Page 34

Jackson

The universe threw me a bone.

Scottie eyed me warily."It's not good business to have kids in bars."

According to Reesa, Gus wasn't acting himself, so I scooped him up from daycare for some quality uncle-nephew time. "Yeah, well, the bar is empty, so I'm not sure it matters." Gus sat on my hip, staring at Scottie with one finger hooked in his mouth.

"True. So, how's it going?"

How was it going? My whole damn life had changed in a single afternoon. That's how it was going. Marley was here. And those hours we spent together were even better than I dared hope for.

But I couldn't tell Scottie that. Not yet. "One step forward."

Scottie's eyebrow cocked up. "One step forward? We've been best friends since we were Gus's age and that's all I get? One step forward?" His voice increased in volume with every word.

Scottie was pissed. At me. Why? "Yeah? Karis finally let me actually help. It's not much, but it's something."

"Un-fucking-believable!" Scottie dragged his hands down his face. "You really aren't going to talk to me? I'm the one person who gets it! And nothing?"

Gus blew a raspberry at Scottie, then ducked his sweet head on my shoulder while he drooled all over my shirt. I grabbed a napkin and wiped his chin. "I've clearly missed something. Throw me a bone?"

Scottie glared some more. He had his Bigfoot baseball hat on backwards, his hair curling around the edges, a light beard growing in, and a scowl that had me seriously reconsidering our friendship. "Throw you a bone?" he shouted. "How about you throw me a fucking bone and warn a guy before the murderous little book nerds come to stir up shit! I fucking hate when they get to me!"

I covered Gus's exposed ear. That was a lot of fucks. Scottie growled and shook out his hands before planting them back on the bar, grinning at me like a serial killer. "So, I hear you've met someone?"

And... that explained it. Scottie was jealous. Or at least upset he found out something about me from the gossips instead of already being in the know. "Ah, yeah. A friend of mine is in town."

His eyes flashed the same way they did before he pushed Travis off a cliff when we went cliff diving in high school. "A friend who happens to be living all of a thousand feet away from you? Is, and I quote, 'gorgeous', according to Maeve." He started sputtering something about know-it-alls and needing some fucking relief. Then he pointed, jabbing his finger through the air. "You could get them off my back finally! So, who is she?"

I rubbed Gus's back while I tried to figure out how to navigate this. I obviously knew some of the town knew. Sharon and Maeve probably visited every house near town to deliver the news. I just hadn't expected it to happen so fast.

Fuck, did my family know?

"How many people has she told? Do I need to do damage control?"

Scottie relaxed. Well, he relaxed a little. "Maeve and Sharon adore you, you fucking turd. They aren't outing you yet. Just rubbing it in a few strategic faces.Mine. Wait till Travis hears this."

I winced.

Scottie's eyes went wide. "Hefucking knows? Unbelievable!"

I started rocking from side to side, hoping Scottie's shouting didn't upset Gus. "Sort of. Just listen, okay? I met Marley a few days ago on my way into town. It was a random thing just before I grabbed lunch with Travis."

Scottie's eyes narrowed. "When he went to pick up that special order?"

"Yep. He came out and met me at the diner. This gorgeous," I made air quotes with my free hand, "woman was having a panic attack in the parking lot. I helped her out. We had lunch. We went our separate ways."

Or so I thought. Now I knew we went exactly the same way. And I was a lucky bastard.

"So Travis is well aware that Marley knocked me on my ass, but he doesn't know she's here in Lost Creek."

Scottie eyed me carefully. "Knocked you on your ass, huh?"

I nodded, now bouncing from side to side as I felt Gus begin to relax.

"Maeve said you're head over heels."

I shrugged. "Maybe I am." I wasn't afraid to admit my feelings for Marley were growing faster than I thought possible, especially after that kiss.