Summer Nights: Push It Forward & Hold Your Horses

by Rochelle Paige

  She’d earned that respect by making me work to get her to agree to a dinner date in the first place. I remembered thinking that if any other girl’s father had asked me the same question I would have been lying if I had given the same answer. I wasn’t about to do anything now to show him less respect today than I had back then.

  I waited until I knew Charlotte would be at the bar and everyone would be settling down before I headed over to her house. I didn’t want her brothers or sisters to overhear our conversation because they would be bound to spoil the surprise for her. I needed to get in, talk to her dad, and get out before anyone realized I was there. Luckily, it seemed that he had a similar idea because I once again found him waiting on the porch for me.

  This time, there wasn’t a shotgun on his lap but a Benjamin Prichard’s Double Barreled Bourbon instead. Charlotte’s dad was a Tennessee whiskey man and this was one of his favorite bottles. So either he had figured out why I wanted to see him and was ready to give me his blessing or he was just getting ready to drink me under the table. Figuratively of course, because there wasn’t a table to be seen, just the two rocking chairs, the bottle on his lap and two glasses sitting at his feet.

  “Shane? You gonna come on up here and join me or stand there waiting all night?” he asked.

  I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans and walked up the steps. “I’m going to join you of course.”

  “About damn time,” he muttered. “I’ve been waiting to crack this bottle open. Grab the glass for me, will you?”

  I reached down and held them out so he could pour the amber liquid into both glasses. A whiff of oaky booze drifted towards my nose, making my mouth water a little. I wasn’t a huge fan myself, but there was no way in hell I was going to turn the man down right now.

  I took a small sip and the liquid burned down my throat, leaving a taste of oak and vanilla in its wake. I coughed a little, making Charlotte’s dad laugh loudly.

  “That’ll put hair on a man’s chest, won’t it, son?”

  “Yeah,” I rasped out in agreement and dropped down into the chair next to him.

  “So what brings you over tonight?” he asked, getting right to the point as he was apt to do. Charlotte’s dad wasn’t one to beat around the bush.

  “Well,” I started before clearing my throat, “I wanted to talk to you about Charlotte’s and my future.”

  “Okay. You’ve got my attention,” he said as he turned to look at me with a serious expression on his face.

  “You know that I love your daughter,” I continued.

  “Yes, you’ve shown us how much she means to you by letting Charlotte go pursue our dream for her and staying with her even when it wasn’t easy to do,” he agreed. “Not a lot of boys your age would’ve made the same decision.”

  “Here’s the thing. She’s the one for me. I’ve known it practically since we met. I might not have understood it back then, but I certainly do now. And I want to spend the rest of my life with her, sir.”

  “Can’t say that it surprises me to hear you say that,” he replied. “So what are you going to do about it?”

  Shit. I realized I hadn’t even managed to get my question out. “I’d like to ask you for her hand in marriage, sir. I want to ask Charlotte to be my wife.”

  “And do you think she’s ready to get married, son? That she’s going to say yes if you ask her?” he wanted to know.

  “I hope so, but I guess I won’t know for sure until the time comes for her to answer me. What do you think?”

  “I think none of us are really ready to get married until we find ourselves tied to the one person we love more than anyone else. It’s hard work, but I know neither of you is afraid of that. You’ve proven that you’re willing to work to keep her in your life. And I’ve watched my baby girl around you. Her whole face lights up any time you’re near. I could certainly do a whole lot worse when it comes to a son-in-law.”

  “Does that mean I have your permission to ask her?” I asked.

  “Yes, Shane. You have my permission to marry my daughter as long as that’s what she wants.”

  I heaved a deep sigh, a feeling of relief washing over me. “Thank you, sir.”

  “You’re welcome, son. Now you better drink up. You look like you could use it,” he said as he gestured to my almost full glass.

  I took a big gulp of the liquid. Then my eyes started to water and my throat began to feel like it was on fire. “Jesus,” I swore. “How can you drink this stuff?”

  “We’ll make a bourbon drinker out of you yet,” he joked. “Now that I’ve got years to do it. Although maybe I should try something a little milder next time.”

  chapter 6

  charlotte

  I wasn’t really in the mood tonight to be in charge of the bar, but I hadn’t felt like I could say no when my dad asked me. The last week had been rough on all of us, and my mama could really use his help around the house. Besides, being here was a hell of a lot better than being around all my sick siblings. The house felt like a hospital with all their coughing and the smell of medicine and bleach in the air. And the last thing I needed was to catch it now that everyone was finally starting to feel better.

  Luckily, it was a crazy busy night, so time was flying by. It was a good thing since I was so tired. I hadn’t been sleeping well since I kept dreaming that Shane and I got into a huge fight about me staying in town. I only hoped that it wasn’t an omen of what was to come when we had the time to sit down and have a serious conversation.

  I was pretty sure it was my guilty conscience sneaking up on me for not saying anything to him yet. But I was starting to feel hopeful that it wouldn’t even be necessary since things had been going well since I had gotten home. Well, things around town that is. My mom had needed a lot of help, and it had given me the chance to see a lot of people while running errands for her. So far, everyone I had met again had been so nice and welcoming. A lot of the townspeople had congratulated me on my graduation and told me how happy they were that I was back to help my parents.

  It seemed that my family had progress on being accepted while I was away. Either I hadn’t noticed it during my summer breaks before or the same courtesies hadn’t been extended to me until people had realized I was home from school for good. I probably shouldn’t be surprised though. My mama was involved in just about everything around town between school activities, sports for the boys, owning the bar, and church. She was busy as hell and had a hard time saying no to people when they needed help with something.

  Things at the bar were going well too. My dad had brought in a stage so that we could feature local performers, although there weren’t too many who were that good from what my parents had told me. But people seemed to appreciate the chance to sing in front of an audience and it brought in the crowds, especially when he opened it up for karaoke Fridays. Unfortunately, that meant I got to listen to some of the worst sounds of my life tonight. And it had pulled in the beauty queen brigade—the girls who had given me such a hard time back in high school.

  Suzanna, the queen bee and bane of my existence my senior year, had strolled into the bar a couple of hours ago like she owned the place. It amazed me that four years had passed and she looked practically identical to how she had back in high school—same big blond hair, way too much makeup, and clothes that looked to me a couple of sizes too small for her. You would have thought with how strict her parents were that she’d dress more appropriately, but she’d always managed to wrap them around her finger so they’d overlook how slutty she looked. And acted.

  That girl hated me so much back in school. She never let me forget that I was the new girl in town and that I didn’t fit in. That there was no place for me here. And it looked like her feelings on the subject hadn’t changed much in four years either with the haughty look she’d given me as she and her friends had picked a table. I’d sent a waitress over because there was no way in hell I was going to serve her myself. I didn’t think I would be able to manage it with
out tossing a drink in her face instead.

  I always knew the reason she hated me so much was that she wanted Shane for herself. She had made no secret of the fact back in the day. She flirted with him any time she saw him, regardless of if she had a boyfriend at the time or that he had me in his life. I wasn’t exactly sure why she thought he belonged with her since she wasn’t one of his conquests from before me. They had known each other forever since they were neighbors, so if Shane had wanted to go there, he certainly could have way before he met me.

  Shane had mentioned that Suzanna was starting to come around more often lately too. He was totally clueless to the fact that she was doing it to try to take him away from me. He didn’t see her that way at all and thought of her as the annoying neighbor girl he had played with as a little boy. When I had told him that it bothered me, he swore that she was harmless even though she was a little bit bitchy and that he’d talk to her about it. She’d always been very careful to never be too catty to me when he was around because she knew that he wouldn’t let her get away with it.

  Shane figured I was just feeling a little bit jealous, and he had the nerve to tell me that he liked it. That it made him hot to think that I wanted him so much that I didn’t want him hanging out with a childhood friend. I’d never made a big deal out of my issues with her, so it was hard to explain to him why she pissed me off so much and why I didn’t trust her around him. Which was okay because I was able to turn the tables on him when I asked him how he’d feel if I decided to hang out with one of my old friends from before I moved to town—who happened to be a boy. That had shut him up real fast because there was no way he would be cool with me hanging out with other guys, even if it was innocent.

  And now here she was, in my bar, acting like she owned the place. She’d sent her drink back twice, saying that they hadn’t been made right. Her waitress was just about in tears from the bullshit she had put her through so far and it had only been a couple of hours. I would have been well within my rights to tell her to leave. I didn’t have to serve anyone I didn’t want to, but I really didn’t want to start a war with Suzanna. Not if I was going to make my home here. But she sure was reminding me of all my doubts about staying. Did I really want to put up with this kind of crap for the rest of my life? Could I even manage to do it if I decided I wanted to? For Shane?

  As those thoughts rolled through my mind, Suzanna decided that she’d had enough of my ignoring her so she came to me instead. “Well if it isn’t little Miss Carrot Top herself,” she slurred.

  My hair might be red, but it certainly didn’t resemble a carrot, so I let the insult pass this time. Back in high school, I would have reacted, but living with Kaylie had taught me to hold my tongue every once in a while.

  “Suzanna,” I replied.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked.

  I looked down around the bar for a moment, not exactly sure what she was getting at since it was clear that I was working. It wasn’t like she didn’t know that my parents owned the place, after all.

  “Working,” I answered.

  “No,” she carried on, waving her arms around. “I’m not talking about what you’re doing here tonight. I know that you’re working. I’m not dumb.”

  She stopped to look at me like I should agree with her, which was hard to do since I really didn’t think she was the brightest bulb in the pack. So I just nodded my head. It seemed to be enough of a response for her though.

  “I mean what the hell are you doing back here?”

  I took a moment to really think about her question before responding. “Well, Suzanna, I do live here.”

  “But you don’t belong around here,” she argued. “You hightailed it right out of town as fast as you could to go to college. You knew in high school that you didn’t fit in here, so why have you come back now?”

  “Shane’s here,” I said simply, knowing it would taunt her since, at the bottom of it all, this was really about him. That I had him when she wanted him for herself.

  The bar had quieted down as everyone’s attention turned to our confrontation. “Of course Shane’s here. He’ll always be here. This is where he grew up, right on the farm next to mine. But that doesn’t mean you have to stay too.”

  “He’s my boyfriend, Suzanna. As much as you might hate it, the bottom line is he chose me. He loves me. And he stayed with me even when I went away for school.”

  “Huh,” she snorted. “He was fine while you were away at school and he’d be fine if you left for good. Maybe then he’d be able to find someone who could make him happier than you ever could. Someone who understands what he wants out of life and can help him.”

  At that, my temper snapped. “Oh really, Suzanna? And who do you think that would be? You?”

  “Yes!” she screamed. “If it hadn’t been for you coming into town and taking him away, he would have been mine anyway. It was always meant to be Shane and me together until you messed it all up.”

  I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up at her answer because she was flat-out delusional if that’s what she thought. “Hell no, Suzanna. You’re batshit crazy if you ever thought that you’d end up with Shane. He doesn’t see you like that. He’s never seen you like that. And he never will.”

  “Argh!” she shrieked, wagging her finger at me. “Yes he would if you would just do the right thing and leave for good! I’ve seen the way he looks at me sometimes when we’re hanging out while you’ve been away. He would too want me if you weren’t in the picture.”

  A sense of calm hit me as I finally realized that it didn’t matter where I lived. Shane was mine. He was my home, and there was no way in hell I was going to let a jealous bitch rule my life and run me out of town, away from the man I loved. Away from my family. I’d been crazy to even think about it in the first place. Shane was it for me, and I was the only one for him. This was our home, and I was here to stay.

  “No, Suzanna. He wouldn’t want you if I was gone because he loves me. And you’re nothing like me. I don’t know what crazy daydream you’ve built up in your head about Shane, but it’s about damn time for you to let it go. Because he’s never going to be yours. He’s mine for good and I’m here to stay.”

  Katherine, one of her friends came up to pull her away from me. “Suzanna, stop. You’re causing a scene.”

  “I don’t care! It isn’t right that she’s with Shane. He’s too good for her, and I’m going to be stuck having to pick a nobody like Billy Joe.”

  At that, Katherine dropped her hands and stopped trying to help. “Billy Joe? My Billy Joe?”

  “Bah,” Suzanna shrugged her off. “He hasn’t been yours in years.”

  “Shit, Suzanna. You really are a bitch. I can’t believe you’d even consider dating your best friend’s nobody of an ex-boyfriend. The one you told me to dump in the first place. And to think I’ve stood behind you all these years and listened to the trash you’ve spewed about Charlotte and how she stole Shane right out from under you,” she said before turning to me. “I’m sorry. A lot of us were really mean to you back then because she had convinced us all that you were a horrible person. Looks like we were wrong.”

  I was stunned by the sudden turn of events as several people in the bar were giving Suzanna dirty looks. The rest of her friends were gathering up their stuff and throwing some cash on the table.

  I accepted her apology. “Thank you.”

  “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep her as far from Shane as you possibly can. She’s toxic,” the girl finished before walking out of the bar with the rest of her friends.

  Suzanna had a blank look on her face, like she couldn’t believe what had just happened.

  “I think you’d better go too, don’t you, Suzanna? And maybe it would be best if you didn’t come back to the bar again.”

  “But—” she sputtered.

  “And I will be having a conversation with Shane about all the shit you’ve pulled over the years. So don’t be
surprised when he decides to drop your ass. The only reason he was still your friend was because I never said a word. But that time has passed, and when it comes down to it, anyone who knows Shane knows he’s going to do what’s best for me any day of the week.”

  The remaining customers hooted and hollered in agreement at my words. Suzanna’s face turned beet red as she finally realized that she’d completely lost it in front of an audience. She stomped out, and I felt lighter than I had in years. I’d finally done what I should have done years ago—I had confronted the cause of most of my problems in town and walked away the winner.

  chapter 7

  shane

  Word spread like wildfire through town about Charlotte’s confrontation with Suzanna. I’d heard about it first thing this morning and was a little pissed that she hadn’t mentioned it to me herself when we spoke on the phone last night. Yeah, I got that it was a short call because she’d been really tired by the time she’d gotten home and my mind had been on my conversation with her dad. But I didn’t like having to hear from someone else that a girl I’d known forever had been a total bitch to my girlfriend.

  Part of loving her meant that it was my job to protect Charlotte. And I didn’t feel like I had done a very good job of that if what I’d heard was true. It made me sick to know that I’d allowed Suzanna to be a part of my life while she was hurting Char.

  I was utterly furious with myself for not seeing it sooner. The little comments here and there that had been meant to undermine my relationship, to make me doubt Char’s love for me at a time when a true friend would have provided support knowing how hard the long-distance relationship had been on both of us. I had always figured it was because she didn’t get it since she’d never fallen in love the way I had with Char.

  It turned out that all this time she had been doing it on purpose, hoping to split us up. God only knows what shit she’d pulled with Charlotte over the years. And that’s what burned me up the most—knowing that my girl had suffered because I hadn’t seen the truth sitting right in front of me.