Burn in Hail(26)

I waved her off and continued to walk, pulling my phone out as I did.

Krisney would pay. She'd also eat the rest of my pancakes, but I didn't have time for that right now.

The moment I was outside, I came to a sudden, bone jarring halt as I looked in the parking lot next to my car.

But I knew in an instant that Tate, who was standing so close to my car that I could barely breathe, wasn't there for me.

He was there for the woman that was standing so close to him that they could likely smell each other.

I dropped my head and allowed my hair to spread out over my face, concealing everything but the path in front of me.

I made it to my car and unlocked it with the fob, immediately dropping inside and locking the doors as I started it.

If I rolled my window down right now, I could literally reach out and touch Tate's ass with my hand.

I growled at myself and clenched my hands into fists, so angry that I could cry.

How could he sleep with her, and then me, all within a two-month period?  Seriously, the man had been out of prison for all of two months! He'd  been seeing me for one of those months-though we hadn't been actively  fucking all of that time.

But still!

Angry and a whole lot hurt, I speed dialed my mentor's number as I put the car into reverse.

Looking in my rearview mirror and not at the man that I knew had to have  seen me by now, I backed out and dropped the gear shift down into  drive.

Just when I was about to leave, I couldn't help but look to the side, and what I saw made my stomach clench.

Tate was staring at me, as was Ariya.

Tate with pity, and Ariya with not a little bit of hostility.

I instantly felt bile rise in my stomach, and would've screamed at the both of them if my mentor hadn't answered the phone.

"Hennessy, my dear. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

I bit my lip to keep the strangled sob from breaking free of my lips.

"I'm in so much trouble that I don't even know where to start … "

Thirty minutes later, I was telling my mentor goodbye, no surer of what to do now than when I placed the phone call.

"I know you don't want to hear this," Joan murmured quietly. "But this  needs to be taken care of swiftly. His care needs to be handed off to  another psychologist, and I would be glad to take it if that's what you  decide. However, this is a line that you need to determine if you only  crossed for him, or because you're letting your emotions get the better  of you when you shouldn't be. I realize his situation isn't ideal, and  that he didn't do the things he did because he was truly bad, but that  doesn't make him innocent. He needs the care that you can give him, and  if you can't give him that care, then you need to pass him off."

I knew she was right.

I bit my lip, then blew out a breath while staring at my front door through the windshield of my car.

"I'll have my assistant send his file over," I said. "I'll tell Isidra  to also call him and tell him an appointment time. Send that info over  to me via email, and I'll get Isidra on it … if she actually comes in  today. She's been off for two weeks thanks to the flu."

Joan started to laugh. "Must be going around, because mine has been out  almost the same amount of time. I don't even know how to function  without her. I didn't realize how much work she was doing until I had to  do it myself."

Wasn't that the truth? Isidra had called a few days ago to say she was  on the mend, but still couldn't stand to be in an upright position for  more than an hour. She expected to come back at the beginning of the  week, which would mark almost a full three weeks she'd been gone.         

     



 

Though, I guess I had to admit that I was glad she wasn't there, because  she'd definitely have been suspicious of my and Tate's relationship.  Isidra was a life resident of Hostel, Texas. She'd been there for  thirty-seven of her thirty-eight years of life, and likely wouldn't ever  leave.

Though, her husband was also the head football coach for Hostel High School.

She was very intuitive, and she loved to gossip with the best of them,  which was why I was wary of doing anything in front of her that would  likely get straight back to my father thanks to the Hostel gossip mill.

"I'll send over the time that works best over a text message. I haven't  tried to touch the emails, and I'd like to avoid doing that. Me and  electronics don't get along all that well."

I chuckled, remembering a time during one of her lectures that she'd had  Power Point with her lecture up on the screen, and all of a sudden, her  computer just shut off, never to wake up again. She'd never thought to  back up all of her lectures, so years of her education materials had  disappeared in a puff of smoke.

That year had been a turning point for her, as well as a reminder not to do what she did.

I'd felt sorry for her ever since. I was sure, even a year later, that she was still trying to recoup materials that she'd lost.

"That'll work," I smiled sadly. "I'll drop his file by your office  myself since your assistant is out. I'll be there likely tomorrow some  time. I have about three hours in between patients."

When Joan had lost all of her materials, she'd decided that she wouldn't  be teaching at UT any longer. I don't know if that was just the last  straw or what, because she moved while I was still attending the last of  my classes for my final semester of school.

When I'd contacted her for a professional reference a few months ago, it  was to find her not just close to me, but two towns over. Though,  technically we weren't in the same state.

The town of Hostel bordered the Texas/Louisiana border. Though we were  only thirty miles away from each other at most, getting to each other  required that we cross state lines.

"All right, Hennessy. I'll see you tomorrow."

With that we hung up, and I got out of the car.

I was glad that I'd taken the rest of the afternoon off, though I  would've rather spend it with Krisney, shopping for the lingerie that  I'd planned to seduce Tate with.

I winced.

I really needed to get my mood swings in regards to Tate in order. This was beginning to get ridiculous, and way out of hand.

Getting out of my car with new determination in my step, I walked inside, took a look around, and came to a fast realization.

I needed a new place.

I wasn't going to get over Tate Casey when I had to see him across the street from me every day.

An idea came to mind, and I grinned.

The only problem, for this idea to come to fruition, I had to go visit Tate's grandma.





Chapter 17


I don't always give a woman an orgasm, but when I do, she usually spits it out.

-Text from Baylor to Tate

Tate

Two hours earlier

I didn't want to see her.

Not even a little bit.

But, this wouldn't get resolved if I didn't, so there I stood outside  Bord's, knowing that she was inside today thanks to Rosemary's text that  she was ‘in house.'

I stared at the doors of the bar with my gut in a tight ball.

The other problem with being here at this time was that everyone and their brother was there to eat breakfast.

Bord's did breakfast one day a week, and that was on a Wednesday. It was  a good breakfast with a shit ton of buffet style breakfast food, paired  with alcoholic morning drinks such as mimosas.

I wish I didn't have to do it right then, but each time I'd tried to  call Ariya, she'd dodged my calls. I'd had to resort to more sneaky  measures, which was where Rosemary had come in.

Now I was about to walk into the bar owned by my ex-girlfriend in the  middle of God and everybody in the whole goddamn town, and tell Ariya  how much I resented her for keeping my kid from me.

Not that I could blame her.

I'd been in prison, for God's sake. I wouldn't want my kids involved with a felon, either.

Steeling myself, I got out of the truck, trying to ignore the fact that I  passed what had to be Hennessy's car, and marched inside.

The moment I crossed the threshold, I heard the excited chatter, as well as the clinking of dishes as people ate.

My eyes slowly moved over the entire bar area, and stopped on Hennessy.

She and Krisney had their backs to me as they ate, and I was glad.

Seeing her right now would be detrimental. I needed to figure shit out  with Ariya before I said anything to Hennessy about anything.         

     



 

Even though Hennessy and I hadn't spoken about anything more than what  we'd already done, I wasn't a stupid man. I knew that I wanted her. I  also knew that I wasn't good enough for her, but that wasn't going to  stop me from taking what I wanted as mine.

It'd suck to have to explain all of this shit to her, but I knew she'd understand.

"Why are you here?"

I looked over to see Ariya's father, Borden, the ‘Bord' in Bord's, staring at me with barely restrained hostility.

"I'm here to see Ariya," I told him. "Do you think you can spare her for a few seconds?"

Borden lifted his lip in a silent snarl, and was about to reply when  Ariya walked up to his side. "It's okay, Dad. I'll talk to him."

Borden walked away, but didn't attempt to hide the distaste at having me in his establishment.

The moment he was out of earshot, Ariya grabbed my hand and led me  outside. She didn't go far, just to the right of what I now confirmed  was Hennessy's car, and crossed her arms.