Bubba looked rough, straggly hair, eyes red rimmed and bloodshot, face hangdog.
Krystal looked far more than her usual angry at the world. She looked fit to be tied.
My eyes moved to Tate to see his were on Bubba and his face was granite.
“Got it at home, Tate, don’t need it here,” Bubba muttered, his hand lifted, palm out, toward Tate and I pressed my lips together as I felt my belly start to burn.
“Laurie, darlin’, keep cool,” Jim-Billy whispered to me, sitting beside where I was standing at the bar.
Krystal didn’t say a word, she just disappeared down the back hall.
Tate headed down the bar our way as Bubba slid onto a stool beside Jim-Billy opposite from where I was standing.
“Hey gorgeous,” Bubba called quietly to me, avoiding my eyes.
I opened my mouth to speak but Tate had arrived.
“I want out,” Tate declared without preamble and Bubba looked up at him.
“What?” Bubba asked Tate.
“Out,” Tate replied. “You and Krys need to get it together and buy me out. You also need to put up the sign in the window. Laurie’s givin’ notice. She’s gonna work for me.”
My wide eyes moved to Tate.
I was?
“What?” Bubba repeated.
“You heard me,” Tate answered.
“You can’t –” Bubba started.
“I can,” Tate cut him off. “Sick of this shit, Bubba. Didn’t buy into this. You made me promises, a fuckload of ‘em, and you broke every fuckin’ one of ‘em.”
“Tate, man, you can’t –”
“I can and Laurie can. We got Jonas at home. We’re needed there,” Tate stated.
“I heard about that but Pops and Stell –”
“Can’t count on them all the time, that’s not cool. They got lives and I got work. I don’t need to be on the road, worried about Jonas, Lauren and the bar. Gotta scrape somethin’ off and it’s the bar.”
“But Krys –” Bubba began.
“Krys knows what’s good for her, she’ll scrape somethin’ off too,” Tate returned.
We all knew what that meant, Bubba, Jim-Billy and me. Bubba’s back went up and his face got tight. I looked at Jim-Billy, he felt my gaze and he looked at me, his eyes wide.
It was then Krystal joined our group.
“What’s goin’ on?” she asked, instantly feeling the bad vibe.
Everyone looked her way.
“Tate wants us to buy him out,” Bubba answered and Krystal’s gaze shot to Tate.
“What?” she whispered.
“We’ll get the accountant to look at the books, decide what’s fair,” Tate answered and I watched Krystal’s face pale.
At that, I thought it was time to intervene so I said softly, “Captain –”
Tate spoke over me to Krystal. “Lauren’s givin’ notice. Got work, Jonas and Laurie, don’t need to be on the road half the time, in the bar the other half and havin’ to deal with paperwork. Lauren’s gonna take care of that for me and the half of my life I free from the bar, I spend with my family.”
Krystal’s eyes then shot to me and I saw instantly her guard was down. There was pain in her face, and betrayal.
“Krys –” I whispered.
She tore her gaze from me and looked back at Tate. “We had a good summer but part a’ that is because Laurie’s here. The boys love her. She goes, they ain’t gonna come in and hang with Twyla.”
“Not my problem,” Tate stated.
“Captain –” I tried again.
“I lose Laurie, I lose the drinks she sells, I buy you out, I’ll be hurtin’,” Krystal pointed out.
“Again, not my problem,” Tate reiterated.
“Tate, honey –” I tried yet again.
“I don’t believe this shit,” Bubba muttered and Tate’s gaze sliced to him.
“You don’t?” he asked curtly. “How? Christ almighty, Bubba, I told you once, I told you a thousand times, you don’t pull your shit together, I’m gone. Now I’m done tellin’ you. I’m gone.”
“I know shit’s whacked around here and heard about Neet and Jonas, Tate. I shoulda sorted my shit out and it was a crap thing to do, leavin’ while you all were in the middle a’ that but, bud, that’s done. Krys and I talked and –” Bubba explained.
Tate interrupted him. “Heard this before, don’t believe it anymore.”
“But, Tate, swear to God –”
“Don’t believe it.”
“But –” Bubba pushed it.
“He’s gone,” Krystal whispered and everyone looked at her to see her gaze pinned to Bubba.