Infatuated (21 page)

Now I felt guilty for being happy Earl was in jail. I never thought about him having a family, especially a daughter my age who I went to school with. I didn’t know if it would have changed anything, but…

The girl sneered at me, said, “Shove the apology up your ass,” then stormed away.

Max slapped me on the arm. “I can’t believe you apologized to her. You should’ve pressed charges against her raging bitch ass.”

“It’s not her fault he’s a creep any more than it’s mine. He’s family. Do you really expect her to believe a stranger over him?”

“No, but she had no reason to hit you like it’s your fault.”

“But she thinks it is.” When Max raised her arm to hit me again, I lifted mine in defense. “I’m not defending her. Or not really.” I sighed. “It’s…messy.”

She shook her head. “She got you good.”

Still rubbing my jaw, I said, “Yeah.”

“She’s lucky you don’t file charges against her. And if she tries it again, I’m laying her ass out.”

I smiled, then winced as the movement pulled at my aching jaw. “I’ve always wanted a Knightess in Shining Armor.”

Huffing, Max shook her head. After a minute, she said, “Fuck that. I want to be an Amazon.”

“Deal.”

“Come on,” Max said, pulling me away. “Let’s get you some ice before it bruises too bad and you end up looking like half a raccoon.”

I sighed and let Maxine lead me away. We passed Earl’s daughter standing in a group of people. She said something to them, then pointed at me. They all stared.

T
he staring didn’t stop at school. As I walked into the bar for my shift, half the people inside stopped whatever they were doing to turn in their chairs and watch me as I went to the counter. I almost ran right back out the front door. It took every ounce of willpower I had to keep moving forward and keep my eyes straight ahead. Dave stood at the doorway to the back room. He looked about as happy as I felt. He motioned me over to him.

I hadn’t had a chance to tell anyone at work about the restraining order. I’d planned to, as soon as I came in, but it seemed the news had already spread.
Why did I want to live in a small town again?

“Look,” I started as I followed him, “if you want to fire me because I got a restraining order against Earl and got him arrested, then go ahead. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it first, I had school right after and didn’t—”

“Stop. You’re not fired.” He jerked a thumb in the direction of the bar. “Half those people want your head, but you’re keeping your job. I—what the hell happened to your face?”

“Earl’s daughter.”

“Stephanie?”

“If that’s her name.”

“She hit you? Damn.” He shook his head. “Do you want the night off, Ally?”

“Do I look that bad or am I going to need it?”

He sighed. “Yes and…I’m not sure. Most of the people out there know Earl and his family.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Do you believe me?” If he didn’t, I was done. I’d throw my apron in his face and walk out the door now.

He ran a hand over his beard. “I don’t want to, but damn it, I’ve seen the way he looks at you, especially lately. I didn’t want to believe it, but it’s hard not to.” He let out a loud sigh. “I’m sorry I didn’t do something about it sooner, Ally. While you’re working, Earl won’t be allowed in. He’s a friend, so…”

“You don’t want to ban him from the bar.” It disappointed me still, but this couldn’t be easy for him, either. This wasn’t easy for anyone.

“No. I don’t. I probably should. Hell, Ally. I practically grew up with him.”

“I’m sorry, Dave.” Now I sighed, feeling even worse. “This whole thing is because of me and—”

“Stop.” He shook his head. “This isn’t your fault and I don’t blame you for it, at all. I’m sorry you think I do. I’m even sorrier that I let you. I should have done something the first time you brought this to me and I didn’t.” He did something he rarely did and laid his hand on my shoulder. “You’re a good kid, Ally. Go on out. I’m sticking around for a while to do inventory. If anyone gives you a hard time, let me know, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks, Dave.” I logged in on the computer and grabbed an apron.

“And Ally?”

I looked up as I tied it around my waist. “Yeah?”

“If he comes in when you’re working…” His cheeks puffed out. “Do what you have to do. But could you ask him to leave first? Can you do that, for me?”

“Yeah, Dave. I owe you that much.”

Half the people in the bar turned to look at me as I went back out. Their eyes narrowed and their mouths were thin lines.

Kale would probably be disappointed I hadn’t been fired, but I was thankful. Now…I just hoped I felt the same way after my shift.

T
wenty minutes before my shift ended, Kale walked in. He took note of the people, of their gazes, as he came up to the bar. He sat at the far end, away from everyone else, and motioned me over.

“Why are they all staring at you? Did you kill everyone’s puppies?” he asked quietly as I slid a glass of water in front of him.

“What I did was so much simpler than that. It’s the restraining order,” I said. “They’re not pleased.”

Lightning fast, his hand reached across the counter and grabbed mine. “What the hell happened to your face?”

I winced. Between everything, I’d mostly forgotten about it. I hadn’t even had a chance to look in the mirror since my shift started. I should have, I thought now, knowing how Kale would react. “I’ll tell you in a little bit, okay?”

“Earl?” His voice was dead calm. “I’ll—”

“No, no. He didn’t touch me.” I lifted myself up and leaned across the bar so I could kiss him on the cheek. “Later, okay?” I’d called him earlier to tell him about Earl being at school, but I’d left out the fisticuffs.

“Ally…”

“You’re here.” I smiled. “I’m okay.”

And I was thankful he was there. No one had been outwardly rude—much—but having backup was infinitely better than being alone.

W
ith the bar closed and locked up tight, Kale walked me home. “Explain,” he told me the second the apartment door closed behind us.

“After I had Earl arrested, his daughter showed her displeasure at having a family member arrested in front of her.”

“You go to school with his daughter?”

“Apparently.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

I shrugged. “I told you about Earl so you wouldn’t freak out after. I didn’t want to add to it about his daughter. Besides, you were busy making up new cuss words over the phone.”

He pulled me to the couch and onto his lap so I was straddling him. “I can’t leave you alone for ten minutes, can I?” His fingers brushed my face.

“Apparently not. How bad does it look anyway? I haven’t seen.”

“Bad enough that I’ll probably get dirty looks until it heals.” His fingers brushed along my jaw, up toward my eye. “You’ll have a black eye tomorrow.”

“Not my first and probably won’t be my last.”

“Get hit in the face often?”

I laughed. “Only by Max.”

“She’s hit you? I thought you were best friends.”

“We are. She hit me when I was twelve because I looked at the guy she had a crush on.”

He shook his head.

“She was very serious about him. For a month, anyway. And then…in high school. She opened her locker in my face.”

“How many times has she hit you?”

“Three times, I think?”

“You guys are dangerous.”

“We are. It’s mostly her. She gave me a black eye a few months ago playing pool.” I looked at him. “Don’t play pool with her drunk. Ever. She ended up taking me out and some poor guy who may or may not be able to procreate in the future…”

He winced under me. “Avoid Max drunk, check. Anything else I should know?”

“Probably. I have a list somewhere. I have a list of lists, really.”

“I didn’t know you were such a nerd.”

“I’m not a nerd. I just like lists. They make me happy.”

“Oh, yeah?” Those sexy eyes of his darkened. Slowly, methodically, he ran his hands up my thighs and over my hips.

I stared down at him as he cupped my ass and jerked me closer. My hands went to his chest for support. “What are you doing?”

Leaning forward, he kissed along my neck, carefully over my jaw, before nipping at my ear. “Seeing what else makes you happy.” The sexy growl made my stomach flutter.

“Well, if you insist...” Who was I to stop him?

CHAPTER 17

W
hen my phone rang the next morning, I groaned. Half-climbing and half-rolling over Kale, I grabbed my phone off the nightstand. “Hello?”

“Ally Sawyer?”

It was a woman’s voice, but not one I recognized. There were loud sounds and voices in the background.

“Yeah?”

“This is Officer Simms. You called about pictures you found in—”

“Oh! Yeah, I remember you.” I slapped Kale’s arm to get this attention. He blinked up at me. “Sorry, Officer Simms.” His eyes widened at that and he motioned at the phone. I held it away from my face so he could hear. “Um, how are you?”

“Good, thanks.” She let out a loud breath. “Look, I probably shouldn’t be calling you about this, but I know you had your stalker—Earl?—arrested yesterday. I wanted to call and let you know they released him a few hours later.”

“What?” Kale swore under his breath and tried grabbing the phone out of my hands.

I heard her chuckle. “I take it that’s your friend?”

“Um, yes. Do you mind if I put you on speaker phone?”

“Sure.”

“Why the hell did they let him out of jail?” Kale demanded.

“I don’t have all the details and I shouldn’t be telling you, but it was a technicality. His daughter goes to school with Ally and he claims to have not known you’d be there.”

“What?” It was my turn to swear. “He follows me there. Hell, some of the pictures he took of me were from school.”

“What you know and what you can prove are two different things. His attorney argued that it was obviously unintentional because it was within a few hours of getting the restraining order, so for now, the judge threw it out and gave him a warning.”

“Son of a bitch!” Kale stormed off the bed and paced at the foot of it.

“Look,” Officer Simms said, “don’t do anything stupid—either of you. Keep doing what you’ve been doing. Take your notes, keep your eyes open. Earl might’ve been testing you, to see if you’d go through with it or let it go. Now he knows you’re serious and won’t hesitate to call the cops on him.” There were shouts over the line. “Sorry, I’ve got to go. I just wanted to give you a heads up. Stay safe, okay?”