Touching Scars(73)

“No. But now that I do know, I don’t think I can accept what you’ve offered.”

“Bullshit, Timber. You can, and you will.”

I put my hands in the air, palms out, in a sign of surrender. “Okay, easy. How about we compromise? Why don’t you lower the amount, just to whatever it was you were initially going to raise it to, and we’ll call it good? You’re happy, I’m happy….”

He sat back. “Alright, you’ve got yourself a deal.”

It got quiet again for a brief moment, then he switched subjects on me. “So do you have a certain someone in your life? I don’t see a wedding band.”

“You hitting on me?”

He barked out a laugh. “Not with all those tattoos and piercings, but thanks for thinking of me.”

I grinned. “You should get some. Chicks dig it.”

“I’m good, thanks. I’ve got a bit of a needle phobia.” That made me chuckle.

Kat came to mind and I shifted a bit in my seat, wondering how best to approach this subject without it getting weird. “Going back to your question before, I do actually have someone that I’m pretty crazy about.”

He lifted his cup, pausing briefly before taking a drink of his soda. “Oh yeah?”

“I think you might be surprised to know that you know her.”

The same look that he had back at the worksite crossed his features again and it caused me to stiffen. I couldn’t figure out why he looked so strange. “I do? Are you planning on telling me who it is, or are we going to play the guessing game?”

For some reason, his tone came across more aggressively than he wanted and he realized his mistake. Adam cleared his throat and visibly relaxed. I thought on it for a few seconds before I spoke. “Well, she works at the bar in town that I had planned on us stopping at later. She’s changed a bit since the last time you saw her, but we’ll see if you recognize her at all.”

“Interesting. Alright, this should be fun. At least tell me this so I’m not walking into a landmine here. Have I slept with her before?”

I bristled at the question, my mood turning dark even thinking about someone else touching Kat. “No,” I said more forcefully than I’d intended. “How about we just go settle the bill and head over, and you can see for yourself, alright?”

Grabbing the check, I headed to the counter and paid for the both of us. We rode separately because I planned on staying at Kat’s again tonight. I didn’t want to leave her after being away all day. I missed her. Slinging my leg over my Harley, I wondered if this was a good idea. Would Kat be okay with seeing Adam after all these years? Either way, we were about to find out.





THE BAR WAS BUSY WITH its usual patrons for a Monday night. I was busying myself with stocking the beer coolers when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. Turning, I saw it was Slim taking a seat on a bar stool and getting himself comfortable.

“Hey, kid, heard you had a decent weekend.”

I walked over to stand in front of him and passed a cold glass of our draft beer across the wood. I smiled at him and gave him a second to chug down the icy brew before I responded. I started wiping down glasses with the rag I had slung over my shoulder.

“It was a great weekend. Timber’s dad is really nice, spitting image of him too. Now I know what he’s going to look like in twenty five years.”

Slim raised his brows. “Didn’t realize you were planning on being with him for the long haul. What did the two of you do besides watch fireworks?”

I paused. I did want to be with him. I had no intentions of us not being together. And just the mention of fireworks brought back that night and Timber’s breakdown. Certain parts were etched into my brain, while others could go away. It was the sadness I’d seen on his face that had nearly broken me. Shaking my head, I did my best to clear away any negative thoughts that were associated with our first time together.

“We ended up doing all sorts of stuff like walking in the park, and some shopping downtown. His dad makes a mean BBQ, and Alice, his girlfriend, is one of the sweetest women I’ve ever met.” Slim took another swig of his beer. “And yeah, I think I do plan on being with Timber for a while. He makes me really truly happy.”

“I’m glad to hear it. He’s a good man. But I hope you know that he has been through some things that might be hard for you to really understand. So if he ever seems off, just give him some time, okay?”

It was sweet that he was concerned for me, and it also made me hopeful that he approved of my being with Timber. If he accepted him being with me, then maybe my uncle would be okay with it as well. Reaching across the counter, I placed my hand on Slim’s cheek. “You’re such a thoughtful man, but you don’t have to worry about me so much. Timber has already told me about what happened to him in Iraq.”