know what people like the Abbots will throw at you.”
Ford’s brother, Hunter, let out a sound that was a cross between a scoff and a grunt. “They always were assholes.”
I felt like there was a large part of the Abbot picture that I couldn’t see. More than just Clark and Annabelle being unhappy that their son had dated Kenna. More than the whole family being bitter about Harriet leaving Kenna The Gables. I was missing some piece of the puzzle.
Ford filled a glass from the taps in front of us. “They treated Kenna as less than from the moment that girl moved in with Harriet.”
Hunter twirled a French fry between his fingers. “You mean the parents did. Grant wanted in her pants from the moment Kenna got boobs.”
I reached out and smacked him upside the back of the head. “Careful.”
“What? It’s true. The guy was obsessed with having the hottest girl at our school. Too bad after he got her, he treated her like shit.”
I straightened on my stool, eyes zeroing in on Hunter. “What do you mean?”
Hunter popped the fry into his mouth. “He cheated on her. Repeatedly. Kenna was always one to play by the rules. She didn’t party, barely hung with anyone but Bell and Caelyn. So, Grant pretty much had free rein at parties.”
Ford slid a beer to a customer a few stools down. “I didn’t know that.”
“You were already gone when his partying got really out of control. It wasn’t really my scene, but I heard about it plenty.”
I forced myself to release the death grip I had on my glass. “Kenna didn’t know? Her friends?”
Hunter shrugged. “It was mostly rumor at the time. I think she thought it was girls acting jealous and making stuff up.”
My urge to find Grant Abbot and deck him was increasing by the second. Sure, we all did stupid things in high school, but cheating on a girl whose trust was so fragile? It was cruel. “He’s an asshole.”
“He’s gotten everything he’s ever wanted in life. It would be impossible for him to turn out any other way,” Hunter said.
But Hunter was wrong. I’d had just about anything I ever needed or wanted, too. Other than parents who actually gave a damn, anyway. But I guessed Grant was in the same boat there. I didn’t use people the way he did, though. Didn’t crush them to get whatever it was that I wanted. Affluence as a reason for bad behavior was just an excuse.
Ford began wiping down the bar. “His parents always made any repercussions for his bad behavior disappear.”
Now that was something my parents didn’t do. When I screwed up, I had to face the music. “That can make a kid an asshole teen and young adult, but he’s in his late twenties now. Blaming his behavior on Mommy and Daddy is just an excuse.”
“You’ve got a point there,” Ford agreed.
The stool next to me scraped against the cement floor. “Looks like it’s my lucky day. Three handsome men to keep me company.”
I turned at the sound of the husky voice. The woman looked to be in her fifties, but it was hard to tell for sure. Her hair was dyed a red that was in no way natural, and the makeup caked on her face just made her wrinkles stand out more. “Ma’am.”
“Please do not call me ma’am. That’s reserved for my mother.” She scooted in closer, and I could smell a hint of alcohol and cigarette smoke on her breath. Apparently, she’d already been hitting it hard today.
“Fair enough,” I agreed. “Miss, it is.”
The woman held out a hand with red nails that matched her hair. “I’m Janet. It’s nice to meet you…”
“Crosby. I’m Crosby, and this is Hunter and Ford.” I did not want to be singled out by Janet, but at the same time, I found myself fighting a chuckle. I had to admire her fearless game.
“Well, fellas. What do you say to some shots?”
Ford held up both hands. “I’m working.”
Janet pouted. “Spoilsport. What about you two?”
Hunter shook his head. “I have to be on a job site at six tomorrow morning.”
“Sorry, Miss Janet, I’ve got an early day, too. Looks like you’ll just have to party for the four of us.”
Bell appeared behind the bar. “But you’ll have to do it somewhere else. You’re not welcome here. Get gone, and don’t come back.”
I was instantly on alert at the look of rage on Bell’s face, and Ford took a step closer to his