Chapter Twenty-Nine
One Week Later
Hunter
“So, where’s Vince? Did he go help Mrs. Tomms and Kylie today?” Garren was cleaning the guns on the glass display. I joined him in his chores, deciding to clean the place while there were no customers around.
It’d been more than a week since mine and Kylie’s night alone. I began to recall how intimate the night was. A different and surreal experience. There was more than lust. There was love. Had she felt it too? I’d asked myself a hundred times since then.
“Yeah, man. He went with Kylie today to help around the convenience store. Mrs. Tomms requested for him to visit too, so I agreed that he could go along with Kylie.” I kept my eyes on the guns. A smile was spreading on my face, delighted by the memories that flashed in my head.
“What’s that nasty smile on your face, man?” I looked at Garren who was smirking at me.
I suppressed my grin, replacing it with a serious expression. Garren was pushing for me to tell him about me and Kylie, but the big, ugly bastard was out of luck.
He crossed his arms beneath his chest, raising his eyebrows as he waited for an explanation. “Well?”
I breathed out. “I’m just happy, man. Don’t I deserve to be happy?”
“Oh, come on. Spit it out, man. Have the balls to say it.”
“I don’t know, Garren. I’m still trying to figure the shit out, okay? Fuck.” I turned to face the other side of the room and busied myself with paperwork.
“You know that you can’t hide that for too long. It’s pretty obvious, man. You’re starting to fall for Kylie.” He moved around to stand in front of me.
I couldn’t help but smile. It was something I had denied as best I could, but there was no escaping it anymore. Loving Kylie was an easy thing to do. She was a cut above the rest. The type of woman men would chase and fight to have.
“Man, I can’t stop myself from caring about her, and you’re right. I think I’m in love with her.” Something like a weight lifted off of me.
He threw his hands in the air. “Fucking finally, you admitted it. That’s just what I was waiting for. Jeez. Why was that so damn hard?”
“Because you’re a cock and reminded me of Linda the last time this came up. Forgive me for not wanting to share my feelings with you, ass hat.” I gave him a knowing look, and he nodded as if he understood. “Anyway, Kylie is a special girl. I haven’t felt like this, ever.”
“Well, then I think that’s great. My only concern is for you, man. You and Vince are my family.” He reached out and gripped my shoulder. “I know you have to understand that.”
“I do, but look at the bigger picture for a minute, man. No one could ever do what she was doing. She’s an outstanding woman. Not too many women out there would sacrifice their time and efforts for someone like me. I have a kid, Garren. It’s not an easy life for her to step into.”
“I agree, brother.” He smiled. “I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks, man. I haven’t really pushed forward with her yet, but I’m going to soon.”
He snorted. “It’s always soon with you, Hunter. Get to it before some other town hunk comes in and does it for you.”
“Fuck you,” I murmured as a smile played on my lips. He was always willing to play Negative Nancy. I should have been used to it by then.
“Not my type, cutie.” He winked at me and walked back to the front of the store, calling over his shoulder. “Just be careful. Promise?”
I didn’t respond. I knew what he was thinking, and I understood it. Perhaps he was right, but it was a hard pill to swallow.
As surprisingly as how she came into our lives, she could leave me and my son anytime. One day, Vince and I could wake up and realize that like Linda, Kylie had slipped out in the night, leaving us forever.
Vince would be crushed into pieces if she left. I would be devastated. Our lives would crumble if she decided that we were no longer important in her life.
But aside from all those things, something deep inside of me believed in her. She would never leave us. I put my trust in her whole heartedly because I didn’t have a choice. I was already too far gone where she was concerned anyway. I was hers…forever.
*
After I had finished up the large pile of paperwork on my desk, I walked back up front to see a regular customer to the store, a guy who loved guns and visited for gun range practice at the back all the time.
“Hello, Mr. Jackson. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you around.”
He’d changed from the last time he visited the gun shop. It seemed like he had lost some weight. Also, the unshaved, dirty beard around his jaw. Despite his changed look, he remained friendly as always. “Good to see you again, Hunter. Things have been quite rough for me these past few months. It’s just now that I found the time to visit and get to practice at the range.” Despite his jolly expression, Mr. Jackson’s eyes were sullen. He seemed like he had been going through something in his life.
“I hope things get better for you. How about Mrs. Jackson? Is she not joining you today?” Upon hearing my question, the man frowned. His expression showed what he really was feeling inside. I bit my lip, guilty of the tactless question I had asked. “Sorry, Mr. Jackson. I did not mean to ask.”
He looked up and offered a sad smile. The gloom behind his eyes reflected whatever pain he had been suffering. “It’s okay, Hunter. I have already moved on.” He looked at me as he forced a smile. “It was difficult to accept, but I finally realized things. By the way, Mrs. Jackson’s no longer with me. We’re officially divorced.”
I pursed my lips, hating myself for getting us into such a depressing conversation. How was it even possible? They were one of the few couples I knew who got along so well. I could still picture how sweet they were every time they visited my shop. I had always idolized them for being a strong, successful couple who had great kids.
“How in the hell did that happen?” My voice was almost a murmur. I was speaking to myself, but my voice was audible enough for him to hear.
“I still don’t know how to answer that question myself. I thought we were happy. Everything was perfect. But one day, she left and never returned again. I could not find her anywhere. It was difficult to find someone who did not want to be found.” He leaned his hand on the case, seeking support to maintain his stance. His voice was shaky and emotional.
I could almost feel the torment he had gone through.
“The next day, she called home, and my son answered. When he gave the phone to me, she told me that we needed to end things. I asked her why, trying my best to make things right. She said nothing and dropped the call instead. She’s never showed up since then. Instead, a package came in that week. When I opened it, it had our divorce papers waiting for my signature.” Mr. Jackson let out a sigh. Still, he managed to show a strong front and forced another weak smile.
“Sorry about that, Mr. Jackson. I shouldn’t have asked. Forgive me?” I reached out and squeezed the older man’s shoulder.
“No, it’s fine, Hunter. I’m already okay with it. It’s just so difficult to think of the reason why she left. The worst part about it is how my little boy is going through the process. He’s been asking for his mother long enough until he got tired of asking. He is heartbroken to bits, and as a father, seeing your son in such despair is the most painful thing ever.” He grasped his gun case tighter, the pressure of his emotions evident on his grip. “Sorry for taking your time, Hunter. I just wish you all the best in life. I hope this won’t happen to you.” He excused himself and proceeded to the gun range.
I watched Mr. Jackson as he left, my head messed up with memories. He hoped it wouldn’t happen? Fuck, it already had. The only concern I had was the chance of it happening again. I wouldn’t survive it.
As I returned to my table and checked on things I had left unfinished, I saw my phone vibrating. I grabbed it from the table to look who it was. Kylie’s name flashed on the screen, plus ten missed calls, all from her. My heart started to beat loudly when I pressed the green button.
Kylie’s voice filled my ears. She sounded like she was worried sick. “Hunter, come to the hospital as soon as you can. We rushed Vince in minutes ago. Please hurry.”