Page 12 of Snake Eyes (Out of His League #2)
Garrett
“ R ight there,” Charlie calls enthusiastically.
A spark of something ripples through me at her words. I’m no longer seeing the Halloween decorations I’m putting up near the Snake Eyes’ bar; I’m seeing Charlie riding me last night, saying the exact same thing.
I try to school my expression into nonchalance, removing the glowing heat from my gaze, but as I look at her, I can’t say I’ve been successful—just for a moment, a hint of last night’s intensity ghosts over her, right before she snatches it back and hides it beneath what she calls her customer service face.
Hiding a smug smirk, I secure the horrifyingly realistic foot-long spider in place, sincerely hoping I never meet its real-life counterpart.
I reach into the box of decorations Charlie’s prepared, listening to the buzzing of the bar this evening.
It’s more crowded than usual; the regulars are in, of course, but there’s a few new faces too, including some of the guys who came to watch football last night.
I let my mind drift as I install the new screw eyes needed to hold up some of the bigger decorations.
It’s almost eight o’clock in the evening, three hours after I closed up my leatherworking shop.
The day was a long one, but I finally finished the personalized rifle scabbard I’d been working on for Rob Sundberg.
It turned out nice—real nice. It came as no surprise, though, when Rob started fishing for information on Charlie.
Rob is the son of old Mrs. Sundberg, after all. Gossip is in his blood.
On any normal day, I would have raced to get home, but here I am, with no intention of leaving before the bar closes.
I’m halfway through draping fake cobwebs over shelving when Shane sidles up to me, resting his ass on the nearest table. “The bar’s looking good,” he observes, scanning around us.
“Charlie didn’t want it to be too scary for the kids’ games in the afternoon,” I explain, watching Charlie show Andy’s daughter Mikayla the ropes.
We didn’t even need to put out an ad for a temporary worker for Halloween; Andy overheard us talking the other night and said his daughter just graduated from college and was looking to make some cash.
Mikayla seems to be picking things up quick enough—and Charlie is happy with her work, which is the main thing.
I catch movement in Hunter’s cozy little den at the end of the bar. With a long stretch, he climbs out, dodging Charlie’s attempted head pat as he trots toward me. “Come on, bud,” I tell him, scratching his neck. “She just wants to be your friend.”
Hunter’s satellite-like ears twitch, but he ignores me.
“I’m thinking that might be a good move,” Shane says conversationally, smiling at Hunter—although he knows better than to try and stroke him. “Lotta people in the diner talking about the Snake Eyes’ Halloween party. Sounds like you’re going to have half the town in here tomorrow. ”
“Charlie will be happy.” And I will be too, as long as none of them try to talk to me.
“Are you coming to the party?”
I nod, pulling a hanging ghost figurine out of the supplies box, and loop it over the nearest screw eye.
Shane’s brows almost vanish into his dark bun before he breaks out in a grin, shaking his head. “You’ve changed.”
“What?”
“I know for a fact that you would rather be tracing suspected IED wires with Hunter than attending freaking parties.” Shane nods toward Charlie. “Until a certain someone arrived on the scene.”
He isn’t wrong. “Does that bother you?”
“Fuck no, man.” Shane gives me an enthusiastic clap on the shoulder—drawing Hunter’s watchful gaze. “I’m glad you’re happy.”
This time, my nod is stiff. The truth is I am happy. The happiest I’ve ever been. It’s just that I know it won’t last.
Hiding my unhappy expression, I dive back into the box of decorations. There’s another damn ghost figurine in here somewhe—
Wait, is that a snow globe?
I scoop it out of the box, inadvertently swirling the purple-and-orange confetti inside it into a glittering whirlpool. At the center of the sparkling chaos sits a black cat wearing a witch’s hat, its orange eyes studying me just as intently as I’m studying them.
A smile curls onto my face. My mom would have loved this one.
In all her years of collecting snow globes, I know she never found a Halloween one—and not for lack of trying.
Every Christmas, she and I would spend hours looking for the perfect one to add to our collection for that year’s holiday season.
It was a collection that would be proudly displayed in a wide cabinet my dad made. The rest of the year it was used to hold a horrifically floral 12-place dinner service my great aunt had given them as a wedding gift.
At Christmas, though, the snow globes descended.
Distantly, I hear the bell above the door rings as someone steps in, bringing with them a rush of frigid night air.
“Evening, Charlie.” Kurt’s voice is gruff, winding its way through the bar like the apprehension knotting in my gut. Please tell me he’s not here because he’s finished with her car repairs.
I’m not ready to lose her quite yet.
“Hey Kurt,” Charlie responds, beaming at him. “How are you and Josie doing?”
“We’re good. Josie’s real excited for the party tomorrow.” For a moment, I hope that Kurt is simply here for a beer after work—but then he dangles a keychain over the bar, a solitary car key hanging from it. “Your car’s all done.”
Charlie’s excited gasp fucking guts me . “Really?”
“Really.” Kurt slides onto a barstool, leaning his elbow onto the bar. “Part for the transmission came in this morning. We’d already disassembled the unit, so we were ready to work once it arrived.”
“Thank you so freakin’ much, Kurt.” Her teeth flash in a grateful smile. “Let me buy you a drink for all the har—”
“You okay?” Shane’s low voice pivots my focus away from the bar.
Suddenly I realize I’ve been standing frozen, elbow deep in the supplies box as I eavesdrop. “I’m fine,” I bleat, but there’s no truth in the words. Shane knows it, and so do I. Numbness begins to spread through me like a plague, unstoppable and unavoidable.
Shane’s talking, but I can’t hear him. My focus rests entirely on Charlie. The woman I’ve fallen in love with.
The earth beneath me trembles as Charlie’s gaze locks with mine across the bar, smiling softly before pulling her attention back to Kurt.
The cold hard truth hits me like a freight train.
She’s leaving. It’s no longer an abstract notion for some time in the future. The party is tomorrow, her car is ready, and she has no reason to stay.
I realize I’m still holding the Halloween snow globe, so I place it gently back into the box. The glitter whirls around inside it like the jagged pieces of my life revolving around me.
The woman I love is leaving, and the only thing I can do is watch her go.