The Reason I Stay (27 page)

When the sun starts to set, tingeing the sky pink, Eric becomes this annoying ball of energy. He taps his foot compulsively, shifts his weight from one leg to the other like he’s dancing, and rubs his hands down the sides of his legs every two seconds.

“Is it time, man?” I ask, placing a hand on his bouncing shoulder.

He nods. “Yeah, I’m nervous as shit. There’s like a hundred people here. What if she says no?”

I laugh because last night, during one of Eric’s trips to the bathroom after way too many beers, drunk, angry Tanie wouldn’t shut up about the proposal not happening that night as she had expected. Having talked to Eric and knowing he was planning it for today—due to her expecting it to happen on her graduation day—I tried to appease her, and it worked to some extent. However, she still dished out some passive-aggressive comments about it whenever she got a chance, which means that both Eric and I know she won’t say no when he asks.

Still, I try to be a good friend and help him relax. “Then we’ll go out, and I’ll buy you a shot, or ten.” He chuckles and his foot finally stops tapping. “But she won’t say no.”

And she doesn’t. In fact, as soon as Eric starts his speech, saying how proud he is of Tanie and how much he loves her, she fans herself. When he drops to one knee, holding a ring box in front of her, Tanie cries and screeches a “yes” before the question is completely out of Eric’s mouth.

As I’d promised him I’d do, I flip the graduation banners, revealing the happy engagement wishes he’d glued to the back of them. People gather around the couple creating a buzz of good wishes and requests to see the ring, but Lexie stays in the swing-set with the two little girls. The three of them are looking at Tanie with smiles and love while they clap their hands. Lexie’s eyes drift to mine. She winks, and there’s not enough air around me to fill my lungs.

I see my whole future pass before my eyes. It fast forwards through years of bliss by Lexie’s side, until the day when I’m the one asking the question, and she’s the one fanning herself and yelling a “yes.” And even though it’s just a thought, I know that’ll be the best day of my life.

The excitement of the engagement carries the party into the night. All the people I know are thoroughly busy; the men are getting hammered, and the women are planning showers and other wedding whatnots. Not in the mood to do either, I think of Lexie, and not having a job, and life, and what they’ll all be like together. I don’t think I’ve ever contemplated life more than I have since landing in Jolene, Alabama. It’s a pain in the ass and interesting, all at once.

I find myself at the side of the house, where the saddest vegetable garden I’ve ever seen is planted. Aside from two half-alive tomato bushes, most of the things growing are either completely dead or so dry and eaten by insects they’re unrecognizable. The only things that seem to thrive in this garden are weeds.

I crouch down, and start pulling them from the ground. In a moment I’m transported to my childhood and the garden I kept at our ranch.

Growing up, I was one of those kids who actually liked to go to school. I was smart and popular, so school was actually fun. However, I was never really myself in the city. The real me was the boy covered in dirt, rolling in the grass with my dogs at the ranch—my happy place, my home. But then, right before I turned sixteen, Mom died. Less than a month after losing the one person who really understood me, Dennis sold the property and everything changed. I lost the only place where I felt I truly belonged and, in its place, I got my very first, brand new, sports car. A part of me died the moment I took the keys from my father’s hand. From then on, my life became about cars and parties, and not caring about anything that could be taken away.

And then I came to Jolene.

“Weeding that is a lost battle, son.” Christopher Wolf’s voice cuts through my thoughts. I look up at his smiling face. “Don’t tell her, but I think Georgia has weed seeds in her fingertips. She fusses and fusses over that thing, and only makes it worse.”

I stand up, and clean my dirty hands on my jeans. “I think she’s watering too much. And it needs some cover so the bugs will stay away.”

His brows shoot up. “You understand about plants?”

“A little. I grew up around them.”

Mr. Wolf looks from the dead garden to me, before checking over his shoulder. When his gaze returns to me, he’s got one of those up-to-no-good expressions. “I don’t mean to be nosy, but what do you do all day, son?”

I chuckle nervously. “To be honest, not much, sir.”

He nods. “And you’re not going back to wherever you’re from?”

“No.” I shake my head. “My life is pretty set here.”

Christopher opens a big smile. “Georgia loves this garden, but, as you can see, the woman knows nothing of plants. Do you think you could salvage it?”

His question stuns me for a moment. I look down at the dead plants and mossy dirt. It’s been years since I last worked in a garden, but it should be like riding a bike, right? Once you know the theory, it’ll come back to you no matter what.

“Yes, I think I can.”

“That’s good.” He walks over to me, and places a hand over my shoulder. “You see, this here town doesn’t have anyone who understands plants. Most of the gardening’s handled by high school boys who barely manage the lawnmower.” He rolls his eyes and chuckles. “For lack of care, the school’s garden is non-existent, and I know of about a dozen homes with the same problem. So here’s what I propose: if you salvage my wife’s garden, I’ll help you get a steady amount of work around town. What do you say?”

Hell YES!

Two thoughts are running in a loop in my mind:
I just got my lowest paying job ever,
and
I got to find Lexie and tell her about it.

I look around the clusters of people in the backyard, but she’s nowhere to be seen. I’m sure that Tanie would know where Lexie is, but talking to her would mean venturing into the circle of women babbling around her. The females are now almost as drunk as the men. Amongst them are two girls who, despite my clear involvement with Lexie, haven’t taken their eyes off me all day. Not wanting to deal with them, I walk inside the house to find my girl on my own.

I search the kitchen, the half-bath, and the stairs, but there’s no sign of her anywhere. With my back against the banister, I start to get worried about her whereabouts when I hear a male voice coming from the half-open font door.

“Will you quit bein’ so stubborn? I’ve changed.” There’s a second of silence, and then the guy continues, his voice a decibel louder. “I did. I’m an officer of the law. That’s a serious gig, ya know? I’ve got my temper under control, and haven’t been drunk in over six months. I’m good now; we could work.”

Completely uninterested in the conversation, and feeling like a creep for eavesdropping on someone’s personal life, I push against the rod to climb up the stairs and look for Lexie. That’s when I hear “no we couldn’t” in a very familiar voice. My girl’s voice.

Despite the clear annoyance in her tone, my blood boils with anger and jealousy. With clenched fists, I take a step toward the door to end this little rendezvous, when his voice sounds again. “Is it ‘cause of Maserati guy?”

Suddenly curious, I freeze. “No, it’s not because of him. We couldn’t work because of you, Ky. We tried twice. And you fucked up fourteen times. We wouldn’t work because you’re a dick. And if our six years of history taught me anything it’s that no matter how much you think you’ve changed, you’ll always be a cheating, lying, manipulating, controlling dick who gave me a matching set of black eyes. And
that’s
why we’ll never be together again.”

A cold chill runs down my spine, and my whole body trembles with rage. I hate that he hurt Lexie in the past, and that he took her for granted, but most of all, I hate that he doesn’t respect her involvement with me and thinks he can just corner her into trying again with him. If his situation wasn’t bad enough, he makes the mistake of speaking—all the wrong things—again.

“And you’re slummin’ with
him
, ‘cause you think he’s better? I never took you for being naïve, Sparkle. To a guy like that, you’re just the local piece of ass like your mammaw was to your daddy.”

Fuck. Him!

I lunge from where I’m standing, and in a second I’m pulling the door open all the way, vaguely aware that Lexie is yelling at him.

I swing my body around hers, and without a single word, I fit my fist square center of the guy’s jaw. He staggers back, shaking his head, but doesn’t fall. Instead, he retaliates, missing by a foot—undoubtedly the result of a spinning head. It leaves his guard wide open—a bonus. I move in, grab his shoulder and thrust my knee in his groin. He finally drops to the ground.

Lexie calls my name, saying that the piece of shit is an officer and the son of the sheriff, but I don’t give a damn. He was harassing her, and as her man it’s my job to defend her.

I nudge him with my foot until he’s flat on his back. I place my knee on his chest, and keep it there as I kneel beside him. The pressure makes him wheeze, but I don’t give a damn.

“I don’t know you, and I don’t care to know you. But if you
ever
talk to her like that, I’ll kill you. Do you understand me, you piece of shit?”

Various pairs of boots come through the door. There seems to be eight of them, and circle around us. I know that the odds are not in my favor, but in my heated state I don’t care. They’ll probably leave me in a bad shape, but not without me doing some damage myself.

“Goddamn, Kyle,” one of them says, surprising me. “I told him to stay away from you.”

“You know he’s incapable of doing what he’s told,” Lexie says, beyond aggravated. I can almost see the eye roll. “Besides, you don’t own him, Damian. He’s told you that countless times.”

Damian? Leigh’s douchebag husband Damian? Kodee’s absent father Damian? I look up from the asshole beneath me and see a man with no resemblance to the little girl, other than the color of his hair, rolling his eyes at Lexie. “You know how the pack works as well as he does. I call the shots. You’re either in or you’re out.”

He turns his face toward me, and offers a hand to help me up. “You two are serious?”

“Why d’you care?” Lexie asks.

Damian raises a brow at her, but otherwise maintains a perfectly straight face. “For one, you’re my kid’s godmother. We’re practically family.”

The words drip with condescension. Lexie’s fist closes at the same time as mine does. The animosity between them is crystal clear, and I don’t blame Lexie. The dude’s a douche.

“Yeah, we’re very serious,” I say, draping an arm around Lexie’s shoulder. She looks at me with wide eyes, but I continue to watch Damian.

He turns his cocky eyes to me, a smirk that is meant to intimidate on his lips. I almost laugh; this dude clearly doesn’t know whom he’s dealing with. We stare each other down for a while, and then he smiles and extends a hand. “Nice to meet you, Mathew. Kodee has told me a lot about you.”

I shake his hand and nod. “She’s a great kid.”

He clicks his tongue as he lets go of my hand. “Can’t take the credit for that, but yes, she is.” He looks at Lexie. “We’re leaving. I’ll talk to Ky. Again.”

Lexie looks at him with disinterest. I look at him with fire in my eyes.

We don’t say goodbye as the “pack” walks away. I keep my arm around Lexie’s tense shoulders and my eyes on them until they’re all in their vehicles and driving. The moment their taillights turn the corner, she slumps in my arms.