Rough Tumble (16 page)

The diner though. She winced. Sure when she was sick, people tended to pitch in. Hell, she didn’t care. Samantha was her trusty morning girl and needed the money. She’d probably be thrilled for an hour of overtime.

And with that, the backdoor clicked, opened and Samantha called out. “It’s me.”

Tonya was walking to her as the girl came in the door, placed her things in the small lockers and headed toward her.

Samantha sniffed. “I smell the bacon already. You got here early.”

“Just a little bit. Would you want some overtime?”

Samantha’s eyes widened. “You bet.”

Just as she thought. “Great. I’m going to take tomorrow off.”

Samantha smiled. “Wonderful. Do you have plans?”

“Nope. Just going to sleep in.”

Samantha knotted her apron and put the egg skillet on the stove. “That’s great. And sure, I can help out however you want.”

“I’d need you to come in a little earlier in the morning and then stay a little later to change out the register drawers, but I’ll have it all ready.”

Samantha nodded. “Not a problem. You should take the day off. You never take off. When was the last time you took a vacation?”

Tonya stopped with her tongs holding a strip of bacon in the air. “You know, I don’t know.”

“Too long ago. You should take one. And I’m not just saying that for the extra money to me.”

Tonya laughed. A vacation. Could she? Where would she go? Who would she go with? Wait. What the hell? Why would she need anyone to go with her?

Chapter Sixteen

“So.” Lane rocked back on his heels and put his hands in his pockets.

Trent glanced up from the pages he was turning through. “Spit it out, Lane.”

“Gretchen’s pregnant.”

The pencil fell out of his hand. “Congratulations, man.”

He grinned from ear to ear. “Thanks. Faster than we expected, but couldn’t be happier.”

“That’s awesome. When?”

“She suspected on our honeymoon, but didn’t say anything. She took a test when she got home, got right in with a doctor who confirmed it with a blood test on Thursday afternoon.”

There was this thick knot in his throat. “Thursday?”

He laughed, face just beaming. “Yeah. She took Flora and Tonya with her to the doctor to get it confirmed. Then the girls went to eat. She got home about two thirty in the morning carrying loads of baby gear and maternity clothes they bought at Wal-Mart. I found out when I went to the back of the truck and asked why she’d bought a baby seat.”

“Oh, fuck.” He dropped his head in his hands.

“Um, thanks?” Lane’s brow lifted.

Trent shook his head while sickness churned in his stomach. “Not you. I’m happy for you.”

Shit, shit, shit. Okay, she could have told him Gretchen was pregnant, but now he could see why she hadn’t and just…hell. He raked over the top of his head and walked away from the desk.

“Where you going?”

“To talk to Tonya.”

Lane’s narrowed eyes and tilted head stopped him. And then the news dropped. “Tonya’s on vacation.”

“What?”

Lane shook his head, eyes narrowed all over again. “What did you do?”

“Something really stupid.”

“Sounds like it. All I know is she went on vacation. Gretchen didn’t really know much about it. Tonya called while she was on the way out of town.”

“When?”

“Friday morning, I think? Gretchen said Tonya opened the diner, booked a trip, packed and left before daylight.”

He dropped in a chair, his face in his hands. He wouldn’t know because he knew Tonya. Or thought he knew her. Knew her enough to know that she would often sleep at the diner at night. Come in late, wake up early. When he hadn’t seen her truck at night, it hadn’t been too odd. It’d only been a couple days since he’d stupidly walked out of her house and for why?

He stroked over his face. He didn’t think.

Lane patted him on the shoulder. “Want my advice?”

“Not really.”

Lane pulled a chair up next to him and dropped into it. “That’s your problem. You don’t want any advice.”

“If you heard some of the dumb shit Jacob has been nagging me about for the past three months, you wouldn’t ask people for advice. Hell, last thing I want is to come across sounding like a pathetic sap.”

“So you’d rather just look like one.”

“If you’re going to be an ass, then leave.”

“You started it.”

“Don’t—”

Jacob slapped him on the shoulders and dropped in the seat next to him. “Let me guess, Mr. Has It All Figured out finally realized he’s screwed.”

Lane’s brow lifted. “Yep.”

Trent looked at them both. “You both knew.”

If Jacob looked any smugger, he’d have it written on his face. “Yep. Since Friday afternoon.”

Lane nodded. “Friday morning for me.”

Jacob pointed at his chest. “It was later for me because my cell was dead.”

“How in the hell could you not tell me?”

“That you were a jackass?” Jacob lifted an irritating brow. God, that brow had driven Trent crazy since they were teens.

Lane cupped him on the shoulder and gave him a shake. “Seemed better to let you figure it out on your own.”

Jacob shook his head. “Dude. Really? You walked out because Tonya wouldn’t tell you Gretchen was pregnant? You’re an asshole.”

Trent sat back. “I didn’t know that’s what it was. It sounded crazy when she came—”

Jacob’s brow lifted again. “When she came in and said she’d been shopping at Wal-Mart until two in the morning with her two best friends?”

Damn it, and that was true. “What was I supposed to think?”

“That she looked tired?” Jacob blinked at him.

“What Tonya and I have is serious. We’re not fooling around with your ‘not a serious relationship just a together thing’ or whatever the hell you’re calling it.”

Jacob shook his head. “Still the entitled ass.” Jacob leaned forward. “Try this one on, I have a beautiful woman I’m in love with and she loves me. I’m happy. We’re happy. You have your entitled ass.”

“Piss off.”

“Already am.” Jacob pushed off the table and walked away.

Trent shook his head as everything he thought he had a handle on fell out of his hands. “Shit.”

“You do know he’s right, don’t you?”

“He’s not right. His life is a mess.”

“Is it?” Lane shrugged. “He loves her. Said she loved him. They’re happy. What sounds messed up about that?”

Oh great, just great. He had said that. “They finally got the guts up and said the I love
yous
.”

“Bingo.” Lane pointed at him. “Even still, they had something there when it wasn’t spoken.”

“That doesn’t make me a self-entitled ass.”

“Nope. You’re doing that all on your own.” Lane shook his head at him. “Quit being a dick, get your head out of your ass and then apologize. Beg. Beg hard.”

“I have nothing to beg about. I made a mistake based on her history.”

“A mistake is a fight. You walked out on her because she wouldn’t tell you her friend’s news because she thought the father should know before the uncle.”

“Still a mistake.”

Lane shook his head. “My God. You’re pathetic. Really pathetic.”

“Lane,” he warned.

“What? For years we followed after you. Pulled back when you used that tone. We’re not kids anymore. I’m married. I’m going to be a dad. Jacob is actually going somewhere. Growing up we always thought you were the one who had it together, but it’s just an act. You pretend like you have it together, but you’re more messed up than the rest of us.”

Lane’s footsteps carried him away. Lane didn’t know shit about his life. It wasn’t an act. Trent did have things figured out. Reasons for his thoughts and actions. The door opened at his back and Trent slouched in his chair. “Where did she go?”

Lane’s sigh carried through the room. “Pensacola Beach. She’ll be back next Friday. Figure out your begging plan.”

He wasn’t begging. “What hotel?”

“You’ll have to ask Gretchen or Flora.”

He winced. “Do you think they’ll tell?”

“Depends on how hard you beg. And how well you convince them you’re going to grovel to Tonya.”

“I told you I’m not begging.” He had no reason to beg. She had a history of lying.

“Then you’re never going to get her back. I haven’t been married long, but I’ve been with Gretchen for over a year now. You want to be happy, always beg no matter what.”

He pulled out his phone and started to dial Flora first. Yeah, probably not going to get lucky there and instead clicked over to Tonya’s number and listened to it ring and ring. A scratch filled his throat, but her not answering didn’t mean anything. She was at the beach. Sand and saltwater wasn’t good on a phone. He hung up and sent her a quick text message asking her to call him.

Then they’d talk. Or he’d find out where she was and go talk there if he needed to. In fact, the more he thought of it, going there sounded like a better idea. He got up from his desk and the house plans he’d been looking at and packed a quick bag. It was early summer. At the beach. There wasn’t a lot he needed and he got it all in one large duffle.

Now to find her.

He opened the phone and debated which to call first. With Gretchen he probably had better odds, but since it was her pregnancy that cause all this…maybe not. He gave in and dialed Flora first. Tonya could be out grabbing supper. It might be late before she got back. Maybe she went—he shook his head. He wouldn’t think about what she was doing on the beach in Florida.

He grabbed a pen and paper and was ready when Flora answered the phone. “It’s Trent. Can you tell me where Tonya is?”

She was chewing gum it sounded like by the smacking in his ear. “I could, but I won’t.”

He rubbed his temples. Great. “Please?”

“Nope.”

“I can’t fix this if I don’t talk to her.”

“Then I guess you’ll have to wait to fix it until after she gets back.”

“Flora. Please.”

“It’s a
secret
. You like those, don’t you? Lesson learned. Don’t be a douche and you wouldn’t be in this situation.” The phone clicked and he pulled back to see the call had been disconnected.

He tossed the phone on the table and pushed away from the desk. Not that he should be surprised she wouldn’t tell him anything. Flora would be the harder one of the two to get information out of. He shouldered his bag, grabbed his phone. Gretchen’s house was on his way out of town. Packed up and ready to go, had to prove he was serious about this. He hopped in his truck and stopped at Gretchen’s place for a few minutes for directions. He checked his watch. He would get there in the middle of the night, but at least he could sleep it off and be fresh to straighten this out in the morning.

The sign in Gretchen’s front window was flipped to open, so he knocked as he walked in and stopped with one foot inside when Gretchen
and
Flora stood in her living room, sporting fantastically awesome
Go to Hell
looks.

Flora had her hands on her hips and words coming out before he even had a chance. “If you think for a minute you’re going to get where she’s at out of either one of us, you’ve got another thing coming.”

“I can’t fix this if I can’t find her.”

“Did you call her?”

He cleared his throat and dodged that question. “Please?”

Flora shook her head. “No. All you’re going to do is ruin her vacation.”

“I’m not going to ruin it. I just want to talk.”

Gretchen crossed her arms under her chest. “Maybe you should have done that instead of walking out on her the other night.”

He winced. “I know. I handled it bad. I had my reasons.”

Gretchen’s brow lifted. “If all you came for is to find out where Tonya is, then leave.”

“I just—”

She shook her head and held up her hand. “Leave.”

Fuck. He headed out the door. He was down to Jacob for information. Last Trent checked, he was pissed. The only place he knew to try was at the diner. He pulled in at his spot around the back. Turned to his key on the ring and let himself in the auto-locking back door. The backroom was dim as usual. The ice machine dropped a new load of ice in the bin as he walked past and rounded the corner in the kitchen.

Carla was over the stove, sweat running down the side of her face. Tickets were tucked in one after another down the line. A waitress scouted through, her face glowing red and the other girl over the fryers looked about the same.

Carla met his gaze and she physically relaxed. “Thank God you’re here. Can you take over here? Samantha is the only girl handling the front and she’s been here nearly all day.”

“Not…yeah.” Probably not a good idea to refuse. “Got it.”

Carla grabbed a pad. “I had to send Ashley home, putting us in this mess. She’s sick and then we got a huge order.”