Page 32 of Sunny Skies Ahead (Watford Sweethearts #2)

Chapter twenty-two

Kameron

I hadn’t heard from Imogen in over a day.

I constantly checked my phone, staring at the text message she sent saying she would call me.

On some level, I could recognize that it was silly and juvenile to expect her to call me back quickly.

We were both adults, and Imogen was clearly not expecting to be ambushed by her mother in the way she was that night.

She had every right to want some time and space for herself to work through things.

But as someone who cared for her, it was damn hard to sit by the phone and wait for her to come to me.

Which is exactly how I found myself at Watley’s diner, finishing up a delicious meal of chicken and waffles.

It had become a minor obsession of mine in the months since I’d visited Watford that first time.

Connor convinced me to try it, because I’d been burned before.

Comfort food was only comfort food if it was done right.

And Lonnie Watley knew good and well what he was doing with these. I was grateful for whatever stroke of fate made Lonnie switch his allegiance from the east coast to the west coast.

I was halfway through my meal, scrolling through articles, when a woman approached my table. At first, I didn’t look up, hoping that she would move along.

“Hi,” she said. I looked up. She had long blonde hair and striking blue eyes, and carried herself with an easy grace.

“Sorry?” I asked, patting my mouth with my napkin. She smiled.

“You’re one of Connor and Abbie’s friends, right?”

“Yes,” I said slowly, still not understanding. Outside of my little circle of friends, I didn’t know many people in Watford, and I didn’t particularly care to.

The woman smiled. “I’m Skye.”

“Hi, Skye,” I said, my brain finally catching up. “I’m assuming you work here?”

“Oh Lord no,” she said, smiling. “I work at Blackbeard’s with Phillipa and Kyrie.”

“Ah,” I said. “So, what brings you here?”

Skye flushed a little at that, and I realized my mistake before she even opened her mouth.

“I’m sorry,” I said, trying to cut her off as nicely as possible. “I don’t want you to get the wrong impression. I’m seeing someone.”

Skye, to her credit, didn’t balk. She simply shrugged and let out a small sigh.

“You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take,” she said, flipping her blonde hair over one shoulder. I let out a small laugh .

“I say that all the time. And I’m flattered, really, it’s just. . .”

“You’re seeing someone else,” Skye said, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

“Something like that,” I said. “It was nice to meet you, though.”

“I’m sure I’ll see you around,” Skye said, giving me another small smile before heading towards the door. She opened the door to leave, and a man shuffled in after her, sliding past her.

“Oh, excuse me,” she said before stepping out onto the street.

I looked up to meet Lucas’s steely gaze. Crap .

“What was that?”

“She wanted to introduce herself,” I said. “I didn’t hit on her, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Things with Lucas had been tense lately.

Between the stress of his long and seemingly unending divorce from his wife and my stress over the Warrior’s Grant, we bickered more than we got along.

I also knew good and damn well that Lucas suspected things had escalated between Imogen and I.

He was fiercely protective over her, and most days I was grateful for that, but today, my patience was already thin as ice.

“Just feels weird to see you talking with another chick when Imogen’s mom is back in town.”

I glared at him.

“Don’t insinuate that I’m not doing anything to support her.”

“Yeah,” Lucas said, stroking his chin in mock contemplation. “I heard from Kevin that you were at her house the night Carmen showed up. ”

Damn Kevin. Out of all the people to catch Imogen and I on a compromising position, he was not the person I’d have picked.

He didn’t have the discernment for what should and should not be shared with other people, which meant I needed to tread carefully and figure out what Lucas knew before I spoke.

“I was,” I replied curtly. “Imogen asked me to leave, so I did.”

“Why were you at her house?”

I scoffed and set my fork down. So much for enjoying the rest of my meal in peace.

“We were working on the grant presentation, Lucas, just like we have been for the last three weeks. We’re getting down to the wire.

We need every minute we can get to prepare.

And why the hell are you standing there lecturing me about what I’m doing, when you’re running off to Seattle every week without so much as a word? ”

Lucas pressed his lips into a tight line, and I barreled on.

“Look, dude, I don’t know what the hell is up with your ex-wife.

Frankly, I don’t think I need to know the full story.

But don’t start treating the people around you like shit.

If she was really that awful, the way most of us think she was, the best payback you could ever give her is to rise above it.

Take the high road and all that. But at the bare minimum, don’t take your crap out on other people. Got it?”

Lucas blew out a long breath.

“Yeah, alright.”

I nodded in acknowledgement. “We’re here for you. But don’t come in here guns blazing like we’re your enemy. You know I’m here if you want to talk things out. ”

“I know,” Lucas sighed. “It’s just ugly. I never wanted to be in this position. Having this entire process drug out while she drains me of everything I have is a reminder of how bad I got my heart broken. It’s pretty ridiculous, and I don’t enjoy talking about it.”

“Getting your heart broken isn’t ridiculous.”

Lucas gave me a wry smile. “No. But making a series of bad choices while trying to prevent the inevitable is.”

A pang of sympathy struck me as I looked at Lucas.

He hid things behind a suave, humorous personality most of the time.

He was a man most people looked at and made an immediate judgment on, without looking behind the curtain to see the kind of man he truly was.

But really, he just wanted love like the rest of us.

Whatever his ex-wife had done, it had messed him up badly. I had my suspicions, but I also knew better than to push him on this. Lucas would come to me when he was ready to talk.

That’s how it had always been between us.

“Anyway,” Lucas said, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. “I thought we could go to the Roadhouse for a few hours. It’s been a long time since I played a game of pool against a formidable opponent.”

I laughed. “You would consider me a formidable pool opponent? I’m honored, Morales.”

Lucas waved a hand dismissively. “Yeah, well, I can’t ask Connor, because he won’t set foot in the place unless he’s contractually obligated. So you’re the only one left.”

I considered this for a moment and then shrugged.

I could use the distraction.

I should have known that Lucas was harboring a secret skill set: the ability to wipe the floor with me when it came to pool.

I groaned in frustration as he landed yet another perfect hit, the blue ‘2’ ball landing in the corner pocket with ease.

“Don’t be mad, get good,” Lucas teased, and I rounded the table, attempting to line up another shot.

“The last time I played pool was in the barracks,” I said, pulling the cue back before tapping it forward lightly. The angle was good, but I didn’t put enough power behind it, and the ball stalled out just before it landed. I cursed under my breath.

“You’re a little rusty,” Lucas said, brushing past me to line up his shot. I had half a mind to call it, knowing it would tick Lucas off. He only had two more balls to land, and this game would be his. Just as Lucas was lining up his next shot, he looked past me over the pool table.

“Do you know that guy?” he asked, voice low so just the two of us could hear.

I turned to look at the guy in question. He was a newcomer to the bar, still hovering near the doorway a few feet away. Definitely current or former military, with the way he was standing.

“No, I don’t.”

I was immediately on edge. The guy was fidgety, looking around like he didn’t know where he was, scanning the patrons as if searching for someone in particular. His behavior was way outside of the baseline, even for a place like the Roadhouse. I was immediately cautious.

“Let’s keep an eye on him,” I told Lucas, who nodded in agreement.

We continued our game of pool. Lucas won, and the guy eventually took a seat at the bar.

He was still glancing over his shoulder, occasionally taking out his phone to flip through messages, but at least he wasn’t making it everyone else’s problem.

One of the men at the bar turned to face him, surprised etched into his features. Before I could make a full assessment, the man shook his head, and then returned to his beer.

There was definitely something shifty about the guy, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Lucas and I retired to the bar to get ourselves some water, allowing the people in line to have a turn at the table. The guy gave me a once over.

I turned to face the man then. I wasn’t usually confrontational, but I was getting annoyed with how this man seemed to be laser focused on me.

“Do I know you?”

The man shrugged and slouched back on his stool, sticking his hands in his pockets.

“No. But you know Imogen Phillips, so I’m sure you’ve heard plenty about me.”

Slowly, the pieces of the puzzle snapped into place.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Connor’s voice rang out, and everyone, including the bartenders, paused, waiting for the blow. I hadn’t seen him come in .

My gaze snapped to Connor’s as he walked towards us, anger burning in his expression.

Abbie wasn’t far behind, and her gaze was stormy, too.

Connor kept Abbie behind him, one arm thrown out in front of her protectively.

The man regarded Connor briefly, giving him a mocking wave before he turned back to me, a faint sneer twisting his lips.

“I’m Jacob. Nice to meet you.”

Someone else came in behind Connor and Abbie, but I wasn’t paying attention.

Instead, I turned to Jacob, and lunged for him.