Page 59 of Forbidden Dreams
I shake my head but take the bottle from him, finally having a second to stop. I’m twisting open the cap when the stool next to me is pulled up, and I see Brock sit down. The water bottle is halfway to my mouth. I freeze as he looks at me and smirks before Brady is there.
“What can I get you?” Brady asks.
“I’ll have the new blend,” he instructs to Brady, who nods at him and walks away.
“Hey, Harmony,” he says, giving me a chin up, “how’re you doing?”
“Um… I’m doing good, thanks.”
He nods at me, and all I can do is look at him. Brady comes back and throws the coaster on the bar in front of him before putting his drink down. He picks up the glass and brings it to his lips. His hands are still dirty, so I know he just walked over when he finished work. “Heard about Winston.”
“Yeah.” Brady is quick to answer him. “What did you hear?”
“He spent the night in lockup.” He tries to hide his smile with the glass. “Bonded out this morning.”
Brady looks over at me. “Not a surprise there.”
“No.” He shakes his head. “But it is a surprise they are charging him.” My eyes go big. “Never thought that would happen.” He finishes the rest of the glass. “I hope they all rot in hell.” He gets up, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a wad of bills, and then slaps a twenty on the bar. “I hope they all rot in hell,” he repeats, then looks at me. “Glad you got out from under them.” He turns and walks out of the bar without a second look.
“He looks lost.” I look over at Brady, who has his hand outstretched beside him.
“He made his bed, and now he has to lie in it.” He pushes off from the bar. “He chose a side. That side was the wrong one, and he lost the best thing that ever happened to him.”
“Doesn’t he have a daughter?” I ask Brady and raise my eyebrows. “Something tells me having a child is the best thing that ever happened to someone.”
“That would probably be true,” he explains, “but imagine having the child with someone who you love more than life itself.” He shrugs. “That probably would have been the best thing to ever happen to him.”
“Wyatt is the best thing to ever happen to me,” I tell him, “regardless of who his father is.”
“But you loved Winston,” he points out. “Brock didn’t, and everyone knew it”—he grabs a rag—“including the mother of his daughter.”
“How would she know?” I ask.
“The man is a walking shell of himself, and the only time you see any light in his eyes is when his daughter smiles at him,” Brady informs me. All I can do is nod at him, thinking back to all the times over the years that I took my car in to be serviced at his shop. I always thought it was because he lost his parents one after another, but maybe I was wrong.
I turn back, clearing Brock from my mind as I continue the tables. It’s almost ten o’clock when it clears out, which is later than normal for midweek. “Come here,” Brady says as soon as the door closes. I look over at him from the table I’m cleaning, thinking he has to show me something. I drop the rag and walk to him, only for him to smash his lips on mine in the middle of the bar. He kisses me and makes me forget we are in the middle of the bar before we hear someone clearing their throat.
I step away from him and see Aiden trying not to smirk. “Is there anything else for me to do?”
“Yeah,” Brady says, “bus the tables and then make sure the dishwashers are going. We’re heading out.”
“You got it, boss,” Aiden replies, turning and walking toward the table.
“Brady,” I hiss at him, “that’s my job.”
“Yeah, and I just handed it over. You haven’t eaten at all, and it’s getting late.” He pulls me by my hand to the closet, opening it and grabbing my purse. “We have to go.”
“Night,” Brady calls over his shoulder.
“See you two tomorrow,” Aiden calls out by the time we’re walking through the swinging door to the back parking lot. Brady opens the door for me and helps me in, and by that, I mean he almost picks me up to put me in the truck.
I slap his hands away when he’s about to buckle me in, and he just laughs, closing the truck door. “You’re just leaving him to close up?” I ask of Aiden.
“He’s worked in bars his whole life, and he’s helped out in the summer. He’s back in town for good. If things go right, he’ll be taking over the night shifts for me.” I swallow down the lump that grows with his last statement. There will come a time when it’s not just me and him. I’ll move out of his house, and eventually, this between us will fizzle out. I look out the window at the night sky, seeing a couple of stars. When we get back to his house, I wait for him to walk up the steps before I follow him.
“You okay?” He looks over his shoulder at me.
“Yeah.” I nod. “I guess I’m just tired.” I try not to think about the fact he knows me better than I think he does.