This time my father looked my way, his eyes questioning.“She doin’ all right?”
“Fine.Her truck was damaged durin’ the fire at the bar, apparently.I’m havin’ it sent down to Roy’s.See if they can get it up and runnin’.”I left off the fact that the truck was pretty much toast.I was still hoping for the best.For Reagan’s sake.
Cooter turned.“Somethin’ goin’ on with you and Reagan?”
I automatically shook my head.
“You sure ’bout that?”
“I’m sure.”It wasn’t a lie.There wasn’t anything going on with Reagan and me.Not yet anyway.
“That divorce final?”
“Almost.”Come tomorrow, I would be free and clear.
“Tammy stopped by here this mornin’,” Cooter informed me.
I sighed.I should’ve known.She’d probably stopped by after I had sent her on her way.
“She said you had a girlfriend.”
Great.I knew one day my big mouth would come back to bite me in the ass.
“I don’t have a girlfriend, Dad.”
“No?”
I shook my head.“We’re just friends.And Dad, please don’t talk to Tammy.”
Cooter grinned.“She’s a nice girl.Got her priorities all mixed up, sure.But a nice kid.”
Priorities being her need to lie about being pregnant to get me to marry her in the first place.Or to fuck other men while we were married.
It wasn’t that I even gave a shit about it.I didn’t care if she screwed every ranch hand who worked in Embers Ridge.I never should’ve married her in the first place, and no one regretted my actions more than I did.Had she really been pregnant, I could’ve and would’ve been a good dad regardless.
“You be careful with Reagan,” Cooter stated, his eyes locked with mine.
“I will.”
“That girl’s been through enough shit already.”
“Trust me, I know that.”
“And she’s always had a thing for you, Lynx.If this ain’t real, don’t lead her on.”
I paused for a minute, staring at my father.I wanted so badly to tell him that it was real, that, in fact, it was everything.However, I’d been down this road before.I'd defended myself when I had up and married Tammy, and look where that had gotten me.
“I know you care about her,” Cooter continued.
I didn’t respond.I couldn’t.
“It’s obvious to anyone with eyes.Especially these past few weeks.”
I offered my dad a one-shoulder shrug.
“Be careful with her,” my father repeated.
“I will,” I said softly.
