Page 98 of Raging Fires

“I’m saying you gave up. Which, I gotta tell you is the only time I’ve seen you throw in the towel.”

“I didn’t—” Jake began, then stopped. “Okay. I got tired of beating my head against the wall. It’s not the same as thinking I can come back from twenty-eight points down. This is life. I’m being realistic. As in, not deluded.”

“You’re being cowardly. As in, scared.”

“Man, if my arm didn’t feel like spaghetti, I would punch you.”

Asa shrugged, looking unimpressed. “No, you wouldn’t because you know I’m right. I don’t blame you. I’d be scared, too. You fell apart last time she left you. And you’re scared to death of it happening again. So you’re holding back, not willing to go all in and commit yourself to being crazy in love with her. Cause it will make you that vulnerable again. So you had one argument, and you split. You went down at the first hit so you wouldn’t get the hell beat out of you.”

Jake glared at him, his breath suddenly shallow and fast, like maybe his lungs were locking up on him.

Asa went on. “Thing is… maybe Kelli is doing the same thing.”

Chapter Forty-One

Kelli was sitting in her office, pretending to work and trying to decide if she was going to go to the game this weekend, when she heard a familiar but unexpected voice in the main room. “Kelli?”

What in the world was Stephanie Moran doing here? Kelli pushed out from her desk and went into the hallway just as Stephanie appeared at the other end. Stephanie gave her a little wave. She looked uncomfortable. Oh, God, was she going to tell her something bad about Jake?

Kelli hurried toward her. “Hi. Is everything okay? Did something happen to Jake?”

“No, not that I know of,” Stephanie replied. “I came to ask you about something else.”

“Oh. Sure.” Kelli’s brow cleared. “You want something to drink?”

“Water would be great.”

Kelli went to the bar to pull out a couple of bottles, and Stephanie followed her and sat on one of the barstools. Kelli handed her a bottle and came around to sit down on one of the other stools, swiveling to face her friend. “So what’s up?”

“My friend Claire—you remember Claire?”

“She’s hard to forget.” Kelli nodded, refraining from saying the crazy blonde at my wedding.

“True.” Stephanie laughed. “Well, she’s engaged.”

“To Pete Cherneski?” Kelli asked. “That’s great. He’s a nice guy—if a little strange.”

“Yeah. They seem to suit each other. Anyway, Claire put me in charge of the engagement party.” Stephanie frowned. “And I don’t have a clue what to do. She wants to have it here.”

“At the Blue?”

“Yeah. Claire really liked the ‘aura’ here. I didn’t know if you ever closed for private parties—I mean except for your wedding.”

Kelli shrugged. “I don’t know that we ever have, but I don’t see why not.” She grinned. “Maybe we’ll become a bridal hotspot.”

“I’ve never done this,” Stephanie went on. “I mean, I guess we’ll need decorations and… whatever. I’m strange, aren’t I?”

“I’ve never done it either,” Kelli told her. “But Naomi, my assistant manager, has about three hundred relatives and friends, and it seems like one of them gets married every month or so. She’ll know all about what we need to get.”

“Whew.” Stephanie smiled, and they began to talk about dates and times. Once the business matters were taken care of, they settled in for a friendly chat, talking about Stephanie’s book and how the bar was doing. Then Stephanie asked, “You going to the game Saturday evening?”

Kelli breathed an inner sigh of relief. She had been trying to angle around to discussing the football team. “I’m not sure.” That wasn’t entirely true. She knew she was going to the game no matter how much she danced around it. The question was whether she’d buy a ticket or sit with the players’ wives.

“Why don’t we go together?” Stephanie asked. “I could pick you up on my way to the stadium, and then you can catch a ride home with Jake.”

“Sure. Sounds like fun.” Except for the part where Kelli wasn’t sure if Jake would let her in his car. But at least this settled the question of where she would sit. She’d have to sit with the other wives or it would look strange. “I’m not sure if Jake, um, remembered to give them my name.”

“No problem. If he forgot, you can be my guest.”