Page 90 of Rival

“You!I need to talk to you!”

The shout jerks me from my thoughts and I watch as Jennice’s uncle, Griffin, stands up, about to be confronted by a grumpy as fuck Mason Cooper.

Mason has his hand out, pointing at Griffin’s chest, and the alcohol causes a bubble of laughter to build from absolutely nowhere within me.

There’s an older guy who works at the feed store sitting at the next table over, so I lean toward him. “This ought to be good.” Pointing at Mason, I whisper too loudly, “That guy is a complete dick, andthatguy.” I point at Griffin. “Hangs around with the wrong sort of folks.”

I grin widely when my fellow audience member chuckles softly, both of us not wanting to draw attention from the fight about to go down.

Fuck. I missed something because now their heads are close, and they’re angrily whisper yelling at each other.

“What the hell happened? What’d I miss?”

With a much louder laugh, my partner in crime lifts his glass and tilts it toward the two men arguing. “That one told the one hollerin’ that he needs to back off. Then the first one demanded to know what happened today—don’t know what he’s talkin’ about—and the second one said, ‘Did ya know she’s pregnant?’ and now they’re in each other’s faces.”

The glass in my hand slips from my fingers and smashes on the table. All eyes are drawn from the two bickering assholes atthe bar and over to me. Even the two ofthempause long enough to glance over, but only for a moment before they’re back at it.

“You alright, man?”

Ignoring him, I shove my chair back and march over to the two who Iknowhave to be speaking about Edith.

Stopping only a few feet away, my chest is heaving as my head bounces between the two of them. Eventually, they notice and turn, Griffin with a raised brow and Mason with a snarl.

“The fuck do you—”

“Who the fuck are you talking about being pregnant? And if it’s EdithHughes,” I spit out her name like it’s a curse before continuing. “You better shut your goddamn mouth right now. Nobody wants to hear about the town—”

That’s when a fist flies and connects with my jaw.

I never saw it coming.

Chapter Forty-One

The Bar

Mason

Shaking out my hand, I growl in frustration as I pick Jaxon’s drunk ass off the floor and bring him up to my face. “I suggest you choose averydifferent way to end that sentence, yeah?”

There’s no way I’m going to let this self-centered snob utter another word if it’s an insult to the mother of my child. With a shove, he pushes me off and touches his chin, then checks his fingers, undoubtably to verify he’s not bleeding. He’s not.

I’m impressed he handled themuch-deservedpunch well. Won’t be telling him that, though. Fucking prick.

“Saint,” he grits out. “The townsaint.” Looking at Griffin, then me again, he rolls his shoulders and mutters, “She’s always ready to give a helping hand, it would seem.”

Griffin regains his spot on his stool and leans back with crossed arms, staring at the two of us. “So, you boys wanna tell me why you’re so interested in what’s goin’ on with Edith?Mason I get, neighborly concern and all that. What about you, Jaxon?”

Jaxon whips his head toward me, not answering Griffin. “You’rethe neighbor? Her boss?”

“Yeah,” I drag out. “Why?”

He snorts. Griffin mimics him, but Jaxon and I ignore the ass. Jerking his chin toward me, he hits me with a question I wasn’t prepared for. “Had a bit of friends with benefits sort of thing going on with her?”

“Don’t know how that’s any of your business.”

Griffin runs his mouth again. With a wave toward me, he smirks. “Oh, they weren’t friends at all! He only planned to stick his dick in her to piss off her daddy; at least that’s what I assume. Didn’t go so well, though, did it? Good ol’ Clay took it out on the wrong person today.” His tone starts light, but changes to accusatory.

“The hell are you going on about?” Whipping his head toward me, Jaxon growls, “You were only messin’ with her? She was torn the fuck up over the thing you all had going on! You confused the hell out of her.” His nostrils are flaring as he glares at me.