HOLY HELL. SOMETIMES, YOU’VE GOT an idea in your head of what’s going to happen. You’ve seen it all play out a million times. It’s like a book you already read, a movie you’ve already seen, and then, something completely unexpected happens.
That’s how it was when Faith walked in.
I was sitting next to Grant, the waitress batting her eyes at me like boy’s are an endangered species and I’m the last one left alive. Grant had been around the block more than once with Sue. He was keeping his eye out for something new.
I wasn’t keeping my eye out for anything. I had my night planned. I’d have a few beers, go home, get an early night. Next morning I’d get back to work on the farmhouse.
But then Lacey walked in, and behind her was Faith. My Faith.
Immediately, I ducked behind the beer taps and pulled Grant down with me. Luckily the place was busy and she hadn’t noticed us.
“Jesus Christ,” I said.
Grant had no clue why we were ducking. “What is it?” he said.
I indicated toward the door. Lacey and Faith looked around and found a high table by the wall at the opposite end of the bar.
“Did you tell Lacey we were going to be here?” I said.
“I might have,” Grant said. “I didn’t know she’d bring Faith.”
“Fuck.”
“Relax. She hasn’t seen you.”
“Fuck,” I said again.
“What are you so afraid of, Jackson? She’s your woman. She always has been. All she’s doing is waiting for you. Tonight’s as good as any for you to break the ice.”
“Jesus,” I said again and bit my tongue. “Sorry for swearing.”
Grant laughed. “You can swear all you like in front of me, brother. I ain’t sensitive.”
“Fuck me,” I said again, and laughed. “This is ridiculous. I know it is. It’s just, you ever felt like you really let someone down, and then you don’t know how to make it up to them?”
“You didn’t let her down, Jackson.”
“I put a baby in her, told her she was mine for the rest of her life, and then disappeared.”
“You were protecting her. She was the one who got involved with Los Lobos. You were undoing that. We’ve been over this a million times. You’ve got to let all that go, Jackson. It’s her choice whether or not she’ll forgive you for disappearing, but you’ve got to at least give her the chance to decide.”
I looked over at Faith. It was the first time since my return that I had a good view of her. So much had changed. She looked more in control of her life, more mature. She had money, nice clothes. I was proud of her. She’d made something of herself.
And I knew then, it was something that happens very rarely in life. It was a second chance.
“Lacey did this on purpose,” I said. “She knew I’d be here.”
Grant nodded. “She might have.”
Faith, was every bit as beautiful as the night I first set eyes on her, all those years ago. My mind cast back to the image of her entering the motel bar, soaking wet, desperate for help, and she stole my heart in a split second. She was doing the same thing now. Just like the first time I saw her, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was striking in every way. In this light she was even more beautiful than I remembered. She was making my heart pound.
You ever race a train to a crossing? We used to do that when we were kids. Damn fool thing to do. Get up to a hundred miles an hour, middle of the night, turn off the headlights, cross in front of a thousand ton machine moving almost as fast as we were.
That’s the rush I got when I set eyes on Faith. She had class. She was like a triple-A steak that had just walked into a hamburger joint. She blew every other woman in the world out of the water. I was sure every guy in the place noticed her.
I’ve never been to places like Paris or Rome, but seeing her again put me in mind of places like that. She was elegant, and that’s not a word I use lightly. She was stylish, confident—she walked on those expensive high-heels like a runway supermodel. I just put down my beer and stared at her. Grant had to slap me on the arm.
“There’s your woman,” he said.
“There she is,” I said under my breath.
“Now when are you going to put everyone out of their misery and go up to her?”
“Fuck,” I said again.
“Calm down, brother.”
“Did she have any relationships with other men while I was gone?” I said. I was sure I knew the answer, but my heart was pounding so fast in my chest I had to stall.
“We’ve been over this, Jackson.”
“Don’t fuck with me. Has she been with other men?”
Grant looked over at the women. They were sitting at their table, waiting for service.
“I don’t think a single guy got past the first date with her. And there wasn’t many of those either. She just couldn’t get over you, Jackson. She waited for you. And now you’re back and you won’t go talk to her? How unfair is that?”