“I think there might be something to your idea,” I said.
“Ha! You mean the bride for hire? Man, that was just the drink talking. You can't really be thinking about a fake wife, right?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know what I’m thinking anymore. I know without Callus’s land, I cant move the ranch forward much more, and he won't sell unless he thinks I’m finally settling down. How’s that for a pickle.”
“I think you are letting the whiskey talk for you, same as I did. You don’t really want that. You are the type to settle down and find real love, not that fake bullshit. Hang in there. You’ll find someone.”
“Right,” I muttered.
I didn’t have the same faith in myself that my friend seemed to have. As the people mingled around me, I clutched my drink and avoided talking with them. My years on the run with a fake ID gave me little faith in humanity. I’d seen the devastation that a single broken heart could bring. In the distance, I heard the main door open. Glancing up, I expected to see another group of unfamiliar faces. Instead, my heart started to race as I recognized the two women walking in. It was Jennifer and Gwen.
Suddenly my confidence seemed to melt away. My stomach did flips. The intense fight or flight instinct inside my runaways soul demanded a response. Eyeing the exit, I questioned if I could make an escape before they saw me. Jennifer’s eyes locked onto mine, and I knew it was too late. A smile broke across her face before her eyes darted to the exit just as mine had. We shared something, a past that only runaways had. At that moment, I knew I was already falling hard.
5
Jennifer
“Son of a –
“Oh shit. What the hell is he doing here?” Gwen stammered. “Don’t worry, we’ll go to the other end. We don’t have to talk to him.”
“Can we just go back to the apartment? Drinks are free there.” I whispered.
“Don’t worry, the fellas around here know me. We’ll be drinking on someone else’s tab all night. This is a small town, you’re going to run into people you know. Just ignore him.”
“That’s easier for you to say; you didn’t have a showdown with him in the kitchen.”
Gwen groaned. “Please tell me you didn’t.”
“Sorry,” I muttered. “He came in there, acting like an ass. I called him out on it.”
“Oh, Jesus. Well, whatever you did, it didn’t seem to dampen his appreciation of you any.”
“Thanks,” I groaned. “Do we have to stay here? I really don’t want to deal with him again after the day we’ve had. I just want to relax.”
“Listen, we won't go anywhere near him. If he comes over here, I’ll tell him to piss off.”
“Promise?” I asked.
Gwen took my hand and pulled me across the crowded bar to the other side, where a few familiar faces greeted us. I hadn’t made many friends since getting to town, but everyone Gwen hung out with seemed like decent people. They never asked about me when Gwen drug me along, and I appreciated it. I didn’t want to share my past with everyone. It was hard enough for me to let people in that I trusted, like Gwen, let alone a bunch of strangers.
Before long, we each had a beer sitting in front of us while people mingled and talked. Gwen fluttered in and out of conversations, the social butterfly inside of her taking flight. I did my best to enjoy the company, but my eyes kept drifting across the room to where he sat talking with the bartender. Every few minutes, I’d catch him smiling at me, sending my heart racing each time. Gwen nudged my side and snapped me out of the trance.
“Well, no wonder he is watching you; you’re doing the same thing to him. I thought you didn’t like him.”
“I don’t.” I hissed. “He just keeps looking over here. I can't help it.”
“I bet you could if you really wanted to. I just don’t think you do. You’ve got a crush on him! Just admit it.”
“I think he’s an arrogant ass, and I do not have a crush on him.”
“Too bad, I did some digging and found out a little more about him; but if you aren’t interested –
“What did you find?” I asked.
Gwen smiled. “I guess he comes here every week and plays cards with the owner of the bar over there. The two have been old pals for a long time.”
“How did you find that out?” I asked.
“I know one of the bartenders,” she shrugged.
“You mean you use to sleep with one of them?”
“Well, that would imply I don’t plan on doing it again, and honestly, he’s a tasty little treat.”
“You’re terrible.” I joked. “So is that it? I could have guessed from the way they are talking that they were friends. That’s not very good sleuth work.”
“That’s just what he knew. Turns out his girlfriend, though, is friends with the old man’s daughter that lives next door. Now we’ll clean his house next week, but I’ve never met either of his daughters before. He’s been trying to buy their land forever, but the old man won't sell. I guess he was basically an orphan when he came here. Inherited everything from a total stranger.”
“Really? Wait, his girlfriend? Jesus, Gwen.”
“Oh, now don’t be like that. They have an open relationship. Honestly, if she played for both teams, I’d probably be chasing her too.”
“You’re killing me.”
I glanced up again. Heat rushed to my cheeks when he looked in my direction again. The smile had slipped from his playful lips. There was something more behind the tall walls; he kept himself safely behind. I knew how it felt to not fit in. I’d been alone most of my life. We had that in common. His friend returned, and he pulled his gaze away from me. Loneliness crept in as it dawned on me that I was enjoying his attention.
“Anyways, Henry is about as secretive as they come. Beyond turning that ranch around and making bank, he doesn’t do much. He drinks with his buddy there and goes to his big empty house.”
“No, girlfriend? Wife? Is he gay?”
Gwen laughed. “Not as far as I can tell. It sounds like he’s just picky or doesn’t care about a personal life. Who knows. Either way, he’s hot and single. If he wasn’t my client, I’d make a play for that.”
“But he’s mine now too?”
She shrugged. “Not really. You are a sub-contractor for me, not the company. You are a free agent to do whatever you want. I think you should make a move on him. Buy him a drink.”
“Oh, Jesus, you are getting ahead of yourself. I said I was curious okay? Not that I wanted to have his babies or ask him to marry me.”
“Listen, you’ve busted your ass this last month. Eventually, you are going to need to get back out there and get back on the horse. Why not start with a handsome, rich, stranger?”
“But he’s not a stranger, and no matter what, I’ll still have to see him again when we go to clean his house. I’m just his maid, okay?”
Gwen glared at me, and instantly I regretted my choice of words. She took great pride in her work and with good reason. The company she worked for paid her a significant amount for her years of service, but the customers were the ones that really loved her personality and work ethic. Every year for her birthday, Christmas, and other holidays, they’d line her pockets with tips. It was good and honest work.