“Hey, that’s Medusa,” Big Al said as he followed my gaze.
“Huh?”
“The woman Smokey saved from a rattler. Bet he’d like to know Medusa’s here.”
I barely held back a glower. “Smokey went on a date with April?” I ground out.
Big Al looked at me in surprise. “Oh, ho! You know her.”
“Yeah.”
“Better inform Smokey that you had a prior stake because the brother’s interested.”
“Ain’t got no claim, Big Al, apart from the fact that I broke April’s heart years ago.”
Big Al’s hand hit me mid-back. The slap stung. “Son, you aren’t over Medusa by a long shot. Be fair and make Smokey aware you’ve a history. We don’t poach at this club.”
“There’s no poaching…”
“Bullshit yourself, boy, not me. You still feel big for her,” Big Al snapped and walked over to where Chance had appeared.
Damn, could I still have feelings for April? Of course I did. I’d once loved her with every cell in my body. Breaking up with April had been the worst moment of my life, but I’d had to do it—for her sake.
Chapter Four.
April
Iwas relieved to get home and sink into a bath. Clara had guessed something was majorly wrong by the expression on my face. Bless her, she’d not pushed, but instead told Rose to open a bottle of wine and to bring me a glass. Now, I lay in the hot water, filled with bubbles, and closed my eyes.
Well, the worst had happened, and I’d survived. Hell hadn’t cracked apart and swallowed me whole, nor had the angels sung and flown me to heaven. Stone had looked floored once he’d realised who I was. I, at least, had managed a few seconds to seek self-control before approaching.
Idly, I wonder what Stone thought of the new and improved me. As bitter as it seemed, I hoped to hell that he regretted every action and word he’d spoken when he’d dumped me. That would be karma.
Harlequin
Disturbed, I sat in my room, unwilling to join the others downstairs. Despite having so little sleep, I still had a shift tocover at the gate. However, I’d slip out the back way to avoid everybody. Once everyone knew Olivia was safe, the staring eyes and gossiping mouths turned toward me. Sometimes the club resembled a bunch of old women. Smokey hadn’t seemed too amused when Big Al informed him that I’d a history with April. But to give the man credit, Smokey sighed and said he’d step aside.
It didn’t matter how many times I told Smokey that it wasn’t necessary, that there was nothing between us; Smokey waved me away. Hard not to respect someone who refused to date a brother’s ex. The whole situation could probably be called a clusterfuck.
Despite my mixed feelings, which ran from shock to horror to muted joy, I’d noted the changes in April. Her hair was longer, and she had piercings. Younger April only had her ears done; now her eyebrow, nose, and I was sure her tongue was pierced. She also had at least one tattoo; I’d caught sight of colourful ink under the long sleeves of her scrubs. It had only been a glimpse, but it was enough for me to know April sported some serious ink.
April was as beautiful as ever—the piercings and tattoos only added to her attraction. Plus, she was a qualified nurse. When I’d dumped April, she’d just been finishing her second year and had sat her exams. Even so, breaking up with April the day after the exams had been in bad taste. To this day, I maintain I’d done it for the right reasons.
Present-day April had looked healthy and well, and I was happy she was. But gutted that she’d clearly moved on from us. April had gone on to be successful, just as I’d guessed she would. A distance and a coldness existed in her that seemed at odds with the girl I’d dated. Had I really done that much damage to her?
Feeling idiotic, I smacked my forehead. Jesus, I sounded like a lunatic. Years had passed, of course, I hadn’t wanted April tostill pine over me. Curiously, I wondered why she was back in Spearfish. There was only one reason April would ever return. Clara. Vainly, I hoped nothing had happened, but something had, for April to be here and working. If April had taken a job, she’d be around for the foreseeable future. The bad thing was that I knew where she worked. Staying away would be difficult.
Resigned to not resolving my maelstrom of emotions, I headed downstairs and out the rear door. The brothers meant well, but right now I was as raw as fuck and didn’t need them prying.
April
Clara and I shared a drink as the fire blazed in the grate. She had the requisite sherry, and I had another glass of wine.
“How did Stone look?” Clara asked as she sipped.
“As handsome as ever. Looks were never Stone’s issue, remember?”
“No, Stone was a gorgeous devil.”
