Sue gave him a sad look as she handed him a glass. “Sorry, slugger. She was just leaving when you showed up to pound Fletcher into hamburger. Nice work, by the way.”
“Ja.” He sighed and drank the beer down in one go.
Sue watched him with wide eyes.
“One more, then I leave.” He had no reason to stay, not now that Rena had gone.
“Sure.” She poured him another. As he drank this one more slowly, she said, “You know tomorrow night’s Rena’s last, right? We’re having a party. You’re coming, aren’t you?”
Had the time come already? “When does it start?” Panicked at the thought of Rena leaving, though he’d known she would at some point, he did his best to appear unconcerned. How the hell would he see her now? To get up the nerve to talk to her? At least at the bar he had an excuse to hang around and watch her. With her working at her new salon, he couldn’t come in every day for a haircut. Could he?
“Seven. We’re gonna do a cake, food, and drinks, of course.” Sue smiled. “Lara’s baking her famous chocolate chip cookies.”
He’d had them before, and he looked forward to having them again. “Yes.Gut.I’ll be back.”
“Sure thing, Arnold.” She chuckled. She must have seen his confusion because she explained. “You know, like Arnold Schwarzenegger? ‘I’ll be back,’” she said, sounding not at all like Axel. At his lack of expression, she shrugged. “Ah. Whatever. See you, Heller.”
He left, not satisfied or relaxed in the slightest. Now he just felt tired.
Axel drove home, washed up, and slid into bed. He stared at the picture on his nightstand the way he did every night, now that she was gone. In a plain brown frame sat a photograph of him and his mother when he’d been a boy, both of them smiling at each other. A festival filled the background, the bright-red balloon clutched in his hand a reminder of a precious gift—that there had once been better times, that at least one person in his life had truly loved him.
The picture framed the clear affection between a mother and son.
Axel forced himself to close his eyes and fall asleep before he did the unthinkable and cried. Again.
* * *
“Happy birthday, dear Jane, happy birthday to you!” Rena blew on the festive red noisemaker until it straightened its curl, glad she’d made it in time after her shift at the bar. Everyone waited for the delighted girl of the hour to blow out her candle, then her mom cut the large sheet cake into squares while her father twirled his little princess around.
Along with the other revelers, Rena cheered, awash in the joy of family. Having been introduced to the boisterous, loving McCauley clan through her cousin Del’s marriage, Rena had been to more birthday parties and picnics in the past year and a half than she’d been to in her life. Del had married Mike, and Colin—Mike’s son—provided Rena an honorary nephew to spoil.
She looked around but didn’t see Mike, her personal hero, so she nudged her cousin, who stood wolfing down a plate of mini corn dogs and chicken wings. “Hey, where’s Mike?”
Del smiled, and the overhead light shone on her brow ring. “Colin and Mike are coming as soon as Colin’s basketball game is done.”
“I thought he was into soccer.” Colin was the absolute cutest kid and fanatical about the sport.
“Oh, trust me. He is. But Mike insisted he try something else just to see if he liked it. And he does. Kid is a natural athlete.” Del grinned then groaned and rested her hand on the visible bulge of her tummy, where Del Junior—as Mike called their unborn child—rested. “Just like his baby sister. I swear, this kid bounces on my bladder like it’s a trampoline, and I’m having to pee every three seconds.” Del made a face, handed Rena her plate, and sighed. “Yep. Like clockwork. I’ll be right back.”
Rena watched her go, so happy for her cousin.
And so envious.
She looked around at the many smiling faces of those she’d come to care for, seeing the love that gathered them all together.
So much love brought tears to her eyes. Most were from happiness, but a few came from the knowledge she’d arrived solo.Again.Never with a plus one. For the past year, she’d been too busy getting her new business together to have time for a man. And she wanted one. No question.
Too bad the one she wanted moved at the speed of a glacier.
Axel Heller had no trouble making time for those fists of fury, but God forbid he ask her out or anything. She might have asked him, but the rare moments they had any time together at Ray’s lately, Axel turned mute, disappeared behind a menu, or got sucked into conversation with J.T. and friends, the guys who worked at Del’s garage.
Sonot romantic.
She sighed again, wondering how she’d be described as a character in one of her much-loved romance books. Desperate? Pathetic? Cute but lonely? A future CLA—Cat Lady of America?Hmm. Maybe I should get a cat.
J.T. saw her and smiled. He left his fiancée to join Rena by the food and glanced down at the plate she was holding. “That’s a lot of corn dogs.”
She forced herself to stop moping and laughed. “They’re Del’s. I’m just holding them while she hits the bathroom again.” Past the birthday parents, Rena spotted her uncle arriving with his own fiancée in tow. Geez. Was anyone left who hadn’t coupled up…besides Rena and the one-year-old?
