Not Quite Over You
Page 67
“OMG,” Silver said out loud, then started to laugh. No matter how much she hurt, she had to admit her life was never, ever boring.
* * *
DREW DIDN’T REMEMBER being arrested, nor did he recall passing out but as he woke up in a jail cell, he was going to guess both had happened.
He lay on the cot, dealing with his headache, his lack of memory and a sense of having been not only stupid, but really stupid.
It was still dark outside. He had no watch, no cell phone and there wasn’t a clock on any of the walls, but he suspected it was close to three or four in the morning. He was also alone in his cell—a fact for which he was grateful.
He sat up slowly. The world spun a couple of times, then stilled. His stomach wasn’t happy and the pounding in his head was going to take a while to resolve, but he’d survived.
“You’re awake.”
He looked up and saw Garrick walking toward his cell. The officer had a mug in his hand.
“If that’s coffee and it’s for me, I will owe you forever.”
Garrick passed him the mug. “I’ll make a note of that. Want to throw up?”
“Not especially.”
“Good. I don’t want these to go to waste.” He handed over two aspirin and a four-pack of crackers.
“You’re prepared.” Drew took a sip of the coffee.
“It’s a wedding destination town. We don’t have a lot of serious crime. Mostly it’s party-related. People get drunk and do dumb things.”
There was something in the other man’s tone. As if...
Drew swore. “Tell me I didn’t spray-paint the wall at Weddings Out of the Box.”
“The fence.”
His memory started to return. “Did I write Drew Loves Silver over and over again?”
“Yup. And there was some weird animal. I have no idea what it was.”
“Me, either.” He rubbed his temple and swore. “Silver was there, wasn’t she?”
“Uh-huh. For what it’s worth, she let me arrest you.”
“I’m sure she thought I deserved it. Oh crap. We talked about Julie.”
Garrick chuckled. “I knew there was a story. I’ve spoken with Pallas and she’s not pressing charges.”
Drew closed his eyes. “She’s got to be pissed. Jeez, what was I thinking?”
“You weren’t. It happens. I’m going to call someone to come get you. Odds are you’re still too drunk to drive. I don’t want to use a Breathalyzer to be sure, because then I’ll have to write it up and I hate having to write it up.” He held up Drew’s phone. “You get to pick who.”
Cade would be with his bride-to-be. No way Silver would want to rescue him. “Jasper,” he said, motioning to the phone. “His number is in there.”
“I’ll tell him to hurry.”
“Thanks.”
Garrick left to make the call. Drew sank back on the cot and wondered how he was going to fix everything that had gone wrong. Twenty minutes later, he still didn’t have a plan, but it turned out he did have a visitor. Instead of Jasper walking in, Drew saw his father. Because the night just couldn’t get any worse.
Garrick escorted his father into the cell and unlocked the door. Drew looked at the officer.
“What happened to Jasper?”
Drew’s father shrugged out of his jacket and sat on the only chair in the cell. “I’m old friends with the sergeant on duty. He called me when he realized you’d been brought in.”
“He got here first,” Garrick said with a shrug. “I’ve already let Jasper know you have a ride.”
Drew wasn’t happy to know the night could get worse. He sat on the cot and waited for what he was sure was going to be a hell of a lecture. Under other circumstances he would tell his father to go pound sand—that he wasn’t in the mood to listen. But today he thought maybe, just maybe, he’d earned a good talking-to.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about Autumn,” his father said, surprising him with the topic. “How old is she?”
“Eleven.”
“That’s a good age. I meant what I said before. I want to meet her.”
Drew blinked in surprise. “Ah, sure.”
“I’d like that. Your mother...” He leaned back in the chair. “Irene is ambitious, more ambitious than I am. She has always had big dreams and she’s willing to do the work to get there.”
Or walk over anyone who got in her way, Drew thought, but didn’t say.
“Sometimes she forgets not everyone shares her worldview,” his father continued. “Sometimes she lets her determination blind her to what’s important. Like the people we love. Drew, if you don’t want to join the firm, then don’t. You’re blessed—you have enough food to eat and a roof over your head. You have options and so many people don’t. Why be unhappy on purpose?”
“I know, Dad. I’ve told her and told her, but she won’t listen.”
“Maybe because she knows you’re not telling the truth. Or at least not all of it. You can’t just run from something—you have to also be moving toward something else. What is it you want? What’s missing?”
“Silver.” Drew spoke without thinking because no thought was required. She was what he wanted. Her and them together and more children and a life that made them both giddy.
“I know you love her, but—”
“No, Dad. There’s not a but in that sentence. I want to be with Silver. I want to stay in this ridiculous little town. I want to be a part of local businesses and help them grow. I want to fund start-ups and turn AlcoHaul into a franchise and be a good man who is married to the woman of his dreams. That’s what I want.”
His father studied him for a long time. “There’s a lot of your grandfather in you,” he said at last. “That story we all tell about the founding of the town, how your grandfather lied to get people coming here to get married, he didn’t just do it for the bank. There was enough money—the family would have been all right. He did it for the town. Without him, there would be no Happily Inc today.” He smiled at Drew. “Now what?”
“I have no idea. Silver made it clear she doesn’t want to be with me.”
“Did she? Was this before or after you fought for her?”
“There’s no fighting when it comes to Silver.”
“Son, I may not know much about women, but I know this. They want a man willing to walk through fire for them. That goes a long way. If you fight the good fight and lose, then I’ll be on your side, but if you don’t even try, then you deserve what you get.”
He started to say he didn’t have anything, only to realize that was his father’s point. He hadn’t fought for her. She’d even said the same thing. Spray-painted words on the side of a wall didn’t count. She needed to know that he meant it, that she was the best, most important part of his world. She needed to be convinced. Which sounded great, but he genuinely had no idea how to make that happen.
“It’ll come to you in the moment,” his father said. “Trust me. Better yet, trust yourself.”
“I’m not sure I’m a good bet. I haven’t gotten it right yet.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve always been proud of you, son. I still am.”
The words got him a lot more than he would have expected. He had to clear his throat before he could speak. “Thanks, Dad. Any chance you can spring me from jail?”
* * *
DREW DIDN’T REMEMBER being arrested, nor did he recall passing out but as he woke up in a jail cell, he was going to guess both had happened.
He lay on the cot, dealing with his headache, his lack of memory and a sense of having been not only stupid, but really stupid.
It was still dark outside. He had no watch, no cell phone and there wasn’t a clock on any of the walls, but he suspected it was close to three or four in the morning. He was also alone in his cell—a fact for which he was grateful.
He sat up slowly. The world spun a couple of times, then stilled. His stomach wasn’t happy and the pounding in his head was going to take a while to resolve, but he’d survived.
“You’re awake.”
He looked up and saw Garrick walking toward his cell. The officer had a mug in his hand.
“If that’s coffee and it’s for me, I will owe you forever.”
Garrick passed him the mug. “I’ll make a note of that. Want to throw up?”
“Not especially.”
“Good. I don’t want these to go to waste.” He handed over two aspirin and a four-pack of crackers.
“You’re prepared.” Drew took a sip of the coffee.
“It’s a wedding destination town. We don’t have a lot of serious crime. Mostly it’s party-related. People get drunk and do dumb things.”
There was something in the other man’s tone. As if...
Drew swore. “Tell me I didn’t spray-paint the wall at Weddings Out of the Box.”
“The fence.”
His memory started to return. “Did I write Drew Loves Silver over and over again?”
“Yup. And there was some weird animal. I have no idea what it was.”
“Me, either.” He rubbed his temple and swore. “Silver was there, wasn’t she?”
“Uh-huh. For what it’s worth, she let me arrest you.”
“I’m sure she thought I deserved it. Oh crap. We talked about Julie.”
Garrick chuckled. “I knew there was a story. I’ve spoken with Pallas and she’s not pressing charges.”
Drew closed his eyes. “She’s got to be pissed. Jeez, what was I thinking?”
“You weren’t. It happens. I’m going to call someone to come get you. Odds are you’re still too drunk to drive. I don’t want to use a Breathalyzer to be sure, because then I’ll have to write it up and I hate having to write it up.” He held up Drew’s phone. “You get to pick who.”
Cade would be with his bride-to-be. No way Silver would want to rescue him. “Jasper,” he said, motioning to the phone. “His number is in there.”
“I’ll tell him to hurry.”
“Thanks.”
Garrick left to make the call. Drew sank back on the cot and wondered how he was going to fix everything that had gone wrong. Twenty minutes later, he still didn’t have a plan, but it turned out he did have a visitor. Instead of Jasper walking in, Drew saw his father. Because the night just couldn’t get any worse.
Garrick escorted his father into the cell and unlocked the door. Drew looked at the officer.
“What happened to Jasper?”
Drew’s father shrugged out of his jacket and sat on the only chair in the cell. “I’m old friends with the sergeant on duty. He called me when he realized you’d been brought in.”
“He got here first,” Garrick said with a shrug. “I’ve already let Jasper know you have a ride.”
Drew wasn’t happy to know the night could get worse. He sat on the cot and waited for what he was sure was going to be a hell of a lecture. Under other circumstances he would tell his father to go pound sand—that he wasn’t in the mood to listen. But today he thought maybe, just maybe, he’d earned a good talking-to.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about Autumn,” his father said, surprising him with the topic. “How old is she?”
“Eleven.”
“That’s a good age. I meant what I said before. I want to meet her.”
Drew blinked in surprise. “Ah, sure.”
“I’d like that. Your mother...” He leaned back in the chair. “Irene is ambitious, more ambitious than I am. She has always had big dreams and she’s willing to do the work to get there.”
Or walk over anyone who got in her way, Drew thought, but didn’t say.
“Sometimes she forgets not everyone shares her worldview,” his father continued. “Sometimes she lets her determination blind her to what’s important. Like the people we love. Drew, if you don’t want to join the firm, then don’t. You’re blessed—you have enough food to eat and a roof over your head. You have options and so many people don’t. Why be unhappy on purpose?”
“I know, Dad. I’ve told her and told her, but she won’t listen.”
“Maybe because she knows you’re not telling the truth. Or at least not all of it. You can’t just run from something—you have to also be moving toward something else. What is it you want? What’s missing?”
“Silver.” Drew spoke without thinking because no thought was required. She was what he wanted. Her and them together and more children and a life that made them both giddy.
“I know you love her, but—”
“No, Dad. There’s not a but in that sentence. I want to be with Silver. I want to stay in this ridiculous little town. I want to be a part of local businesses and help them grow. I want to fund start-ups and turn AlcoHaul into a franchise and be a good man who is married to the woman of his dreams. That’s what I want.”
His father studied him for a long time. “There’s a lot of your grandfather in you,” he said at last. “That story we all tell about the founding of the town, how your grandfather lied to get people coming here to get married, he didn’t just do it for the bank. There was enough money—the family would have been all right. He did it for the town. Without him, there would be no Happily Inc today.” He smiled at Drew. “Now what?”
“I have no idea. Silver made it clear she doesn’t want to be with me.”
“Did she? Was this before or after you fought for her?”
“There’s no fighting when it comes to Silver.”
“Son, I may not know much about women, but I know this. They want a man willing to walk through fire for them. That goes a long way. If you fight the good fight and lose, then I’ll be on your side, but if you don’t even try, then you deserve what you get.”
He started to say he didn’t have anything, only to realize that was his father’s point. He hadn’t fought for her. She’d even said the same thing. Spray-painted words on the side of a wall didn’t count. She needed to know that he meant it, that she was the best, most important part of his world. She needed to be convinced. Which sounded great, but he genuinely had no idea how to make that happen.
“It’ll come to you in the moment,” his father said. “Trust me. Better yet, trust yourself.”
“I’m not sure I’m a good bet. I haven’t gotten it right yet.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve always been proud of you, son. I still am.”
The words got him a lot more than he would have expected. He had to clear his throat before he could speak. “Thanks, Dad. Any chance you can spring me from jail?”
