Page 34 of Something Like Sugar (Pine Forest Something #2)

“That was extraordinary, my dear. I look forward to many more dances as you continue to court my son, I hope.”

“I guess I’ll keep courting him.” She snorts, rolling her eyes to me.

“I’m sorry I got meat-heady,” I whisper as she sits.

“It’s okay. Your dad showed me a good enough time.” Her eyes widen with mine as she hears her sentence out loud, and we both laugh when her arms break out in goosebumps.

My father does not hear the innuendo, thank fuck , but Lawrence does. “Passing her around the family, Campbell? I’d have thought better from a man of your morals.”

“The fuck did you just say?” I growl, clenching the tablecloth to save face, and my fucking sanity.

“You heard me.”

“Ignore him.” Shana tugs my arm, her eyes glancing between Lawrence and my tightening fist. “He’s not worth it.”

“Oh, he will be worth it when you see what he has that you want. Only three more days until then.” Lawrence stirs the ice in his glass, holding her gaze suggestively.

“What is he talking about?” Shana eyes me, like I’ll agree, but I can’t agree. Because I do know what he’s talking about. I should clue Shana in right now, but I feel the need to set this fucker straight first. He’s messed with my girl and my town.

But I can do this without a fight.

I can do this the right way for Shana.

I’m ready.

I unclench my fist and hold Shay’s hand instead. I want to explain it all to her this instant, and I wish I had before, but right now what matters is telling this creep where to fuck off and keeping her safe.

“Have you checked the bids lately?” I smirk when I see his brow line bead with sweat. “Sometimes real estate can be hard to get your hands on. You’ve only got one good one now, so.”

“Dustin…” Shana elbows my side. “What is this?! What is he talking about? What are you talking about? And why don’t I know?!”

“Shay, I’ll explain,” I assure her.

Lawrence seethes from his phone. “You didn’t!”

“I did.” I swig my water, but Shana tugs at my sleeve again.

“What is happening , Dustin?”

She won’t calm down with this secret in the air, and as much as I didn’t want to ruin her night with this, she deserves to know about her studio, even if I do have it under control.

I remind myself she’s not mine.

She’s hers.

I clear my throat and turn away from Lawrence. This isn’t for him. “He’s the one bidding on your studio. On all the businesses there. For my father.”

“What?” She twists her neck his way, but I ease her chin back.

“I didn’t want to upset you. You have the speech and your father, so when I found out last night, I bid against him and—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You knew about this last night? And you didn’t tell me?”

“I didn’t want to worry you. I have it under control. I was all set to rope Dad in on the plan, and secure the property myself , but…”

“But you didn’t tell me, Dustin.”

“I was protecting you.”

“You were sheltering me! Like everyone has. Like I have to myself my whole damn life!”

Lawrence invades our space, poking his arm between us to slap a settlement contract down on the table.

“This is what your father has already signed. Now that the bid is much higher, he’ll have to reset his , which I’m all too willing to bet he’ll do.

What makes you think he wouldn’t? After the same bullshit you’ve brought him time and time again…

Malicious Assault and impairment of a minor, was it?

Oh, I’m sorry.” He crooks a wicked smile.

“It was impairment of three minors. I know about your history of vengeance. Thomas Remington and his crew. Do you know he has to use hearing aids? For the rest of his life. Pity, really. He used to sing so beautifully in the choir.”

“Who the fuck are you?” A growl rips from deep in my throat, so audibly the table beside us turns to stare.

“This isn’t about land, Dustin. It’s power. ” Lawrence flicks his eyes over Shana’s body, and I want to end him right there, even before he says, “And she’s, after all, just a dancer.”

Shana stiffens beside me. Her fucking speech is in just a few minutes, and she’s the goddamned winner of this whole night and this asshole is here bringing up our pasts like he knows us.

Thomas singing in the church…you’d have to be a local to know that. Even before he almost died at my fists, he and his crew had stopped attending regular service.

God knows when the Devil sits in his pew.

And I know when a predator’s in mine.

“I wasn’t kidding when I said I’d break the other hand, Lawrence. We both know my father is not going to sign that bullshit once he knows how it’ll affect the Pine Forest community. You’re just fucking with her at this point. For what? Because your date didn’t work out?”

“Okay, this is going too far.” Shana searches for my father to return from the restroom, but her name is called over the speaker.

“Shana Holiday of Holiday Dance Company is our Grand Winner of Business Elite’s Small Business Excellence Award. For the Seventh Year in a row!”

Shana turns my way and pales as the announcer chirps on. “And how lucky we are! This year, Miss Holiday has been able to join us and accept her award in person! Congratulations, Miss Holiday. Please come share some words of wisdom or tips for the younger, newer entrepreneurs here.”

Her face pales. “How am I supposed to go up there and speak when the two of you might kill each other?!”

Lawrence smirks., “Don’t worry, honey, you’re good with that mouth. Isn’t she, Dustin?”

I want to slice his face open with my knife, but I don’t. And fuck if that’s not progress, so I’ll take it. I do my best to block out the skeevy lawyer with a death wish, a mere foot away from his ending, and focus on Shay.

I know I fucked up, but she needs me right now. She needs me to be her light.

She blows out a gust of air and tears fill her eyes as I smooth my hands down her arms.

“Put all this away for now. It’s my fault this got so far, but now is about you, Shay.

Just be yourself. Tell them how to be better, like you did with me in the car.

With my dad. My nightmares. Just speak from your heart.

” I wipe away her tears with my thumbs and offer a genuine smile.

One I hope she knows means I’m sorry . “They’ll be lucky for even a shred of what you give them. ”

My heart beats fast as she grabs my hands, tangled by fingers and fears. But she smiles back, and I can see the confidence shining as she lifts her chin. “You got this.”

I meander back to the table and pray I can convince my fists they don’t belong docked in Lawrence’s eye sockets for just a few more minutes of this gala.

“That was gross,” Lawrence says.

I sigh, hating him even more, but nobody said I couldn’t fight with words.

“The only thing gross around here will be the negative number in your bank account when all your contracts start falling off. When my father and his network boycott your services.” I turn away from him and face the beauty that is my moon, lighting up the stage before me.

Not dancing, but possibly even better. Owning her light. Basking in her glory.

Letting herself live and love for the first time since her mother died and her father was diagnosed.

“Thank you for this award,” she starts, the cadence in her voice a shaky squeak.

She inhales suddenly, closing her eyes and then opening them back up and finding mine.

Her words flow with the change, like a choreographed dance.

I find it impossible to look away as she faces her fears and encourages everyone in this room to do the same.

“I used to think success was about making sure nothing went wrong. But I’m beginning to learn that you can’t control it all.

And true success, whether in business or in life or love …

” She finds me in the crowd again and smiles.

“True success comes with reacting to the leaky parts. It’s how you fix them.

Who you choose to let in and ask for help when it all becomes too much.

Even if they go about it the wrong way. It’s about—”

“It’s about love, it’s about happiness and help…blah blah blah.” Lawrence sneers over his whiskey. “Does she talk this much when she’s sucking your cock?”

“Say it again!” I slam down my fist, knocking glasses on the table and halting Shana’s speech.

All eyes are on us, and I hate it. I didn’t intend to cause a scene, but he’s here, attacking her again.

For what? To rile me up? To stain her reputation along with mine?

“You say one more thing about her, and I’ll—”

“What is the meaning of this?!” Dad scolds in a hushed tone.

“You’ll what?” A sinister smile curves Lawrence’s lips.

“You’ll deafen me? Paralyze my entire right side maybe?

If I get to choose…” he muses, circling his chair.

“ I’ll take what you did to the more fortunate of the boys…

just a really bad coma for a while. Sleep through the memories of my mauling, if you will. ”

My chest tenses with his accusations, memories of what I did to Thomas and his friends as blood flowed from his eyes and ears slicing through my brain like a chainsaw, ripping through meat and bone with force and no compassion. Just power and pain.

“You know what?” He smirks. “I take it back, make me deaf,” Dad stares at him incredulously, seeing him for what he is. “Then I won’t have to hear her go on about my cock when she realizes she’s too good for you.”

“That’s fucking enough!”

Heads from the other tables turn to face us, and I catch a second’s long sliver of Shana’s mortified face on stage just before Lawrence lurches across the table. He’s on me then, tackling me while Dad pries my arms back so I can’t swing them and shoves Lawrence aside.

“Stop it, Son! You’re making a scene!”