He uncrosses his legs and comes barreling over to me. "Yeah? Well, I didn't even want you workin' here in the first place."
We're back to this again?I think to myself. Colton's seething with anger, and it worries me. He's so quick to get mad with me, but I pretend not to be bothered. "Well, Colt, I'm here, and there's nothing you can do about it. Buddy owns part of the bar, and he hired me. Only he can fire me."
"Oh, that's what you think?"
I turn to him, glaring. "That's what I know."
A growl escapes his lips. "You are so damn infuriating!" he yells, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. "My life was so much simpler before you came crashin' into it!"
His words shock me and hurt me all at the same time. "Well, I'm sorry I am such an inconvenience to you, Colton James." I turn away from him, my entire body trembling. I want to hit something. I want to scream. But instead, I grab the dishrag and clean as fast as I can. I just want to get the hell out of here.
Colton never moves. He just stands there rooted to the floor, watching me as I fight back tears. But I refuse to cry in front of him. He doesn't deserve even one more tear from me. The Colton I knew would never say such hurtful things to me. And even if he did, he would apologize right away and pull me into his arms and kiss it better. He was so loving, and it was almost painful to see how much he loved me. We had the kind of love that people read about in romance novels or see in the movies. It was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love, and I'm devastated that I no longer have that in my possession and the fact that I probably never will again.
Sniffling, I finish up and rush out of the bar through the back entrance. I don't stop running until I'm safe in my apartment. I slam the door shut and push my back against it. "I hate him!" I scream.
I gasp at what impulsively came out of my mouth. The words shock and frighten me. Do I really hate Colton? I don't know. I didn't think it would ever be possible to feel anything for Colton other than immutable love and adoration.
And now…I'm not so sure.
He keeps pushing me away. And I know that one of these days I won't be there to push back.
CHAPTER 11
PENNY
I WALK INTO the bar Monday afternoon and stop a few steps in the doorway. There's a girl behind the bar with Buddy, and it looks like he's showing her how to use the cash register. I didn't even know he was looking to hire anyone else.
The girl's red hair is pulled up into a ponytail; and even though I can't see her face, I would recognize that fire engine red hair anywhere.
"Shelby Rae?" I call out.
The girl whirls around, and a smile instantly breaks out on her pretty face. "Well, shut my mouth! Penny Preston, you're a sight for sore eyes!" Shelby Rae practically screams as she comes running towards me. "Thank you so much for helpin' with the fundraiser. It meant so much to my daughter and me." She tugs me into her arms for a big, rib-bruising hug. Then she pulls back, her eyes scanning my face. "You look prettier than you did in high school. How is that possible?" She blows her bangs out of her face and says with a wink, "Must be that city life. Does a bodydamngood, girl."
I chuckle and can't help the mirroring smile that graces my lips. Shelby Rae always did have a way with words…and never let anyone else get one in edgewise. Her mouth got us both into trouble a time or two…or ten back in the day. "So you're back in town?"
"Yeah. And working here now apparently," she says while flashing Buddy a glance.
Buddy actually blushes, and I stare at him in bewilderment. Buddy is never shy around women, but I can remember him carrying a torch for Shelby Rae back in the day. He must still be holding onto that secret crush. I wonder if Shelby Rae ever noticed how much Buddy was in love with her back then. The whole thing makes me think of Tucker Hayward. I guess he never stopped holding onto the secret crush he had on me either…although I don't know how secret it was considering he asked me out every five minutes. I think everyone in the county knew he liked me. Buddy, on the other hand, suffered in silence. He never asked Shelby Rae out in fear of rejection, I suppose.
I turn my attention back to my friend. "So…how is…everything?" I ask awkwardly. I don't know how to bring up such a sore subject. She lost her husband, and I know how close they had been in high school. They were inseparable, and Matt loved her with the kind of love that mirrored Colton's love for me --- unconditional.
Shelby Rae keeps a smile on her face, but I can see a sadness behind her eyes that wasn't ever there before. "Oh, I've been better," she says, her smile faltering a bit. "Things have been crazy with the move and everything that happened with…" She swallows hard before saying her husband's name. "Matt." She closes her eyes for a moment before she continues. "But let's not dwell on that right now. I'm taking it moment by moment, and we just so happen to be in this moment."
I have so many things I want to apologize to her for. I want to tell her I'm sorry for not being there; sorry for not being a better friend. At one point in my life, she was my best friend, my partner in crime, my confidant. We shared so much together; and just like with everyone else in my life when I left for college, I forgot about her, too. "I'm so sorry I didn't keep in touch," I say as a poor excuse.
"Hey, we both didn't do a very good job with that. Don't blame yourself, Penny." She waves her hand dismissively in front of her. "The past is the past. We can't change it now, but we can change the future; right?"
"That's right." And at that moment, I know Shelby Rae and I are going to continue our great friendship. With a big grin, I say, "Tell me all about Lilly."
Her entire face lights up as she begins to tell me about her four-year-old daughter. She pulls a picture of her out of her back pocket, and it's safe to say that her daughter has a great mix of both Shelby Rae and Matt. With fiery red hair, she takes after her mama. But her brown eyes are definitely her daddy's.
"She's beautiful," I whisper.
The sadness in Shelby's eyes instantly disappears as she tells me about how she managed to get through the terrible twos alive and how the threes and fours are just as terrible.
"I can't wait to meet her," I tell Shelby Rae when she's finished.
"I can't wait for you to meet her," she says, beaming.
