by J. H. Croix
Conversation moved along, and I savored the feel of Elias’s arm resting across my shoulders. Occasionally, his thumb traced an idle caress along my collarbone and it felt like a lick of fire over my skin. When I said women ruined panties over him, I wasn’t exaggerating, not even a little. Mine were already ruined for the night.
Flynn had signaled for the check when I felt Elias tense. The man was all muscle, so it was pretty hard to miss when his arm went tight over my shoulders. I glanced up toward him. Following his gaze, I noticed a woman approaching the table. I watched as Diego cast a quick look at Elias, his eyes hardening when he looked toward the woman.
Even from across the room, I could tell she was beautiful. She had glossy, straight blond hair. She was one of those women who tended to make me feel a little frumpy. I was always in a rush and usually pulled my hair back and swiped lip gloss on before running out, and that was when I was trying. This woman was perfectly put together, outfitted in a pair of jeans and a blouse that must’ve been ironed. She even wore smart-looking heels, which clicked on the floor.
She stopped beside our table, looking right at Elias before her eyes flicked to Flynn and Diego. “Hello,” she said simply.
Elias barely moved. His arm was practically a board on my shoulders at this point. His voice was tight and controlled when he spoke. “Hello, Sandra.”
Diego and Flynn stayed silent.
“I was hoping I could talk to you,” she added.
“Nothing to say,” Elias said.
“Elias, please—” she pressed.
Flynn cut in. “What would you need to say after five years?”
Those of us who didn’t know what was going on were quiet but definitely alert.
“Flynn, if you don’t mind, this is really none of your business,” the woman added.
Diego spoke next. Diego who was always kind, big hearted, and easy-going was anything but in this moment. “Of course, it’s our business. You fucked over our friend. And frankly, made it all worse because it was with his friend. I’d say that’s enough betrayal, don’t you think? You made your preferences clear.”
I had to give it to this woman, she didn’t even flinch. Her eyes took on a hard look. “I would still like to speak to Elias.”
Elias leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Because I don’t want this to become more of a scene, I’m gonna go.” He kissed me quickly on the cheek and stood. “I’ll deal with it.”
I watched him leave with my stomach twisting in sick knots.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Elias
“What the hell do you want, Sandra?” I asked.
After leaving the brewery, Sandra tried to persuade me to ride with her, but that was a hard pass on my part. She’d followed me to Sally’s, another bar in Diamond Creek. It wasn’t because I wanted to be at a bar, but I didn’t want to meet with her anywhere that wasn’t completely public. Cammi had looked like she was freaking right the fuck out. I kind of was too, to be honest. But for the moment, I had no choice, but to deal with this situation.
Sally’s was hopping. Like the brewery, it was a local favorite hang-out. It was in an old barn with a full bar and music stage on one side for small bands, and a restaurant with pub fare on the other. We were seated at a small table right by the door. I intended to be out of here as soon as I figured out what the hell Sandra was doing here. Alaska wasn’t exactly in her neck of the woods. Last I’d known, she was still in the Air Force and stationed in California.
I looked across the table, and felt nothing. Sandra was attractive in a sharp-edged way. She had a willowy build and cornflower blond hair. Her brown eyes tilted at the corners, and her face was all clean angles. I wondered what I’d ever seen in her. Oh, she was beautiful, all right, but I felt nothing anymore.
They say people change, and I supposed I’d definitely changed from back when I was involved with her. Although, the way things ended with us would sour most people on romance.
She looked tense. Her shoulders hitched up slightly and her jaw clenched as she looked at me from across the table. “How are you, Elias?”
“I’m fine, Sandra. Cut to the chase. I know you didn’t come here for some kind of reunion because I’m pretty sure you know that’s impossible. What do you need?”
“Geez, Elias. Are you still angry with me?” she countered, the hint of bitterness in her tone startling me.
She was the one who screwed me over, so I didn’t get that. I took a breath, letting it out as I did an internal scan. “No,” I finally replied. “I’m not angry. I hope life is treating you well, but I’m not interested in trying to have a friendship with you.”
I was furious at the way Sandra showed up, because I knew it looked suspicious to Cammi and that was the last thing Cammi needed. Trust didn’t come easy to her for obvious reasons. I would have to contemplate just why I was so concerned about that at another time. I’d gone from trying to ignore my attraction to Cammi to diving into it so deeply that my denial wasn’t helpful anymore. I knew it was far more than simple physical desire at play.
Sandra swallowed and unclasped her hands to take a sip of her water. “Understood. I kind of have a big ask.”
A subtle tingle of trepidation chased down my spine. “Uh, okay. What’s that?”
“I have a son. He’s um—”
I felt abruptly sick when she paused to take another swallow of water. “You’re telling me this now? If you fucking tell me I have a son and you didn’t tell me about it, I don’t even know what I’m gonna do,” I said flatly.
“He’s not yours. I swear,” she said quickly. “Greg’s the father.”
I nodded slowly. “So, it’s his son then. Still not sure why you’re here to see me.”
Betrayal was a strange thing. It could cut so deep. I didn’t wish I had a child with Sandra, but I couldn’t help but wonder if the man I’d once considered a close friend had known he had a son on the way. That was another secret he kept from me and the rest of our tight circle of friends.
Sandra took a shaky breath, unaware of my mental machinations. “If you recall, those last months before Greg died, you and I didn’t see each other because we weren’t in the same place.”
Her voice cracked a little there, and I couldn’t even feel satisfaction at the possible twinge of guilt she was experiencing. Apparently, she hadn’t found it worth traveling to see me, but somehow, she and Greg had managed to make time to see each other. Considering he was stationed with me, well, that burned a little. I was over Sandra, but being betrayed by a good friend still stung. I didn’t want it to hurt, but loyalty mattered to me.
“I recall.”
“Mathematically, it just doesn’t add up. There’s no way you’re the father. I always knew that,” she finally said.
“Math comes in handy sometimes,” I said slowly. “Why are you here, Sandra? I’m still confused about that.”
“Because Greg’s family is disputing his paternity.” She took a shaky breath. “He knew I was pregnant.” She paused here, her eyes searching mine. I didn’t know what she saw there. “I know it doesn’t matter now, but I was going to tell you what happened between Greg and me. I just wanted to do it face to face. I thought you deserved that.”
I absorbed her words and was relieved to discover I didn’t feel any fresh burst of anger. I was well past being angry with her. I gave a light shrug. “It’s okay. We can’t change what happened. I appreciate that you meant to tell me.”
“Elias, I’m—”
I shook my head, not interested in furthering this branch of the conversation. “Tell me why you’re here.”
She took a shaky breath before continuing. “Like I said, Greg knew I was pregnant. I told him as soon as I found out. I don’t want to create problems, but money is tight, and our son qualifies for his survivor benefits. Greg’s family doesn’t want me to have that, so they’re taking me to court. Since he’s not alive, and I had no formal relationship to him, like we weren’t married or anythin
g, I don’t have any way to get a genetic sample to prove he’s Greg’s son. My attorney recommended that I talk with you so we can rule you out as a father. They’re arguing that they believe you’re the father.”
Her words came out with a few starts and stops, and I actually felt a stab of sympathy for her. She looked absolutely miserable trying to explain this to me. Much as I wasn’t a fan of my old friend and certainly didn’t appreciate what happened, it was bullshit what his family was trying to do. “I’ll take a paternity test. I’m going to assume you’re confident about the results.”
“I am,” she said quickly. “His date of birth is April seventh, and he just turned five this year.”
I was good at math. I didn’t remember many dates, but I hadn’t forgotten the date my old friend died. His son’s birthday was exactly four months and one week after his death. Sandra was right. We hadn’t been together physically for over five months by that point.
Actually seeing Sandra clarified for me that I was more than over her. Yet, the burn of my old friend’s betrayal was still there. Being apart for chunks of time when you were in the military was part of the deal sometimes. The lingering sense of betrayal was connected to my friend, not her. Sadly, she didn’t even know she wasn’t the only friend Greg had betrayed, but that wasn’t my story to tell.
“I assume we could do that locally,” I added.
She let out a giant breath. “Oh, thank you, Elias.” She pressed a palm to her chest.
“It’s no problem. If Greg was the father, his will should be honored.”
“I already found out we can just do the paternity test at the hospital here. It’s Alaska, so nothing’s fast. Apparently, they send it up to a lab in Anchorage, it’s five days for processing. I’m staying in a hotel here. We can do it tomorrow if that works for you.”
“I’ll make it work. I prefer to do it in the morning because I need to fly in the afternoon.”
“Whatever works for you. The lab said you can drop in. Just go when it works for you.”
“You got it. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to go.” I stood from the table, and she stood with me.
“I don’t have any reason to stay,” she said when I glanced toward her. We exited out into the parking lot. “It’s beautiful here.” She looked up toward the sky.
“It is,” I said simply.
The moon was rising over the mountains in the distance, claiming the sky from the lingering colors of the sunset. A smudgy lavender, early night sky was taking over from the last trails of pink and red left behind by the sun.
“Elias, I just want to say that I’m really sorry. I can’t say I never should’ve been with Greg, but I never should’ve done it the way I did. I can’t imagine what that feels like for you because he was your friend. I know it doesn’t help, at all, but he felt terrible too.”
I absorbed that. “I know. It is what it is. I’m glad you came and asked me for this. I hate it when people do shit like that. No matter what happened between Greg and me, I know he would want his son taken care of.”
Maybe I hadn’t expected my friend to do what he did, but I did know that. “You doing okay?” I asked, actually meaning it and hoping she was okay.
Sandra nodded. “I am. I really am. I’ll definitely let you know when we get the results.”
“As you said, the math already rules me out, so I’m not worried about that. You take care, all right?”
She reached over, placing her palm on my arm and squeezing gently, her touch cool. “You too. Now, go find that girl you were with. I’m sure she might be confused about me showing up like that. If you need me to clear up anything, just say the word.”
“Thanks. Night, Sandra.” I lifted my hand in a wave as I walked away and climbed in my truck. I started it, aiming toward Cammi’s house. I needed to talk to her.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t there when I stopped by and didn’t answer my texts, or my call.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Cammi
“Ugh,” I muttered.
I lay still in bed, a little afraid to move too abruptly because my head was pounding. I prayed, irrationally, that my alarm was wrong. Maybe it was wrong. I knew that was highly unlikely, considering it was my smartphone and it was an auto-set alarm. I’d been getting up every day at that time and had for years when my coffee truck was open.
I opened one eye. Glimmers of light were coming in through the windows. With a sigh, I opened the other eye and experimentally moved my head as I reached to pick up my phone and check the time.
No shock, but my alarm wasn’t wrong. My head was definitely not happy about moving.
I sat up slowly and trudged into the bathroom, setting my phone on the counter by the sink. Blessedly, my on-demand hot water heater responded to my demand and hot water cascaded out of the showerhead in seconds. I downed two ibuprofen and climbed in the shower.
After Elias had unceremoniously left with a woman that I later learned was his ex-girlfriend, Diego and Flynn had assured me Elias had no lingering feelings for her. They wanted to make sure I had nothing to worry about. Of course, that didn’t alleviate my mortification. Elias and I couldn’t even define what we were, and now his ex was showing up for some mysterious reason. I didn’t like mysteries.
Aside from that, if I hadn’t already been painfully aware of my issues with trust, my brain had gone into anxiety overtime last night. I figured Elias must’ve been hiding something from me and from his friends. Why else would his ex-girlfriend come all the way to Alaska? Alaska wasn’t exactly on the way to anywhere unless you’ve lived here.
After the guys had left, Susie and Tess stayed with me and provided moral support, along with extra margaritas.
Fuck my life. Maybe I needed to just focus on work. I sure had plenty to focus on. Just yesterday afternoon, the bank called and said the sellers were willing to close early if I was ready to take over the reins. Apparently, the owner’s mother had taken a turn for the worse, and they wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Maybe I felt a little overwhelmed by all of it, but I could handle the coffee part with no trouble. The sale included keeping their current staff, knowing that some of them could leave if they chose anyway. All in all, the café was on auto pilot if I didn’t make any changes except for the coffee. It would mean work and lots of it, but I could use the distraction.
After my shower, I made some coffee thinking that would help even more with my hangover, although first I made myself drink a full glass of water. Once I was dressed, I texted the lady at the bank and let her know we could close by this weekend if they wanted. That gave me three days. I could totally use being so busy I didn’t have time to think.
I raced into the coffee truck, planning to handle the morning rush and then head over to Misty Mountain Café for a quick planning session with the employees who were about to become my staff inside of three days.
“Morning,” Amy said when she banged open the door to the truck a few minutes after I’d arrived.
My head felt as if a hammer had struck it, but I took a breath and another swallow of coffee. My headache was gradually starting to fade.
“Morning,” I said in return. “Here’s your five dollars.” I turned back and handed over the change to the woman in line.
Amy had her apron on in no time and took over with customers while I made coffees. The less talking for me, the better.
During a very brief lull, Amy asked in a low voice, “Cammi, are you okay?”
I cast her a glare. “I don’t look that bad.”
She held both hands up in apology. “You don’t look that bad, but you look, I don’t know… Not good?”
I reached to the small cabinet above where we were working where I had a mini first aid kit. I fished out some more ibuprofen. “My head’s killing me, but it’s getting better.”
More customers arrived, and we carried on. I was beyond grateful Amy was such a good employee. She picked up my slack easily.
Then, the dread
ed moment happened. “Hey, Cammi.”
Of course, Elias just had to come by this morning. This shouldn’t have surprised me, and it didn’t really. I supposed I’d kind of been hoping he wouldn’t stop by for coffee for once.
I tried something resembling a smile when I lifted my head and kept my eyes carefully level. “Hi,” I said, relieved I had coffees to make to keep my hands busy.
“Elias’s usual,” Amy said.
My heart twisted in my chest and emotion knotted in my throat. I suddenly hated that I knew exactly what Elias’s usual was. I knew how to make it so he loved it and came here every day. Even before we had crazy, hot sex.
I worked in silence, but his presence was nearly impossible to ignore. I felt like a tuning fork, tuned solely to the frequency of him. That subtle vibration and awareness hummed through my body.
When I had his coffee ready, I snapped the lid on and passed it over the counter, lifting my head just briefly to catch his gaze waiting. My heart twisted again, and I smiled even though my face felt like it might crack. “There you go.”
“Do you have a few minutes?” he asked.
“Not really.”
At least I wasn’t lying about that. Amy was already calling over the next order. Elias looked at me for a long moment. “Don’t worry about what happened last night. It was nothing that has anything to do with you. I promise.”
I did that weird smiling thing again, my face feeling stiff. “It’s okay. You don’t owe me any explanations. I really do need to keep working.”
He hesitated and then nodded. “I’ll be by later.”
I could tell Amy was wondering just what we were talking about, but we were blessedly very busy for the next hour. When there was finally a break, she said, “I hope you didn’t break up with Elias.”
I whipped my eyes toward her, relieved my headache appeared to be gone because moving that fast didn’t feel like another hammer striking my head. “We were never officially together, so I can’t break up with him. We just went on a date or two,” I muttered, not about to get into the details of the incredible sex we had with my employee. I did have some boundaries.
