Page 103 of Mountain Daddy (Mountain Men #2)

Luther

Jessie gives me the side-eye. Again.

“What?” I sound as exasperated as I feel.

She flicks her wrist so the towel in her hand drapes over her shoulder, then she puts her hands on her hips. “I’m going to ask you what’s wrong, and you’re going to tell me.”

“Noth—”

“And you’re not going to say nothing is wrong .” She says the last part in her mocking man voice. “Something is obviously wrong.”

It’s been four days and—I glance at the clock—three hours since I told Kendra we were done.

And yes, something is definitely wrong.

I feel like someone died.

I can’t sleep.

I’m drinking every night.

I haven’t showered in two days.

So, even though we’re in a heat wave, I have a beanie pulled down over my hair so no one can tell what a mess it is.

At least here, in the bar, you can’t tell if the whiskey you’re smelling is from me or the bottles lining the wall.

“I…” I can’t make myself say it.

I haven’t told Jessie that it’s over between me and Kendra. And saying it out loud…

I blindly grab a random bottle off the shelf behind us and a shot glass off the drying rack.

Saying it out loud will be the final nail in the coffin.

And I can’t lift that hammer sober.

Eyes on me, Jessie grabs a shot glass for herself and holds it out.

I fill hers, then mine.

Setting the bottle down on the bar—knowing I’ll need more than one round—I tap my shot to hers.

We don’t say anything as we tip the drinks back, swallowing them in one go.

I set my glass down next to the bottle, and Jessie puts her empty next to mine.

She looks at me cautiously. “If someone died, you’d tell me, right?”

The edge of my mouth pulls up into an ironic smile. “I’d tell you.”

This time, she’s the one who picks up the bottle, pouring two more shots. “How about we get drunk on the job, you spill your guts, and we make Joe come drive us home.”

Joe .

I pick up my glass and down it.

She clicks her full shot to my empty one, then tips it back.

“I appreciate you,” I tell my sister.

She’s a pain in my ass, but she understands sibling code.

Never get drunk alone when you can get drunk with your sister.

“I—” My phone rings.

Pulling it out of my pocket, I see it’s Ashley and accept the call.

I press the phone to my ear. “Hey.”

“Hey, Dad.”

“What’s going on? Everything okay?”

She huffs. “Everything is fine. Why do you sound so… stressed out?”

Jessie snorts. “Because he is stressed out.”

I narrow my eyes at her. How good is her damn hearing?

“Hi, Aunt Jessie,” Ashley half shouts into the phone.

“Hey. Ash.”

I sigh and put the phone on speaker as I circle around the bar and sit on one of the stools.

It’ll start getting busy soon, but we’re in that late-afternoon lull, so there’s no one but Jessie close enough to hear our conversation.

“What’re you up to?” I ask.

“Just driving home from work. We’re going out to dinner tonight to celebrate my new raise,” Ashley says excitedly.

“A raise? That’s awesome,” I say as Jessie lets out a whoop. “Just for being your usual amazing self?”

“I mean, yes.” She snickers. “But also, because…” I hear her drumroll her hands on her steering wheel. “I got a promotion.”

Jessie whoops again, and my first real smile in days pulls across my lips. “That’s great, Ash. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks. My boss told me she’d give me a gift for graduating from college. I figured it would be some bonus money or maybe a day of PTO or something. But she made me assistant manager.”

“Damn.” Jessie drags the word out.

I point at the pair of glasses. “Pour us a celebratory shot.”

Ashley laughs over the phone as Jessie complies.

Jessie and I clink glasses.

“Who are you going to dinner with? Your new subordinates?” I tip my shot back.

“Uh, my boyfriend, actually.”

I swallow wrong, choking on the booze as it burns my throat. “Excuse me?”

Jessie grins.

I point a finger at my sister. “Why are you smiling? Did you know about this?” Ashley laughs. “And you—” I point at the phone, the three shots starting to hit me. “Since when do you have a boyfriend?”

Ashley hums. “Since… a little while ago.”

“Was it one of the boys who spent the night at my house? You said?—”

“It wasn’t one of them. Calm down before you hurt yourself. Kurt was out of town that weekend.”

“Kurt? What sort of name is Kurt?” Both of the women in my family continue to laugh at me, but I ignore them. “And where was he? What was more important than his girlfriend’s graduation party?”

“He was in Oregon helping his mom move into a retirement place.”

“Oh.” That takes the wind out of my sails. “Well, if you’re serious about this guy, bring him by sometime.”

“Thanks, Dad.” She pauses for a beat. “Maybe we could double date.”

I blink at the phone. “Double date?”

“Yeah, with you and Kendra.”

I blink at the phone some more, then lift my gaze to Jessie. “Did you tell her?”

She’s wide eyed, but it’s only humor written all over her face, not guilt.

And not sadness, because I still haven’t told her it’s over.

“No one told me about Kendra,” Ashley answers before Jessie has to.

“Then how…?” I sound off. I can hear it. But hopefully, they’ll think it’s from surprise. Not heartbreak.

Ashley scoffs. “I could smell the pheromones wafting off you two the minute she walked up the driveway.”

Jessie barks out a laugh.

“Pheromones? Seriously? Who raised you?” I try to joke.

“Uh-huh. That and the fact that I recognized her shoes. They were in the entryway the night I got home.”

I purse my lips. I even remember kicking Ashley’s shoes aside the next morning but didn’t consider… “Well. Shit.”

Ashley laughs.

And I push the shot glass closer to Jessie.

I can’t think about that night.

Can’t think about how perfect Kendra was.

How perfectly we fit together.

I can’t think about how right it felt to have her sleeping in my bed.

Jessie only fills the glass halfway this time.

“You guys are so cute together.” Ashley sounds wistful. “Love looks good on you.”

Love.

Pain fills my eyes, and I swallow the shot, then shove the glass back to Jessie.

“Love is…” Love is a strong word. “We aren’t…” I swallow.

We aren’t in love.

We aren’t even together.

“Chill, Dad. It’s okay, she told me.”

I stare at the phone screen.

Ashley hasn’t seemed to pick up on my emotions, but I can feel Jessie staring at me.

“She told you what?” I work to keep my voice steady.

“That she loves you.”

She loves you.

I press my fist against my chest.

It feels like my heart stopped.

Ashley makes a thoughtful sound. “I mean, she didn’t just come out and say it. I kinda questioned her. But she was cool about it, so don’t get mad at her for telling me.”

“I’m not mad.” The sentence comes out as a whisper.

“Oh, shoot. My friend is calling, I gotta take this. Love you, bye.”

Ashley ends the call the moment she stops talking, saving me from having to find my voice.

She told you what?

That she loves you.

I stare at the bar top.

Kendra said she loved me at the party.

“I don’t know why you’re acting so surprised. It’s obvious to anyone with eyes how you feel about each other. You’re like freaking magnets. Drawn together.” Jessie sighs. “I know the whole part about telling Joe is going to be messy, but… she’s your other half, Luther. He’ll understand.”

The pain inside my chest builds.

And builds and builds.

I reach for the bottle, pouring another shot to the brim of the glass.

Lifting it, I make eye contact with Jessie. “I broke up with her. It’s over.”

I take the shot.

Jessie’s mouth drops open. “What? Why the fuck would you do that?”

“I’m not right for her,” I croak.

“Bullshit,” Jessie snaps, then leans over the bar. “That’s total bullshit. You might be a giant dumbass, but you’re perfect for that girl.”

“I’m not. She deserves better.”

“What about what you deserve?” Jessie angrily pours a drink for herself. “Don’t we all deserve our person? No matter the risk.”

Our person.

My other half.

I push my glass across the counter.

Jessie pours.