Shelly pecks my lips, mumbling something about maybe Chad will reduce the tent in my trousers before sauntering into the ladies’ restroom.
As I turn around, he’s walking through the door with a smug bastard grin that I want to wipe off his face.
“Jones. You hiding from mental Myrtle?” He chuckles.
“Give it a rest, Chad. Jealousy doesn’t suit you.” I steel my spine, standing a little taller.
He spits out a laugh. “Me, jealous? Bud, you’re welcome to that one. I’d sooner kiss a seal.”
My fist clenches. “Watch your fucking mouth when you’re talking about my girl.” My chest burns with adrenaline. Every muscle in my body poised to fight for my woman.
He holds up his hands in mock surrender. “All right, you win. Chill, man. You’re taking the bet a little serious, aren’t you?”
“The bet?” Shelly’s frail voice trembles behind me.
I turn around to her pinched eyebrows. The lustre gone from her jewelled green eyes. “Ignore him, Shell.”
“You don’t know?” Chad says. “You were a bet, Myrtle.”
Blood drains from her face. Her eyes swell with unshed tears. “Is that true?”
With my clenched jaw, I struggle to speak.
“Tell him it’s not true, Finn.” Her eyes plead with me.
My heart cracks, seeing her hurt. When Chad laughs, the coil holding my anger at bay snaps and I shove him against the door, my fists shaking as I crumple his jacket. “Shelly is my woman. If I see you talk to her, look at her the wrong way, I’ll knock those pearly whites right out of your mouth.”
He snarls. “You touch me and I’ll sue.”
“You think I wouldn’t gladly pay to knock your teeth out?”
“I forgot, you’re used to paying for things.” His bright white veneers blind me. “I hope you got your money’s worth with her.”
Before my mind catches up with my reflexes, my arm swings for his face. His head bounces against the door, pushing it wide open as he tumbles backwards into the main restaurant.
My hands tremble. The fire in my belly spreading through my veins.
Blood spurts from his nose onto the cream tiled floor, his white shirt ruined.
“What on earth is going on here?” Dad scolds as he approaches, the dinner napkin still stuck to his trousers.
“I’m sorry, Dad. He was disrespectful to Shelly.” I turn around to comfort my girl, or hope that she can comfort me and calm me down before I do or say something else Iregret. Though I don’t regret hitting Chad Kilmore, not for a second. “Where’d Shelly go?”
My dad’s chiding muffles to white noise as I scan the area for her. Ignoring everything, I step around my father and head back to the table. Her purse is gone.
“She just left. What’s going on?” Delia says.
“Sorry I ruined dinner.” I rush out of the country club before Chad calls the cops. The last thing I want is to spend a night in a cell when I need to put things right with Shelly.
I jump in the car and drive to her campsite, hoping I see her on the way, but she’s nowhere to be found. When I arrive at the site, tapping in the security code I memorised, she’s not here either. I park behind her van, then unzip her awning, taking a seat in her flowered chair while I wait.
My foot taps against the grass. My phone rings, but I block Dad’s calls. I’ll deal with him tomorrow. So much for trying to convince him to change his plans. Although, now I’ve made it clear how I feel about the Kilmores, maybe his father on the planning council won’t accept the backhander my dad plans on offering to get his development underway.
Shelly should know the truth. I want to tell her all of it. Rip the Band-Aid off. I should tell her who my father is. The only reason she hasn’t put the two together is because my father uses a trading name for the development side of his real estate business, but Shelly’s a smart girl, it won’t take much for her to figure it all out if she decides to look closely.
The zip on the awning zigs open. I stand from the chair as she enters. Her solar-powered fairy lights twinkle, highlighting the watery pools in her eyes.
She tosses her purse on the table and slips off her shoeswithout saying a word. The silence is deafening. I can taste the disappointment in the thick air.
