshold, I heard the excited chatter, as well as the clinking of dishes as people ate.
My eyes slowly moved over the entire bar area, and stopped on Hennessy.
She and Krisney had their backs to me as they ate, and I was glad.
Seeing her right now would be detrimental. I needed to figure shit out with Ariya before I said anything to Hennessy about anything.
Even though Hennessy and I hadn’t spoken about anything more than what we’d already done, I wasn’t a stupid man. I knew that I wanted her. I also knew that I wasn’t good enough for her, but that wasn’t going to stop me from taking what I wanted as mine.
It’d suck to have to explain all of this shit to her, but I knew she’d understand.
“Why are you here?”
I looked over to see Ariya’s father, Borden, the ‘Bord’ in Bord’s, staring at me with barely restrained hostility.
“I’m here to see Ariya,” I told him. “Do you think you can spare her for a few seconds?”
Borden lifted his lip in a silent snarl, and was about to reply when Ariya walked up to his side. “It’s okay, Dad. I’ll talk to him.”
Borden walked away, but didn’t attempt to hide the distaste at having me in his establishment.
The moment he was out of earshot, Ariya grabbed my hand and led me outside. She didn’t go far, just to the right of what I now confirmed was Hennessy’s car, and crossed her arms.
“You know?”
I laughed at that.
“Yeah, I know.”
“I…”
She stopped and looked at her hands, then rubbed her face with a roughness that surprised me.
She wasn’t wearing any makeup.
Holy shit. I didn’t think there was ever a time that I hadn’t seen her perfectly coifed.
“Just spit it out,” I ordered. “I’m going fucking crazy here.”
She looked at me then, her spine straightening.
“She’s not yours.”
The relief in those words as they hit me were nothing less than staggering.
I knew that she wouldn’t lie, not about this.
Ariya was a lot of things, but a liar wasn’t one of them.
“Then why does everyone think she’s mine?”
Ariya bit her lip. “If her father was known, then it wouldn’t be good for me or her. It’s better that they suspect, but don’t get it confirmed.”
“In the meantime, though, you’re making everyone think that she’s mine, and that I’m an asshole for not having anything to do with a dying kid.” I paused at Ariya’s flinch. “I’m sorry, that was inconsiderate.”
Ariya swiped at her eyes, and let out a shaky breath.
“Thing is, it’s the truth,” she sniffled.