Forgiving Patience

by Jennifer Simpkins

  “What?”

  “Start bidding. It’s already up to three hundred. Bid four.”

  “You’re joking, right? I can’t bid on Jake. How’s he going to help you with a wedding?”

  “We’ve already discussed this. He’s the best with using his hands.” Em looked like that was completely a obvious fact. “Now start hollering out numbers.”

  “No. If you want him, then you start handing out the money.”

  “We had a deal, Anna. It’s my wedding and I deserve to have whomever I want. Please do this for me. You don’t want me to be the center of town gossip, do you? Because that’s what will happen if I do the bidding.”

  This was going to be worse than Jesse losing her guy to that googly-eyed girl.

  What the hell—just do it and get it over with. It’s not like I have to take him home. He will be helping Em, and that is it.

  Before she could talk herself out of it, she was yelling—a little bit too loud, “Five hundred.”

  “Come on, say six. Carly is eyeing him and is willing to pay a small fortune for the talented baseball player.”

  As if the woman in question could read Em’s mouth moving, Carly hollered over all of the groaning single women who couldn’t afford the high amount, “Nine hundred thirty-dollars and sixty-two cents.”

  “Wow—did she just spend her last cent?” Em asked.

  “I think she did.” Even Anna was astonished. The idea of losing like Jesse was too much. The thought of him going home to another woman would only cause her to toss and turn all night. As hard as it was to admit, she couldn’t stand thinking about him and other women. He might be an overly cocky bastard most of the time, but like Em said, they couldn’t lose to Carly.

  “Sold!” All the women parted ways, some complaining, others congratulating one another.

  What just happened? She looked around the room, looking for something that made sense. It couldn’t have been over…she wasn’t done yet.

  A tap on the shoulder had Anna turning a little too quickly around to face the problem she didn’t even know she had—Carly. Her tight black dress allowed little room for anything else underneath. Who dressed like that to come to a high school for a charity?

  “Hope there’s no hard feelings. I didn’t know you still had a thing for Jake…honestly. We made plans to go out sometime, so I just picked the time. Pretty good strategy, huh?”

  Was this bimbo serious? Okay, Anna didn’t know if Carly really was a bimbo, but at the moment she didn’t care about her accuracy. For one, she didn’t have a thing for Jake. And two, he was the one making her go out with him, and it must not be just her because apparently he had made plans with Barbie here. She couldn’t talk. The room fell silent even though she could see mouths moving.

  Finally Em saw she was having problem and covered for her friend, “Oh, it’s no problem. Anna was getting Jake for me.”

  “You?” Carly held a hand up to cover her mouth. “Are you and Jake…you know?”

  “Now, Carly, do you think I would really tell you something like that?”

  “Right. Anyway, have a nice night. Too bad you didn’t win a guy, Anna.”

  It was a sly remark that pissed Anna off and must have made Em even hotter because before Carly could stroll away to claim her prize, Em hollered out above the women near them, “Just so you know, if Anna really wanted Jake, he wouldn’t be leaving with you right now.”

  A sense of dread washed over Anna. She had embarrassed herself more than Jesse had, and to make matters worse, Em was announcing to a crowd of gossipy women that Anna probably wanted a reunion with Jake.

  Em didn’t notice the effect losing Jake had. If she did, she knew better than to bring it up. Goodbye hugs were given. Em left to help her mother with more wedding preparations. Anna’s car was parked in the back gravel lot that she had used when she was a teenager. It was a surreal feeling to be walking out of the same doors to the same parking spot. The only difference was that now she was an independent woman who got to call the shots when it came to her life.

  The night breeze drifted over her skin with the top down on the car. Speeding out of the lot, she couldn’t help but feel a longing to be the woman that had ended up with Jake tonight. He had only given her a taste of what he was capable of, and that hadn’t seemed to satisfy her. This kind of passionate desire for Jake wasn’t going to go away by just spending a few hours curled up with her nighttime reading material.

  She bet Jake was an amazing lover, and like Em loved to point out, she knew he was amazing with his hands. God, she just needed to shove these feelings down to the point where they could never resurface. What she needed was to do something un-Anna-like, and she knew exactly where to go to do it.

  * * * *

  After a quick drive through town, she was seated at an oversize table facing the only television in the bar. She had never really drunk anything besides a glass of wine before coming back to Patience. Now it seemed like she could be a bartender. Tonight she wanted something different. She didn’t want anything to make her plastered and embarrass her any more than she had earlier in the night, but something that coated her insides and made her forget about her life—for just a few hours.

  She didn’t want to think about Jake and the woman he was taking back to her house. He was more than a little angry over her being drunk and hitting on Bradley, but he could take a woman home and nothing would be said about it. Men were jackasses. The thought of him and Carly together made her sick, but she pushed it aside and concentrated on the thing she could control—herself.

  The nightmares from the last couple of nights had rattled her more than she liked to admit, and she needed a distraction…something other than Jake. Maybe being out with strangers and having a few drinks would help take the pressure off. If others could have a drink or two to help them unwind, then she could too.

  Alan Jackson blaring on the jukebox, balls cracking at the pool tables, and laughter were the only sounds she could hear. The scents of greasy foods and cigarette smoke filling the air caused her to remember what she was doing. She’d never been to a bar alone, but it was freeing to not need anyone.

  A round, balding man taking her drink order suggested the perfect drink for her. She ordered two with a large order of chicken wings. Because she didn’t want to draw attention to herself, she kept her gaze locked on the flat screen—which of course was playing an Atlanta baseball game. She picked up a handful of peanuts and tossed them in her mouth. Sitting there watching the franchise Jake had once played for was complete torture. Not to mention her team was playing just a channel away.

  Ollie, the owner, brought her order with a little wink. It wouldn’t hurt to ask. “Hey, Ollie, you know it would mean a lot to me if I could watch the Yankees game.”

  Patience was a die-hard baseball town, and she didn’t know what more Ollie would want when it came to changing the channel. Her simple white tank was cut low and snug. When she bent over just a bit to retrieve her drink, Ollie’s gaze dropped to her chest. She showed him just enough to make him agree. Wow, that was a mistake, but it got the job done. She should feel dirty, ashamed…something, but instead she just didn’t care if the old man got a looksy. It wasn’t like he was a pervert. He was just a man who appreciated women and everything they had to offer. What was the harm?

  “Sure thing, honey. Now if a riot breaks out, I’ll have to change it back, you see?”

  “I understand. You’ve just made my night.”

  Now, this was going to be a good night. The first sip of her amaretto sour made her nose turn up a little, but after the next couple of swallows, she could feel her mood lighten, and she began enjoying the game, food, and drinks. Pulling her hair back in a tie, she grabbed a wing and gave the television her complete attention.

  “Good God, ump, do you not see that ball was way off the plate? Damn it!” Her man, Derek Jeter was at the plate, and the damn ump had just called strike three. Her team was down by two, which wasn’t a big de
al seeing that it was only the sixth inning. The Yankees were known to do their best work in the ninth.

  Only a few murmurs were spoken after her little umpire-bashing rant, but other than that, no one cared about the New York game being on. Good thing, because she would have fought any man in the place.

  One day she was going to be in those stands…cheering on her team…one day.

  “Is this chair taken?”

  Anna was so wrapped up in the double play happening that she didn’t even look up to see the man towering above her. She kicked the seat out, never allowing her focus to leave the screen.

  “Do you always come to bars alone? It’s not safe for a woman like you to be alone in a place like this.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jake knew it was going to be an interesting night when he walked into Ollie’s to see Anna slouched back in a chair, drinking some girly drink, and forcing chicken wings down her throat. She’d even talked Ollie into changing the channel. The girl was good, because nobody had ever accomplished that before. But then again, nobody in Patience would dream of watching another team.

  Anna was looking exceptionally hot in her plain fitted top, jeans that were cut at the knees, and flip-flops revealing red-painted toe nails. No wonder Ollie gave in so easily.

  He took a seat at the dark far side at the bar. He was in a foul mood after the auction. Nothing made sense.

  “What can I get you, Jake?” Minny asked.

  “Just a beer.”

  “So how’d the auction go? Heard someone say you went for some major cash,” she said nonchalantly while pulling the tab off his beer and placing it on a napkin in front of him.

  This was not what he wanted to talk about. “I guess you can say that, but it was a mix up. Now I’m here drinking a beer with you, and watching a damn Yankee game.

  “I know. The locals haven’t complained yet. A lot of the men like Anna, if you know what I mean.” She gave him a little wink and scooted off to her next customer.

  Yeah, he knew what she meant, and he didn’t like it one bit. A lot of guys were eyeing her, but luckily no one had made a move.

  Why would Anna bid on me…and why in hell did she bid on Garrett? There was no doubt in his mind that she felt something, but for her to openly express that in public was hard to wrap his mind around. It took balls to do what she’d done. He’d hurt her the other day…well, he’d done more than that. He’d fucked up. Anger had gotten the best of him. So he couldn’t blame her for leaving.

  Walking out onto the stage, he’d seen her, and at that moment, being in front of a hundred screaming women didn’t appeal to him. He only wanted one woman and he couldn’t have her. She seemed to be struggling with the idea of bidding on him, but in the end she had, and she had lost.

  Fuck.

  Why did Carly have to be there and ruin his night? It was for charity, and he was willing to be bought by Edna or someone to do yard work for, but he was not some sex slave. He could see that was exactly what Carly had in mind, and he wasn’t a cheater—and whether Anna wanted to believe it or not, they were dating.

  “What the fuck?” Jake muttered behind clenched teeth at seeing a man walk over to Anna and take a seat next to her, a little too close at that. So, some bastard had decided to make a move.

  He knew Tex had been interested in Anna since the party. The guy had the reputation of fucking every girl he could get into his truck.

  He gripped his beer bottle to the point his knuckles had turned white. Tex was a good buddy to play softball with or go out fishing with, but Jake was not going to sit there and watch him take advantage of Anna. “Minny, I’ll take another.”

  “You sure?” she questioned.

  “Yes. I’m not drunk, damn it.”

  The spunky girl ran off to fetch another beer he really didn’t need, but if he didn’t have something in his hand, he was liable to go over and punch Tex right onto his ass.

  It had taken him a long time to stop drinking so much and fighting every asshole he ran into, and now, with Anna back in town, that’s all he could think about. When he couldn’t be with her, he drank, and if any guy touched her, he wanted to beat the living shit out of them. If he wasn’t careful, he would be going back to his old ways, and it wouldn’t have anything to do with his injury. Damn woman.

  Tex slipped his cowboy hat onto Anna’s honey-blond hair and started twirling her around. Jake didn’t like it one bit that another man had his hands on her. It wasn’t jealousy. It was that they were technically dating for the next week or so. God, he was thinking like a woman. Get a grip, dude.

  New York was winning, and Anna was clearly in a good mood. It was the bottom of the ninth, and it looked like the Pinstripes were going to take this one. He would let her enjoy the win, but after that, he was getting her away from Tex.

  When the last ball was thrown and New York won, giving them the best record in baseball, Jake decided it was time to go interrupt the little celebration going on.

  But the craziest thing happened. Tex looked up to see Jake coming. He then turned and gave Anna a light kiss on the mouth and walked toward the exit.

  How dare the little fuck kiss her right in front of my face and then run away like a pussy. No need to start anything. Those days were gone. He was a better man. Tex was gone, and Anna would not be going home with the son-of-a-bitch.

  * * * *

  “I see your pansy team won again. You must feel pretty damn good.”

  Anna recognized the male voice coming from behind her without having to even turn around. She could feel his breath on her neck and smell the cologne that had become familiar to her. Just the sound of his deep, manly voice sent a chill through her entire body, making her stomach do a freefall. And she wondered if it would land anytime soon. She didn’t want to turn around to look into those deep blue eyes—most likely shaded with a ball cap—and wonder what he had just done with Carly.

  Quit feeling sorry for yourself and turn your ass around.

  “You can’t call them a pansy team when they have the best record in baseball right now.”

  Between the dim lighting and low cap, his eyes were unreadable. But she could feel something coming off him. Electricity or something crazy. She couldn’t move. The only thing she could do was stand there and torture herself by looking at a man she would never have.

  “You have a good night?” he asked, pointing to the straw hat that still sat on her head.

  He said it in a way that told her several things—one, he’d been watching her for some time, and two, it was a slim chance that he’d spent any time with Carly. If he had, he wasn’t as good as everyone said…and she highly doubted that. The thoughts made her feel giddy, or maybe that was because of the two drinks she had consumed earlier in the night. He must have seen Tex with her. Hmmmm…now that explains why he just up and left, but not without laying a kiss on me…right in front of Jake. Interesting.

  “Actually, I did. You just missed Tex. It was fun to have someone to watch the game with.”

  With a clenched jaw, he said, “Yeah. I saw him. You know he was only interested in getting down your pants? He could care less about your precious ballteam.”

  “Jealous, Jake?” She gave her head a playful tilt.

  “I’m not jealous of that asshole,” he retorted with little conviction. “I just wouldn’t let any woman who had been drinking walk out the door with him.”

  “I wasn’t leaving with him. I was simply watching a baseball game with the guy. Plus, I thought you two were friends?”

  “We are. How do you think I know all this?”

  Both fists were clinched at his sides. He looked like he could take down a Mack truck. What was the deal? She hadn’t expected this—after all, he was the one who had left with some Barbie doll tonight. He was the one who accused her of wanting his brother. And he was the one who had smashed a plate against the kitchen wall. When she took a minute to let all three of those things sink in, she was mad all over again.


  “Well, thanks for….whatever, but I’m going home now.” She did a half wave and grabbed her purse, making her way past him, but not before brushing up against him. Everything in her body became aware of the feelings she’d been having for the past week. There was tingling in places he hadn’t even touched, and the feeling only intensified when he reached out and grabbed her arm before she could step away.

  She was forced to look up at his face. Their bodies were pushed against each other’s, and he wasn’t letting go. She wasn’t sure how long she looked into his eyes, trying to read what he was thinking.

  “Listen, Anna, the guy is a jerk when it comes to women. I was only looking out for you. Why can’t you understand that?” His voice was more tender, but stern. He eased his grip just a bit, but not enough that she could pull her arm out. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted him to let her go.

  With a shaky voice, she replied, “I do understand that, but I’m a big girl. I know when a guy is only interested in what’s under my panties.”

  His gaze fell to said panties. Well, actually, he could only see her jeans, but the intensity in his stare made her aware of what he was actually envisioning. She kept her eyes on his face, because she wanted to appear strong and not rattled by their closeness. With his hands on her, she couldn’t think logically.

  “Will you let me drive you home?” His voice was low, just above a whisper that blew through her ear. It was sexy and intoxicating. She could have melted in a puddle right there at his feet.

  Stuttering, she asked, “W-why?” Did he really have plans to take her home and see what was under her panties? Did she want him to?

  “You’ve been drinking. It’s been made clear you can’t handle your liquor.”

  He did have a point. She’d proven that at the bachelorette party. However, she didn’t want to put herself in the same position as that night. While she knew he wouldn’t hurt her, it still brought up memories she was desperately trying to forget. She wasn’t drunk now and didn’t need rescuing.