I went over to the sink to wash my hands and looked back over my shoulder at her. “You didn’t tell me about the job.”
“Oh. It’s up at the cafe. They’re looking for a waitress and cashier. Maybe some cooking occasionally if they are short-handed and get busy. Basically, they’re looking for somebody who can do whatever needs to be done. I figured Gia could probably handle that. She has a three-year-old. She’s already used to waiting on someone, cleaning, and cooking.”
I laughed. “That’s probably a very true assessment.”
“Anyway, like I said, it’s not much. But it will pay the bills for now. It will at least carry her through until she finds something more if she needs it.”
“Thank you so much for doing that for her,” I said. “I know she’s happy.”
“Actually, I haven’t told her yet,” Shannon said. “I haven’t had a chance to. Are you going to be seeing her tonight?”
“Yeah, I was planning on getting cleaned up and heading over there as soon as I got the fence out of my hand,” I said.
“Great. Tell her all about it and have her give me a call so I can give her the details.”
“Perfect,” I said. “I really appreciate it.”
I gave Shannon an appreciative hug, and I rushed upstairs to take a shower and get dressed. An hour later, I got to Gia’s apartment. She was at home moving things around and rearranging.
“Hi,” she said, giving me a kiss when I came inside.
“What are you up to?” I asked. “I thought you had everything in place.”
She let out a sigh and put her hands on her hips, looking around the small space. “I thought I did, too. But something just wasn’t sitting right.”
“Everything’s fine,” Darcy said, a slight hint of aggravation in her voice telling me Gia had been doing this all day. “She just has a bunch of nervous energy and wants to feel like she’s doing something productive.”
“The job search isn’t exactly going swimmingly,” Gia told me. “I thought it was going to be easier.”
“Well, then you’ll be very glad I’m here.”
She looked at me strangely. “I’m already glad you’re here.”
I kissed her again. “Then even more glad. Because I just had a conversation with Shannon, and she let me know she found you a job.”
Gia’s face lit up. “Really?”
I nodded. “Now before you get too excited about it, it isn’t anything high powered or impressive,” I said, not wanting her to get too worked up and then be disappointed by the position.
“Is it a job?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“And does it pay?” she asked.
“Well, yes.”
“Then it’s impressive. What is it?”
“You’ll be working at the local café,” I said. “Waitressing, cashier, cooking every now and then.”
Gia shrugged and looked over at the sofa where Darcy and Gabby were sitting. “Sounds pretty similar to what I do now.”
I laughed. “That’s what Shannon said, too. She wants you to call her so she can give you all the details.”
“That’s amazing,” she said. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited just to have somewhere to live and a job. Just have a normal life.”
I looked at Gabby again. “About three years?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said. “About that long.”
The sadness came back into her eyes and I didn’t want it to stay there.
“What are you doing tonight?” I asked.
I looked back and forth between the women and saw them shrug at each other.
“Nothing in particular,” Gia said.
“I plan on doing this,” Darcy said, lifting her arms to indicate cuddling up to Gabby and reading to her.
She was already in her pajamas, so I figured she was committed to seeing that plan through.
“How about you?” I asked Gia.
“Um,” Gia said.
Darcy waved one hand at her without looking. “Go with him.”
“Go where?” she asked.
“Wherever he wants to take you.”
I laughed. “I think that’s a pretty ringing endorsement. Sounds like you’re going to have to come out with me tonight.”
Gia hesitated and Darcy glanced over her shoulder at her. “Gabby has already eaten dinner. That leftover lasagna and I have some serious plans later. I’m going to sit here and read to Gabby for a while, then give her a bath, and tuck her in. Then I fully intend on putting the tray in my lap, eating the lasagna cold, and watching trashy TV. Now if you and Clayton were here, I wouldn’t be able to do that. And my entire night would be ruined.”
“You wouldn’t want to ruin Darcy’s night, would you?” I asked.
“Yeah, you wouldn’t want to ruin my night, would you?” Darcy asked.
Gia looked back and forth between Darcy and me. “Why do I feel like the two of you are teaming up on me?”
Darcy offered an innocent look. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Sure, you don’t,” Gia said and looked at me. “I suppose I have no choice in the matter.”
I laughed. “Don’t sound so excited about it.”
She giggled and kissed me. “Give me just a few minutes and I’ll get ready.”
While she went off to the bedroom, I sat in the living room with Darcy. It didn’t take Gia long before she came back out dressed in sheer looking skirt and a pale blue summer-weight sweater. The evenings had started getting cooler, a promise of fall coming soon.
She kissed Gabby goodbye, thanked Darcy, and followed me out of the apartment. I knew exactly where I wanted to bring her, and it didn’t even involve getting in my truck. Holding her hand, I led her down the street toward The Junction.
The weather was perfect and seemed to have drawn more people than usual out to the bar. The parking lot swarmed with familiar faces, and when we got inside, it looked like every table and chair were already claimed.
We were forcing our way through the crowd for the bar in hopes of eventually snagging a stool or two when I heard Jesse’s voice. Even his loud military bark sounded muffled against the din of everybody there. But it was enough to make me turn and see him in a booth set up against the wall.
“That’s right,” I said. “It’s Friday. Shannon mentioned they were coming up here.”
We wove through the people and stuffed ourselves into one of the benches.
“Long time no see, bro,” Jesse said.
I narrowed my eyes at him and scoffed. “I saw you four hours ago.”
“I meant around here,” he said. “You’ve been missing out on Fridays at The Junction the last few weeks. Hi, I’m his younger brother, Jesse.”
Gia responded with a polite “Hello” but looked slightly uncomfortable and squirmed a bit. I moved closer to her so she could feel my hand against her thigh. “I’ve had other things to do.”
There was a tense second before Jesse grinned. “You made the right choice. This old place will be here. We’re just glad you finally got Gia to come along.”
I looked over at Gia and saw a smile cross her face. The waitress walked up, and Jesse ordered a couple of pitchers of soda for the table. I added in an order for several of the appetizers on the menu.
We started talking, but soon, people from town were streaming up to the table to meet Gia. The Montgomery boys were well liked in town—except by the Hayes family, of course. It meant we were always surrounded by other people. It was to be expected they would be interested in Gia.
Being lined up with any of us brothers would fascinate the town. But the fact that Gia was with me particularly drew them in. It took a little while, but she started easing into the evening. Finally, she was laughing and joking, loosening up and truly seeming to enjoy herself. Shortly after the dance music came on, Shannon jumped up and grabbed her by the hand.
“Come on,” Shannon said. “Let’s dance.”
She started dragging Gia t
oward the dance floor, and Gia reached out and caught my hand at the last second. I let her pull me along until we were out among the other dancers and spun her into my arms.
Chapter 22
Gia
I couldn’t believe how much fun I was having. After that thought went through my head, I realized it was kind of sad to be in so much disbelief. I was far too young to be as cynical as I was.
Maybe it wasn’t cynicism. I certainly had gone through enough to make it understandable that I would be hesitant about new experiences like this. It was difficult to trust. Difficult to really believe in anybody or anything but myself. In that way, it made sense. But it also made me hope for a time when I could just come out like this and totally relax. When I would know I was going to have fun and that I could just let myself enjoy it.
That was what I decided to do that night. I started the evening hesitant. When Clayton showed up and told me about the job Shannon got me, I was so excited. I was perfectly content to have that be my one boost for the day. I would have been perfectly happy to put on my pajamas, curl up on the couch, and watch TV alongside Darcy. Or maybe to have her bring Gabby in the back of the apartment so I could have some quality couch cuddling time with Clayton.
But he seemed so excited to bring me out that it was difficult to argue with the two most important adults in my life. Just as I said, they certainly had teamed up against me and I really couldn’t resist agreeing to go out and enjoy some celebration with Clayton. Somehow, I didn’t expect him to bring me to the bar. It was one of the places he showed me on the first day he toured Darcy and me around Green Valley. He even specifically said his brothers tended to go up there on Friday nights.
Yet I didn’t put it together that he would want to bring me there that day. As soon as I realized that was where we were going, I got butterflies in my stomach. Clayton noticed my hesitation and leaned close to me after some locals came by to meet me.
“Are you having fun?” he asked. I nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. “Really?”
“This may sound crazy to you, but this is the first time I’ve been to a bar like this,” I said.
He looked at me in surprise. “You’re kidding.”
I shook my head. “No, I got pregnant with Gabby when I was twenty. Obviously, I’d never been to a bar before that. Then after she was born, it was just the two of us until we moved in with Darcy.”
“You haven’t always lived with Darcy?” Clayton asked.
“No. And when I did move in with her, everything was about taking care of Gabby and keeping us afloat. We didn’t go out and party. I wouldn’t have ever left her with a babysitter. Darcy is the only person other than me who has ever taken care of her. So, I never did the whole bar-hopping thing.”
I could see all the questions in his eyes. Clayton wanted to know more about me. More about my past. One day, I would tell him. But not right then. That night was about us having fun and that conversation was definitely not fun. Fortunately, before it could get uncomfortable, another round of people came up to talk to us. No sooner had they left than Shannon grabbed my hand and pulled me out to the dance floor.
It had been a long time since I’d danced. And even then, it was mostly just Darcy and me being silly in the living room. It took me a while to get comfortable, but once I did, I remembered how much I loved having fun like this. Clayton didn’t hesitate to come out and dance with me, which only made my feelings for him even stronger. It was like he didn’t mind if he looked silly or if we weren’t quite compatible at first. All that mattered was we were out there together.
We danced through several songs until all of us were out of breath, hot, and thirsty. Shannon and Jesse made their way back to the table, but Clayton and I headed for the bar. He had already explained to me why they didn’t get drinks at the table.
When Jesse ordered the soda, it immediately stood out to me how much these people really cared for each other. They were out at a bar on a Friday night but were perfectly willing to sip through Dr. Pepper and Coke rather than pitchers of beer.
All because they wanted to make Jesse more comfortable.
But Jesse was quick to reassure us that if we wanted to grab a drink, it wasn’t going to bother him. This was something he needed to work through. The decision not to drink for a while was his and his alone. It wasn’t that he was an alcoholic or had ever had problems with drinking before. Instead, it was about self-awareness and knowing what made his PTSD episodes worse.
I was shocked by how open he was. It definitely wasn’t my experience that people were willing to talk about their struggles. I was much more accustomed to people doing everything they could to hide what others might perceive as their weaknesses. They didn’t want anybody to know what they might be going through or that they were facing any type of difficulty.
But Jesse was completely different. He seemed to have no problem talking openly and without hesitation about his PTSD and how it affected him. He talked about the struggles he faced since coming home to Montana and the efforts he was making to overcome them. I had to admire him for it. But it also made me feel accepted in a strange way. Like coming to The Junction and talking about these things was a way of bringing me into the fold.
Clayton and I each ordered a beer and sipped them while leaning against columns next to the crowded bar. As we were finishing, Shannon came up and told me there was a pool table in the back of the bar. Apparently, that was all Clayton needed to hear. Though obviously, he was aware of the pool table’s existence. Unless, of course, it had spontaneously appeared sometime in the last couple of weeks when he wasn’t there. I highly doubted that. Instead, it was more likely just the mention of the table was some sort of Montgomery brother code for a challenge being thrown down.
We went to the back of the bar near a narrow hallway that led to a stock room and the bathrooms. In a little alcove stood a worn, old pool table. A dartboard on the wall and a square wooden table stacked with board games completed the apparent entertainment corner of The Junction.
“This is cute,” I said, looking around. “I’m surprised there isn’t anybody back here. The place is so crowded.”
“Yeah,” Jesse said, reaching down to grab the balls out of the slot on the side of the table. “Most people don’t ever make their way back here. Sometimes, you’ll see some of the younger folk, but for the most part, it’s almost like people forget it’s here by the point in the night when they might actually enjoy it.”
He racked up the balls and grabbed one of the cues from a rack on the wall. Rubbing the tip into an almost nonexistent cube of blue chalk, he nodded to Clayton. “You break.”
Clayton gave him an almost sarcastic look. “What an honor. Keep an eye on him, Shannon. Don’t let him get up to any funny business.”
Shannon laughed and I looked at them curiously.
“I learned to play pool from our brother, Garrett,” Jesse said as if it was an explanation.
“More specifically, Jesse learned to cheat at pool from our brother, Garrett,” Clayton elaborated. “There are a lot of things you can say about Garrett, but nobody can argue he’s good at the hustle.”
I popped my hip, resting my hand on it and looking at him as if I was genuinely confused. “Now by that, do you mean he’s good at the dance or the unethical playing tactic? What are we talking about here?”
Clayton shook his head and laughed. “The unethical playing tactic. But I wouldn’t put it past him to be able to do the dance, too. Anything to distract people and relieve them of some of their money.”
I nodded. “Good to know.”
“How about you?” Clayton asked. “Do you play?”
“I’m more of a Mrs. Pac-Man, arcade-game kind of girl,” I said. “Quarters and joysticks all the way.”
He flashed me a look I could only describe as mischievous. “Good to know.”
The game got active quickly and ridiculous fairly soon after that. The brothers were more interested in distracting and sabotaging
each other’s turns than they were actually playing the game. After one especially egregious poke in the gut from Jesse, it all devolved into a swordfight with the cues. I looked over at Shannon and she laughed, shaking her head as she came toward me.
“Does this happen often?” I asked.
She let out a contented breath and looked over at the boys. “More than you would think.” Her piercing blue eyes swept over to me. “What is it with men? They get around their siblings, and all of a sudden, they turn into little boys.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I don’t have any brothers or sisters.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Yep. Just me.”
“I’m an only child, too.”
We exchanged a smile. I hoped she wouldn’t delve any deeper. I wasn’t ready to open up and tell her the truth.
“Hey, Shannon,” a voice said from the other side of the room.
We looked up and saw a man standing in the narrow hallway. He was so tall and thin he looked like he was made out of taffy and someone had given him a good pull.
“What’s up, Ivan?” Shannon asked.
“They called you up,” Ivan said.
“On my way,” she said happily. She started to the door, then realized I wasn’t following her. Taking my hand, she tugged me again. “Come on. Time for the real Junction night partying to begin.”
I was already having a blast, but she was insistent. The guys had gotten over their brief faux-medieval scuffle and were back at the game, but they put their cues away when they saw us leaving.
“Where are you going?” Jesse asked.
“They called my name,” Shannon said.
We didn’t go back to the table. Instead, Shannon brought me past the dance floor and to the base of a small elevated platform set up like a stage. She let go of my hand and hopped onto the platform, taking hold of the microphone sitting in a stand near the front.
“What’s going on?” I asked as Clayton stepped up beside me.
“Time for her to sing,” he explained.
The music started, and Shannon belted out one of my favorite songs. Her voice was incredible, but it was the song that really hit me. I’d never talked to her about music and was sure I hadn’t mentioned it to Clayton. That was when everything really clicked into place and everything in me relaxed. I was going to take the song as a sign. I’d found where I was supposed to be, and I was allowed to be happy.
His Dirty Hands (The Montgomery Boys Book 2) Page 13
