Fight From The Heart (Heart Collection #4) - L.B. Dunbar Page 0,20
live with me. It was enough to make me consider marrying Mandi for about five seconds. I could have married Mandi and had all the companionship I ever desired, but my heart reminds me that I just wasn’t that into her. With Pam’s absence after those days of her illness, my loneliness feels heightened to new levels.
Unable to be productive in any other manner, I go out for a drink instead of my nightly schedule of drinking alone. I’ll only have one I promise myself. The local’s favorite in Elk Lake City is Town Tavern with booths down one side, a long bar down the other, and tables in the middle of the rectangular space. A pool table stands in the back. I’ve heard Pam mention she comes here with her family once a week, and I know Ethan has joined them. Taking a seat at the bar, I mindlessly gaze at the television behind it, nursing my scotch.
“Penny for your thoughts,” says a mousy feminine voice at my side, and I turn to find a sultry brunette leaning against the bar. She’s wearing a tight V-neck sweater that exposes a hint of heavy cleavage and reveals a sliver of her belly.
I’ll give you a dollar to go away.
“That would be more than they’re worth,” I tease without humor.
“Want to talk?” she questions. Leaning forward, she presses said cleavage together, making the swells nearly pop out of the V in her sweater.
“Not worth the words either,” I mutter.
“We don’t need to talk then,” she coos, and I stare at her. It’s been almost two months since I’ve been laid. The ten days with Mandi produced nothing, and the month-plus prior was a flop as well. As I just wasn’t feeling it for her, I couldn’t muster the physical reaction that normally came easily to me. The same is happening with this woman.
“Ever hear of Jacob Vincent?” I question, knowing this could go one of two ways. Sometimes, I measure a woman’s intelligence by whether she’s heard of me or not. Other times, I don’t want her to know a thing about me and the anonymity helps me lose myself for a bit. I don’t actually want either response tonight.
“Nope,” she says, giving me a smile that might work on other men but not me.
“Thought you were leaving, Vicky,” the bartender addresses her, and she huffs as she looks up at him.
“Changed my mind, Baz.” The bald man’s eyes meet mine for a second, and he reads my disinterest in her.
“Think you need to change it back,” he tells the woman, coming to my defense, and I’m grateful as I don’t want to make a scene. I just want to sit here, beating myself up.
“I was the one just leaving,” I state to save face. “I’ll just settle up.” After downing the rest of my scotch, I reach for my wallet while the front door of the bar opens, and two women walk in. I don’t pay them any attention as I lay a twenty on the bar and stand to leave. When I look up and notice Pam taking a seat at a booth with another woman, I park myself back on the stool.
“On second thought, how about another, and a drink for my new friend, Vicky.” Falsely smiling at the brunette, I keep my focus over her shoulder, watching Pam place an order with the waitress and then lean forward like she’s revealing all her secrets to the woman before her.
Chapter 8
Sunshine and Rain
[Pam]
“Spill,” Mae says to me the second Sandy takes our drink order and leaves the booth. I don’t typically hang out at Town Tavern other than on Thursdays with my siblings, but Mae wanted all the details of my days with Jacob, and we didn’t get a chance to speak at work.
Mae and her husband, Adam, own a series of businesses. First is Eden Landscaping, inherited by Adam years back. When Mae and Adam met in college, Mae followed Adam here, and he eventually opened the retail garden center called Mae’s Flowers for her. Her business has grown over time to include a year-round facility selling everything from tulips to Christmas trees as well as a thriving gift shop with gardening products and books, and garden-related novelties and decorations. That’s where I came into the picture. Mae needed help running it all, and I began working part-time while still an EMT. When everything fell apart for me a while ago, I started working full-time for her.