Wilde Times (10 page)

I notice his bedroom light is on. For the first time ever I don’t have that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that he has another girl with him. I know he’s alone.

I just wonder what it means…

Ten

Jake

I know I look like shit, but Tucker will kill me if I call in sick to work again. I didn’t get more than a few minutes sleep the entire night. I kept seeing that beach boy with his hand on Harley’s sexy back. Him kissing her luscious pink lips. Him holding her delicate hand in his. It’s like an endless loop that just keeps playing over and over in my mind.

I never thought it would feel like this. I feel like I’ve been completely gutted and there’s nothing left but a hallow shell of a man. 

The image staring back at me in the mirror scares the shit out of me. He looks more like one of those movie zombies than an actual human being. The only thing that’s missing is some foaming of the mouth, but I’m sure I’ll have that covered before the dinner shift.

I take one more look out my bedroom window. I’m not sure what I’m hoping to see. I can just about see Harley’s bedroom from mine. I never told her that I used to always watch out the window to make sure she got home okay. Even nights when I had another girl over I’d find some kind of excuse to look out the window when I knew she was on her way back. Maybe I should have told her.

Maybe I should have done a lot of things. Like take her out on a real date. She looked so happy with that beach boy. She was smiling and laughing. Taking her to a movie would have been such a simple thing to do, but I never bothered.

Maybe because I didn’t want things between us to be real. If we went on a date I would have had to admit that we had a relationship. I would have had to admit that I love her. That I’ve always loved her and always will love her.

I wanted to let her go. I wanted her to have someone better than me. I wanted her to have a better life than I could ever give her.

But I can’t seem to live without her. It’s literally killing me.

The problem is that I did too good a job of pushing her away and I’m afraid now that I’ll never be able to get her back.

When I enter the kitchen both Gracie and Tucker look up from their breakfast plates and stare at me. Gracie looks worried and Tucker looks pissed.

Maybe it will be a typical day after all.

I pour a cup of black coffee and sit at the table.

“You look like shit,” Tucker greets me.

“Do you want something to eat?” Gracie asks.

“Thanks.” I glare at Tucker. “I’m not hungry,” I reply to Gracie.

“You should try to eat something.” Gracie’s voice is so soft it’s hard to hear her sometimes.

“I can’t eat.” My stomach is one gigantic knot just thinking about what Harley is going to say when she sees me. In my worst nightmares she tells me that she’s quitting Haymakers, leaving Old Town and never coming back.

Of course that’s what I always thought I wanted to happen. I didn’t realize it would destroy me when it did.

“Is Harley working tonight?” Tucker asks.

I shrug. “I hope so.”

His eyes narrow. “What do you mean you hope so? You’re her boss, remember. You need to know whether she’s working or not.”

“I did something really stupid last night.”

“Shocking,” Tucker retorts.

“I followed her on her date.”

“You did what?” His voice seems to have raised an octave. I just hope he doesn’t hit me. I’m not sure I could even fight back in my current state.

“I followed her. I had to make sure she was okay. She doesn’t really know that guy. I thought he might be some psycho.”

Tucker rises from the chair and crosses his thick arms over his massive chest. “Seriously, Dude. You need help. And that says a lot coming from me.”

Gracie hurries to grab their plates from the table. “He’s not a psycho. His uncle owns the Tawnee Mountain Resort.”

I shake my head. “How is it possible that everyone knows that but me?”

Tucker points a finger at me. “Gracie and I are having a baby. Don’t do anything to screw up Haymakers, got it? We need that income.”

I nod. “I got it.”

“Good. Now pull yourself together and get to work.”

***

As usual Harley is waiting for me outside Haymakers. She looks as beautiful as ever. I just wish I could make her smile the way I used to. I wish I could make her eyes light up again when she sees me, but they don’t.

“I’m sorry,” I mumble, and I’m actually surprised by the words that have come out of my mouth.

“What?” She seems just as surprised as I am.

“I’m sorry I followed you. But I did want to make sure you were okay.”

She nods, but doesn’t say anything else. I unlock the front door and we both head inside.

Haymakers is eerily quiet as we both ready the place for the first customers, our lunch regulars.

Tucker and Gracie make their way inside a few minutes after we do, but neither of them are in a talkative mood either.

There’s a tremendous amount of tension in the air between all of us. Luckily the regulars don’t seem to notice as they stream in for their lunches.

I watch as Harley waits on her tables, and jokes around with the patrons who have been coming in for years. She looks happy. I guess I never realized how much she seems to enjoy her job. And she’s a natural at it. I always assumed she’d want more, and that she deserved a lot more, instead of thinking about how much she already has right in front of her. I never really listened when she told me that working at Haymakers and being with me were the two things that made her happiest.

It takes every ounce of restraint I have not to grab her by the hand and pull her into the back room with me. I want her more than I’ve ever wanted her in my life. I have an overwhelming desire to be with her, to be inside her, and to make her mine again.

Mine
.

I guess it’s true that you never really appreciate what you have until it’s gone.

I want her back more than I want to breathe. I think I might have a shot until I see the beach boy waltz in and take a seat at one of Harley’s tables.

My heart sinks when I see her face light up when she spots him. When she practically runs over to greet him I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut. I’ve never wanted to hurt anyone as much as I want to hurt Max Elliot. I’m sure he’s a great guy, even if he sticks out like a sore thumb in Old Town. But I hate the way Harley looks at him, and I hate the way she smiles at him and I hate the way she’s touching his arm as they talk.

“Is everything okay?” Tucker asks.

I turn to my brother and frown. “Why would you ask that?”

“Gee, I don’t know. You seem awfully interested in watching Harley and the beach boy.”

“I don’t like him.”

“You don’t like him or you don’t like the fact that Harley likes him?”

“Both.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

“You mean besides killing him?” I say it as a joke, but Tucker isn’t laughing. He doesn’t even crack a smile.

Then to my complete and utter surprise my brother Cooper hurries into Haymakers. Unless there’s some kind of emergency he only hangs out at Haymakers on the weekends because he lives in Manhattan and works on Wall Street.

He’s obviously not working today because he’s dressed in casual clothing and he’s at the bar in the middle of the day.

“Is there something wrong?” I ask as Cooper heads over to the bar. He’s not someone who smiles very much anyway, but today he’s looking particularly grim.

“Why don’t you tell me?” he fires back. He’s obviously not in a very good mood.

When Cooper and Tucker exchange glances it occurs to me that perhaps Tucker’s responsible for Cooper’s little surprise visit to Old Town. Tucker probably phoned him to tell him he was worried about me.

“What did Tucker say?” I stare at Cooper.

“He told me he was worried about you. You look like shit, by the way. He wasn’t exaggerating at all.”

“Thanks a lot,” I glare at Tucker.

“We’re all in this together,” Tucker shoots back.

He’s right. Even though I’m the one who managers Haymakers each of the Wilde brothers is a co-owner of the bar.

“It’s obvious things have gone too far,” Cooper says. “So one of two things is going to happen. You’re either going to tell Harley you love her, make some kind of commitment to the girl and finally stop the parade of women through the back room for good, or you’re going to fire her and tell her never to come back to Haymakers.”

I wipe the sweat that is beginning to trickle down my temples. “I’ll take care of it.”

Cooper narrows his gaze at me. “When?”

“Tonight. I promise.”

“What are you planning on doing?” Cooper looks unconvinced at the veracity of my promise.

“I really messed things up,” I admit. “I’m going to have to make a grand gesture. Something I know will win her back.”

He holds up an index finger. “You’ve got one night. If things aren’t worked out Tucker is going to fire her and forbid her from ever stepping foot in Haymakers again. Got it?”

I swallow. I can tell by the stern looks on both my brothers’ faces that they’re both dead serious.

“I got it.”

“Good.” Cooper takes a seat at the bar. “Now get me a beer. That was a really shitty bumper-to-bumper ride through the tunnel.”

The rest of the afternoon goes by in kind of a blur. When we get slammed with a busload of retirees doing some kind of antique tour through rural New Jersey Cooper rolls up his sleeves and gives us a hand serving.

“Are you planning on hiring anyone else?” he asks as he pours several beers.

“Eventually,” I reply.

He glances over at Gracie, who’s taking a break with her feet up.

“She’s getting awfully big. She may not be able to work too much longer.”

I nod. “It’s really hard to find good help.”

“Maybe if you didn’t screw everyone you hired,” Tucker says. “We’d be able to keep some people.”

“I’m done with that.”

He purses his lips at me. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Have you ever thought about hiring some guys?” Cooper suggests. “I can guarantee you won’t be taking any of them into the back room.”

“Do you have any suggestions where I might find some of these guys? They’re not exactly beating down the door to work at Haymakers.”

“You still talk to Coach Stanley? Maybe he knows some former football players who didn’t end up going to college and are looking for work. They’d probably jump at the chance to work with Jake Wilde. You’re still a legend at Old Town High.”

I have to give Cooper credit. He does put every bit of his intelligence to good use.

“I’ll give the Coach a call and see if he has some suggestions.”

He gives me a nod then takes a tray of beers over to one of the tables.

It’s well past the dinner rush when Cooper’s better half finally arrives. He certainly hit the jackpot when he got Riley to accept his proposal. Not only is she a beauty, she’s got the brains to match. The only woman I’ve ever met who’s as gorgeous and brilliant as Riley is now standing next to me trying to get me to take a food order for her.

“Extra pickles. No ketchup. Got it?” Harley looks at me like I’m completely stupid.

“I’ve got it,” I tell her.

“You don’t look like you’ve got it.”

“What makes you say that?”

“You haven’t been yourself lately.” She actually sounds concerned.

When our eyes meet there’s a surge of energy between us and my heart swells. I wish she knew how much I miss her. She will very soon.

“You can count on me, Harley.”

Her narrowed eyes are filled with uncertainty.

“Trust me,” I tell her.

“I wish I could.” She doesn’t wait for me to respond. She just heads toward another table.

Riley looks surprised when I grab her arm. “I need your help.”

“Okay.” She sounds hesitant.

“I’m sure Coop mentioned that things with me and Harley are—um—strained.”

She nods.

“I’m going to give her a song.”

Her eyes widen. “You are?”

“Please make sure she sits down right next to the stage.”

“Sure. Of course. But aren’t you missing something? Like a band?”

“I’ll be doing this alone. Just me and my guitar. Get Gracie to sit with her too.”

Riley doesn’t waste any time gathering up Harley and Gracie and the three of them move chairs next to the stage.

There are quite a few patrons in the place for a week night and they’re all looking at the stage when they see the girls sit down on the chairs.

Tucker and Cooper both come up next to me. “Need a little back up?” Cooper offers.

“I’ve got it.”

I normally don’t play guitar when our band, Wilde Riders, gets together. I leave that up to Tucker and Cooper. But that doesn’t mean I can’t play. I know my way around a fretboard.

I hurry into my small office and grab my old Fender acoustic guitar. I leave it here for those rare occasions when I have a few spare minutes to play around with it.